Adsense, Ezoic, Mediavine, and AdThrive are four popular ad networks used by bloggers and website owners to monetize their content.
However, with the ever-changing landscape of the digital advertising, it’s essential to explore other options to have options and maximize your revenue potential.
Some ad networks are easier to get into than others. Mediavine and AdThrive tend to be more difficult, as literally the smallest thing (e.g., one “naughty” word on one article out of hundreds or thousands) can sink your chances and you may not get the feedback to understand what was flagged.
Some publishers may spend years getting their site up to the traffic minimums only to find they get rejected when they apply.
So, it’s best to know the landscape broadly and know your options, and not to put all your eggs in one basket.
In this article, we will discuss 11+ alternatives to these well-known ad networks and dive into the unique features of each platform.
Adsense
Google Adsense is one of the most popular ad networks available.
It allows publishers to display targeted text, image, or video advertisements on their websites, and earn revenue based on the number of impressions and clicks.
However, the platform has strict rules and policies that can make it challenging for some publishers to gain approval or maintain their accounts.
Mediavine
Mediavine is a full-service ad management platform known for its fast-loading, high-quality ads.
They require at least 50,000 monthly sessions for publishers to join, making it a more exclusive network.
Their focus is on creating sustainable income for content creators while maintaining excellent user experiences.
For Mediavine sites, they use combing algorithms to make sure the content is “clean.”
This means nothing that could be mistaken for adult content or anything sensitive.
So before applying, make sure your content is as PC as possible.
Raptive (fka AdThrive)
Raptive, once popularly known as AdThrive, is another ad management platform catering to high-traffic websites, requiring at least 100,000 monthly pageviews for eligibility.
They offer personalized ad placements and optimizations to increase revenue while ensuring that user experience remains unaffected.
Mediavine and Raptive have comparable RPMs.
There will be differences in performance, but overall they are about the same in terms of the mean expectation.
Ezoic
Ezoic is a platform that uses artificial intelligence to optimize ad placements and website layouts for improved user experience and increased revenue.
They offer a suite of tools that includes ad testing, layout optimization, and content insights.
Ezoic’s main perk is its data analytics back-end. You might call it Google Analytics on steroids.
It’s a nice tool to see what content is working well and what’s not.
In terms of RPMs, they tend to be lower than Mediavine and AdThrive, often by 30%-150%.
Some do see comparable results or a lot worse results, so it really depends.
Ezoic Measures by EPMV
When Ezoic measures out RPM, they do it by visitors instead of sessions or pageviews.
EPMV will inflate the RPM because website visitors are always smaller than sessions, which are smaller than pageviews.
For example, a website with 100,000 monthly visitors might be getting 115,000 sessions and 130,000 pageviews.
If the site is making $3,000 from those 100K visitors, the EPMV will be expressed as $30.
The session RPM would be $26.09.
The pageview RPM would be $23.08.
So that’s something to keep in mind when comparing Ezoic to other networks is that it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison using their metric versus an RPM based on sessions or pageviews.
The EPMV is naturally going to look better compared to those.
Monumetric
Monumetric is an ad management platform that focuses on maximizing revenue through data-driven strategies.
They offer four different partnership tiers based on a site’s monthly pageviews.
They require 10,000 monthly pageviews.
So they are often an option for mid-size blogs in the 10K-50K monthly sessions range. Those who want to get out of Adsense but are too small for a network like Mediavine.
Monumetric provides comprehensive reporting and analytics, as well as dedicated account managers for larger publishers.
Adsense vs Ezoic vs Monumetric vs Mediavine (My Personal Experiences On Each!)
SheMedia
SheMedia is an ad network specifically designed for female-focused content creators.
They offer a range of monetization options, including display ads, sponsored content, and custom integrations.
SheMedia is an ideal choice for publishers with content related to lifestyle, parenting, beauty, or fashion.
Publift
Publift is an ad management platform that provides monetization solutions for publishers of all sizes.
Their technology, Fuse, optimizes ad placements and increases fill rates for higher revenue.
Publift also offers header bidding, adblock recovery, and content recommendation services.
SetupAd
SetupAd is an ad management platform that connects publishers with premium demand partners to maximize revenue.
They offer header bidding, ad refresh technology, and adblock recovery services.
SetupAd’s real-time analytics and optimization tools help publishers make informed decisions about their ad strategies.
Nitro Pay
Nitro Pay is an ad network that focuses on providing publishers with high-paying CPM rates.
They offer various ad formats, including display, video, and native ads.
Nitro Pay is suitable for publishers of all sizes, with no minimum traffic requirements.
Ezoic vs Mediavine vs Adthrive (My Personal Experience)
Healthyads
Healthyads is a niche ad network catering to the health, wellness, and fitness industries.
They provide targeted, high-quality ads to publishers in their niche, ensuring a seamless user experience.
Healthyads offers competitive CPM rates and dedicated account managers.
Newor Media
Newor Media is an ad network that specializes in serving display and native ads to publishers.
They offer a user-friendly dashboard, real-time reporting, and multiple payment options.
Newor Ads is a great choice for small to medium-sized publishers looking to monetize their websites.
Generally they require around 30,000 views per month.
They are also more lenient in accepting sites in our experience relative to Mediavine or AdThrive.
Ex.co
Ex.co provides video ads.
They generally require 1 million views per month in order to get their video solutions.
Media.net
Media.net is a contextual ad network powered by Yahoo and Bing.
It is one of the largest global advertising networks, offering a variety of ad formats such as display, native, and video ads.
Media.net is known for its high-quality, relevant ads that blend seamlessly with the content on a publisher’s site.
They use advanced targeting and optimization algorithms to ensure that ads deliver the best performance possible.
Conclusion
While Adsense, Ezoic, Mediavine, and AdThrive are popular ad networks, exploring alternative options can help you diversify your revenue streams and maximize your earnings.
Or at least provide options if you can’t get into one.
Each platform has unique features, and the best choice depends on your website’s niche, traffic volume, and specific requirements.
By experimenting with different networks and ad formats, you can optimize your ad strategy and create a more sustainable income for your online content.
