When it comes to monetizing a website, choosing the right ad network is one of the most important decisions a publisher can make. An ad network is a platform that connects advertisers with publishers, helping to match ad spaces on websites with relevant advertisers looking to reach specific audiences through engaging content. But not all ad networks are created equal. There are a wide variety of ad solutions available, from traditional ad networks to ad exchanges and header bidding partners, each with its own set of features and benefits.
The right ad network for your website depends on several key factors, including the type of platform, the level of ad strategy support, the sophistication of the ad tech, and your site’s eligibility to use the platform. Additionally, understanding the potential revenue impact is crucial, as different ad networks offer varying models for sharing ad earnings.
In this post, we’ll start by exploring the key factors to consider when selecting an ad network, as well as the various types of ad platforms, to help publishers understand their pros and cons. we’ll compare 10 of the best ad networks for publishers, beginning with our solution at Snigel.
Snigel was able to help DeviceTests and MakeTechEasier.com achieve revenue increases of over 100%, and our clients experience an average revenue increase of 57%. To learn more about Snigel, read our case studies or get in touch.
How To Choose The Best Ad Network For Your Site
When choosing the right ad network for your website, there are many factors to consider:
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Type of Platform: “Ad network” is used to refer to many different types of ad solutions (e.g., ad exchanges, header bidding partners). However, there are significant differences between them that will affect your ability to use the platform and how much revenue you’ll earn. We cover the different types of ad monetization solutions below.
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Ad Strategy Support: Every website needs a different ad monetization strategy in order to truly maximize revenue. And yet, most ad networks recommend nearly identical ad strategies for different websites. Other ad platforms leave the ad strategy entirely up to the website owner. This is an issue because most publishers don’t have the necessary knowledge to create an ad strategy that delivers the highest revenue possible. Therefore, the best option is to choose a solution that provides expert, customized ad strategy support.
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Ad Tech: As we mentioned above, in order to earn the most revenue possible, you need a custom ad strategy, which means you also need ad tech that can be customized to support that strategy. However, most ad stacks only allow for minimal customizations (e.g., the size of the ad). So you’ll want to pay careful attention to what the capabilities of the ad stack actually are. Additionally, it’s best to choose a solution with advanced technology built to support overall site performance.
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Eligibility: All ad platforms have stipulations for publishers, such as a minimum traffic requirement or that the majority of your website traffic has to come from Tier 1 GEOs. Oftentimes, platforms will have different requirements for different tiers of their service. If you don’t meet all of the requirements, you may not have access to some of their features, which will impact how much revenue you earn. And some platforms are invite-only, making them inaccessible to most publishers.
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Revenue potential: When comparing options, many publishers look at what percentage of revenue they keep from transactions and often go with whichever one offers the highest revenue share. However, that’s not a reliable point of comparison because it doesn’t take into account how much revenue the ad platform can help you earn in the first place. For example, let’s say one solution helps you earn $1500 and has a revenue share of 20/80, and the other option helps you earn $1000 but has a revenue share of 10/90. The first option would leave you with more revenue ($1200 vs $900) despite keeping a larger portion of the earnings. You’ll also need to consider whether the solution has a lock-in and/or exclusivity clause because both of those may affect how flexible you’re able to be with your ad setup and therefore how much you're able to earn in the long run.
Choosing the right ad network for your website comes down to thinking ahead, understanding your site’s specific needs, and looking beyond just the obvious revenue share numbers.
Ad Networks, Ad Exchanges, and Header Bidding: A Quick Guide
The term “ad network” is often used to refer to all programmatic advertising platforms, but there are different types. Here are the most common ones:
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Advertising networks bundle ad inventory to sell to advertisers, leaving publishers with limited control over what ads are displayed on their site. But there are multiple types of ad networks; for example, some specialize in specific verticals, some are based on affiliate marketing, and others only support specific ad formats.
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Ad exchanges facilitate direct transactions between advertisers and publishers. This gives publishers more control over what ads and brands are featured on their sites. Ad exchanges are often referred to as Supply Side Platforms (SSPs). However, SSPs are actually the platform by which publishers access the exchange (advertisers access ad exchanges via Demand Side Platforms, or DSPs), but SSPs and ad exchanges typically go hand-in-hand. Ad exchanges are often only accessible to large publishers.
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Header bidding partners take advantage of multiple ad exchanges and ad networks, without publishers having to set up and manage each of these relationships themselves. Therefore, not only does header bidding drive up bids by forcing demand sources to compete with each other during real-time bidding, it also lets publishers unload some of the burden of ad monetization onto the partner. Plus, header bidding lets small and midsize publishers get in on premium ad networks and exchanges that are usually exclusive to high-performing publishers. Finally, header bidding partners typically offer a full ad stack so that publishers don’t have to connect to and manage third-party software on their own.
By getting to know the differences between these ad platforms, you can better match your monetization approach to your specific goals and needs.
Best Ad Monetization Solutions for Publisher Websites
Here’s our list of the top ten ad networks, ad exchanges, and header bidding partners for website publishers in 2024.
1. Snigel: Done for You Header Bidding
Snigel’s header bidding solution AdEngine is highly customizable and can serve any vertical and GEO. We partner all clients with a dedicated ad operations expert who will formulate, implement, test, and adapt a robust ad strategy for you, leaving you free to focus on your website content (you’ll still have full say over what happens on your website).
Snigel works with publishers whose current monetization efforts bring in $300/day (or who have high growth potential).
Next, we provide a detailed breakdown of what clients can expect from Snigel in terms of ad strategy support and ad tech.
Dedicated Support for Building a Custom Ad Strategy
Our dedicated ad experts are experienced with creating strategies to squeeze the absolute most revenue out of your ad space, and will create plans considering factors such as:
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Target demographics. Ad operations specialists find the best brands and deals that are most likely to appeal to your target audience (which increases ad interaction and therefore revenue).
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Optimum number of ads. While some ad networks encourage publishers to squeeze as many ads as possible onto their site, oversaturated ad placements will compromise the user experience, reducing interaction, traffic, and potentially even site health. Therefore, it’s important to determine the right number of ads to entice viewers rather than overwhelm them while still ensuring high amounts of revenue.
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Brand safety. Snigel ad experts will pair you with high quality advertisers for your vertical that meet the overall experience goals you have for your website.
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Adaptability. New technology is constantly being created and privacy regulations change. Our ad experts will stay up-to-date on the latest trends and policies and test new ideas to ensure your website is earning you the most revenue possible while staying compliant with all relevant regulations.
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And much more!
Because we offer dedicated support, the same expert learns your site and needs, increasing efficiency by eliminating the need to repeatedly explain the basics to a new person.
Because we offer dedicated support, the same expert learns your site and needs, increasing efficiency by eliminating the need to repeatedly explain the basics to a new person.
Fully Customizable Ad Tech and Implementation
Snigel’s advanced ad stack includes features aimed at improving ad traffic and maximizing revenue:
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AI bidder optimization: In addition to selecting the best ad auctions for a sites’ inventory based on GEO, device, and browser, our algorithm switches between client-side and server-side (S2S) header bidding based on which one offers the best performance. Average revenue increase: 7+%.
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Dynamic Floor Pricing: Our AI automatically adjusts the floor price for ad inventory every hour to combat bid shading, ensuring publishers receive higher bids while increasing ad inventory fill rates. Average revenue increase: 5+%.
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Interactive Ads: Snigel allows publishers to feature interactive ad formats such as polls and quizzes. These ad formats increase user interaction, which increases revenue because advertisers are willing to pay more for them. Average revenue increase: up to 3%.
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Video Ads: Snigel enables high-quality video ad formats (both instream and outstream) via AdStream. Average revenue increase: up to 23%.
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Adaptive Ads: If the combined value of bids for multiple small ads are greater than the value of a single large ad, Snigel will display the smaller ads in a large ad space (and vice versa). Average revenue increase: 10–30%.
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Super Adhesive ads: This technology displays a large ad in a smaller space. The visible portion of the ad moves as the user scrolls (which can be especially profitable for longform content). Average revenue increase: up to 20%.
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Smart Refresh: Similar to standard ad refresh, which displays new ads after a set amount of time, Smart Refresh displays a new ad based on user actions such as switching tabs, scrolling, etc. Average revenue increase: 6+%.
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Adblock Revenue Recovery: When users have adblock enabled, the adblock revenue recovery feature serves ads that are compatible with the user’s settings. Average revenue increase: 10+%.
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Privacy Compliance: Snigel offers publishers the option to manage privacy compliance with laws like the GDPR and CCPA via the consent management platform AdConsent, ensuring compliance across various ad networks. Average revenue increase: 1–2%.
All of this ad tech is fully customizable and our ad tech specialists will implement and monitor all of it for you.
Snigel partners with popular ad networks and exchanges like Google AdX, Xandr, Magnite, and OpenX. If you’d like to learn more about how our expert ad operations and ad tech specialists can help you make the most possible revenue from your site, get in touch.
2. Ezoic: Self-Serve Header Bidding for Small Publishers
Ezoic is a self-serve header bidding option that doesn’t have pageview requirements for publishers to sign up for their first level of service. This tier of service includes access to premium ad partners, video ads, analytics, A/B testing, and SEO optimization tools. However, that’s only one of five levels of service. Premium access, along with several types of expert support and opportunities, are only available at the higher tiers. And level 2 isn’t available to publishers who make less than $2500 annually.
Because expert support isn’t available at the most accessible tiers, account managers who aren’t experts in ad strategy and ad tech can easily be overwhelmed while trying to sort through and implement all these options without guidance.
For more details about Ezoic, please refer to our article Media.net vs Ezoic vs Snigel: Revenue, Support, Technology.
3. Google AdSense: Accessible Ad Network for Small Publishers
The Google AdSense ad network is a great option for startup publishers since it has no traffic or revenue requirements. It serves ads from the Google network in desktop, mobile, and H5 game ad formats. Publishers can estimate their income via our calculator. However, it lacks analytics tools and advanced ad formats, limiting the potential for growth.
One other advantage of Google AdSense is that it’s non-exclusive, meaning you can use it alongside other monetization platforms. Because AdSense calculates revenue based on clicks, it tends to pair well with header bidding solutions based on CPM. For example, you can use AdSense with Snigel; check out our article How to Make More Money with AdSense to find out how to benefit from both clicks and ad impressions.
To learn more about AdSense, check out our article 12 Highest-Paying Adsense Alternatives in 2024.
4. Amazon Publisher Services: Ad Exchange and Header Bidding
Amazon Publisher Services (APS) offers three main platforms for publishers: the Transparent Ad Marketplace, the Unified Ad Marketplace, and the Connections Marketplace. Both the Transparent Ad Marketplace and the Unified Ad Marketplace rely on server-side header bidding and include access to Amazon’s ad inventory. However, there are some key differences between the two.
The Transparent Ad Marketplace, which Amazon recommends for mid-size publishers, is a cloud-based service that offers auction-level reporting and access to 50+ buyers, including partners such as OpenX, Magnite, and Xandr. Available ad formats include banner ads and video ads for desktop and mobile; however, implementing in-app mobile ads requires a separate SDK integration. Most notably, publishers must establish separate contractual relationships with any demand partners they want access to, including Amazon, with each demand partner paying separately.
In contrast, the non-exclusive Unified Ad Marketplace acts as a centralized header bidding platform to access demand from Amazon and from other buyers via a single contract. Amazon aggregates payment and releases it to publishers on a NET 60 basis (and also charges a 10% transaction fee prior to the first auction). It can support desktop, mobile, and web ads, and reports include bid requests, impressions, and earnings. However, the Unified Ad Marketplace is invite-only and intended for publishers who use Google Ad Manager, which is why Amazon only recommends it for large publishers.
In addition to these two header bidding solutions, APS also offers the Connections Marketplace, which allows publishers to easily find ad tech vendors. It also has solutions for streaming TV and audio publishers.
5. Media.net: Ad Network and Header Bidding
Media.net is a hybrid ad network (via their Marketplace) and header bidding solution (via their Programmatic Platform). Ad formats include display, native, and video ads for desktop and mobile. They have a reporting dashboard, offer server-side processing for header bidding, and provide a dedicated operations team to publishers. Payouts are on a NET 30 basis.
Media.net specializes in cookie-free contextual ads powered by the Yahoo! Bing network. This includes display-to-search (D2S) ads, in which user intent from keyword searches is used to fill ad inventory with pertinent ad units, theoretically improving the user experience.
To learn more, refer to our article Monetizing Your Site with Media.net vs AdSense vs Snigel.
6. Infolinks: Ad Network
Infolinks is an impressions-based ad monetization solution with an array of ad tech for desktop and mobile. InFold inserts ads directly above the fold; InTop provides contextual masthead ads; InCube is a rotating 3D cube of four ads in different formats, including video; InArticle provides ads that expand when the user interacts with them; InFrame fills the additional space on wide screens with ads; InScreen provides interstitial ads based on search and contextual triggers; and InText provides contextual ads by scanning the page for keywords.
Infolinks can be used alongside Google AdSense and Publisher Management Partners, and though there are pageview requirements, Infolinks describes them as “modest.” As long as the minimum payout has been met, publishers receive 65% of ad revenue on a NET 45 basis via the following payment methods: PayPal, bank wire, eCheck, and ACH for US bank accounts.
7. Criteo: Stand-Alone Ad Exchange
As an ad exchange, Criteo offers platforms for both advertisers and publishers. Publishers gain access to over 18,000 brands and premium inventory via the Commerce Grid SSP. In addition to ad blocking and quality controls to give publishers maximum control over ads appearing on their site, Commerce Grid includes tailored packages from advertisers.
Ad tech for publishers is handled via Commerce Yield. Available ad formats include video and mobile app ads, and there’s also contextual advertising based on 1st-party data, as well as on the site visited. Criteo also claims that they offer omnichannel media management, and reporting features are included. However, Commerce Yield is an exclusive service; its default lock-in contract period is one year with a 90-day non-renewal notice.
8. Index Exchange: Multi-Media Ad Exchange
The advertising solution Index Exchange offers premium ads from multiple demand sources in a variety of formats, including display advertising, web video, CTV, mobile, and native ad inventory. In addition, publishers can take advantage of tailored inventory packages rather than having transactions for each separate ad.
They’re proactive about fraud, and their supply quality team ensures brand safe and high-quality ads. This includes cryptographic authentication, in-house review, and anti-fraud partnerships. They offer 1st-party data and alternatives to cookies for data analysis and contextual advertising. Reporting features such as client audit logs are available via UI interfaces or API.
9. NitroPay: Self-Service Header Bidding
NitroPay is a non-exclusive header bidding service that partners with multiple top ad exchanges. It offers video and display ads, and it includes an adblock revenue recovery feature to ensure publishers get revenue even when site visitors use ad block. In addition, it protects users from pop-ups and malware. NitroPay’s most unusual feature is that it offers a way to let site visitors pay for an ad-free premium version of the publisher’s site.
NitroPay offers multiple tools and resources for transparency. Publishers can generate detailed reports with multiple variables, custom time frames, or side-by-side comparison of ad performance metrics. Meanwhile, NitroDex displays a daily index of revenue opportunities. While they do offer NET 30 payments via SWIFT wire transfers, PayPal, or local bank transfers, their default period is NET 75 and there are fees for switching to a shorter schedule. Naturally, this assumes the payment threshold has been met.
10. Monumetric: Tiered Header Bidding
Though Monumetric provides a free site audit to all prospective clients, it offers four tiers of service based on pageviews; the lowest tier of service, Propel, is available to publishers who have 10k pageviews per month. The Propel tier includes mobile optimization of in-content, video, and native ads; ad support and implementation; and a custom reporting dashboard. It also requires a blogger site, minimum six ads on both desktop and mobile, a one-time implementation fee, and 50% traffic from US, UK, CAN, or AUS. The next tier, Ascend, is available to publishers with 80k pageviews per month.
Revenue appears to be based on impressions, with CPM being a crucial metric, and ads are implemented via client-side header bidding wrapper. There are brand safety controls, and users can decide where ads are positioned. Propel is exclusive, and all tiers of Monumetric have a 30-day lock-in period. Higher tiers do include ad strategy support; Ascend provides access to a shared ad operations team, and there’s dedicated support at the highest tiers.
For more details, please refer to our article Ezoic vs Monumetric vs Snigel (Highest CPM, Cost, and More).
Why Choose Snigel
Circling back to the factors to consider in a platform we laid out in the introduction, here’s how our header bidding solution at Snigel stacks up in each category:
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Type of Platform: As a header bidding partner, Snigel drives up bids (and therefore revenue) by putting multiple demand sources in competition with each other. In addition, publishers can take advantage of our existing relationships with top SSPs like OpenX, Magnite, Xandr, and more.
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Ad Strategy Support: Our dedicated ad operations experts will work with you to come up with a creative plan to make the most possible revenue from your site, taking into account everything from the optimum number of ads to the ad verticals most appealing to your site’s target demographics.
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Ad Tech: Our cutting-edge tech lets you make as much money as possible from your site at every stage of the monetization process, from AI bidder optimization to dynamic ad formats and privacy consent management.
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Eligibility: We partner with publishers who bring in $300/day or who have significant growth potential.
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Terms of Service: We don’t have a lock-in contract, and you’re free to use AdSense along with Snigel if that will drive up your revenue. In addition, we operate via a competitive revenue share model, ensuring publishers keep the majority of the profits.
To learn more about how Snigel can help you make the most possible revenue from your site, get in touch today.
Ira supports our team and publishers by creating awesome guides on the latest AdTech trends. Ira's background is in software development, communications, and media.
