Best ad networks for small publishers in 2025

For small publishers looking to monetise their websites in 2025, several ad networks stand out for their suitability, accessibility, and potential revenue generation. Here’s a breakdown based on current trends and insights:

1. Ezoic:

• Key Features: Ezoic uses AI to optimise ad placement, size, and type for maximum revenue while maintaining user experience. It requires no minimum traffic threshold, making it accessible for publishers just starting out.
• Benefits: Offers a 30-day free trial, monthly payouts with a low threshold, and tools for ad testing and optimization. Ezoic is particularly praised for its ability to balance user experience with ad revenue.

Ezoic’s AI optimisation is a key feature that distinguishes it among ad networks, particularly for publishers looking to maximise revenue while maintaining a positive user experience. Here’s how Ezoic’s AI optimisation works and its benefits:

How Ezoic AI Optimisation Works:

• Machine Learning: Ezoic uses machine learning algorithms to analyse vast amounts of data to determine the best ad placements, formats, and sizes for each unique visitor based on their behaviour, device, and other contextual factors.
• A/B Testing: The platform conducts continuous A/B testing, serving different ad layouts to different segments of your traffic to see which performs best in terms of revenue, engagement, and user experience.
• Speed Optimisation: Beyond just ad optimisation, Ezoic also focuses on site speed, using AI to compress images, optimise caching, and reduce load times, which can indirectly affect

2. AdThrive (Raptive):

• Key Features: Known for high RPMs and serving premium ads, AdThrive requires a higher traffic threshold (100,000 pageviews per month) but offers personalised service and optimisation.
• Benefits: Publishers often report significantly higher earnings compared to other networks. It’s renowned for its focus on lifestyle and niche content sites.

AdThrive, now known as Raptive, is a premium ad network designed for content creators and publishers who want to maximise their ad revenue, particularly those in lifestyle, food, parenting, and related niches. Here’s an overview of Raptive based on the collective insights from web results:

Overview:

• Rebranding: Originally named AdThrive, it merged with CafeMedia to form Raptive in 2023. This rebranding aimed to reflect a broader mission of empowering creators.
• Target Audience: Raptive primarily caters to bloggers and content creators with high-quality, niche-specific content.

Key Features:

• High Traffic Requirement: To join Raptive, a site typically needs to have at least 100,000 monthly pageviews verified by Google Analytics. However, there are exceptions for established publishers adding additional sites.
• Premium Ad Revenue: Known for its high RPMs (Revenue Per Mille), Raptive often results in significantly higher earnings compared to other ad networks due to its focus on quality content and premium advertisers.
• Ad Management: Offers full-service ad management, including ad optimisation, placement strategy, and direct sales from high-value advertisers.
• Customisation and Support: Provides personalised service with dedicated support teams, helping publishers tailor ad strategies to meet their goals while maintaining user experience.
• Analytics Dashboard: Publishers have access to an intuitive dashboard for real-time analytics, though not all data is real-time; some reports are generated after a delay.
• Ad Tech: Utilises proprietary systems like Nucleus (for ad space optimisation) and Marmalade (for contextually relevant ad filling).
• Community and Branding: Raptive positions itself as a partner to creators, helping them grow into global brands and lasting businesses.

Benefits for Publishers:

• Revenue Lift: Publishers often see a substantial increase in ad revenue, sometimes up to 75% more than what they were earning with other networks.
• Quality Ad Experience: By focusing on fewer, higher-quality ads, Raptive aims to enhance user experience while maximising revenue.
• Expertise and Community: Access to ad experts and a community of creators can provide insights, strategies, and networking opportunities.
• Brand Opportunities: Beyond ad revenue, Raptive helps turn blogs into recognised brands, potentially opening doors to other business opportunities.
• Customer Service: Known for responsive customer service, which is crucial for publishers needing quick resolutions to ad or site issues.

Drawbacks:

• High Entry Barrier: The 100,000 pageviews requirement can be a significant barrier for new or smaller publishers.
• Selective Approval: The acceptance rate is relatively low, with a rigorous review process for content quality and site performance.
• Site Speed Impact: Some users have reported that Raptive’s ad setups can slow down site speed, impacting user experience and SEO.
• Payment Terms: Payments are made on a net 45 basis, which might be longer than some publishers prefer.

Additional Notes:

• Niche Focus: While Raptive has expanded its reach, it’s still most effective for sites in certain niches where advertisers are willing to pay more for ad space.
• Plugin Support: Raptive has developed plugins for platforms like WordPress to simplify ad integration, but these might require specific configurations for optimal performance.

3. Media.net:

• Key Features: Media.net is powered by the Yahoo! Bing Network, offering contextual ads. It has no minimum traffic requirement, which is ideal for small publishers.
• Benefits: Known for high-quality ads and good fill rates, Media.net also provides a variety of ad formats and personal account managers for better support.

Media.net is a prominent contextual advertising network that provides monetisation solutions for digital publishers. Here’s an in-depth look at Media.net based on the information available:

Overview:

• Background: Media.net was acquired by Miteno Communication Technology in 2016 for $900 million, marking one of the largest ad tech acquisitions. It’s known for being the second-largest contextual advertising network by revenue globally.
• Primary Service: It serves contextually relevant ads from the Yahoo! Bing network, providing an alternative or supplement to Google AdSense.

Key Features for Publishers:

• Contextual Ads: Media.net focuses on delivering ads that are contextually relevant to the content of the page, which can lead to higher click-through rates (CTR) due to better ad relevance.
• Native Advertising: Offers native ad formats that blend with the site’s design, potentially enhancing user experience and engagement.
• Ad Types: Supports various ad formats, including display, search, video, and mobile ads. They have developed unique ad formats like Display-to-Search (D2S), where display ads trigger search-like results.
• No Traffic Minimum: Unlike some networks, there’s no official minimum traffic requirement, making it accessible for smaller publishers. However, high-quality traffic from regions like the USA, Canada, or the UK is preferred for better monetisation.
• Personal Account Manager: After approval, publishers get a dedicated account manager to help with optimisation and any support needed.
• Ad Optimisation: Media.net’s technology self-optimises by analysing data to match ads with user intent without the need for cookies or personal data collection, focusing on content relevance.
• Payment Terms: Offers net 30 payment terms with a minimum payout threshold of $100. Payment methods include wire transfer or Payoneer, no longer via PayPal since 2019.
• High RPMs: Publishers often report high Revenue Per Thousand Impressions (RPM), especially in niches with high advertiser interest.
• Compatibility: Media.net ads can be used alongside other ad networks for better fill rates and potentially higher revenue.

Benefits:

• Revenue Potential: Many publishers have noted significant earnings increases when switching from or supplementing with Media.net, especially in product-heavy or high-intent niches.
• User Experience: Contextual ads tend to be less intrusive, potentially leading to a better user experience.
• Support and Guidance: The dedicated account manager can be a significant advantage, particularly for those new to ad optimisation.

Drawbacks:

• Niche Performance: Success with Media.net can heavily depend on the niche of your site; some niches might not perform as well due to lower advertiser interest or competition.
• Approval Process: While not as stringent as some networks, the application approval process can still be selective, focusing on site quality rather than sheer traffic volume.
• Ad Blockers: Like all ad networks, Media.net faces challenges from ad blockers, which can impact revenue.
• Payment Limitations: The shift away from PayPal might inconvenience some publishers, and the 30-day payment cycle might be longer than some prefer.

Additional Considerations:

• Ad Placement: Publishers need to consider ad placement carefully to avoid a poor user experience, which could lead to lower engagement or higher bounce rates.
• Compliance: Media.net ensures compliance with privacy policies, not collecting personal data for ad targeting, which is a plus for privacy-conscious publishers and users.
• Market Presence: With a strong presence in the U.S. market, Media.net’s effectiveness might vary based on your audience’s geographic location.

4. Google AdSense:

• Key Features: Still one of the most accessible ad networks with no stringent traffic requirements, perfect for beginners or those with low-traffic sites.
• Benefits: Provides a near 100% fill rate, decent revenue performance, and extensive support and resources for new publishers.

Google AdSense is one of the most popular advertising platforms for website publishers looking to monetise their content through display ads, text ads, video ads, and more. Here’s an overview of Google AdSense based on the information available:

What is Google AdSense?

Google AdSense is a free program run by Google that allows website publishers to earn revenue by displaying ads on their websites. These ads are managed by Google and are targeted based on the site’s content and audience, using Google’s extensive network of advertisers from Google Ads.

How does it work?

• Ad Placement: Publishers place a snippet of code on their website, which Google uses to display ads relevant to the site’s content and the user’s interests.
• Ad Matching: Ads are matched to the site’s content through algorithms that analyse keywords, user behaviour, and other contextual clues.
• Revenue Model: Earnings are primarily based on either:
  • Cost-Per-Click (CPC): Where you earn money each time someone clicks on an ad.
  • Cost-Per-Thousand Impressions (CPM): Where you earn for every thousand times the ad is displayed, regardless of clicks.
• Payment: Google pays publishers monthly, provided they meet the payment threshold, which varies by country.

Benefits for Small Publishers:

• Ease of Use: AdSense is straightforward to set up with minimal technical knowledge required.
• Wide Reach: Access to a vast pool of advertisers bidding for ad space on your site.
• No Traffic Minimum: Unlike some networks, AdSense doesn’t require a minimum amount of traffic to join, making it suitable for small or new publishers.
• Ad Variety: Offers different ad formats like text, display, video, and native ads.
• Support and Resources: Google provides extensive documentation, tutorials, and a help centre for publishers.

Drawbacks:

• Revenue Variability: Earnings can be unpredictable due to factors like ad click-through rates, CPC values, and the relevance of ads to your content.
• Strict Policies: Google has stringent content and ad placement policies. Violations can lead to account suspension or banning, which can be detrimental to small publishers.
• Competition: The high number of websites using AdSense can lead to lower ad rates due to supply and demand dynamics.
• User Experience: Overloading a site with ads can negatively impact user experience, potentially reducing engagement or even traffic if the site becomes too ad-heavy.
• Ad Blockers: With the rise in ad-block usage, a portion of your potential revenue might be blocked by users.

Additional Considerations:

• Ad Customisation: While AdSense allows some control over ad placement and appearance, its customisation might not satisfy those looking for a very tailored ad experience.
• Approval Process: New publishers need to get their site approved by Google, which can take time and isn’t guaranteed.
• Monetisation Options: For small publishers, AdSense is often used in conjunction with other monetisation strategies to maximise revenue.

For small publishers in Kenya, or anywhere else, Google AdSense remains a fundamental tool for monetisation, particularly because of its accessibility and the support provided by Google. However, it’s crucial to balance ad placements to maintain site quality and user engagement.

5. PropellerAds:

• • Key Features: This network offers a variety of ad formats, including popunders and push notifications, with no minimum traffic requirement.
  • Benefits: Known for high CPM rates, it’s suitable for publishers looking to experiment with different ad formats or those with international or non-English content.

PropellerAds is a well-known multisource advertising platform that caters to both advertisers and publishers, offering a variety of ad formats and sophisticated targeting options. Here’s a comprehensive look at PropellerAds based on the information gathered:

Overview:

• Foundation: Established in 2011, PropellerAds has grown into one of the leading ad networks, known initially for pop-under ads and later expanding into other ad formats.
• Global Reach: They claim to cover 195+ countries, serving billions of ad impressions daily.

Key Features for Publishers:

• Ad Formats: Offers a diverse range of ad formats, including:
  • Push Notifications
  • In-Page Push
  • Popunders (OnClick Ads)
  • Interstitials
  • Native Ads
• No Traffic Minimum: There’s no explicit minimum traffic requirement to join, which is beneficial for smaller or new publishers.
• High CPM Rates: Known for offering competitive CPM rates, especially for push notifications and popunder ads.
• Monetisation Tools: Provides tools for A/B testing, traffic analysis, and optimisation, helping publishers maximise their revenue.
• AI-Powered Optimisation: Utilises AI algorithms for ad serving and optimisation, including features like CPA Goal for automatic bidding.
• Anti-Fraud Measures: PropellerAds has systems in place to detect and prevent ad fraud, ensuring that publishers benefit from real traffic.
• Payment:
  • Minimum Payout: $100 for most payment methods, $550 for wire transfer.
  • Methods: Bank Card, PayPal, wire transfer, among others.
  • Frequency: Weekly payouts for some methods, with net 7 terms for established publishers.
• Ease of Use: The platform is often praised for its user-friendly interface, making it accessible for publishers to set up and manage campaigns.
• Support: Provides 24/7 customer support, which can be crucial for real-time campaign management and issue resolution.

Benefits:

• Flexibility: Publishers can experiment with multiple ad formats to see which performs best with their audience.
• Global Traffic: Suitable for sites with international or non-English-speaking audiences due to its wide geographic coverage.
• High Traffic Volume: Can be beneficial for sites looking to monetise a large volume of traffic across various devices and platforms.
• Referral Program: Offers a lifetime 5% revenue share for each referred user, incentivising existing publishers to promote the platform.

Drawbacks:

• User Experience: Some ad formats, like popunders, can be intrusive, potentially harming user experience if not managed well.
• Ad Quality: There have been mixed reviews regarding the quality of traffic and ads; some report encountering low-quality or irrelevant ads.
• Account Suspension: Publishers have occasionally reported issues with account suspensions or bans without clear reasons, though PropellerAds maintains they have strict anti-fraud policies.
• Support Responsiveness: While they claim 24/7 support, some reviews suggest that support can be slow or unhelpful in resolving issues.
• Ad Blockers: As with all ad networks, ad blockers can significantly impact revenue, particularly for the more intrusive ad formats.

Additional Considerations:

• Diverse Advertiser Base: This can lead to a good fill rate but also means the quality of ads can vary.
• Compliance and Safety: PropellerAds is a member of IAB Europe with ISO/IEC 27001 certification, indicating a commitment to security and compliance.
• Innovation: They continuously introduce new ad formats and technologies, like Telegram ads, showing an adaptive approach to the evolving ad market.

For publishers in Kenya or globally, PropellerAds can be an effective tool for monetization, especially for those with traffic from less-served GEOs or those willing to explore non-traditional ad formats like push notifications. However, it’s important to balance ad density with user experience to ensure long-term site health and audience satisfaction.

6. Infolinks:

• Key Features: Specialises in in-text ads, which can be less intrusive, and offers a variety of other ad types like InFold and InTag.
• Benefits: It’s particularly good for sites with lower traffic since there’s no minimum requirement, helping small publishers monetise through contextual advertising.

Infolinks is an advertising network that specialises in contextual advertising through various innovative ad formats. Here’s an overview of Infolinks based on the collective insights from web results:

Overview:

• Founded: In 2007, Infolinks has grown to be known for its unique approach to contextual advertising, focusing on non-intrusive ad placements.
• Global Presence: Operates in over 128 countries, with a network of over 100,000 publishers.

Key Features for Publishers:

• Ad Formats: Infolinks provides several unique ad types:
  • In-Text Ads: Keywords in the content are turned into clickable ads.
  • InFold Ads: Ads that appear at the bottom of the page, relevant to the user’s search intent.
  • InTag Ads: Contextual ads appear when hovering over relevant text.
  • InFrame Ads: Ads displayed on the unused margins of wide screens.
  • In-Article Ads: Expandable ads that activate upon user interaction with the content.
  • In-Screen Ads: Interstitial ads shown between page loads or upon specific user actions.
• No Traffic Minimum: There’s no minimum traffic requirement, making it accessible for small publishers.
• AdSense Compatibility: Can be used alongside Google AdSense, as long as ads are distinctly different to avoid confusion.
• Ease of Integration: Infolinks claims a one-minute integration process, where publishers just need to add a single line of code to their site.
• Payment Terms:
  • Revenue Share: Offers a 65% revenue share to publishers.
  • Minimum Payout: $50 for most methods (PayPal, eCheck, ACH) and $100 for wire transfer.
  • Payment Frequency: Payments are issued no later than 45 days from the end of the month when the payment threshold is reached.
• Customisation: Allows for customisation in terms of ad colour, number, and placement.
• Support: Publishers generally praise Infolinks for responsive support, although there have been some negative experiences reported.

Benefits:

• Non-Intrusive Ads: The focus on contextual, in-content ads means they are less likely to disrupt the user experience compared to traditional banner ads.
• Quick Approval: The approval process is relatively straightforward, focusing more on content quality than traffic volume.
• Global Monetisation: Effective for sites with international traffic, especially from countries where other ad networks might not perform as well.
• Supplementary Revenue: Ideal for additional income when used alongside other ad networks.

Drawbacks:

• Lower Earnings: Many publishers report that earnings from Infolinks are generally lower compared to premier networks like AdSense or premium ad networks.
• Ad Relevance: Some publishers have noted poor ad relevancy, which can impact click-through rates and user engagement.
• Intrusiveness: While less intrusive than typical ads, in-text ads can still be annoying to some users, affecting the site’s credibility or user experience.
• Payment Threshold: The $50 minimum payout might take time for very small sites to reach.
• Ad Blockers: Like all ad networks, Infolinks can suffer from ad blockers, reducing potential revenue.

Additional Considerations:

• Niche Performance: The effectiveness of Infolinks can vary based on the content niche, with better performance in some sectors due to ad relevance.
• Ad Blindness: Over time, users might become accustomed to ignoring Infolinks ads, reducing their effectiveness.
• User Feedback: Mixed reviews exist, with some publishers appreciating the additional revenue stream while others find it not worth the potential impact on user experience.

Ad networks revenue

Choosing the right ad network depends on your site’s traffic, niche, user experience priorities, and the level of management or optimisation you’re willing to handle. Each of these networks has its strengths, so small publishers might consider testing a couple to see which yields the best results for their specific content and audience.​