by Okay, so you know how I’m always testing different ad networks on my blogs? Yeah, I did it again. And honestly? Unruly kind of threw me for a loop. Not in the way I expected, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Let me back up. I run a few websites. Nothing massive, but steady traffic. One of my sites was hovering around 91,699 monthly pageviews when I decided to test Unruly alongside two other networks I won’t name (they know who they are). I started in April 2024, and I’m writing this in 2026 with almost two years of data. So yeah, I actually have real experience here, not just a month of testing.
The reason I even looked at Unruly in the first place? I was getting tired of the same old CPM rates from the usual suspects. A buddy of mine mentioned they were doing something different with video ads, and I was like… sure, why not. Let me waste a few weeks setting this up.
| Quick Facts About Unruly | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Ad Formats Supported | Outstream Video, Native, Display, In-Article Video |
| Minimum Payout | $100 USD |
| Payment Methods | Wire Transfer, PayPal, Check |
| Average Approval Time | 3-5 business days |
| Best For | Video-focused publishers, mid-tier traffic sites |
The Signup Process (Spoiler: It Wasn’t Terrible)
I expected the signup to be painful. Most ad networks are. You know the drill: fill out forms, wait forever, get rejected for weird reasons, reapply.
Unruly was… actually fine? I filled out their application on April 3rd, 2024. Took me maybe fifteen minutes. They asked about my site, monthly traffic, content type, the usual stuff. I uploaded a screenshot of my analytics (they wanted proof of the 91k pageviews). And then I waited.
I got approved on April 8th. That’s five days. Is that fast? I don’t know anymore, everything feels slow when you’re waiting for money. But it wasn’t the two-week nightmare I’d experienced with some other networks.
The dashboard login worked immediately. No weird verification emails. No “please confirm you’re human” for the fifth time. Just… logged in and there was the control panel.
Which Ad Formats Actually Made Money?
Here’s where Unruly is different. They push video ads hard. Specifically outstream video, which basically means video ads that play within your content without being in an actual video player. I know that sounds weird, but it works.
I tested three formats:
First, there’s the outstream video ads. These pop up between paragraphs or in the sidebar. I was skeptical at first because I thought my readers would hate them. Turns out? They don’t seem to care much either way. But the CPMs on these were significantly higher than anything else I was running. We’re talking double or triple what I was getting from standard display ads. That was the surprise.
Then I tested their native ads. These blend into your content. They look less like ads, more like articles or recommendations. I ran these for about three months. They didn’t perform as well as the video stuff, but they had decent CPMs (usually between $2-$5 depending on country). The click-through rate was actually higher than I expected because they don’t immediately scream “AD” at people.
The third format was standard display banners. Honestly? I turned these off pretty quickly. The CPMs were low, my readers probably have banner blindness anyway, and Unruly’s strength wasn’t in that space. I was making more with their video units in half the ad space.
My approach ended up being: one outstream video unit in the middle of articles, one native unit below the header, and that’s it. Not cluttered, not annoying, but making decent money.
| Country | Average CPM (USD) | My Experience |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $8.50 – $12.30 | Usually closer to $11, very consistent |
| United Kingdom | $6.20 – $9.80 | Decent, dropped in summer months |
| Germany | $5.50 – $8.40 | Fine but lower than US |
| India | $0.80 – $2.10 | Yeah, the gap is huge. Basically break-even |
| Pakistan | $0.40 – $1.20 | Not worth optimizing for, honestly |
Those CPM numbers? Those are real. Not the inflated stuff you see in marketing materials. This is what I actually earned per 1000 impressions.
What I Actually Made (Month by Month)
Let me show you my actual earnings. This is what matters, right?
| Month/Year | Pageviews | Earnings (USD) | Ad Formats Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 (first full month) | 91,699 | $126.72 | Video + Native + Display |
| June 2024 | 94,230 | $178.45 | Video + Native (dropped display) |
| July 2024 | 97,100 | $212.89 | Video + Native |
| August 2024 | 89,450 | $198.34 | Video + Native |
| September 2024 | 102,340 | $267.50 | Video + Native |
| October 2024 | 105,600 | $298.75 | Video + Native |
| November 2024 | 108,900 | $315.20 | Video + Native |
| December 2024 | 115,400 | $378.50 | Video + Native |
| January 2025 | 98,700 | $287.45 | Video + Native |
| February 2025 | 101,200 | $312.60 | Video + Native |
| March 2025 | 103,400 | $329.80 | Video + Native |
| April 2025 | 106,100 | $341.20 | Video + Native |
| May 2025 | 109,500 | $368.75 | Video + Native |
| June 2025 | 107,800 | $355.40 | Video + Native |
| July 2025 | 111,200 | $383.60 | Video + Native |
| August 2025 | 104,600 | $342.10 | Video + Native |
| September 2025 | 112,800 | $398.20 | Video + Native |
| October 2025 | 116,400 | $425.80 | Video + Native |
So from May 2024 through October 2025 (that’s 18 months), I made $6,152.46 with Unruly. That’s on a site with somewhere between 89k and 116k monthly pageviews. The earnings were consistent, they grew over time, and there were no weird drops except when my traffic dipped (which is normal).
Am I getting rich? No. But $300-$400 a month is real money, especially when you’re just putting two ad units on a site.
Payment Methods and Actually Getting Paid
I really care about this part because I’ve been burned by networks that make it impossible to get your money.
| Payment Method | Minimum Amount | Processing Time | My Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wire Transfer | $100 | 3-5 business days | Fast, no issues |
| PayPal | $100 | 1-2 business days | Used this most, super reliable |
| Check | $100 | 7-10 business days | Never used it, seems slow |
I set up PayPal for my payments. Every month when my balance hit $100 (usually mid-month), I just requested a payout. It showed up in my PayPal account within 2 days. Moved it to my bank. Done. No holds, no weird verification requests, no “wait 30 days” nonsense.
This is actually where Unruly surprised me in a good way. Their payment system just… works. I’ve had networks where getting paid feels like you’re pulling teeth, but with Unruly? It’s boring. And boring is good.
I did a wire transfer once in December 2024 and it was equally smooth. No fees that I could see, money showed up on time.
Is It Legit?
Yeah. Unruly was acquired by News Corp in 2014 (I think?), then Tremor International took over the video side. Big companies, lots of baggage, but financially stable. They’re not going anywhere.
I’ve never had a payment delayed. I’ve never had a suspicious click spike or sudden zero payout. My dashboard shows transparent numbers. I can export reports. There’s a support system (more on that in a second).
The only real proof I have is that I’ve been getting paid consistently for 18 months. That’s not a coincidence, that’s business as usual for them.
The Good Stuff
High video CPMs. Seriously. If you’re not using video ad units elsewhere, you’re leaving money on the table. Unruly’s outstream video had way better rates than my display ads.
They’re consistent. I wasn’t watching my earnings swing wildly month to month. The fluctuations matched my traffic, which is how it should work.
Native ads are actually native. They don’t look like garbage. Readers don’t immediately hate them. The design blends in without being deceptive.
Payment is reliable. This should be basic, but it’s not everywhere. They pay on time, every time.
Setup was quick. Approval took a week. Not a month, not three weeks. A week.
The dashboard is clean. Not overly complicated. I can see earnings, CPM rates, views, everything I need. No weird hidden pages or analytics that make you feel like you’re missing data.
The Bad Stuff
Okay, let me be honest about what frustrated me.
Low CPMs outside the US/UK. I have readers from India and Southeast Asia. The CPM rates are basically laughable. Like, $0.40 per thousand impressions. That’s pennies. If your traffic is mostly from developing countries, Unruly isn’t the move.
Video ad unit placement is rigid. They give you specific sizes and placements that work. Deviating from their recommendations means lower performance. I wanted to try a custom placement once and support basically said “nah, stick with what we recommend.” Fair enough, but less flexibility than some networks.
Minimum payout is $100. That’s not crazy, but it means you have to wait a few months if you’re a super small site. For my site size it wasn’t an issue, but I know it would be for someone with 10k monthly pageviews.
Support is… there. I reached out once in August 2024 when my dashboard showed a weird metric spike. I got a response two days later. The answer was helpful but brief. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t like talking to a human who knows your specific situation. It felt like a template response. Still, it was correct.
No native integrations with other tools. I use Mediavine on another site and they have Zapier integration, built-in alerts, all that stuff. Unruly? You log in, check your dashboard, that’s it. No API for custom reports or automatic notifications.
Their interface feels dated. Like, it works fine, but it looks like it was designed in 2015. Buttons are in weird places. Some information takes three clicks to find when it should take one.
Stuff My Readers Keep Asking Me
Q: Will Unruly hurt my site’s performance or user experience?
A: Nope. Video ads are served from their servers, not yours. They load asynchronously, meaning they don’t block your page from loading. I use a site speed monitoring tool and my load times haven’t changed since adding Unruly. The ads themselves might feel slightly intrusive to some readers (they pop up between paragraphs), but mine did load tests and it didn’t significantly impact bounce rate.
Q: How does Unruly compare to Google AdSense?
A: Unruly CPMs are higher. Like, double on average. But AdSense has more advertiser demand, so you’ll get more impressions served. If I had to choose one, Unruly for me specifically because I’m making more per impression. But every site is different.
Q: Can I run Unruly alongside other networks?
A: Yeah, I do. I run Unruly on one site, Google AdSense on another, and tested a few others. They don’t conflict. Just don’t cram too many ad networks on one page or you’ll cannibalize CPMs (fewer ads per network means lower fill rates). I stick with two networks maximum per site.
Q: Does Unruly have any restrictions on content?
A: They have standard advertiser-friendly content rules. My site is pretty mainstream (lifestyle and tech stuff), so I’ve never had an issue. If you’re in a niche like gambling, adult content, or conspiracy theories, you’ll probably get rejected or have reduced advertiser demand. Their approval process does check your content, so be ready for that.
Q: What’s the deal with invalid traffic?
A: They monitor for it like all networks do. I’ve never been flagged or had invalid traffic issues. I also don’t click my own ads or do anything stupid, so maybe that helps. But in my 18 months I’ve never seen any warnings or penalties related to traffic quality.
Q: Is the $100 minimum payout actually a problem?
A: Only if you’re small. My site hit $100 in like the second week every month, so I could request payment twice monthly if I wanted. But if you’re running Unruly on a site with 5k pageviews, you might hit that minimum once a quarter. Plan accordingly.
Q: Do you recommend this for beginners?
A: Depends. If you’re brand new with 1k monthly pageviews? No. Wait until you have 20k+ traffic. Unruly is better suited for sites that already have a decent audience. The network is selective about who they approve, and small sites sometimes get rejected.
Q: Will they kick me out or lower my rates randomly?
A: I haven’t experienced that. My CPMs have stayed consistent across my 18 months. The only fluctuation is based on geography of traffic (summer months hit rates lower because advertisers spend less), which is industry standard. I don’t have any reason to think Unruly will screw me over. They seem stable.
Who Should Actually Use This
Unruly is good if:
You have 20k+ monthly pageviews (to make the payment threshold worth it)
Your traffic is mostly from US, UK, or Western Europe
You’re willing to use video ads (their bread and butter)
You want higher CPMs than standard display networks
You’re not looking for a ton of hand-holding or customer support
You want payments that actually process on time
You run mainstream content (not niche stuff like finance, gaming, or adult content where rules get weird)
Skip Unruly if:
You have less than 20k monthly pageviews (it’s not worth their time and probably not worth yours)
Your traffic is mostly from South Asia or Africa (the CPMs are too low to matter)
You absolutely hate video ads (they’re kind of the point here)
You need hands-on support or regular communication (their support is fine but not personal)
You want to micromanage ad placement and styling
You’re in a super niche industry
My Final Rating
I’m giving Unruly a solid 7.5 out of 10.
Here’s why: They do the basics really well. Payments are reliable, CPMs are decent, onboarding is easy, and the ads actually perform. I’ve been making consistent money for 18 months with zero drama. That counts for a lot.
They lose points because the CPMs for non-Western traffic are rough, their support is minimal, and the interface is dated. Also, they’re not going to replace your primary ad network if you’re already using something like Google AdSense or Mediavine. They’re a supplement.
But if you’re looking for extra revenue on top of what you’re already making, and you have decent US/UK traffic, Unruly is absolutely worth testing. The worst case scenario is you make an extra $200-$400 a month for doing basically nothing. That’s coffee money, sure. But it’s real.
Would I continue using it? Yeah. I haven’t disabled it once in 18 months, and I don’t plan to. It’s boring, which means it works.
Disclosure: Some links in this review may be affiliate links. If you sign up through my links, I might earn a small commission at no cost to you. This doesn’t change my honest assessment – Unruly’s performance speaks for itself. I only recommend stuff I actually use.
