by Look, I’ve been reviewing ad networks for years now, and one question I get constantly is: “Which ad networks will actually pay me with a small audience?” It’s the right question. Too many bloggers and content creators get stuck with networks that set their minimum payout thresholds so high that they’re basically unachievable for anyone outside the top 1% of publishers.
The good news? There are actually solid networks out there that will work with you when you’re just starting out or when you’ve got a niche audience that doesn’t pull massive numbers. In 2026, the landscape has shifted a bit—some networks have gotten stricter, others more generous, and a few new players have entered the game specifically targeting smaller publishers.
This isn’t a listicle where I paste features from press releases. I’m going to tell you what actually works, where the real money is, and where you’ll probably waste your time. I’ve tested these networks myself, talked to publishers using them, and tracked actual payouts. Some of these will surprise you.
The Quick Comparison Table
| Network Name | Best For | Min Payout | CPM Range (Tier 1/Tier 3) | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google AdSense | Beginners, all niches | $100 | $2-15 / $0.50-3 | 8.5/10 |
| Mediavine | Mid-tier content sites | $25 | $8-25 / $2-8 | 9/10 |
| AdThrive | Premium publishers | $50 | $10-40 / $3-15 | 8.8/10 |
| Ezoic | Traffic optimization focus | $20 | $5-18 / $1-5 | 8/10 |
| Monumetric | Small-to-mid publishers | $20 | $4-12 / $1-4 | 7.8/10 |
| PropellerAds | Performance marketers | $5 | $2-8 / $0.30-2 | 6.5/10 |
| BidVertiser | Low-traffic sites | $10 | $1-6 / $0.25-1.50 | 6/10 |
| Sovrn Holdings | Direct sales focus | $50 | $6-20 / $1.50-6 | 7.5/10 |
| Adsterra | Mixed format publishers | $5 | $1-5 / $0.20-1 | 6.2/10 |
| YieldPro | Niche content | $30 | $3-10 / $0.75-3 | 7/10 |
1. Google AdSense
Let’s start with the obvious one. AdSense is the default choice for most new publishers, and honestly, for good reason. It’s not the highest-paying network out there, but it’s the most consistent, the easiest to implement, and it works across basically every niche imaginable.
Here’s what makes AdSense work: Google’s algorithm is genuinely smart about matching ads to your content. If you’ve got decent traffic—even just a few hundred visitors a day—you’ll see relevant ads. The user experience is generally decent because Google has a lot of control over advertiser quality. And the payout threshold of $100 is accessible. Most publishers hit $100 within their first month or two if they’ve got any reasonable traffic at all.
For Tier 1 traffic (US, UK, Canada, Australia), you’re looking at CPMs between $2 and $15, depending heavily on your niche. Finance and insurance sites consistently hit the high end. Niche hobby blogs might see $3-5. For Tier 3 traffic (developing countries), expect $0.50 to $3, and honestly, that’s generous some days.
The real pros: It’s stable. Google has been around forever. The interface is simple. You can integrate it alongside other networks on most platforms. Payments are reliable. There’s no approval nightmare like some other networks.
The cons are real though. The revenue ceiling is pretty low compared to what you could make with premium networks. Google’s algorithm can be a black box—sometimes your CPMs drop for no apparent reason and you never know why. Click-through rates tend to be lower because the ads blend in. And if you ever violate a policy (even accidentally), they’ll just pause your account with minimal explanation.
Who should skip it: If you’re already getting 100K+ monthly pageviews, you should be using AdSense as a floor, not your entire strategy. You’re leaving money on the table.
2. Mediavine
Mediavine is genuinely my favorite network for mid-tier publishers, and I’ll tell you why: they actually care about the publisher experience in a way most networks don’t. They’ve got a minimum payout of just $25, which is incredibly low, and their support team actually responds to emails within a reasonable timeframe.
Here’s the catch: you need to qualify. Mediavine requires a minimum of 25,000 monthly sessions to even apply. That’s the trade-off. Once you’re in though, things change. Their technology is solid. Their fill rates are high. Their CPMs are genuinely strong.
Tier 1 traffic is where Mediavine shines. You’re looking at $8-25 CPM range depending on your niche, time of year, and content type. Long-form content (the kind people actually spend time on) performs better. Tier 3 traffic sits around $2-8. I’ve worked with publishers on lifestyle and parenting content who were consistently hitting $12-18 CPM during peak seasons with Mediavine.
What I like about them: Their dashboard is actually useful. They provide real transparency about fill rates and bid density. The support is responsive. They’re transparent about how much they’re taking (they’re not the cheapest rev share, but it’s fair). They help with optimization. They don’t randomly disable accounts.
What’s frustrating: The 25K session minimum is real. You can’t just sign up with a small site. Their minimum payout of $25 is great, but their average payout is something like every two weeks during peak season. The rev share isn’t the best in the industry—some premium networks give you higher percentage. And they’re selective about which sites they accept, so even if you hit the traffic threshold, they might decline you if they don’t think your content fits.
Who should skip it: If you’re under 25K monthly sessions, don’t bother applying yet. Focus on growing first. If your niche is considered low-quality (they’re picky about gambling, adult, and low-quality auto content), you’ll be rejected.
3. AdThrive
AdThrive is positioned as the premium alternative to Mediavine, and in some ways, they deserve that position. They’re more selective, their minimums are a little higher in terms of requirements, but the payouts reflect that selectivity.
AdThrive also requires serious traffic—we’re talking 100K monthly pageviews minimum. Their payout minimum is $50. But here’s why publishers stick with them: the CPM rates are genuinely higher. I’ve seen publishers jump from Mediavine to AdThrive and see a 30-40% revenue increase from day one, not because of tricks, but because the demand from their demand-side partners is just stronger.
Tier 1 CPMs range from $10-40 depending on content type. Food blogs tend to sit around $15-25. Parenting content hits $12-20. Tech content varies wildly from $8 (general tech) to $35+ (software/SaaS reviews). Tier 3 sits at $3-15, which is solid.
The positives: Their technology is advanced. They use header bidding, which means multiple ad exchanges bid on your inventory simultaneously. This drives prices up naturally. Their team is helpful. They have actual yield optimization specialists. Payment is reliable. The rev share is actually more generous than Mediavine if you’re at higher traffic levels.
The negatives: You need 100K pageviews minimum. They’re selective about content quality—they’ll reject health sites unless you have serious credentials. The approval process can take weeks. Their interface isn’t as user-friendly as Mediavine’s. And honestly, if you’re not hitting 500K+ monthly pageviews, you might not see their full benefit.
Who should skip it: If you’re below 100K pageviews, don’t waste your time. If your site is brand new, you won’t get approved. If you’re in healthcare or finance and don’t have genuine expertise to demonstrate, you’ll be rejected.
4. Ezoic
Ezoic is different from the others because their whole pitch is about using AI to optimize your ad placements and content. They have a minimum payout of just $20, which is lower than Mediavine. They’ll accept pretty much anyone with real traffic, even if it’s modest.
The thing about Ezoic is that you’re not just getting an ad network; you’re getting their optimization layer. They actually analyze how your users interact with ads, test different placements, and adjust automatically. This matters because a badly placed ad might get clicked 2% of the time, but a well-placed one might get 5%. That’s a huge difference in revenue.
CPM-wise, Tier 1 traffic sits at $5-18 depending on content. Tier 3 is $1-5. Those numbers might look lower than Mediavine, but Ezoic often compensates with higher CTR because the placements are optimized. I’ve seen publishers make similar money with lower CPMs because their click-through rates are meaningfully higher.
Why Ezoic is good: Very low barrier to entry. The AI optimization works—not perfectly, but genuinely. The payout minimum is low. They integrate with AdSense and other networks, so you can layer them. The support is decent. They’re transparent about their data.
Why it’s frustrating: The optimization takes time. Your revenue might fluctuate wildly in the first month or two as they’re learning. Their CPM rates are typically lower than premium networks. The dashboard is a bit overwhelming if you’re not technical. They take a cut of the optimization benefit (so you get the boost, but they get a percentage). Some publishers report that Ezoic can slow down page load times, which is bad for SEO.
Who should skip it: If you’re already with Mediavine or AdThrive, switching to Ezoic probably isn’t worth the hassle. If your traffic is super variable (like you get 10K visitors one week and 500 the next), the AI won’t have enough consistent data to optimize. If page speed is critical for your SEO strategy, Ezoic can work against you.
5. Monumetric
Monumetric is the network that most small publishers have never heard of, which is a shame because they’re actually solid. They position themselves as the bridge between AdSense and the big premium networks. The minimum payout is $20, and they’ll work with sites that have as little as 10K monthly pageviews.
Here’s what they do: they provide access to multiple ad exchanges through a single platform. So you get better competition for your inventory, which drives CPMs up naturally. It’s not as sophisticated as AdThrive’s header bidding setup, but it works.
Tier 1 CPMs range from $4-12 (lower than Mediavine, but that’s not their target market). Tier 3 sits at $1-4. These numbers aren’t going to blow your mind, but for a site with 10-25K monthly pageviews, they’re reasonable.
Pros: They’ll actually work with small sites. The payout minimum is low. Their setup is straightforward. Customer service is responsive. They don’t have strict approval criteria like AdThrive. The rev share is fair.
Cons: The CPMs are lower than premium networks. Their technology isn’t cutting-edge—it’s solid but basic. They’re not as well-known, so you won’t get the network effects of being with a premium provider. The rev share percentage is lower than some competitors.
Who should skip it: If you already qualify for Mediavine or AdThrive, you should go with those instead. You’re leaving money on the table with Monumetric at that level.
6. PropellerAds
Now we’re getting into the networks that actually let you get paid with genuinely tiny traffic. PropellerAds has a minimum payout of just $5. Seriously. Five dollars. You can get paid out with almost nothing.
The catch: this is because PropellerAds works with lower-quality inventory. They’re more flexible about what they’ll allow. They use pop-unders, push notifications, and other formats that technically work but that most quality publishers wouldn’t want on their site because they trash the user experience.
CPMs are low—we’re talking $2-8 for Tier 1 (and that’s generous) and $0.30-2 for Tier 3. You’re making pennies per visitor in most cases. But if you’ve got low traffic and no other options, you can actually make something.
The honest assessment: PropellerAds works if your goal is to monetize basically any traffic, even low-quality stuff. Their platform is easy to use. Payments are fast. They’re flexible with content. But you’re sacrificing user experience for revenue. Visitors won’t like the pop-unders. Your bounce rate will go up. It’s a short-term play.
The real downside: Using PropellerAds can actually hurt your site. Pop-unders are dying formats. They make people angry. If you’re trying to build a brand or long-term audience, PropellerAds is the wrong choice. It’s cannibalizing your future for immediate revenue.
Who should skip it: Anyone with options. If you can get into AdSense, do that instead. If you’re building a real site you care about, skip this. PropellerAds is for people who have a site that’s essentially a traffic funnel or for testing purposes.
7. BidVertiser
BidVertiser is even more accessible than PropellerAds—minimum payout is $10. They’ve been around for a long time, so there’s trust there. They offer both display ads and native ads.
CPM ranges are low: $1-6 for Tier 1 and $0.25-1.50 for Tier 3. You’re not going to get rich with BidVertiser. But the advantage over PropellerAds is that their ad formats are less intrusive. The CPMs are low because the demand is low, not because they’re forcing horrible user experiences.
The appeal: Very low barrier to entry. Native ads can actually blend in and not destroy your user experience. Minimum payout is accessible. They work with any site, basically.
The reality: The CPMs are really low. You need a lot of traffic to make meaningful money. The payment processing is slower than some competitors. Their support isn’t great. The rev share isn’t generous.
Who should skip it: Anyone who can qualify for better networks. BidVertiser is fine as a secondary network to fill ad slots that other networks don’t bid on, but as your primary, you’re making a mistake if you have options.
8. Sovrn Holdings
Sovrn is interesting because they’re not primarily a CPM-based network. They focus on contextual advertising and direct sales. The minimum payout is $50, and you need real traffic to qualify.
What makes Sovrn different: they actually connect you with direct advertisers. So instead of just getting CPM rates from programmatic auctions, you also get direct sponsorships from companies that want to reach your specific audience. This can be significantly more lucrative.
CPM-wise, Tier 1 sits at $6-20 depending on your niche. Finance sites do really well here. Tier 3 is $1.50-6. But the real money often comes from direct deals, which can push much higher.
Pros: Direct advertising partnerships can be really lucrative. Their technology is solid. They focus on quality over quantity, so they’re selective. The rev share is reasonable. They provide real account management.
Cons: You need substantial traffic. The minimum payout is $50. The application process is thorough (which is good and bad). They won’t work with certain niches. Getting approved can take a while.
Who should skip it: If you’re below 50K monthly pageviews, probably not worth applying yet. If you’re in a niche that’s oversaturated with Sovrn publishers, you won’t get good results.
9. Adsterra
Adsterra is a scrappy network that will work with almost anyone. Minimum payout is $5. They focus on performance-based advertising alongside traditional CPM.
Here’s the deal: Adsterra will work with sites that other networks won’t touch. Low traffic? Fine. Unusual niche? Fine. They’ll literally monetize almost anything.
CPMs are low ($1-5 for Tier 1, $0.20-1 for Tier 3) because, again, they’re accepting lower-quality inventory. But what makes them interesting is the performance component. You can earn through CPA (cost per action), not just CPM. If someone clicks an ad and then buys something, you get a commission.
The appeal: Crazy low barrier to entry. Multiple revenue models. Very flexible. Works with weird niches. Fast payments.
The problem: The CPMs are genuinely terrible. The ad quality varies wildly. The user experience can suffer. This is another network that’s essentially monetizing your traffic through volume and accepting lower quality.
Who should skip it: If you have any better option, take it. Adsterra is for people with no other choices or for testing traffic quality.
10. YieldPro
YieldPro is a newer entrant that’s specifically targeting niche publishers. Minimum payout is $30. They focus on connecting niche content with relevant advertisers.
The idea: if you write about, say, aquarium hobbyism, YieldPro connects you with aquarium supply companies and services that want to reach your exact audience. This matching supposedly drives higher-quality ads and better CPMs.
CPMs range from $3-10 for Tier 1 and $0.75-3 for Tier 3. Not as high as premium networks, but better than low-end networks.
Pros: They actually understand niche publishing. The curation means more relevant ads. Minimum payout is reasonable. They’re founder-friendly and responsive. The tech is modern.
Cons: They’re new, so there’s less data on them. The CPMs aren’t as high as Mediavine. They’re probably small and might not survive long-term (though this is speculative). They might not have advertiser demand for very tiny niches.
Who should skip it: If you’re in a massive niche like health or finance, YieldPro probably doesn’t have enough specific advertiser demand for you. If you need proven stability, stick with bigger networks.
How to Actually Choose the Right Network For Your Situation
Here’s where this gets practical. The network you should use depends on where you actually are right now, not on some abstract ranking.
If you have under 10K monthly pageviews: Start with Google AdSense. It’s your entry point. Once you’re making money there, you’ve got proof that your traffic is real. Then layer in Ezoic or Monumetric. Don’t bother applying to premium networks yet—you’ll get rejected and waste time. If you’ve got basically zero traffic, consider BidVertiser or PropellerAds just to prove the concept works, but recognize you’re making pennies and use that as motivation to grow.
If you have 10-25K monthly pageviews: You can stay with AdSense as your base, but add Ezoic or Monumetric. These will double your earnings compared to AdSense alone in most cases. Start working toward Mediavine’s 25K threshold. You’re close. Once you hit it, apply to Mediavine and you’ll see a jump in revenue.
If you have 25-50K monthly pageviews: You should be applying to Mediavine. This is their sweet spot. Apply right now if you haven’t already. Mediavine alone should be your primary network. You can supplement with Ezoic if you want to experiment with optimization, but Mediavine should be 70-80% of your revenue at this level.
If you have 50-100K monthly pageviews: Mediavine is your base, but start thinking about diversification. Layer in Sovrn to get direct advertising relationships. Consider Ezoic as a complementary placement-optimization tool. Some publishers in this range apply to AdThrive, but you’re on the borderline.
If you have 100K+ monthly pageviews: You should be with AdThrive as your primary network. Consider Mediavine on secondary ad slots if your content allows (you can use both). Look at Sovrn for direct deals. You might also want to explore private marketplace (PMPs) deals directly with advertisers at this level.
If you’re in a “weird” or risky niche: You need to be strategic. If you’re in finance, health, gambling, or adult content, the premium networks are going to be harder to access. Ezoic is more flexible. Sovrn is selective but sometimes accessible. If you’re truly stuck, layer AdSense with BidVertiser or Adsterra, but understand that the CPMs will be lower.
If maximizing revenue is your only goal and you don’t care about user experience: Stack multiple low-end networks (PropellerAds, BidVertiser, Adsterra) and rotate through them to see which pays best for your traffic. But know that this is cannibalizing your long-term site health.
The real strategic play: most successful publishers aren’t using one network. They’re layering multiple. Your primary network (Mediavine or AdThrive) fills most ad slots. Your secondary network (Ezoic or Monumetric) fills the remaining slots with different demand partners. This creates competition for your inventory and naturally drives CPMs up.
Five Questions People Actually Ask About This Stuff
Q: Can I use multiple ad networks at the same time?
A: Yes, but carefully. Google AdSense’s terms say you can’t have AdSense competing for the same ad slots with other networks (it’s called “layering,” and it’s against their rules). However, you can use AdSense for some placements and other networks for others. Most publishers do this with header bidding through platforms like Ezoic or AdThrive that manage competition between multiple demand partners. Just don’t put AdSense code and another network’s code on the exact same ad slot. AdSense will notice and potentially disable your account.
Q: Why are CPMs so much lower than what I see online?
A: Most articles quoting CPMs are either from really successful niche publishers, they’re including direct deals (which are much higher than programmatic), or they’re making it up. The CPMs I’ve quoted in this post are from real data. Tier 1 CPMs in the $2-15 range for AdSense are accurate. Premium networks hitting $10-40 CPM are real, but those are often niche-specific and don’t apply to all content. And yes, you’ll see outliers hitting $50+ CPM in specific contexts, but that’s exceptional, not average.
Q: Is it worth switching networks if I’m already making money with one?
A: Only if the math works. If you’re making $500/month with AdSense and can document that Mediavine would pay you $750+ based on testing, then the 30-day transition period and risk is worth it. If the bump is only 10-15%, stick with what you have. The switching costs (time, disruption, potential approval delays) aren’t worth tiny gains. Also, some networks pay out 30 days in arrears, so switching means losing a month of payouts in the transition. That math matters.
Q: What about affiliate marketing instead of ad networks?
A: It’s not either/or. The best publishers do both. Ad networks provide baseline revenue that’s somewhat predictable. Affiliate marketing provides higher-value conversions but only when you recommend specific products. They complement each other. If your content is naturally suited to recommendations (like product reviews), affiliate marketing can exceed ad revenue. If your content is more general information, ads are your base. Most successful publishers do 60% ads / 40% affiliate, or some variation.
Q: Should I focus on growing traffic or optimizing ad revenue first?
A: Growth first, optimization second. If you have 5,000 monthly pageviews, spending a week experimenting with ad placement testing is wasting time you should spend growing to 10,000 pageviews. The multiplier from doubling traffic beats the 10-20% yield improvement from optimization. Once you’re at a decent scale (50K+ monthly pageviews), then optimization makes sense because you’re dealing with meaningful numbers. At small scales, just grow.
My Overall Recommendation
Here’s what I actually tell people when they ask me for real advice:
Start with Google AdSense. It’s not the best paying, but it’s the least risky and it teaches you how ad networks work. Make $100, understand the system, then move on.
Once you’ve got sustainable traffic (and I mean real traffic you can count on, not a viral spike), apply to Mediavine. The jump from AdSense to Mediavine is genuinely transformative. It’s usually a 3-5x increase in revenue for the same traffic. This should be your goal for your first year as a publisher.
If you don’t qualify for Mediavine yet, use Ezoic as a bridge. It’s genuinely better than staying with AdSense alone, and it will help teach you about optimization while you grow.
Once you hit Mediavine’s traffic requirements, your revenue should be decent enough to make content a real job (or significant side income). Then focus on growing further and eventually transitioning to AdThrive if you want the premium experience.
Don’t get cute trying to stack five networks and extract a few extra percentage points. The complexity isn’t worth the gains until you’re genuinely large. Focus on building an audience first. The monetization optimizes itself once you have real traffic.
And honestly? The best ad network for your site is the one that lets you focus on making great content instead of obsessing over CPM rates. If Mediavine lets you do that at your traffic level, you’re winning.
