The Best Ad networks for Publishers In 2026 : Top Picks🔥

Monetizing a website can be one of the most rewarding aspects of having one. Whether you operate a blog, a content site, or an online store, ad networks are a key way to make money from your traffic.

However, with so many options available, it can be hard to figure out which network is the best match for your website.

In this post, we will explore some of the most reliable ad networks for publishers, explaining their features, benefits, and how they can help you earn income.

What is an Ad Network?

An ad network is a platform that connects advertisers with websites or apps that want to display ads. It acts as a middleman, helping businesses reach their target audience by placing ads in front of the right people.

Think of it like a matchmaker for online advertising, making sure ads show up where they’ll get noticed.

Types of Ad Networks

There are different types of ad networks, each working in its own way. Here are the main ones:

1. Premium Ad Networks – High-paying networks like Mediavine and AdThrive are best for websites with lots of traffic.
2. Programmatic Ad Networks – Use AI to place ads automatically, like Google AdSense and Ezoic.
3. Affiliate Ad Networks – Pay you when visitors buy products through your links, like Amazon Associates.
4. Native Ad Networks – Blend ads with your content, making them less intrusive, like Taboola and Outbrain.
5. Video Ad Networks – Focus on video ads, which are great for sites with video content, like YouTube AdSense.

The 8 best ad networks for publishers

1. Adsterra

Adsterra is a popular ad network that focuses on providing high-quality ad inventory and diverse ad formats for publishers. It's known for its ease of use and flexibility, making it a great option for both beginners and seasoned webmasters.

One of the standout features of Adsterra is its range of ad formats. From display banners to native ads, pop-unders, and direct links, Adsterra offers multiple ways to monetize your website.

Publishers can experiment with different ad types to find what works best for their audience.

What makes Adsterra even more appealing is its global reach. The network serves traffic from all over the world, which means you can tap into diverse markets and earn revenue from various regions.

Adsterra’s payment terms are also favorable, offering weekly and monthly payouts through various payment methods, including PayPal, wire transfer, and Bitcoin.

Requirements: No strict minimum traffic needed open to small and big sites. You need a website, blog, or social traffic to monetize. Approval is fast, but they’re strict on quality (no shady content or fake traffic).

Here's why Adsterra is a good choice:

• Easy to start: You can join quickly and easily.
• Lots of ways to earn: They offer different types of ads so you can choose what works best.
• Helpful and friendly: They're always there to answer your questions.
• You get paid quickly: You don't have to wait long for your money.
• They keep your website safe: Adsterra makes sure your website is safe to use.

2. Adcash

Adcash is another well-regarded ad network that offers both display and performance-based ads. One of the most notable things about Adcash is its ability to scale with your website’s growth.

Whether you're just starting or you already have a large-scale operation, Adcash can adapt to your needs.

The network supports a variety of ad formats, including display banners, video ads, push notifications, and more. It also offers real-time bidding, which means advertisers can bid for ad space on your site, potentially driving up the revenue for high-performing spots.

Adcash’s dashboard is user-friendly, which makes it easy to track performance and adjust campaigns. The platform also provides advanced targeting options to ensure your ads are shown to the right audience.

You can even integrate Adcash with other ad networks to maximize your revenue.

Requirements: No specific traffic minimum is listed, but they focus on performance, so decent traffic helps. Your site needs to pass their review nothing too sketchy or low-effort.

Here's why Adcash is a good choice:

• Minimum Deposit: $1,000 for a managed account; $100 for a self-serve account.
• Automatic Top-Up: Set auto-reload with a minimum trigger balance of $25 to prevent running out of funds during campaigns.
• Payment Methods: Top-up via credit cards, wire transfers, PayPal, Skrill, and Webmoney; automatic deposits available with Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal.
• Support Options: Managed accounts come with a personal account manager; self-service accounts rely on standard support, which is responsive via live chat during business hours or by next business day if offline.

3. Clickadu

Clickadu is a great choice for publishers looking to maximize revenue through pop-under ads, but the network also offers other formats, including display banners, video ads, and push notifications.

Clickadu is known for its high payouts, especially for traffic coming from certain countries.

One of the key advantages of Clickadu is the targeting options. Publishers can target based on geographic location, device type, and even the operating system, which ensures the ads are highly relevant to the audience.

This level of customization helps improve both user experience and revenue.

Clickadu also offers a self-serve platform that gives publishers full control over their campaigns. Whether you're working with display ads or pop-under ads, Clickadu’s platform allows you to make quick adjustments to optimize your revenue.

Requirements: No hard traffic minimum, but you’ll need some consistent visitors to make it work since payouts lean on volume. They accept most niches, even smaller sites, as long as it’s legit traffic.

Here's why Clickadu is a good choice:

• SmartCPM: Utilizes a second-price auction model, allowing advertisers to pay less while still securing necessary traffic.
• SmartCPA: Enables advertisers to create a blacklist during test campaigns to filter out unprofitable traffic sources, focusing on conversions.
• Test Campaigns: Allows for testing with SmartCPA to determine the potential success of campaigns, using eCPM to measure expected ad revenue per thousand impressions.
• Dashboard Tools: Provides a statistics page where advertisers can manually optimize campaigns by reviewing and adjusting based on performance data.
• Flexible Adjustments: Offers the ability to modify almost any campaign parameter directly from the Campaign page based on statistical insights, enhancing overall campaign effectiveness.

4. AdMaven

AdMaven is an ad network known for its simplicity and effectiveness. It provides multiple ad formats such as display banners, interstitial ads, native ads, and push notifications.

AdMaven is easy to integrate and doesn’t require much technical expertise to get started.

This platform is ideal for publishers who are looking for straightforward monetization solutions with minimal hassle. AdMaven's reporting tools are simple to understand, making it easy to track how well your ads are performing. The network also offers flexible payout options, including PayPal, bank transfer, and Bitcoin.

If you’re running a content site with high traffic volume, AdMaven can be a solid choice for generating revenue. The network has a solid reputation for reliability and offers great support for its publishers.

Requirements: They say 2,500 monthly impressions minimum, but smaller sites can still apply and get reviewed. Traffic quality matters needs to be real, not bot-driven.

Here's why AdMaven is a good choice:

• Ad Formats: Offers web push ads, new tab (pop) ads, interstitials, and banner ads designed for optimal user engagement.
• Effective Push Notification Traffic: Delivers over two billion push notification impressions daily, targeting only users who have opted in, ensuring high-quality, bot-free traffic.
• User Safety and Quality: Ensures high-quality traffic free from bots, enhancing safety for both advertisers and publishers.
• Easy Campaign Setup: AdMaven's self-serve platform allows for the easy creation of campaigns, quick access to numerous publishers, and the use of various ad formats.
• Advanced Features: Includes advanced reporting, API integration, and advanced filtering for precise targeting and analysis.

5. HillTopAds

HillTopAds is a well-established ad network that caters to publishers looking for both quality and quantity in their monetization efforts. What sets HillTopAds apart is its focus on global traffic and its high CPM (cost per thousand impressions).

The network provides a variety of ad formats, including display banners, pop-under ads, and push notifications. HillTopAds also works well with both desktop and mobile traffic, making it a versatile option for publishers with diverse audiences.

HillTopAds places a strong emphasis on timely payouts and reliability, offering publishers a trustworthy platform for long-term partnerships. They support payment methods like PayPal, WebMoney, and Bitcoin, ensuring you can get paid in the way that's most convenient for you.

Requirements: There is no minimum traffic requirement, so it’s friendly for newbies. Your site just needs to be active and legit nothing too strict, but they’ll check it out.

Here's why HillTopAds is a good choice:

• Wide Ad Reach: Extensive coverage to connect with audiences globally.
• Affordable Pricing: Competitive rates make it accessible for various budget sizes.
• Advanced Mobile Targeting: Includes options for targeting specific apps and device brands.
• Diverse Payment Options: Supports multiple payment methods, including cryptocurrencies.
• Flexible Scheduling: Campaigns can be scheduled across all time zones.
• Multilingual Interface: Supports 10 different languages, enhancing usability for international users.
• Traffic Segments: Offers three levels of traffic quality—Low, Medium, and High—to tailor campaign precision.
• Helpful Onboarding Resources: Provides good materials to help new users get started effectively.

6. PropellerAds

PropellerAds is another popular ad network that’s known for its wide array of ad formats and user-friendly platform. What sets PropellerAds apart is its massive reach, supporting millions of daily impressions across multiple channels, including mobile and desktop traffic.

The network offers several ad formats, such as push notifications, display banners, and interstitial ads, but PropellerAds is particularly well-known for its pop-under ads, which are highly effective in driving revenue.

The platform also integrates machine learning to optimize ad delivery, ensuring maximum performance.

PropellerAds supports payment methods like PayPal, wire transfer, and Bitcoin. With its vast network and multiple ad options, it’s a great choice for publishers with high-volume sites.

Requirements: No big traffic hurdle open to small publishers, too. They approve most sites quickly as long as you’ve got real visitors and no banned content.

Here's why PropellerAds is a good choice:

• Easy Approval & No Traffic Limits: Unlike AdSense, PropellerAds accepts small websites, making it easy to start earning.
• Ad-Block Bypass: Ads still show even if users have ad blockers, helping boost revenue.
• Fast Weekly Payments: Get paid every Thursday with a $5 minimum for PayPal and e-wallets, $100 for Payoneer, and $500 for wire transfers.
• Simple Dashboard & Live Reports: Easy-to-use interface with real-time analytics to track and improve earnings.

7. Media.net

Media.net is one of the leading contextual ad networks and is often seen as the closest alternative to Google AdSense. It’s powered by Yahoo and Bing, and it’s known for providing high-quality, contextually relevant ads that match the content of your site.

The network offers a range of display ad options, including text ads, banner ads, and native ads. Media.net’s strength lies in its ability to serve highly targeted ads, ensuring higher engagement rates and better revenue for publishers.

Although Media.net is mainly used by English-language websites, it’s a great option for content-heavy publishers looking to optimize their revenue with minimal ad management.

Requirements: Needs at least 10,000 monthly visitors and high-quality, original content. English-focused sites perform best. Approval is strict, and site design and audience relevance are considered.

Here's why Media.net is a good choice:

• Strict but High-Paying Approval: Works best for websites with consistent, high-quality content and strong traffic.
• Contextual Ads for Better Engagement: Ads blend naturally with site content, improving user experience and click-through rates.
• Premium Advertisers & Higher Earnings: Access to high-quality ads from top-tier advertisers, often yielding better earnings than standard display ads.
• Net-30 Payment System: Get paid via PayPal or wire transfer with a $100 minimum threshold on a monthly cycle (net-30).
• Smart Ad Optimization: Uses AI-based technology to adjust ad placements for maximum revenue.

8. Google AdSense

Google AdSense has long been the go-to ad network for publishers of all sizes. It’s the most widely recognized ad platform globally, offering simple integration with any website. The main reason for its popularity is its vast inventory of advertisers, which ensures a steady stream of high-paying ads.

AdSense uses a combination of display ads, text ads, and native ads, all designed to blend seamlessly with your website’s content. The system works by automatically placing the most relevant ads based on your content, audience, and traffic.

While the approval process for Google AdSense can be a little more stringent compared to other ad networks, the rewards are worth it. Once approved, publishers have access to one of the most reliable and flexible ad systems available.

Requirements: A well-established website with original, high-quality content and consistent organic traffic. Approval is strict, and sites must follow Google’s policies.

Here's why Google AdSense is a good choice:

• High-Paying Ad Network: One of the most trusted and profitable monetization platforms for publishers.
• Access to a Large Advertiser Pool: Ads are highly relevant due to Google’s advanced targeting system.
• Variety of Ad Formats: Offers display ads, text ads, matched content, video ads, and responsive ads.
• Reliable Payments: Get paid via bank transfer or check once you reach a $100 minimum threshold.
• Detailed Analytics & Customization: Provides in-depth reports and customizable ad placements to optimize revenue.

How do ad networks help publishers?

Ad networks act like middlemen between people who want to sell ad space (publishers) and those who want to buy it (advertisers). They help both sides achieve their advertising goals by matching the right ad space (or inventory) to the right buyer.

Here’s how it works simply:

1. Publishers and Ad Formats: Publishers are websites or apps that have spaces where ads can be shown. Most publishers usually focus on one type of ad, like video ads or banner ads. For example, if a publisher is great at video content, they might want to work with a video ad network.

2. Role of Ad Networks: Ad networks help by taking the ad spaces available from publishers and selling them to advertisers who are looking for spaces to put their ads. This process helps advertisers find the best spots for their ads without having to go to each publisher individually.

3. Buying and Selling Inventory: Sometimes, ad networks buy ad space from publishers and then sell it to advertisers at a higher price to make a profit. Other times, they just help connect the two parties and charge a fee to make the connection.

4. Specialized Ad Networks: There are different kinds of ad networks depending on the type of ads they handle. For example, Criteo is known for offering good rates for CPM (cost per thousand impressions) ads, which means they are good for ads where you pay based on how many people see the ad. Unruly, on the other hand, is known for dealing with video ads, helping publishers who create video content get the best deals for their ad spaces.

Conclusion

We've reviewed some of the top advertising networks available in 2026. These networks help publishers increase their earnings with quality ads and various creative formats. Each network has its benefits and features.

Before picking an ad network, make sure it provides creative ad formats, a high fill rate, detailed analytics, and access to well-paying ads that fit your niche. Although you can choose any network, we suggest Adsterra for its range of ad formats and quality advertisers.

Read More:

• Adsterra Review
• PropellerAds Review

FAQs About Best Ad Network Publishers