Primis is our first shortlist option for publishers seeking video discovery and monetisation together. Playwire suits a broader managed or self-service advertising discussion. Google Ad Manager offers an ad-serving route for teams with technical resources, while HilltopAds and Clickadu provide defined video formats. Choose by the video experience and integration you need.
| Best For | Publishers wanting content and player support | Video within an integrated advertising setup | Teams managing video inventory and demand |
| Main Role | Video discovery and monetisation | Broader publisher monetisation platform | Ad serving and inventory management |
| Important Check | Content relevance and commercial terms | Service scope and placement controls | Video enablement and player integration |
Video advertising can mean several different things on a website. An ad may play before a clip the visitor selected, appear in a separate player or form part of a wider content-discovery experience.
Those choices need different tools. A publisher with a library of original videos has a different problem from a text-heavy blog hoping to add one advertising placement.
The best video ad networks and platforms are the ones that fit that problem. This guide compares five publisher options and separates managed video monetisation, ad serving and individual network formats.
It does not rank them by invented CPM tests. The recommendations use official product information and practical questions you can take into a provider discussion.
Best video ad networks: Quick comparison
Compare the best video ad networks based on ad formats, traffic requirements, platform compatibility, payout thresholds, and revenue potential to find the right solution for monetizing video content and maximizing earnings without compromising the viewer experience.
Platform | Main role | Best fit | Important check |
|---|---|---|---|
Primis | Video discovery and monetisation | Publishers wanting content and player support | Content relevance and commercial terms |
Playwire | Broader publisher monetisation platform | Video within an integrated advertising setup | Service scope and placement controls |
Google Ad Manager | Ad serving and inventory management | Teams managing video inventory and demand | Video enablement and player integration |
HilltopAds | Network video formats | A VAST pre-roll or Video Slider comparison | Correct format and player requirements |
Clickadu | Network pre-roll advertising | Existing compatible video-player inventory | VAST integration and user experience |
A platform supplying a player and content is not doing the same job as an ad server or a VAST demand partner.
What type of video advertising do you need?
Start with the experience you want to provide.
If a visitor selects a video and an ad plays before it, that is a pre-roll experience. If a separate ad player appears within or beside a text page, it is a different kind of placement.
A discovery product may also supply or recommend video content related to the article. That introduces questions about relevance and rights as well as advertising.
Do not buy a technical solution before deciding which experience belongs on the site. An ad tag cannot create a useful video strategy by itself.
The same applies to app-based rewarded video. It has its own integration and reward-delivery requirements and should not be treated as interchangeable with web pre-roll.
5 Best Video Ad Networks in detail
Explore the 5 best video ad networks, comparing their ad formats, platform compatibility, traffic requirements, monetization features, and payout options to help you choose the right solution for generating revenue from video content while keeping viewers engaged.
1. Primis: Best for video discovery and monetisation together
Primis describes an online video platform with contextual recommendations, playlists, content support and monetisation tools. Its publisher page also identifies direct demand partnerships as part of the offering.
This makes it a useful first comparison for a publisher looking at both the video experience and how that experience earns revenue.
The key question is relevance. A clip should make sense alongside the article, especially if the reader did not arrive intending to watch a video.
Ask who selects the content, which rights apply and how you can review or exclude unsuitable material. Also discuss the player's position and behaviour on mobile.
Pros
- Addresses video content and monetisation in one proposition.
- Includes contextual discovery and playlist tools.
Cons
- The content experience needs editorial oversight.
- Commercial and implementation details require a specific proposal.
Our verdict: Shortlist Primis when you want a video-discovery product rather than only an advertising tag. Evaluate the content experience as carefully as the projected revenue.
2. Playwire: Best for video within a wider monetisation setup
Playwire's publisher material describes video-player technology and managed display and video header bidding within RAMP. It also offers a wider range of video placements through its format catalogue.
That makes it relevant when video is one part of a larger advertising decision.
A publisher already coordinating several vendors may value an integrated arrangement. But a broader platform can also be more than a small site needs.
Ask which parts of the current setup would be replaced and which would remain. Clarify who controls the video placement, who investigates playback problems and what support is included.
Measure total monetisation after the change. Revenue assigned to a new video product is not necessarily all additional if other placements lose attention or inventory.
Pros
- Video capabilities within a broader publisher platform.
- A way to discuss consolidated advertising operations.
Cons
- The scope may be larger than a single-video test.
- Changes across several formats complicate measurement.
Our verdict: Compare Playwire when you want video as part of an organised advertising setup. Agree on scope and measurement before making a broad migration.
3. Google Ad Manager: Best for teams managing video inventory
Google Ad Manager's Video Solutions documentation covers video inventory, tags, line items, reporting and integration with a player or the IMA SDK. It says Video Solutions must be enabled before the relevant inventory can be created.
Its main role here is ad serving and inventory management. It should not be described as a guaranteed source of high-paying ads simply because a publisher creates an account.
This route makes sense when the team has technical and advertising-operations resources, or an appropriate partner handling them.
Plan who will manage the player, the demand connections and delivery errors. Those are separate responsibilities even if the finished video looks like one simple box on a page.
Pros
- Detailed video-serving and reporting documentation.
- A route for managing video inventory and supported demand.
Cons
- Enablement and technical integration are required.
- The setup can be more involved than a managed placement.
Our verdict: Choose an Ad Manager discussion when control and ad operations are central needs. Do not treat it as a shortcut around player integration or demand approval.
4. HilltopAds: Best for comparing two distinct video formats
HilltopAds lists Video VAST and Video Slider as separate publisher products. Video VAST is described as pre-roll within a player, while Video Slider is a separate placement that is not tied to an existing player.
That distinction is useful because it answers an early practical question: do you already have a video player and content, or are you evaluating a separate advertising unit?
Do not combine the results as though the experiences were identical. A pre-roll before a selected clip and a corner placement beside text have different effects on the reader.
For either format, ask about playback behaviour, sound, closing controls and mobile layout. Also confirm that you are enabling the intended product rather than a bundle that adds other ad types.
Pros
- Clearly separates player-based pre-roll from a slider format.
- Gives publishers a concrete format comparison.
Cons
- The two formats need different evaluation criteria.
- Floating placements can interfere with other page elements.
Our verdict: Compare HilltopAds when you know which of its video formats fits the site. Test that format independently before adding other products.
5. Clickadu: Best for a pre-roll demand comparison
Clickadu's format documentation describes pre-roll ads delivered before user-selected video content through VAST.
That makes it a relevant comparison for a publisher with compatible video inventory already in place.
The useful question is not just whether an ad can play. It is whether the integration handles empty responses, errors and transitions back to the selected content without leaving the visitor waiting.
Start with a controlled set of videos and record both ad delivery and content playback. A higher advertising return is less attractive if fewer people reach the actual video.
Pros
- A documented VAST pre-roll offering.
- A defined use case for existing video content.
Cons
- Player compatibility needs testing in the real environment.
- Ad delay can affect whether viewers reach the content.
Our verdict: Shortlist Clickadu for an existing-player pre-roll test. Judge successful content playback alongside confirmed ad revenue.
Do you need your own videos?
It depends on the product.
A pre-roll setup needs a main video experience for the ad to precede. A discovery platform may provide content tools or access arrangements. A separate video advertising placement can work differently again.
Ask the provider to state what you must supply: videos, a player, hosting, traffic or simply a permitted placement.
If content is supplied, clarify rights, topics and editorial control. A monetisation agreement should not leave you guessing whether a clip is suitable to publish.
Do not label an unrelated autoplaying ad as though it were the reader's chosen editorial video. Accurate placement descriptions matter for both the user experience and the commercial arrangement.
What should you know about VAST?
VAST stands for Video Ad Serving Template. In practical terms, it is a standard way for an ad server to communicate information about a video ad to a compatible player.
It is not a video player and not a revenue guarantee.
Google's documentation explains that its Video Solutions can handle third-party ads that support VAST. Clickadu and HilltopAds also describe VAST-based offerings.
Compatibility still needs a real test. Check the supported implementation, request behaviour and what happens when an ad cannot be served.
Use the provider's debugging tools and test environment where available. Repeated live-ad playback is not a substitute for a proper integration check.
Why is video CPM not the whole earnings story?
CPM describes an amount per thousand impressions. It does not tell you how many requests become paid impressions or how the placement affects the rest of the site.
Consider these hypothetical results:
Setup | Paid impressions | Net eCPM | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
A | 5,000 | $18 | $90 |
B | 9,000 | $12 | $108 |
Setup B earns more despite the lower eCPM. These are calculation examples, not network benchmarks.
Also include any platform, hosting or content costs that apply. Then consider whether the player changes display revenue, article engagement or paid conversions.
A provider can show impressive video revenue while the site as a whole gains much less. The final decision should use the whole business result.
Which video metrics should you watch?
Begin with the number of video opportunities, ad requests, paid impressions and successful content starts. Use the provider's definitions so that the figures are comparable.
Completion rate can help explain how people interact with the ad, but it should not be confused with the percentage who finish the main video.
Useful questions include:
How often does the player fail to load?
How long does a visitor wait before the content starts?
What proportion of opportunities produce paid ads?
Do people dismiss or abandon the player?
Does the unit obstruct reading or navigation?
What happens to total revenue per session?
Separate technical failures from weak demand. One may require a player fix, while the other may call for a different commercial arrangement.
How should you test a video placement?
Start with a small, representative group of pages. Include mobile devices and slower connections, not just a fast desktop preview.
Check sound behaviour, visibility, closing controls and what happens when the user scrolls. Also inspect the space around cookie notices, menus and other floating elements.
Keep the first test focused. If you add a new player, change the article layout and switch display demand together, it becomes difficult to identify the source of an improvement or problem.
Agree on a rollback path before launch. A broken player can affect every page carrying the integration, so the team should know how to disable it without waiting for a redesign.
FAQs: Best Video Ad Networks
Primis is our first shortlist option for combined video discovery and monetisation. Playwire, Google Ad Manager, HilltopAds and Clickadu serve different management, ad-serving and format needs.
Its main role in this comparison is video ad serving and inventory management. Access to demand and the technical setup are separate questions, and creating inventory does not guarantee revenue.
Some products provide content support or a separate video-ad placement. Confirm the exact model, rights and requirements. Do not assume every pre-roll product can operate without main video content.
No. You also need a compatible implementation, eligible inventory, working demand and the required approvals. Test how the player handles both successful and failed ad responses.
There is no reliable universal answer. Audience, geography, placement, demand and delivery affect the result. Compare total confirmed revenue as well as the rate per impression.
No. Evaluate the relevance and behaviour on each page type. A placement that obstructs reading or adds little net value should not be applied site-wide.
Quick Links:
Which video ad platform should you choose?: Best Video Ad Networks
Choose the experience first. Compare Primis for discovery and content support, Playwire for a broader monetisation arrangement and Ad Manager for a more controlled ad-serving setup. HilltopAds and Clickadu provide specific formats to investigate.
A successful video placement earns revenue while still helping people reach the content they came for. Measure both before expanding the rollout.
