Understanding Ad Networks CPM Rates can help publishers identify which networks, ad formats, and audience locations offer the strongest earning potential.
The average US programmatic CPM in 2026 is $1.81 (June 2026 benchmark, up 51% year on year). The highest-paying format is video pre-roll at 7–15; the lowest is push notifications at 0.40–1.50. Tier 1 vs Tier 3 traffic runs an 8–12x multiplier on the same ad unit. The tables below give every major format, GEO tier, and network rate with sources, not marketing copy.
| Best For | Video pre-roll | Interstitial | Native |
| Pricing | $7.00 – $15.00 | $3.00 – $5.90 | $2.50 – $3.60 |
| Features | Highest-paying format; +41.3% YoY, fastest riser | Strong on mobile app inventory | Blends with content; higher CTR than display |
Most CPM articles recycle rate cards. This one starts from the benchmark data and cross-checks it against network-published case studies and live publisher accounts. Every figure is traceable, and I've noted exactly where the numbers came from and when.
The Headline 2026 Numbers
Benchmark | 2026 Figure | Change |
US programmatic CPM (avg) | $1.81 | +51% YoY, +16.9% MoM |
CTV CPM | $5.74 | +20.7% MoM, −12.3% YoY |
Mobile CPM | $1.72 | Within 3% of desktop |
Desktop CPM | $1.77 | Flat vs mobile |
Tablet CPM | $1.37 | Lowest device tier |
App CPM | $1.70 | +50.4% YoY fastest growing channel |
Web CPM | $1.42 | Steady |
AMP CPM | $1.01 | −17.2% YoY AMP is dead as a monetization strategy |
Source: June 2026 US programmatic benchmark covering 35 billion monthly impressions, $55M in monthly revenue, and 200+ bidders.
That +51% year-on-year jump is the story of 2026: advertiser demand has returned to open-web display faster than premium inventory supply has grown. If your revenue didn't rise this year, the cause is almost always on the supply side (GEO mix, placements, or a single-network setup) not the market.
CPM Rates by Ad Format (2026)
Format | CPM Range | Notes |
Video pre-roll | $7.00 – $15.00 | Highest-paying format; +41.3% YoY, fastest riser |
Interstitial | $3.00 – $5.90 | Strong on mobile app inventory |
Native | $2.50 – $3.60 | Blends with content; higher CTR than display |
Popunder | $1.00 – $4.00 | $5+ on premium US/UK desktop; 0.80–2.00 Tier 3 |
Standard display | $0.50 – $4.60 | The “average” everyone quotes |
Push notifications | $0.40 – $1.50 | Lowest-paying format; offset by huge volume |
In-page push | $0.50 – $2.00 | Slightly above classic push; works on iOS |
Direct links (click-based) | $10 – $35 CPM-equivalent | Not impression-based; rewards click-heavy traffic |
If you take one action from this table: add video. Video CPMs grew 41% year over year no other format came close and outstream video lets editorial sites earn video rates without producing video content.
CPM Rates by GEO Tier (2026)
Tier | Countries | Typical Display CPM | Multiplier vs US |
Tier 1 | US, UK, CA, AU | $2.00 – $6.00 | 1x (baseline) |
Tier 2 | Western EU, Japan, LATAM mid | $0.80 – $2.50 | ~2–3x lower |
Tier 3 | India, SEA, Africa | $0.20 – $1.00 | 8–12x lower |
The Tier 1–Tier 3 gap runs 8x to 12x on the same ad unit, widening to 15–20x between the US and Nigeria on display. One useful nuance from the 2026 data: on social traffic, Germany, Japan, and the US lead; on website traffic the picture inverts for some segments Indonesian Android pays up to $7.50 against $1.70 for US Android, because advertiser competition for that inventory is thinner. Weird pockets like this are why blind global averages mislead.
Per-Network CPM Rates 2026
Every figure below is either from the network's own published rate table (re-checked September–October 2026) or a network-published case study where impressions, GEO, format, and earnings were stated together the only honest way to derive a real CPM.
1. Adsterra
Published: 3.00–12.00+ Tier 1; US website traffic 1.70–2.80 by device; US social traffic up to $18
Live accounts: 3.20–4.60 blended US
Highest single published rate found anywhere in 2026: $33 CPM Germany, Windows, social traffic
Payout: $5 minimum (Paxum/WebMoney), twice monthly, NET-15
2. HilltopAds
Published: $8 US popunder (mobile messenger traffic), $10 US social; mainstream US $2.00 Android / $2.50 iOS
Lowest published rate found: $0.20 India, Android, non-mainstream
The 0.20-to-10 spread is the GEO lesson in a single network
Payout: $20 minimum, weekly every Tuesday, NET-7
3. Google AdSense
Typical publisher RPM: 2–6 (general niches)
Revenue share: 80% of revenue after the buying platform's fee netting to ~68% when advertisers buy through Google Ads
Payout: $100 minimum, monthly (~the 21st)
4. Mediavine
RPM: 15–35 (food, finance, lifestyle, parenting at the top)
Revenue share: tiered 75%–90% by annual earnings band
Entry: Journey tier from 1,000 sessions; Official at 50K sessions or $5,000 annual ad revenue
Payout: NET-65 (earned in January, paid in April)
5. Raptive
RPM: 20–50+ the highest published averages in the industry
Revenue share: 75% base
Entry: 25,000 monthly pageviews (lowered October 2025)
Payout: NET-45 roughly five weeks faster than Mediavine
6. ExoClick
12 billion daily impressions across 65,000 publishers; 20+ formats
CPM varies sharply by vertical and GEO; adult-adjacent inventory historically out-earns mainstream
Payout: $20 minimum (Paxum), $500 wire; weekly or monthly
7. Monetag
Open-network rates in the 1–4 RPM band for mixed GEO traffic
Payout: $5 minimum (PayPal/Skrill), biweekly
8. Ezoic
Typical uplift over unmanaged AdSense: 20–50% via AI placement optimization
2026 note: entry terms have shifted repeatedly confirm current requirements before applying
9. Facebook/Meta (advertiser-side reference)
Average CPM: 7–18 across placements in 2026
By niche: Finance & insurance 15–30 (highest), B2B/SaaS 12–25, health 10–20, e-commerce 7–14, apps & gaming 5–11, media & entertainment 4–9
Campaign objective matters more than anything: conversion campaigns cost 2–4x the CPM of reach campaigns
10. YouTube (creator-side reference)
Finance: published CPMs of 15–50; investing 20–40; real estate 15–30; make-money-online 12–20
Insurance, credit cards, and brokerage content sit at the top because one customer's lifetime value funds thousands of impressions
Why Your CPM Isn't the Published CPM
If your dashboard shows $0.80 where this article says 3–12, nothing is broken. The published range is the best-matched impression; your average blends everything:
GEO mix 50% Tier 3 traffic can halve a blended rate by itself
Format mix a page with only display can't earn video rates
Viewability sub-50% viewability CPMs are a fraction of 80%+ placements
Seasonality Q4 (Oct–Dec) runs 20–50% above January; never compare across quarters
Single-network demand one network sets one rate; a header-bidding stack auctions every impression across 30+ bidders. This alone is worth 30–100%.
How to Raise Your CPM: 5 Moves That Work
Shift format mix toward video outstream video on editorial pages earns 7–15 where display earns 1–4.
Improve Tier 1 traffic share a 20-point GEO improvement often beats any network switch.
Stack, don't switch Media.net, Infolinks, and native units run alongside AdSense; managed platforms replace it. Know which you're doing.
Watch viewability move ads above the fold with lazy loading; advertisers pay for seen impressions.
Re-benchmark quarterly with CPMs up 51% YoY, rate cards from six months ago are stale.
Frequently Asked Questions: Ad Networks CPM Rates 2026
$1.81 for US programmatic display (June 2026). Anything above $3 on Tier 1 display is strong; above $7 on video is strong; 0.50–1.50 is normal on Tier 3.
For published peaks, Adsterra (33,Germansocialtraffic).Foraveragerealizedrates,Raptive(20–50+RPM)andMediavine(15–$35) for qualifying sites, and Google AdX for self-serve at 5M+ pageviews.
Up US programmatic CPMs rose 51% year on year. Video rose 41%, app inventory 50%. The exceptions: AMP (−17%) and CTV (−12% YoY, though recovering month on month).
0.50–2.00 is realistic for sites under 10K pageviews with mixed GEO traffic. Don't compare yourself to 15–35 RPM screenshots those come from premium managed stacks with 50K+ sessions of mostly US traffic.
YouTube finance niches see 15–50 CPMs; entertainment 1–4. Website display through ad networks typically lands lower than top YouTube niches but with far less content production per dollar earned.
Check in order: seasonality (Q1 drops are normal after Q4), a GEO shift in your traffic, viewability problems (layout changes, lazy-loading bugs), or a single big advertiser leaving your network's auction.
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Conclusion: Ad Networks CPM Rates 2026
2026 is a seller's market for quality impressions: CPMs up 51%, video up 41%, and app inventory up 50%.
The benchmarks above give you the honest ranges $1.81 US programmatic average, video at 7–15, push at 0.40–1.50, and an 8–12x Tier 1 premium so you can judge any rate card, dashboard, or network pitch against reality.
If your numbers sit below the right row of these tables, the fix is usually format mix, GEO mix, or demand competition not more traffic.
