Choosing the right ad network can be the difference between surviving and thriving in the digital publishing world.
With digital advertising sales projected to grow 8% this year to $557 billion, picking the right network will better enable you to improve your ad revenue.
More than that, teaming up with the right ad network for your needs means you can ensure a seamless user experience (UX) on your site. A few of the ways the best ad networks will work with publishers to optimize their sites’ UX is by:
- Delivering relevant ads
- Improving ad placement
- Fine-tuning ad loading to avoid slow page load times
- Capping how often users see specific ads
The growth in the digital ecosystem has seen the number of available ad networks explode, which can make choosing the right option for you challenging. As such, we’ve shortlisted three of the best options available—AdPushup vs Ezoic vs Publift—to compare their features, pros and cons.
Read on to find out more.
AdPushup vs Ezoic vs Publift: Full Overview
| Metrics |
AdPushup |
Ezoic |
Publift |
| Ad Revenue Increase |
Guaranteed 20% revenue increase. |
Guaranteed 25% revenue increase. |
Averaged 55% revenue increase. |
| User Experience |
Easy to use; Seamless integration. |
Integration can be difficult for beginners. |
Set up takes about a week and the dashboard is easy to use and customizable. |
| Ad Integration |
Javascript integration |
Nameserver or WordPress Plugin |
Fuse Programmatic Ad Technology |
| Ease of Implementation |
Copy code to website header. |
Change nameserver or use WordPress plug-in. |
Copy a single line of code to the website header. |
| Demand Partners |
More than 30 premium demand partners. |
Google Ad Exchange partners and header bidding. |
More than 30 premium demand partners. |
What Is AdPushup?
AdPushup is one of the more popular Ezoic alternatives, offering ad layout optimization, header bidding, multiple ad layouts—including native ads and banner ads—and even ad block revenue recovery.
AdPushup’s A/B testing platform tool allows publishers to customize ad layouts and see which is best for ad revenue optimization.
Features
- User-friendly interface and intuitive publisher dashboard
- Easy-to-use tools for ad unit creation, A/B testing, and ad optimization
- GCPP (Google Certified Publishing Partner) Premier
- Header bidding technology
Pros
- Fast and easy set-up
- Point-and-click ad layout
- 24/7 customer service
Cons
- Requires $5,000 monthly earnings
- Requires exclusivity
AdPushup Pricing and Payment Scheme
AdPushup doesn’t have fixed or recurring fees. Instead, it offers three plans with flexible and customizable revenue sharing models.
The company uses a Net-45 payment scheme with a minimum threshold of $50, which you can transfer via bank wire or PayPal.
Final Verdict
AdPushup’s user-friendly platform makes it easier for publishers who aren’t tech-savvy or those who don’t have the time to personally modify ad layouts, placements, and other necessary modifications.
There are two distinct disadvantages to AdPushup, however. The first is its $5,000 per month ad revenue requirements which will exclude many smaller publishers from joining. The second is the fact it demands exclusivity from its publishers, preventing them from using it in conjunction with another partner.
What Is Ezoic?
Ezoic is a popular ad optimization platform because of its low approval requirement and free trial. It uses artificial intelligence to help test, optimize, and place ads where a publisher could earn more.
Ezoic continues to innovate with its tools and processes, including its Automated Ad Tester, which was awarded during the Sales and Marketing Technology Awards in 2022. This tool helps publishers decide the best ad placement combinations to help increase ad revenue.
Here are some of Ezoic’s other features:
Features
- Ezoic Levels offers more resources, perks, and other tools as the publisher's level rises
- Video management and optimization through Humix
- Automated text to video creator
- Suite of SEO tools
Pros
- No minimum pageview requirements thanks to Access Now program
- No lock-in period/contract
- Free trial for 30 days
Cons
- Premium customer service an invite only option
- Has a steep learning curve
Ezoic Pricing and Payment Scheme
Ezoic offers a free 30-day trial to test how the platform performs compared to other ad networks. After that, you must sign up for the Standard plan, in which Ezoic will take a 10% cure of ad revenue. Its Premium plan is offered only to existing customers in Level 2 or above.
It uses a Net-30 payment scheme with a minimum threshold of $20, which you can withdraw via PayPal, direct bank transfer, or a check.
Final Verdict
Ezoic is one of the best ad networks for those just starting out and who still have low website traffic. It also offers different tools to help you better direct your ads to earn more.
However, if you're not tech-savvy you may struggle to get up to speed quickly. While it has multiple resources that provide valuable tips to improve ad revenue, you must pay extra for priority customer service as part of the company’s invite-only Ezoic Premium program.
What Is Publift?
Publift is an ad optimization specialist that was founded in 2015 by two former Google employees and specializes in programmatic ad tech.
Publift is one of the best Ezoic alternatives for website owners that are either looking to more fully develop their ad revenue strategy. It’s suitable for those looking to graduate from a pure Google Adsense model or switch over from another ad partner that isn’t living up to expectations.
For publishers looking to improve their website monetization, Publift’s programmatic advertising is one of its key features. The company’s in-house programmatic ad tech called Fuse offers ad block monetization, ad refresh, Core Web Vitals (CWVs) analysis, context classification tools, multivariate testing, and more.
With access to more than 30 premium demand partners, Publift is an excellent header bidding partner for effective yield optimization.
Features
- Easy-to-use dashboard
- Uses AI to optimize ad price floors
- Innovative ad formats
- Header bidding using Fuse Intelligent Auctions
Pros
- Fully remote ad control and insertion
- Smart Timeout Management
- Expert advice on ad strategy
Cons
- Requires $2,000 per monthly revenue
Publift's Pricing and Payment Scheme:
Publift has a fixed revenue share of 20% and uses a Net-30 payment scheme with a minimum threshold of $200. You can do direct bank transfers to the currency of your choice.
Final Verdict
While Publift is a great ad manager for those that are enjoying some ad revenue, its eligibility requirements will exclude many smaller publishers still getting to grips with monetizing their ad inventory.
For those publishers that are accepted, however, its full-service ad management and custom reports provide clear insights into ad performance and how to improve it. Publift is an excellent ad management platform for those ready to test the waters using a complete ad stack to increase their revenue.
AdPushup vs Ezoic vs Publift: Comparison of Other Features
Comparing Approval Requirements
AdPushup Approval Requirements
- At least $5,000 in monthly revenue per month
- High-quality content with good site design
Ezoic Approval Requirements
- At least 10,000 page views per month in Google Adsense
- Good quality, non-spammy website
Publift Approval Requirements
- At least $ 2,000 monthly ad revenue
- High quality, original content.
Comparing Data and Reporting
AdPushup’s Data and Reporting
AdPushup’s reporting system features multiple dimensions to assess overall ad performance. This includes original baseline, page-level, ad unit, page group and variations, demand partner, country-wise, unit-wise, and cumulative reports.
Ezoic’s Data and Reporting
Ezoic has five major data analytics in its reporting that could help in revenue growth: content categories, landing pages, page details, author metrics, and caching.
Publift’s Data and Reporting
Publift’s automated reporting system lets publishers see overall revenue, pageviews, impressions, eCPM, page RPM, network performance, and ad units.
Final Thoughts
Publishers who want to take their ad revenue to the next level can often find themselves trapped by analysis paralysis. But with the information above, choosing the best ad platform for your needs should be more manageable.
Ezoic is a great choice for publishers starting out on their journey, while AdPushup and Publift are more geared towards more established players. AdPushup’s demand for exclusivity, however, will deter many who are looking for greater flexibility.
Publift, meanwhile, has all the advantages of a full ad management service with a platform that is one of the industry’s best.
For publishers interested in learning about how to take their ad revenue to the next level, Publift offers a range of tech-driven yet human-centric solutions. Get in touch with us to learn more about how we’ve been helping more than 350 publishers across 60 countries increase their revenue since 2015.