13 Best Mobile Ad Networks for Publishers & Advertisers in 2023

Do you know how mobile app companies or developers earn a big money? Mobile ad networks is the answer! Yes, they provide an opportunity to mobile application owners to monetize their applications by serving ads from advertisers. In this article, you will learn about 13 best mobile ad networks providing exciting earning opportunities to app owners and marketing opportunities to brands and advertisers.

Traffic has always been a valuable part of internet marketing and this is never going to change. With the growth of smartphones, the number of internet users has grown several folds and this has created a great shift of focus towards mobile ad networks. In 2021, according to E-marketer, mobile ad spending accounted for 51% of digital spending and in the consequent two years, it has grown even more. The global internet ad spending in 2021 was $288 billion and analytics suggest that this will grow to $400 billion by the year 2023. By using this opportunity, popular app games must be making millions of earning every year.

Here is the brief about campaign type mostly offered by ad networks. You can choose depending upon your requirement.

• CPM (cost per mile): Advertisers gets charged after their ads serves thousand impressions and publisher get paid the same way!
• CPC (cost per click): Advertisers gets charged on each click made on his ad
• CPI (cost per install): CPI ads are most popular and cost effective ads as advertisers only gets charged when someone clicks on the ad and it resulted into app install.
• CPA (cost per action): Also known as Cost per acquisition and only charged when someone completes any action after clicking the ads such as sales & newsletter sign up etc.
• CPV (cost per view): In CPV format advertisers only gets charged when user sees complete video ad while browsing any ad.
• Interstitial ad format: Full screen advertisements deployed on the host application
• Banners: (web banners / app banners) – Beautifully designed banner ads places into mobile app
• Native: Banner / Video matching the characteristics of the host app
• OfferWall: Ad units that display special offers

Lastly, it’s about targeting. Businesses have to be specific of the kind of audience they are looking for and categorize them according to geo-location (country/region specific), Device (kind of device the audience uses), Carrier (customers on specific mobile carriers), OS (the operating system consumers use), connections (3G / 4G/ WiFi, etc), interests (depending on the online behavior of the audience) and gender (targeting specific gender).

The filters are many but the work has been made easy for mobile business owners and app developers by several mobile ad networks. These networks offer carefully laid out choices around which businesses can choose to spend their money. Let’s take a look at them:

Mobile App Ad Networks and Platforms:

Do you want to consider incorporating mobile advertising into your marketing mix? If so, you’re likely wondering which ones are the best mobile ad networks and can be the best fit for your business. Let’s have a look at the list of the top best ad networks for Android apps and other platforms:

1. Admob:

Developed and maintained by Google, Admob finds popular following among online business owners globally. This is perfect for beginners in the game. Admob offers free ad generation tools for cross promotion of apps and drive-in app installs. Further, Admob IAP (in app purchase) introduces leads that are most likely to have interest in the advertisement. Important takeaways include:

• 1,000,000+ advertisers
• Supported ad formats – interstitial, video, native
• Campaign types – CPI, CPC, CPM
• Platforms – Android, iOS, Cocos, Unity

2. Meta:

Facebook and Instagram are two of the most popular social media platforms in the world. They’re also two of the best app monetization platforms. Advertisers can use Facebook and Instagram to reach a huge audience with their images, videos, messages, slideshows, and more. And because people use these platforms to connect with friends and family, they’re often more receptive to ads than they would be on other websites. That said, there is one of the most important things to keep in mind when using these ad networks. Make sure your ads are eye-catchy, well-designed, and relevant to your target audience. Key takeaways include

• 10,000,000+ advertisers
• Supported ad formats – photo, video, stories, carousel, slideshow, collection, playable.
• Campaign types: CPC, CPA
• Platforms – Android, iOS

3. Apple Search Ads:

Apple Search Ads is a mobile ad network that allows app developers to promote their apps through paid search results in Apple App Store. The officially recognized Apple Search Ads partner is Luna, helping advertisers and publishers expand their ad campaigns globally, and manage ad performance skillfully. It also provides detailed reporting so that developers can track the performance of their ads. Overall, this is one of the highest-paying mobile ad networks for app discovery and marketing that is available to developers in over 150 countries. Key takeaways include:

• Supported ad formats: native ads, text ads, video ads
• Campaign types: CPI, CPA, ROAS
• Platform: iOS

4. Start.io:

Founded in December 2010, and based out of NY, USA, StartApp is built on mobile app data sharing allowing advertisers filter comprehensive user profiles. Key takeaways include:

• 50,000+ advertisers
• Supported ad formats – Interstitial, video, in-app ads, full page ads, app icon
• Campaign types – CPM, CPI, CPC, CPA
• Platforms – Android, iOS

StartApp also running referral program provides additional opportunity to make money by referring their services to your networks.

READ MORE: Best Ads Spy Tools to Optimize Your Marketing Strategy

5. Unity Ads:

If you’re looking for a mobile ad network that can help you monetize your online games, Unity Ads is worth considering. One of the benefits of using Unity Ads is that they offer a wide range of ad formats. Therefore you can easily select the one that best fits your needs. In addition, its automated bidding solution helps you maximize your ad campaign installation and optimize allocation. In short, the platform is aimed to help you maximize your revenue and get valuable customers. Main features include:

• 23 billion advertisements
• Supported ad formats: Native ads, video ads
• Campaign types: CPM, CPI
• Platforms: Android, iOS

6. Inmobi:

Based out of San Francisco, USA, Inmobi has been helping advertisers reach an audience over 1.5 billion and with 32,000+ mobile properties to choose from. Key takeaways include:

• 20,000+ global advertisers
• Supported ad formats – Interstitial, Video, Native, Rich Media, Banner
• Campaign Types – CPI, CPC
• Platforms – Android, iOS and Mobile Web

7. Yahoo Publishing Apps:

Previously popular as Flurry and later acquired by Yahoo in 2014, Yahoo Publishing Apps is more focused on analytics. You will be able to monitor application portfolios while categorizing and deploying the gathered analytics. The key takeaways include:

• 250,000+ developers
• Supported ad formats – In-stream native, standard displays, video, banner, full screen ads
• Campaign types – CPC, CPI
• Platforms – Android, iOS

8. Chartboost:

Founded in 2011 and based out of San Francisco, USA, Chartboost allows advertisers with cross platform ads along with features like tracking, insights and sophisticated targeting. The company has also been popular with mobile game owners for a D2D ad marketplace and sharing game ad insights. The key takeaways include:

• 300,000+ advertisers
• Supported ad formats – Interstitial, Video, OfferWall, Content Lock
• Campaign Types – CPI, CPC
• Platforms – Android, iOS

9. Applovin:

Based out of San Francisco, USA, Applovin used campaign analytics to provide advertisers with high quality leads. Applovin is being hailed as the fastest growing mobile advertising company. The key takeaways include:

• 200,000+ users
• Supported ad formats – Custom
• Campaign Types – CPA, CPC
• Platforms – Android, iOS, Mobile Web

10. Fyber:

Based out of Berlin, Fyber supports app developers, agencies, advertisers, DSPs and other ad networks with its programmatic ad formats complaint with IAB Standards. The key takeaways include:

• 7,600+ direct integrations
• Supported formats – Interstitial, Video, Native, Banner
• Campaign Types – CPI, CPM, CPV, CPA
• Platforms – Android, iOS

11. Smaato:

Smaato is one of the best mobile ad networks for both publishers and advertisers. Smaato’s completely secure platform and omnichannel approach help publishers and advertisers monetize their ads easily and get the maximum price for their ad space on all types of devices. They also have a wide range of ad formats, including banner ads, interstitials, and native ads. In addition, Smaato offers detailed reports that can help you track your ad performance and optimize your campaigns. Key takeaways include:

• 1,300,000,000+ advertisers
• Supported ad formats – Native ads, OTT/CTV, Video, Display
• Campaign types: CPM, CPC, CPA
• Platforms: Android, iOS and Web apps

12. MobFox:

If you’re looking to get your mobile advertising campaign up and running, you might want to consider using MobFox ad network. MobFox is a leading provider of mobile advertising solutions, and they can help you reach your target audience with ease. With MobFox, you’ll have access to a wide range of features that will make your campaign successful. For example, you’ll be able to target specific demographics, track your campaign’s performance, and more. Plus, Mobfox offers competitive rates that make it a great option for businesses of all sizes. So if you’re ready to take your mobile advertising to the next level, consider using a MobFox ad network. Important takeaways include:

• 196+ companies use MobFox
• Supported ad formats: Video, native, display, rich media
• Campaign types: CPM, Revshare / ROAS
• Platforms: Android, iOS

13. Perform[cb]:

Founded in 2002, Perform[cb] is one of the best CPA networks, offering strategic plans customized to meet individual client’s particular marketing goals. With Perform[cb], you do not have to pay when your customers browse your ecommerce website, submit a form to enquire about something, or even contact your customer support center. You’ll pay only for the real customers, the ones who purchase something from you. Key takeaways include:

• 10,000+ advertisers
• Supported ad formats: Text, video
• Campaign types: CPA, CPI, CPL, CPS, CPE, PPC
• Platform: Android, iOS

If you’re looking for the best mobile ad networks, we’ve got you covered. Hope you have already understood the benefits of using them so that you can make a well-informed decision about which one is suitable for your business. Thanks for reading!

Most of these ad networks offer a global audience and are suited for any kind of business. however, you will always need to research more before making your final choice.