All publisher problemsBuild my stack
We're not making enough from it
How do we pick something that actually moves revenue?
The short answer
Revenue tools fail quietly when the publisher cannot see what they earn. Look for transparent reporting and a track record with publishers your size, not the largest logo in the deck.
Publishers have raised this 492 times across the mentions we analyse, naming 136 specific tools.
Find tools that move revenue
We'll lead with tools that show what they earn you, not the biggest logo in the deck.
What publishers reported
The tools this comes up about most, and what was actually said. Counted from public publisher mentions rather than our own verdict, and each quote is attributed to the tool it was about.
Amazon KDP26 mentions
“Amazon KDP delayed royalties til Jan 1”
Ezoic25 mentions
“Ezoic's affiliate program was deemed unsustainable, as fewer than 50 sites were earning significant commissions.”
Google AdSense23 mentions
“The ads themselves are run through Google Adsense.”
beehiiv20 mentions
“The ad revenue is about 3-5X less than what their sales team promised.”
Mediavine19 mentions
“I get 3$ / day for my website.. switched to mediavine getting 0.15$ since last week why??”
ViralHog18 mentions
“But they’re offering me only 50% of the revenue earned from my video. They want the other 50% to cover outbound sales efforts, copyright protection, and other administrative tasks.”
Amazon Associates18 mentions
“Amazon closed my account. The reason given was: "Your website/app does not meet our content standards. The content of your website is insufficient."”
Adsterra16 mentions
“I trusted them and the cheated me and cause my site to lose ranking on google”
OpenAI Ads15 mentions
“For Free Users: Ads. For Paid Users: Deletion of your favorite model (4o). What exactly are we paying for again?”
Rakuten13 mentions
“these companies and Rakuten screw me out of my cashback.”
What to check before you sign
The questions that surface this problem while you can still walk away.
- Ask what reporting you get and how often it refreshes
- Ask for the revenue share, floors and take-rate in writing
- Check which publishers your size already run it
- Confirm you can export your own data if you leave
Not sure which of these applies to you?
Answer four questions about your newsroom and we'll shortlist the tools that fit. We'll carry this problem across with you.
