Up to 4 at once.
| Criteria | Google AdSense | Raptive (AdThrive) |
|---|---|---|
| Weighted Score | 4.1/5 | 3.9/5 |
| Pricing | Free to join; Google pays publishers a revenue share (typically 68% for AdSense for Content and 51% for AdSense for Search). | 75/25 revenue share model (75% to publisher); requires 25,000+ monthly pageviews for entry (lowered from 100,000). |
| Platform Type | Ad network | Managed monetization |
| Revenue yield & RPM uplift | 3.0/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Demand access & header bidding | 1.8/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Ad quality & brand safety controls | 4.6/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Publisher control & transparency | 2.8/5 | 2.2/5 |
| Payment terms & reliability | 4.8/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Page speed & Core Web Vitals impact | 3.2/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Reporting & reconciliation | 3.5/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Integration & ad-ops workload | 4.8/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Eligibility & onboarding | 4.5/5 | 2.5/5 |
| Consent & privacy readiness | 4.2/5 | 3.6/5 |
| Strengths | ✓ Largest network of online advertisers bidding for ad space ✓ Free to join with minimal technical setup | ✓ Publisher payment guarantee independent of advertisers' non-payment ✓ Strong performance and high RPMs for lifestyle content |
| Limitations | ✗ No header bidding or third-party demand competition; that requires Google Ad Manager ✗ Policy-related account suspensions can cut off revenue with little warning | ✗ Best for lifestyle niches; may underperform in other verticals ✗ Geographic restrictions favour Tier 1 countries |
Google AdSense
4.1
Rating
★ 4.1/5
Pricing
Free to join; Google pays publishers a revenue share (typically 68% for AdSense for Content and 51% for AdSense for Search).
Platform
Ad network
Scores
Revenue yield & RPM uplift
3.0
Demand access & header bidding
1.8
Ad quality & brand safety controls
4.6
Publisher control & transparency
2.8
Payment terms & reliability
4.8
Page speed & Core Web Vitals impact
3.2
Reporting & reconciliation
3.5
Integration & ad-ops workload
4.8
Eligibility & onboarding
4.5
Consent & privacy readiness
4.2
Strengths
✓ Largest network of online advertisers bidding for ad space
✓ Free to join with minimal technical setup
Limitations
✗ No header bidding or third-party demand competition; that requires Google Ad Manager
✗ Policy-related account suspensions can cut off revenue with little warning
Raptive (AdThrive)
3.9
Rating
★ 3.9/5
Pricing
75/25 revenue share model (75% to publisher); requires 25,000+ monthly pageviews for entry (lowered from 100,000).
Platform
Managed monetization
Scores
Revenue yield & RPM uplift
4.6
Demand access & header bidding
4.4
Ad quality & brand safety controls
4.5
Publisher control & transparency
2.2
Payment terms & reliability
3.8
Page speed & Core Web Vitals impact
3.5
Reporting & reconciliation
4.0
Integration & ad-ops workload
4.3
Eligibility & onboarding
2.5
Consent & privacy readiness
3.6
Strengths
✓ Publisher payment guarantee independent of advertisers' non-payment
✓ Strong performance and high RPMs for lifestyle content
Limitations
✗ Best for lifestyle niches; may underperform in other verticals
✗ Geographic restrictions favour Tier 1 countries
