AdSworn vs BuySellAds
Two ways to sponsor websites: a managed campaign across a network, or one page you pick yourself, with its Google numbers in front of you.
Facts checked 29 Sep 2026 · by the AdSworn team
BuySellAds is a managed service: its team plans your campaign and places it across newsletters, websites and podcasts in its network, and its terms describe publisher statistics as estimates. AdSworn is self-serve and page-level: you pick one page, see its traffic read straight from Google Search Console, pay the listed price, and your money is held until the ad is verified live. Choose BuySellAds for a hands-off, multi-channel campaign; choose AdSworn to buy a specific page with proof.
AdSworn vs BuySellAds at a glance
| AdSworn | BuySellAds | |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | A banner ad (per 4 weeks) or a featured post (per year) on one specific page, sold directly by the site owner | Managed campaigns across newsletters, websites and podcasts; Carbon Ads runs a native ad network for developer and design sites |
| Who sets the price | The publisher, page by page. Starter rates: banners from $25 per 4 weeks, featured posts from $500 a year | Agreed with BuySellAds' team; no rate card is published. The enquiry form's budget options run from under $10,000 to $250,000+ |
| Where traffic numbers come from | Read from Google Search Console and Google Analytics (read-only), with the date read. Ad views and clicks counted by AdSworn | Its terms say statistics "are estimates only" and may be revised. Carbon counts impressions when an ad is served and renders |
| Publisher's share | 85% of each sale. AdSworn keeps 15%, only when a sale happens | Not publicly stated for BuySellAds. Carbon says publishers typically see $1.20–$2.30 CPM |
| Buying | Self-serve: pick a page, write the ad, send it for approval | Managed: a team handles publisher conversations, creative and delivery |
| Buy one specific page? | Yes. Every listed page has its own traffic, searches and price | You choose publications; page-level buying isn't described |
| When publishers get paid | Advertiser pays on approval; AdSworn holds it and pays the publisher once the ad is verified live | Earned funds appear about 30 days after a purchase, then can be cashed out about 30 days later |
| Ad labels and links | Every ad is labelled "Ad" or "Sponsored"; ad links carry rel="sponsored" | Not publicly stated |
BuySellAds details are from its public pages, checked 29 Sep 2026. Sources are listed at the end.
How each one works
BuySellAds has been connecting advertisers with independent publications since 2008. Today it describes itself as a team-led service: you share a budget and goals, and BuySellAds handles publisher conversations, creative requirements and campaign delivery. Its sister network, Carbon Ads, places native ads on developer and design sites and counts impressions on its own ad server.
AdSworn works one page at a time. A publisher connects Google Search Console (and Google Analytics if they use it), and every page they list shows the searches that bring people there and how much traffic it gets, read from Google. An advertiser picks the page, chooses a banner ad or a featured post, writes it, and sends it for approval.
The 12 Best Online Video Editors of 2026 (Free and Paid)
- Banner ad$25 / 4 weeks
- Featured post$2,000 / year
The biggest difference: what the numbers are
BuySellAds' terms are candid that publisher statistics "are estimates only" and can be revised, for example after fraud checks. That's normal for ad networks, but it means you're buying on the network's word.
On AdSworn, the figures come from the publisher's own Google account, read-only, and every number shows its source and the day it was read. After the ad runs, AdSworn counts ad views and clicks itself, so the report doesn't depend on the publisher either.
What it costs, and who holds the money
BuySellAds doesn't publish rates; pricing is agreed per campaign, and its refund policy is case by case. On AdSworn the price is on the page, the advertiser pays nothing on top, and the publisher keeps 85%. If the publisher declines or the ad never goes live, the advertiser gets a full refund.
| Format on “The 12 Best Online Video Editors of 2026 (Free and Paid)” | Advertiser pays | AdSworn (15%) | Publisher gets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banner ad / 4 weeks | $25 | $3.75 | $21.25 |
| Featured post / year | $2,000 | $300 | $1,700 |
Where BuySellAds is stronger
- Reach across channels. Newsletters, websites and podcasts in one campaign. AdSworn sells website pages only.
- Hands-off buying. If you'd rather hand a budget to a team than pick pages yourself, that's exactly what BuySellAds offers.
- Track record and names. Its advertiser page lists well-known publishers such as Product Hunt and CSS-Tricks. AdSworn is new and still growing its catalogue.
Which should you choose?
- Choose BuySellAds if you have a five-figure budget, want a team to run it, and need newsletters or podcasts as well as sites.
- Choose AdSworn if you want a specific page in front of people searching for what you sell, want to see its Google traffic before paying, and want to pay only for an ad that actually goes live.
- Publishers: AdSworn is free to list with no exclusivity, so it can sit alongside other ways you already sell sponsorships.
Straight answers
Does BuySellAds have a self-serve marketplace?
Its advertiser page describes a managed service, with a team handling publisher conversations, creative and delivery. AdSworn is self-serve: you pick a page and book it yourself.
Are BuySellAds' traffic numbers verified?
Its terms say publisher statistics "are estimates only" and may be revised. AdSworn reads traffic from each publisher's Google Search Console and Google Analytics, read-only, and shows the date it was read.
What does AdSworn charge advertisers?
Nothing on top of the listed price. AdSworn's 15% comes out of the publisher's payout. See fees.