AdSworn vs Paved
Paved puts you in front of newsletter subscribers. AdSworn puts you in front of people searching for what you sell.
Facts checked 29 Sep 2026 · by the AdSworn team
Paved is a newsletter ad marketplace: advertisers book flat-fee sponsorships across a network it says spans 3,000+ newsletters, publishers need at least 50,000 subscribers, and Paved takes 30% of marketplace bookings. Its policy is no refunds, with make-goods for underperformance. AdSworn sells web pages instead, chosen by the Google searches that bring their readers, with traffic read from Google, a 15% fee, and a full refund if the ad never goes live.
AdSworn vs Paved at a glance
| AdSworn | Paved | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Newsletter sponsorships (flat fee) and pay-per-click newsletter ads |
| Who the audience is | People who reached the page by searching for something specific, shown search by search | A newsletter's subscribers |
| Where audience numbers come from | Read from Google Search Console and Google Analytics (read-only), with the date read. Ad views and clicks counted by AdSworn | Optional connection to the publisher's email platform (verified badge); otherwise entered by the publisher |
| Fees for advertisers | None. Advertisers pay the listed price, nothing on top | None on the Marketplace: "The listed price is the price you pay" |
| Publisher's share | 85% of each sale. AdSworn keeps 15%, only when a sale happens | 70% on Marketplace bookings (30% fee); 50% on Ad Network earnings |
| Requirements to join | Free. Connect Google Search Console; a person reviews each new site during beta | At least 50,000 subscribers for the Marketplace and Ad Network |
| Refunds | Full refund if the publisher declines or the ad is never verified live | "As a company policy, we do not issue refunds"; make-goods for underperformance |
| Ad labels and links | Every ad is labelled "Ad" or "Sponsored"; ad links carry rel="sponsored" | No specific disclosure wording required beyond the law |
Paved details are from its public pages, checked 29 Sep 2026. Sources are listed at the end.
Two different audiences
A newsletter audience is people who signed up to hear from a publisher regularly. That's great for familiarity and repeat exposure. A search audience is people who, right now, typed a need into Google and landed on a page about it. That's intent, at the moment it happens.
On AdSworn, every page shows the searches behind its readers, so you're choosing the intent, not just the size.
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- Banner ad$25 / 4 weeks
- Featured post$2,000 / year
How the numbers are proven
Paved lets publishers connect their email platform to show verified list size and deliverability stats with a badge, and keeps self-reported details separate. That's a real step up from a media kit, and it's optional.
On AdSworn, connecting Google isn't optional: every listed page's traffic comes from the publisher's Google Search Console and Google Analytics, read-only, with the date read. Ad views and clicks are then counted by AdSworn.
Fees and refunds
Both keep the advertiser's price clean: no fee on top. Paved takes 30% of a marketplace booking from the publisher; AdSworn takes 15%. The bigger difference is when things go wrong: Paved doesn't issue refunds and arranges make-goods and credits instead. AdSworn holds the payment and refunds it in full if the ad is declined or never verified live.
- Advertiser booksPicks a page and format, writes the ad. Nothing is charged yet.
- Publisher approves, advertiser paysThe listed price, nothing on top. AdSworn holds it.
- Verified live, publisher paidOnce the snippet confirms the ad is live, the publisher gets 85%.
- Never ran? Full refundDeclined or not live: the advertiser gets every cent back.
Where Paved is stronger
- Scale: Paved says it spans 3,000+ newsletters, including NBC, TechCrunch, Morning Brew and Vice.
- Pay-per-click option: its Ad Network lets you pay only for clicks.
- Newsletters: if your buyers live in their inbox, that's where Paved works and AdSworn doesn't.
Which should you choose?
- Choose Paved to reach newsletter subscribers at scale, or to pay per click.
- Choose AdSworn to reach people at the moment they search for what you sell, with Google's numbers up front and your money back if the ad never runs.
- Many brands do both: newsletters for reach, search-intent pages for buyers.
Straight answers
What does Paved charge publishers?
30% on Marketplace bookings and 50% on performance-based Ad Network earnings. Paved Booker is free apart from Stripe processing.
Does Paved offer refunds?
Its help centre says "As a company policy, we do not issue refunds", and it can arrange make-goods and ad credits for significant underperformance.
How many subscribers do I need for Paved?
At least 50,000 for the Marketplace and the Ad Network.