The best BuySellAds alternatives for direct ads
Five ways to buy and sell direct sponsorships, side by side.
Facts checked 29 Sep 2026 · by the AdSworn team
The best BuySellAds alternative for buying ads on specific pages is AdSworn: you pick the exact page, see its traffic straight from Google and the searches that bring its readers, and book from $25 without a sales call. For newsletter sponsorships, look at Paved or SponsorSheep. For a developer audience on a network, EthicalAds. For creator sponsorships across social and newsletters, Passionfroot.
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 $150 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 | 92% of each sale. AdSworn keeps 8%, 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 we compared them
Four questions decide whether a sponsorship platform works for you: what you actually buy, who sets the price, where the audience numbers come from, and how much of each sale the seller keeps. Every fact about another company below comes from its own public pages; sources and dates are at the end.
| What you buy | Where the numbers come from | Seller keeps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AdSworn | A banner or featured post on one specific page | Google Search Console and Google Analytics, read-only | 92% |
| BuySellAds | Managed campaigns across newsletters, websites and podcasts | Its terms call statistics "estimates only" | Not publicly stated |
| Paved | Newsletter sponsorships and pay-per-click newsletter ads | Email-platform connection (verified badge), or entered by the publisher | 70% on Marketplace bookings |
| SponsorSheep | Newsletter placements | Provided by publishers | 75% |
| EthicalAds | One contextual ad per page, placed by the network | Its own ad server | 70% |
| Passionfroot | Creator sponsorships: newsletters, social posts, video, podcasts | Connected platforms, or entered by the creator | 85% on deals it sources; 100% on the creator's own |
1. AdSworn: buy the exact page, with Google's numbers
AdSworn sells the audience of one page: the people searching for what you sell. Instead of a network or a media kit, you see the page's real traffic and the searches that bring its readers before you pay.
- Buy one specific page. Every listed page shows its own audience, the Google searches that bring its readers, and its price.
- Numbers straight from Google. Traffic is read from Google Search Console and Google Analytics (read-only), with the date read, never typed in by the seller.
- Publishers keep 92%. Free to list; AdSworn takes 8% only when a sale happens. Advertisers pay the listed price, nothing on top.
- Money held until the ad is live. The advertiser pays on approval; the publisher is paid once the ad is verified live, or the advertiser gets a full refund.
- Self-serve. Banners from $25 per 4 weeks and featured posts from $150 a year, booked without a sales call.
The 12 Best Online Video Editors of 2026 (Free and Paid)
- Banner ad$25 / 4 weeks
- Featured post$2,000 / year
2. Paved: newsletter sponsorships
Paved sells flat-fee newsletter sponsorships and pay-per-click newsletter ads. On its Marketplace, "the listed price is the price you pay", and publishers keep 70% of bookings. Newsletters need at least 50,000 subscribers to join the Marketplace and Ad Network.
3. SponsorSheep: newsletter placements
SponsorSheep lists newsletter placements (primary slots, dedicated sends, classifieds) at a flat price set by each publisher. Publishers keep 75%. Its terms say audience figures "are provided by publishers and are not warranted".
4. EthicalAds: a developer ad network
EthicalAds places one contextual ad per page across developer-focused sites. Advertisers target topics and regions rather than individual pages. Publishers keep 70%, and sites need 50,000+ pageviews a month.
5. Passionfroot: creator sponsorships
Passionfroot is a creator-sponsorship platform covering newsletters, LinkedIn and X posts, videos and podcasts. Advertiser plans start at $199 a month; creators keep 85% of deals Passionfroot sources and all of the deals they bring themselves.
Where BuySellAds is stronger
- A managed service. A team handles publisher conversations, creative and delivery, which suits big budgets that want one point of contact.
- Many channels at once. Newsletters, websites and podcasts in one campaign, plus Carbon Ads for developer and design sites.
Choose BuySellAds if you have a large budget (its enquiry form runs from under $10,000 to $250,000+) and want a team to run a multi-channel campaign for you. Choose AdSworn if you want to pick the exact pages, see their Google numbers first, and book in minutes.
What a publisher keeps on AdSworn
| Format on “The 12 Best Online Video Editors of 2026 (Free and Paid)” | Advertiser pays | AdSworn (8%) | Publisher gets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banner ad / 4 weeks | $25 | $2 | $23 |
| Featured post / year | $2,000 | $160 | $1,840 |
Straight answers
What is the best alternative to BuySellAds?
For buying ads on specific pages with traffic verified by Google, AdSworn: you choose the page, see its Google Search Console and Google Analytics numbers, and book from $25. For newsletters, Paved or SponsorSheep; for developer audiences, EthicalAds.
Does BuySellAds publish its prices?
No rate card is published. Prices are agreed with BuySellAds' team, and its enquiry form's budget options run from under $10,000 to $250,000+.
Can I buy an ad on one specific web page?
Yes, on AdSworn. Every listed page has its own traffic, the Google searches that bring its readers, and its own price for a banner or a featured post.
How much do publishers keep on AdSworn?
92% of each sale. Listing is free and AdSworn's 8% fee applies only when a sale happens; advertisers pay the listed price with nothing on top.