The best Google AdSense alternatives for publishers
Five ways to earn more from the traffic you already have.
Facts checked 29 Sep 2026 · by the AdSworn team
The best Google AdSense alternative for setting your own price is AdSworn: you sell banners and featured posts on your best pages directly, approve every advertiser, and keep 92% of each sale. If you want a managed ad network instead, Ezoic, Mediavine and Raptive pay higher shares than AdSense's typical 68% but have traffic or revenue requirements. AdSworn has no exclusivity, so it can run alongside an ad network.
AdSworn vs Google AdSense at a glance
| AdSworn | Google AdSense | |
|---|---|---|
| What you sell | A banner ad (per 4 weeks) or a featured post (per year) on one specific page, sold directly by the site owner | Ad space filled automatically by an auction, across your whole site |
| Who sets the price | The publisher, page by page. Starter rates: banners from $25 per 4 weeks, featured posts from $150 a year | The auction. Advertisers bid by CPC, CPM, Active View CPM or CPE; you can block advertisers but not set prices |
| 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 | Google's own ad serving. Advertisers don't see your traffic before bidding |
| Publisher's share | 92% of each sale. AdSworn keeps 8%, only when a sale happens | 80% of revenue after the advertiser platform's fee; about 68% when ads come from Google Ads |
| Requirements to join | Free. Connect Google Search Console; a person reviews each new site during beta | No traffic minimum stated. Original, high-quality content, policy compliance, age 18+, access to your site's HTML |
| When publishers get paid | Advertiser pays on approval; AdSworn holds it and pays the publisher once the ad is verified live | Once earnings reach the $100 payment threshold |
| Approve each advertiser? | Yes. Nothing runs without your approval | No. You can block advertisers or categories |
| Contract and exclusivity | No contract and no exclusivity | No exclusivity found in AdSense's public requirements |
Google AdSense details are from its public pages, checked 29 Sep 2026. Sources are listed at the end.
What changes when you leave AdSense
Google AdSense fills your ad space through an auction. You don't set the price or choose the advertiser, and when ads come from Google Ads you keep about 68% of the revenue. The alternatives fall into two groups: direct sponsorships, where you set the price, and managed ad networks, which run the auction for you with a higher share.
| How you earn | You keep | To join | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AdSworn | Direct sponsorships you price and approve | 92% | Free. Connect Google Search Console |
| Google AdSense | Auction ads across your site | 80% after the buyer's fee; about 68% with Google Ads | No traffic minimum stated |
| Ezoic | Programmatic ads placed by its system | At least 82% of net display revenue | Generally 250,000+ monthly active users |
| Mediavine | Fully managed programmatic ads | 75% to 90%, by revenue | $5,000+ annual ad revenue (Journey: 1,000+ Tier 1 sessions in 30 days) |
| Raptive | Managed display and video ads | At least 75% | 25,000+ monthly pageviews |
| EthicalAds | One contextual ad per page | 70% | Developer sites with 50,000+ pageviews a month |
1. AdSworn: set your own price on your best pages
Your best pages are worth more than an auction pays for them. On AdSworn, each page gets its own listing with its Google traffic and searches, and sponsors book a banner or a featured post at the price you set.
- 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.
- Banner ad at $75 / 4 weeksyou get $69
- Featured post at $1,300 / yearyou get $1,196
Starter rates from what sites charge for ads they sell directly: $10–20 per 1,000 views (Google). Banner $15 per 1,000 page views ($25 minimum, 4 weeks); featured post $20 per 1,000 over a year ($150 minimum). If both sell all year. You set your own; we take 8% only when you get paid.
2. Ezoic: an automated ad platform
Ezoic places and tests programmatic ads with its own system and pays no less than 82% of net display revenue, per its terms. Since 19 February 2026 it generally needs 250,000+ monthly active users for new sites. Payment is net 30 from a $20 minimum.
3. Mediavine: a fully managed ad network
Mediavine manages programmatic ads for you. For sites launched after 1 January 2026 the share runs from 75% under $100k a year to 90% at $500k+. It needs $5,000+ in annual ad revenue; its Journey programme needs 1,000+ sessions from Tier 1 countries in 30 days. It's exclusive over programmatic ads, but you can still sell direct deals yourself.
4. Raptive: managed display and video
Raptive manages display and video ads, including its own direct sales, and pays at least 75% of ad revenue. Sites need 25,000+ monthly pageviews. It's the exclusive source of display and video ads on your site while you're with it.
5. EthicalAds: for developer sites
EthicalAds shows one contextual ad per page on developer-focused sites, with a 70% revenue share. Sites need 50,000+ pageviews a month and a minimum 0.1% click-through rate.
Where AdSense is stronger
- No selling at all. Ads fill every space automatically, around the clock, worldwide.
- Easy to join. No traffic minimum is stated; you need original content, policy compliance and access to your site's HTML.
Choose AdSense if you want hands-off revenue on every page and don't mind the auction setting the price. Choose AdSworn if you want to price your best pages yourself, approve each sponsor, and keep 92%. Many sites do both: AdSworn has no exclusivity.
Where each dollar goes 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 Google AdSense?
To set your own prices, AdSworn: you sell sponsorships on your best pages directly and keep 92% of each sale. For a managed ad network with a higher share than AdSense, Ezoic, Mediavine or Raptive, if your traffic meets their requirements.
How much does AdSense pay publishers?
Publishers receive 80% of revenue after the advertiser platform's fee. When the ads come from Google Ads, Google says publishers keep about 68% overall.
Can I use AdSworn and AdSense together?
AdSworn has no contract and no exclusivity, so it can run alongside AdSense or another ad network, subject to that network's own terms.
Which AdSense alternatives work for small sites?
AdSworn has no traffic minimum to join: you connect Google Search Console and list the pages that get readers. Ezoic generally needs 250,000+ monthly active users, Raptive 25,000+ monthly pageviews.