The best Mediavine alternatives for publishers
Ways to earn from your site with more control, faster pay, or a lower bar to join.
Facts checked 29 Sep 2026 · by the AdSworn team
The best Mediavine alternative for selling your own sponsorships is AdSworn: you set the price on each page, approve every advertiser, keep 92%, and get paid once the ad is verified live instead of net 65. Mediavine lets publishers sell direct deals alongside it, so AdSworn can also run next to it. For another managed network, Raptive needs 25,000+ monthly pageviews.
AdSworn vs Mediavine at a glance
| AdSworn | Mediavine | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Programmatic display ads, fully managed by Mediavine |
| Who sets the price | The publisher, page by page. Starter rates: banners from $25 per 4 weeks, featured posts from $150 a year | Programmatic demand; you can still sell direct deals yourself |
| 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 | Mediavine's own ad management platform |
| Publisher's share | 92% of each sale. AdSworn keeps 8%, only when a sale happens | For sites launched after 1 January 2026: 75% under $100k a year, rising to 90% at $500k+ |
| Requirements to join | Free. Connect Google Search Console; a person reviews each new site during beta | Mediavine: $5,000+ annual ad revenue. Journey: 1,000+ sessions from Tier 1 countries in 30 days |
| When publishers get paid | Advertiser pays on approval; AdSworn holds it and pays the publisher once the ad is verified live | Net 65, paid on the first business day of the month |
| Approve each advertiser? | Yes. Nothing runs without your approval | Programmatic ads are managed by Mediavine |
| Contract and exclusivity | No contract and no exclusivity | Exclusive over programmatic ads; 90-day initial term, then 30 days' notice |
Mediavine details are from its public pages, checked 29 Sep 2026. Sources are listed at the end.
Mediavine and its alternatives at a glance
| You keep | To join | Paid | Exclusivity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdSworn | 92% | Free; connect Google Search Console | Once the ad is verified live | None |
| Mediavine | 75% to 90%, by revenue | $5,000+ annual ad revenue | Net 65 | Exclusive over programmatic ads |
| Raptive | 75%+ | 25,000+ monthly pageviews | Within 45 days of month end | Exclusive source of display and video ads |
| Ezoic | 82%+ of net display revenue | Generally 250,000+ monthly active users | Net 30 | No fixed term found |
| Google AdSense | 80% after the buyer's fee; about 68% with Google Ads | No traffic minimum stated | From a $100 threshold | None found |
| EthicalAds | 70% | Developer sites, 50,000+ pageviews a month | Monthly | Not stated |
1. AdSworn: direct sponsorships, paid when they're live
Mediavine runs programmatic ads for you; AdSworn sells your pages directly to sponsors who want your exact audience. Because Mediavine allows publishers to sell direct deals themselves, the two can work side by side.
- 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. Raptive
Raptive manages display and video ads, including its own direct sales, and pays at least 75%. It needs 25,000+ monthly pageviews and pays within 45 days after each month.
3. Ezoic
Ezoic's system places and tests programmatic ads, paying no less than 82% of net display revenue, net 30. New sites generally need 250,000+ monthly active users.
4. Google AdSense
Google AdSense states no traffic minimum and fills ads by auction. Publishers receive 80% after the advertiser platform's fee, about 68% with Google Ads, paid from a $100 threshold.
5. EthicalAds
EthicalAds suits developer sites with 50,000+ pageviews a month: one contextual ad per page, 70% share, paid monthly.
Where Mediavine is stronger
- Fully managed. Mediavine handles programmatic ads end to end.
- A share that grows: up to 90% for sites earning $500k+ a year (sites launched after 1 January 2026).
Choose Mediavine if you meet its revenue bar and want hands-off programmatic ads. Choose AdSworn if you want sponsors on your best pages at your price, paid as soon as the ad is verified live.
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 Mediavine?
For direct sponsorships you price yourself, AdSworn: keep 92% and get paid once the ad is verified live. For another managed network, Raptive (25,000+ monthly pageviews).
Can I use AdSworn with Mediavine?
Mediavine is exclusive over programmatic ads but lets publishers sell direct deals themselves. AdSworn sells direct sponsorships and has no exclusivity.
When does Mediavine pay?
Net 65, on the first business day of the month.
What does Mediavine require?
$5,000+ in annual ad revenue. Its Journey programme needs 1,000+ sessions from Tier 1 countries in 30 days.