Display ads are the most common first monetization path for bloggers. Picking the right network at each stage of the blog matters more than people realize. The wrong network at the wrong stage either earns nothing or wastes the traffic that would have qualified you for a better one.
This post is the comparison.
What “RPM” means
RPM = revenue per 1000 page views (or sessions, depending on the network). It’s the headline metric for ad income.
A blog with 10,000 monthly page views and a $20 RPM earns $200/month from ads. Same blog at $5 RPM earns $50. The network determines RPM more than anything else, which is why the choice matters.
The networks
Google AdSense
Traffic requirement: none.
Typical RPM: $1–$10 depending on niche.
Payout: monthly, $100 minimum threshold.
Setup: easy. Add the code, ads start showing.
Reality: the lowest RPM of any major network. Worth installing only if you have no other option or you’re below 10k sessions.
Ezoic
Traffic requirement: previously 10,000 monthly sessions. As of 2024, removed the minimum.
Typical RPM: $5–$25 depending on niche.
Payout: monthly, $20 minimum.
Setup: moderate. Requires DNS or plugin integration.
Reality: the natural step up from AdSense. Better RPMs, more setup complexity. Aggressive ad placements by default — bloggers should reduce density manually.
Journey by Mediavine
Traffic requirement: 10,000 monthly sessions.
Typical RPM: $10–$30.
Payout: Net 65 (paid 65 days after end of month).
Setup: moderate.
Reality: introduced specifically to capture bloggers under Mediavine’s main threshold. Higher RPMs than Ezoic in most niches. Cleaner ad placement.
Mediavine
Traffic requirement: 50,000 monthly sessions.
Typical RPM: $15–$50.
Payout: Net 65.
Setup: handled by Mediavine team.
Reality: the gold standard mid-tier network. Excellent RPMs, good ad placement defaults, real support. Most lifestyle bloggers aim for this threshold.
Raptive (formerly AdThrive)
Traffic requirement: 100,000 monthly page views.
Typical RPM: $20–$60+.
Payout: Net 45 typically.
Setup: handled by Raptive team.
Reality: the top tier. Highest RPMs, strict acceptance criteria, premium ad placements. Once you qualify, this is where most bloggers move.
Newor Media
Traffic requirement: roughly 30,000 page views/month.
Typical RPM: $10–$25.
Reality: alternative to Ezoic with similar entry threshold. Less aggressive ad density. Worth comparing if Ezoic doesn’t fit.
RPM varies by niche
The same network pays different RPMs depending on what you write about. Higher-paying niches:
- Personal finance
- Insurance, mortgages, legal
- Health and medical (without restricted topics)
- Technology and software
- Home improvement
- Education and degree programs
Lower-paying niches:
- Personal blogs / lifestyle
- Entertainment
- Arts and crafts
- News and current events
The same traffic in finance can earn 3–5x what it earns in a personal blog. Niche is destiny for ad revenue.
What changes at each tier
0–10k sessions: don’t run ads at all
The income is small ($10–$50/month). The cost in page speed and reader experience is real. Better to focus on growth.
Exception: a single AdSense placement to test integration. Not for income.
10–50k sessions: Ezoic or Journey
Ad income becomes meaningful. $100–$1000/month is realistic. The RPM jump from AdSense is large enough to justify the setup.
Pick Journey if you’re confident you’ll hit Mediavine eventually (cleaner migration). Pick Ezoic if you want more flexibility now.
50–100k sessions: Mediavine
The biggest RPM jump. Most bloggers see 2–3x income increase moving from Ezoic to Mediavine. Apply as soon as you qualify.
100k+ page views: Raptive
Top tier. Premium advertisers. Best RPMs in the industry. Strict acceptance — original content, English speaker, US/CA/AU/UK/NZ audience preferred.
What slows ad income
Even with a good network, several factors suppress RPM:
- Slow page speed. Ads load slower, fewer impressions count.
- Poor ad placement. Defaults from some networks are too aggressive; manual cleanup pays off.
- Returning readers using ad blockers. Up to 30% of tech-savvy audiences run blockers. RPM drops.
- Off-peak audiences. Off-US-time-zone clicks pay less.
- Restricted topic content. Posts about drugs, weapons, certain medical topics earn less.
The page-speed cost
Ads always slow your site. The question is how much:
- AdSense: small impact.
- Ezoic: moderate; aggressive defaults can hurt Core Web Vitals.
- Mediavine: moderate. Generally well-optimized but adds real weight.
- Raptive: moderate-large. Premium ad units are heavy.
Mediavine and Raptive both publish lazy-load and optimization guides. Following them recovers most of the speed cost.
The reader-experience cost
Every network’s defaults are slightly more aggressive than what’s optimal for reader experience. Some bloggers reduce ad density manually below the network’s default. Income drops 10–20%; reader engagement holds.
The math depends on whether your blog’s value is short-term ad revenue or long-term audience growth. For most blogs, slightly fewer ads beats slightly more.
Switching networks
When moving up (e.g., Ezoic to Mediavine):
- Most networks have a 60–90 day exclusivity clause. Read carefully.
- Remove old code completely before adding new. Conflicting scripts cause issues.
- Expect a few days of suboptimal earnings while the new network optimizes for your traffic.
Switching networks for the same tier rarely makes sense. The jumps come from moving up tiers.
The short version
Don’t run ads under 10k sessions. From 10–50k, Ezoic or Journey. From 50k+, Mediavine. From 100k+, Raptive. Niche affects RPM more than network choice — finance and tech pay 3–5x what lifestyle pays. Optimize ad placement to balance income and reader experience. Switching up tiers is the real income lever, not switching networks at the same tier.
