It’s no secret that we’re living in a mobile world. Everything seems to be trending in a mobile direction in 2025.
In fact, over 52% of all Internet traffic worldwide comes from mobile devices. That’s more than double the percentage of traffic from just five years ago.
As these figures continue to trend upward, mobile advertising is following suit and growing accordingly.
Key Takeaways
Mobile Traffic Dominance: Over 52% of global internet traffic now comes from mobile devices.
In-App Advertising Growth: In-app advertising expenditure reached $201 billion in the US last year.
Projected Ad Spend: Combined mobile ad spend is expected to hit $340 billion in two years.
Ad Network Choices: Numerous mobile ad networks make it challenging to choose the best one.
Dual Approach Options: Businesses can buy ads or sell ad space, or do both.
Marketers and publishers have recognized that they need to target consumers with platforms and devices that they are using the most. Consumers in the US spend 35 hours per week using mobile devices. 92% of mobile time is spent on apps.
But with mobile app usage on the rise, advertisers aren’t just using mobile browsers to advertise anymore.
Last year, the gross expenditure of in-app advertising reach $201 billion in the US alone.
If you combine that number with mobile app store advertising, that’s an anticipated $340 billion spent on mobile ads. We’re just two years away from those figures. That’s more than 2.5x higher than five years ago.
These advertisements are facilitated through mobile ad networks.
But there are so many networks out there. It’s overwhelming, to say the least, and difficult to choose which one is the best.
There are two ways to approach this. You can take advantage of these networks to purchase ads and promote your product, service, app, brand, etc. Or you can sell advertising space on your platforms. Maybe you’re interested in a combination of both options.
Regardless of your unique situation, you’ll definitely benefit from this extensive guide on mobile app networks.
Types of Mobile Ads
So you’ve decided that you want to run some ads. That’s great.
But not all mobile ads are the same. These are the major mobile advertising formats that you can buy or sell through ad networks.
Banner advertisements
Banner ads on mobile devices are similar to banners you’ve seen when you’re browsing the Internet. The only difference is that these banners are displayed within the interface of an app. Banners typically promote products, services, or even upsells for in-app purchases.
Native advertisements
Native ads match the interface of an app. The whole idea behind this format is for the advertisement to feel natural and less intrusive, as opposed to something like a pop-up.
Interstitial advertisements
Interstitial ads cover the entire screen. They appear when users navigate from one screen to another. Here’s an example of what this would look like.
The most important thing to remember with this ad format is that you only display the advertisement after a user has completed an action or task. You don’t want to interrupt them while they’re in the middle of something.
For example, a gaming app could have an interstitial ad appear in between levels, as opposed to during actual gameplay.
Video advertisements
This is pretty self-explanatory. Video ads are usually fairly short, and typically not longer than 60 seconds. There are two main types of video as.
In-stream videos — streamed in an app and played within video content.
Out-stream videos — played on a web page that gets displayed within an app.
According to eMarketer, $16 billion was be spent on mobile video ads in the US two years ago. They predict that number to reach $25 billion in 2023.
OfferWall advertisements
As the name implies, OfferWall advertising provides offers. These offers are meant to drive engagement. For example, a mobile gaming app could have OfferWall ads that promotes other games from the same developer.
Mobile Ad Revenue Models
In addition to the types of ads available, there are different business models for buying and selling mobile ads. I’ll explain the top five models.
Cost-per-click (CPC)
With CPC ads, the advertiser gets charged each time someone clicks on their ad. This model is better for advertisers because they only get charged when a consumer is interested enough to make a click.
From a seller’s perspective, CPC can be a bit risky. Publishers are potentially giving away impressions for free with this model.
Cost-per-install (CPI)
Advertisers are only charged when clicks turn into an app install with the CPI model. This is one of the most important metrics for marketers to track. App installs can translate to customer acquisition costs, and ultimately determine the ROI for these ads.
Cost-per-action (CPA)
CPA is similar to CPI, but it’s a bit more advanced. Advertisers are charged for certain actions, such as signing up for something, submitting a form, subscribing, or making an in-app purchase.
Cost-per-mile (CPM)
CPM is based on how many times the ad is shown. This model is best for publishers because they get paid even if the user doesn’t click or perform an action. Typically, the charge is per 1,000 times an ad is shown.
While this a safe revenue for someone selling ads if they have lots of traffic, it limits their opportunity to make more money. If that ad sparks lots of interest and leads to clicks and installs, the publisher won’t be rewarded for those additional actions.
Cost-per-view (CPV)
CPV is for video ad campaigns. The cost is based on how many times a video ad is viewed. This advertising model is becoming increasingly popular. As we previously mentioned, the US is expecting to see a 64% increase ($16 billion to $25 billion) in mobile video ad spending over the next three years.
Mobile Ads Targeting
There are several different ways for advertisers and publishers to display mobile ad campaigns designed to reach a specific audience. Failure to reach the right audience will obviously impact the results of your ad. These are some of the most popular ways to segment mobile ads.
Gender — Narrow down mobile users based on their sex.
Device — Target users with specific hardware requirements and screen sizes (such as smartphones vs. tablets).
Geographic
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top mobile ad networks for 2025?
In 2025, some of the top mobile ad networks include Google AdMob, Facebook Audience Network, and Unity Ads. Platforms like Buildfire make it straightforward to integrate these networks into your app.
How can I choose the best mobile ad network for my app?
Choosing the best mobile ad network depends on your app’s target audience and revenue goals. Buildfire, for instance, offers insights and tools to help you make an informed decision.
What is the difference between CPC and CPM in mobile advertising?
CPC (Cost-per-click) charges advertisers for each click on their ad, while CPM (Cost-per-mile) charges for every 1,000 ad impressions. Tools like Buildfire allow businesses to track these metrics effectively.
How do interstitial ads work in mobile apps?
Interstitial ads cover the entire screen and appear during natural transition points in an app, such as between levels in a game. They should not interrupt the user experience.
What are OfferWall advertisements?
OfferWall ads present users with a wall of offers, often incentivizing engagement by promoting other apps or services within a mobile app.
yle=”font-weight: 400;”> — Reach mobile users in a specific region that’s relevant to the ad.
Operating System — Run ads on devices with a specific OS.
Carrier — Target mobile users on a specific carrier plan (Verizon, ATT, Sprint, etc.).
Connection Type — Target devices based on connections such as 3G, 4G, LTE, or WiFi.
Interests — Advertising networks collect data about m
Mobile Advertising Rankings
So, which advertising networks are the best? It’s difficult to say definitively since there is so much data out there to take into consideration.
Here’s a look at North America’s top ad networks for reaching app customers, according to TUNE.
TUNE analyzed more than 1,000 networks and publishers. The data from their customers concluded that the ad networks shown on this table were the most widely used in terms of customer reach.
Network
Popularity
Conversion Rate
Network A
Top 3 by Adaption
Not in Top 10
Network B
Top 3 by Adaption
Not in Top 10
Network C
Top 3 by Adaption
In Top 10
As you can see, popularity doesn’t necessarily translate to results. Only one of the top three networks by adaption ranked within the top ten for conversion rates.
But that information needs to be taken with a grain of salt. As we’ve already discussed from the different revenue models, conversions aren’t always applicable. You could run CPM and CPV ads successfully without any conversions.
What works well for one company may not necessarily work for another. It all depends on the type of ad you’re running and the goal of your mobile ad campaign. The same concept can be applied to publishers as well. You might make more money with one format over another.
Platform Comparison
Platform
Supported Platforms
Campaign Types
Unique Features
YouAppi
Android, iOS
CPI, CPA
Re-engagement ads
Snapchat Ads
iOS
CPI, CPC
Filters and lenses
Twitter Ads
Android, iOS
CPI, CPM, CPC
Deep linking technology
Applovin
Android, iOS, Mobile Web
CPC, CPA
Custom targeting and ad formats
Taptica
Global
CPA, CPC
High ROI, custom targeting
AppLike
iOS, Android
CPC
A/B testing, app usage targeting
GOWIDE
Asia, Europe, North America
CPI, CPC, CPA, CPE
500,000 in-app events monthly
Smaato
iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Mobile Internet
CPC
Specializes in banner ads
Mobvista
Android, iOS
CPI, CPA, CPS, CPL
AI technology, unique ad formats
Headway
Global
CPI
Focus on mobile ad platform
“`html
Mobidea
Mobidea specializes in CPA campaigns. They also support a wider range of mobile platforms compared to most networks that you’ll come across.
Platform
Android
iOS
Feature phone
Windows phone
Mobile web
Advertisers can efficiently calculate and track the ROI of each campaign they run with Mobidea, making it a top option to consider. If you advertise through this network, you’ll get notifications with data covering topics like churn rates, unqualified leads, and most effective traffic sources.
This mobile advertising company supports banners, overlay ads, pop-ups, redirects, and banner advertisements. All of the targeting options are customized and reach global markets.
“`
Startapp lets you target users based on things like connection type, gender, operation system, mobile carrier, device, and geographic location. They even have an option for targeting users based on your competitors, which is unique compared to the majority of mobile ad networks on our list.
The ads run with Startapp are interactive and engaging. They use real-time data to enhance their targeting methods.
Startapp offers app icon ads, in-app ads, interstitial ads, video ads, and full page ads as well.
You can run CPA, CPC, CPM, and CPI campaigns targeting global markets on iOS and Android platforms with Startapp.
Persona.ly
Personal.ly has an SDK that offers interactive advertisements for developers. The ad network supports multiple formats:
Interstitial
OfferWalls
Rich Media
Video
Banners
They have custom targeting options for Android and iOS platforms. Personal.ly specializes in mobile app user acquisition throughout Canada, UK, Brazil,India, South-East Asia, and the US.DU Ad Platform offers an extensive number of ad formats for you to choose from.
Video ad
Native
Banner
OfferWall
Interstitial
Trigger
They offer CPI campaigns with custom targeting options for global markets.
Their network includes fraud protection technology, which is an added benefit for advertisers who have a fear of being taken advantage of by publishers.
The great part about Mobrain is that advertisements can automatically change and be adapted to various formats such as:
Banners
Videos
Interstitial
Native
Both iOS and Android platforms are supported by Mobrain. You have the option to target users by OS version, carrier, and location.
Tappx
Tappx offers a very unique business model for advertisers. Rather than paying for advertisements, you can get them for free in exchange for running ads for other apps.
Essentially, you’re just trading advertising space with other developers who are also on this ad network. It’s a great option for those of you who are looking for cost-effective ways to promote your app.
Tappx also has standard CPM pricing models if you’re not interested in the trading ad space option.
This ad network generates over 400 billion monthly requests for 35,000 mobile apps on their network.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing a mobile ad network, clearly, you’ll have plenty of options.
So what’s the best mobile ad network?
It depends on what you’re looking for. There are so many factors to take into consideration. As I said earlier, what works for one brand may not be the best for another.
First, you have to determine if you want to use these networks as an advertiser to promote your own app, or as a publisher to monetize your app by selling ads.
Next, you’ll have to factor in things like the mobile platforms the networks support, the campaign types they run, and the ad formats they allow. Some ad networks have a greater reach in certain markets compared to others.
So take all of this into consideration and use this extensive guide as a reference to help you find the best mobile ad networks for your app.
What are the most important features you look for in a mobile advertising network?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a mobile ad network? A mobile ad network is a platform that connects advertisers with publishers to display ads on mobile apps or websites.
How do CPI campaigns work? CPI (Cost Per Install) campaigns charge advertisers each time their app is installed via the ad network.
What are the benefits of using Mobrain? Mobrain offers fraud protection technology and supports various ad formats, making it versatile for advertisers.
Can I use Tappx without paying? Yes, Tappx allows you to trade ad space with other developers, offering a cost-effective advertising solution.
What should I consider when choosing a mobile ad network? Consider factors like supported platforms, ad formats, targeting options, and market reach.
