Raptive platform, formerly known as CafeMedia or Adthrive, is one of the most effective ways to monetize quality websites. Big websites like AskPython, Epic Gardening, MacRumors, etc., use Raptive as their ad management platform.
They are a certified Google MCM partner, delivering impressive RPMs for publishers through optimized ads, direct sales, and specialized partnerships.
Although banner advertising is the most popular monetization method, its revenue isn’t significant. Traffic is the key to making banner ads work for you. Yet, ads can deliver some revenue. That’s something I’ve done.
And nowadays, it’s only relevant for some niches. We won’t go into too much detail about Raptive, as you likely already know it, right? Due to its strict approval process, Raptive is not an ad network suitable for every content creator.
Statistically, your website/blog requires a minimum of 100K page views per month, with most of your visitors coming from the US, UK, Aus, and other similar regions.
You need original content that engages users/ad partners. If you can’t meet those requirements or want to try similar platforms, here are some Raptive alternatives.
Mediavine
Mediavine is one of the most popular ad management companies among lifestyle publishers. Web content creators join Mediavine because it offers higher RPMs. Both Raptive and Mediavine are Premier Google partners.
Mediavine monetizes many popular websites, like CookingWithNanaling, MomsLA, and NichePursuits. I think it’s an ideal Raptive alternative, and you don’t need significant US traffic to get started.
The approval process: Mediavine is not an ad network for small publishers. To join, you must have had at least 50,000 sessions in the last 30 days.
You also need original content in a niche that suits you. You won’t get approved if your content isn’t good, even if you get tons of traffic to your website.
Because of their strict requirements, they’re usually adequate for medium to large-sized sites. However, Mediavine now has a separate ad service called Journey. You still need a good website with more than 10K monthly sessions.
There’s no denying Mediavine is one of the best ad management platforms around. But I don’t like their excessive features.
I don’t want anything more than just ad management from them. Clearly, I don’t wish for the ad network to give me things like SEO, social media, hosting, and other stuff not related to ads. But that’s what Ezoic and Mediavine don’t get.
Pros:
- Like Raptive, they have high RPM.
- Various payment thresholds and types.
- Use modern digital advertising to boost revenue.
- They’re a Premier Google Certified Advertising Partner.
- Mediavine connects with high-end advertising companies.
Cons:
- A lot of unnecessary features.
- A rigorous approval process is involved.
- The onboarding process takes publishers 3 months.
- Ads take up a lot of space, which causes them to load slowly.
MonetizeMore
MonetizeMore is an effective ad-technology platform that operates ads through customized features. Sites like Cartermatt and Will-Mixen use MonetizeMore.
They have Traffic Cop, which detects and prevents invalid traffic from engaging with ad inventory. Reduces revenue losses and protects Google accounts.
You can increase revenue with their header bidding and automatic ad rotation. They also have ad partners like Amazon, AppNexus, Media.net, etc.
How to get approval:
At this point, MonetizeMore does not accept publishers based on page views like other advertising platforms. Instead, it targets publishers who generate substantial revenue from another ad network. And publishers can join at three levels:
- Starter: You’ll need at least $1,000 in monthly ad revenue.
- Professional: Applicants must have ad revenue over $10,000 a month.
- Premium: Revenue must exceed $50,000 per month.
Maybe Monetize-More isn’t the best Raptive alternative because you can join based on page views, and RPM isn’t high.
Still, it is an ideal option because it’s a certified ad management company. If you’re earning over $1000 from another ad network, you can join without US/UK traffic.
Pros:
- You’ll get dedicated support.
- Analyze data with robust analytics.
- Modern ad management technology
- Multiple ad exchanges, ad servers, and SSPs.
- Easy integration (compared to Ezoic, its integration is simple).
Cons:
- Publishers can’t join based on page views.
- There’s a 12-month contract and a 30-day notice period.
- Compared to Raptive or Mediavine, Monetize-More RPM isn’t as high.
Newor Media
Newor Media is another Google-certified ADx partner and a good ad control platform for publishers of all types. And offers three kinds of ad monetization:
- Elevate: The program provides developing publishers with the opportunity to access the demand they need to grow—no minimum page views are required.
- Catapult: You need at least 60,000 monthly page views from the US. It offers dedicated support for publishers looking to improve revenue.
- Premier: It offers publishers custom solutions and personalized service, but you’ll need to achieve 400,000 U.S. page views per month.
First, NeworMedia doesn’t require a minimum page view for its entry-level plan, but it does require that all sites be in English, have a sidebar, and adhere to Google’s ad policies. Also, you must be willing to run two ads.
Perhaps Newor Media isn’t a suitable alternative to AdThrive, but publishers receive a net 30 payment period and can use PayPal, Payoneer, and wire transfers. Sites like EnglishCurrent use Newor Media.
Pros:
- A flexible payment schedule.
- Monetization plans for small and big publishers.
- Increasing impressions through companion ads.
- Ad networks with the optimum earnings in header bidding.
- Simple to use (an easy way to add ads with a WordPress plugin).
Cons:
- Video ads can affect performance.
- You need to put tags on your pages for each ad.
- Earning potential isn’t as high as Raptive (Ads aren’t disruptive).
Monumetric
Monumetric is another popular ad network that caters to publishers of different sizes. I’ve used Monu for my previous sites, and it’s undoubtedly better than just one ad network.
Perhaps the RPM rates aren’t as good as Adthrive or similar, but you need to consider if you’re looking for something like RAPTIVE. Typically, they use HEADER BIDDING to increase revenue with multiple ad exchanges.
Maumetric offers four levels of plans for sites of all sizes. Propel is the plan for small to medium websites, but the awful thing is that it costs $99 for setup.
I’ve used many ad platforms, but Monu is the only one that charges for setup. And, you need other essential requirements, like over 10K visitors, especially from countries like the United States, Canada, GB, etc. They generally accept websites with “English” content. It helps if your site uses an ad network, such as AdSense.
Ideally, your site should be hosted on WordPress or Blogger, with a sidebar, and include at least six ads.
In my experience, the Monumetric onboarding process can be somewhat annoying, with lengthy setup procedures, discussions, and other similar tasks.
Of course, I prefer to handle things on my own, and I do not like to give my website structure to someone else to modify. If you choose to do things your way, this may not be a suitable alternative, as you must speak with your representative first.
Pros:
- Provide professional assistance.
- A verified Google Ad Manager partner.
- Detailed dashboard to track performance.
- Accept small publishers with more than 10,000 page views.
Cons:
- Their ads can change your website’s layout.
- A $99 setup fee and some annoying requirements.
- Payouts take 65 days, and PayPal is the only payment method.
OptAd360
OptAd360 is an all-around ad management company for websites, mobile games, and apps. Yes, you can use it as an alternative to Raptive. It has multiple header bidding partners like Magnite, Pubmatic, MGID, Index Exchange, and many others.
Keep in mind, for the European audience, OptAd is a decent choice, but it still seems to lag behind Mediavine and Adthrive.
The approval process: First off, you need 50k monthly page views without risky content to join as a publisher.
Remember, they accept websites that meet those criteria; however, in some countries, publishers require a minimum of 500k page views to be accepted. They only monetize mobile apps with at least 50,000 downloads.
It’s more flexible than Raptive when it comes to payout options. You get paid in 30 days instead of 60. PayPal, Payoneer, and bank transfer are all options to receive your earnings. The minimum threshold is $50 or the equivalent in another currency.
OptAd360 is a modern ad tech company and works with websites/blogs in multiple languages. That said, they offer multiple ad formats and are incredibly easy to integrate onto your website by simply adding a small tag. UX-wise, their ads don’t interrupt users too much, but sometimes they load slowly, leaving empty spaces.
Pros:
- Integrate easily with one tag.
- Fewer requirements than Raptive.
- Accept websites in over 15 languages.
- Multiple payout options and a low withdrawal threshold.
Cons:
- Ads take a long time to load.
- Comparatively low CPM rates.
- In some countries, there’s a high traffic requirement.
NitroPay
Nitro is a platform specifically designed for gaming tools and websites. Although it focuses on gaming, it features many other websites as well. Hence, you don’t need a worse ad network like Adsterra for gaming websites.
Popular sites like RoyalRoad, Leekduck, Pvpoke, etc., use NitroPay to monetize. I’ve seen Nitro use websites with crypto content, so try it as a crypto ad network.
By far, Nitro is a Google-certified ad platform and is also partnered with Pubmatic, SOVRN, Sonobi, etc. Using Nitro, publishers can place ads for themselves with complete control over where and how many ads they put up.
However, the key point is that they work with large websites, so you need over 100,000 page views a month.
Pros:
- You’ve got complete control.
- Tech to recover ad blocks with better ads.
- Multiple payment options with Net 7 payouts.
- Compared to other ad networks, Nitro ads load faster.
- Publishers can monetize gaming tools even without content.
Cons:
- Focused exclusively on gaming.
- Outstream video ads can distract visitors.
- Pageview requirements make it hard for publishers to join.
AdPushup
AdPushup is one of the most popular ad companies for large publishers. It offers a lot of nice ad tech features, like the optimal ad layout, mediation, recovery from ad blockers, header bidding, etc.
AdPushup offers a wide range of ad formats and access to more than forty reputable ad exchanges, including Google, Amazon, and OpenX. Several popular websites, including GTmetrix.com, use the platform as a monetization option.
It’s easier for publishers to use AdPushup’s platform. However, AdPushup will not be the best choice for all publishers—its publisher requirements, for example, will only be suitable for some.
With other ad networks, you need a minimum of $5,000 in monthly ad revenue. That’ll keep many publishers out.
AdPushup uses Net-45 payment circle, wire, or PayPal, with a $100 minimum.
They offer good support to publishers, helping those who aren’t experienced or unable to set things up themselves.
Pros:
- Flexible payment arrangements.
- Several premier ad service providers.
- Easy to set up (no need to change DNS or something).
- They recover that revenue with AdBlock recovery technology.
- The layout optimizer allows you to run A/B tests on ad layouts.
Cons:
- An agreement with demanding requirements.
- Don’t allow publishers to use other ad platforms.
- They only work with large websites, which will limit publishers.
Many websites become slower when they utilize ad networks with multiple partners, as a single page can display ads from various ad exchanges.
So, regarding UX and performance, affiliate marketing is better than ads. To balance monetization and user experience, ensure your content is top-of-mind, avoid disruptive ads, and make it valuable.
You can use a good web host and an effective cache plugin like FlyingPress to avoid too many external requests. Some plugins delay third-party scripts, but it’s not always optimal.
Final Thoughts
Publishers have many ad platforms, but I wanted to highlight some Alternatives to Raptive. In short, if someone asks what the suitable Raptive alternative is, I’d say Mediavine.
Other ad management techs might offer more earning potential than both, but Raptive and Mediavine share significant similarities.
However, there are plenty of ad management services, also known as publisher optimization services. You’ll find different features in each.
Some specialize in specific industries, such as gaming and entertainment. Others focus more on user experience than ad revenue. And let’s be real… You should always consider user experience before monetization strategies, and ads aren’t the only way to earn money.
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