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 still deliver 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 the strict approval process, Raptive is not right for all publishers. Based on statistical data, your blog averages 50K-100K page views per month, with most visitors coming from the US, UK, Australia, and similar regions.
There is good news, guys: Raptive recently introduced a new pageview requirement. It’s no longer a requirement to have 100,000 monthly page views. Now you’ll need a minimum of 25,000 monthly pageviews to become a Raptive publisher.
Still, your website needs original content that engages users/ad partners. Even so, if you do not meet those requirements or would like to explore a similar platform, here are some relevant Raptive alternatives to consider.
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. Due to their stringent requirements, they’re usually suitable 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. But I don’t like their excessive features.
I don’t want anything from them other than ad management. Clearly, I don’t like the ad network to provide guidance/features on topics such as SEO, social media, hosting, or other non-ad-related areas. But that’s what Mediavine and Ezoic don’t get. Instead of doing what they’re good at, they try to control the whole website.
Positives Aspects:
- Like Raptive, they have high RPM.
- Various payment methods and a fair threshold.
- Use modern digital advertising to boost revenue.
- They’re a premier Google-certified advertising partner.
- Mediavine connects with high-end advertising companies.
Negative Aspects:
- A lot of unnecessary features.
- Ads consume significant space, slowing page load times.
- A rigorous approval process and a 3-month onboarding process are involved.
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, including Amazon, AppNexus, and Media.net.
How to get approval:
At this point, MonetizeMore does not accept publishers based solely on page views, unlike 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 a monthly ad revenue of $10,000 or more.
- Premium: Revenue must exceed $50,000 per month.
Maybe MonetizeMore 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.
Positives Aspects:
- You’ll get dedicated support.
- Multiple ad exchanges, ad servers, and SSPs.
- Modern ad management technology with robust analytics.
- Easy integration (compared to Ezoic, its integration is simple).
Negative Aspects:
- 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, MonetizeMore RPM isn’t as high.
Newor Media
Newor Media is another Google-certified ADX partner and a good ad platform for publishers of all types. Sites like EnglishCurrent use Newor Media. 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 pageviews 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 number of page views 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, or wire transfers.
Positives Aspects:
- A flexible payment schedule.
- Monetization plans for small and big publishers.
- Increasing impressions through companion ads.
- Simple to use (an easy way to add ads with a WordPress plugin).
Negative Aspects:
- Video ads can affect performance.
- You need to add tags to each page for each ad.
- Earning potential isn’t as high as Raptive (Ads aren’t disruptive).
Monumetric
Monumetric is another popular ad network that serves publishers of all sizes. I’ve used Monu for my previous websites, and it’s undoubtedly better than relying on a single ad network.
Perhaps the RPM rates aren’t as reasonable 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 plan levels for sites of all sizes. Propel is designed for small to medium websites, but the downside is that it costs $99 for setup.
I’ve used many ad platforms, but Monu is the only one that charges for setup. Additionally, you need to meet other requirements, such as having more than 10,000 visitors, particularly from the US, Canada, the UK, and other countries.
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, include a sidebar, and feature at least 6 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 giving someone else control over my website’s structure. If you choose to do things your way, this may not be a suitable alternative, as you must first speak with your representative.
Positives Aspects:
- Provide professional assistance.
- A verified Google Ad Manager partner.
- Detailed dashboard to track performance.
- Accept small publishers with more than 10,000 page views.
Negative Aspects:
- 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, including Magnite, Pubmatic, MGID, Index Exchange, and others.
Keep in mind that for the European audience, OptAd is a decent choice, but it still appears to lag behind Mediavine and Adthrive.
The approval process: First, you need 50k monthly page views, with no risky content, to join as a publisher. They accept websites that meet those criteria; however, in some countries, publishers require a minimum of 500k page views.
They only monetize mobile apps with at least 50,000 downloads. It’s more flexible than Raptive regarding 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 various ad formats and are incredibly easy to integrate onto your website by simply adding a small tag.
From a UX perspective, their ads don’t interrupt users too much, but they sometimes load slowly, leaving empty spaces.
Positives Aspects:
- Integrate easily with one tag.
- Fewer requirements than Raptive.
- Accept websites in over 15 languages.
- Multiple payout options and a low withdrawal threshold.
Negative Aspects:
- 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 primarily focuses on gaming, it also features many other websites. 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 crypto-focused websites, so try it as a crypto ad network.
By far, Nitro is a Google-certified ad platform and partners with Pubmatic, SOVRN, and Sonobi. Using Nitro, publishers can place ads themselves with complete control over where and how many ads they run. The key point is that they work with large websites, so you need more than 100K monthly page views.
Positives Aspects:
- 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.
Negative Aspects:
- 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 many useful ad tech features, such as optimal ad layout, mediation, ad blocker recovery, and header bidding.
Popular websites, including GTmetrix.com, use the platform to monetize. AdPushup offers a wide range of ad formats and access to more than 25 reputable ad exchanges, including Google, Amazon, and OpenX.
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, are suitable only for some.
With other ad networks, you need a minimum of $5,000 in monthly ad revenue. That’ll keep many publishers out.
AdPushup accepts Net-45 payments via wire or PayPal, with a $100 minimum. They also offer good support to publishers, helping those who are inexperienced or unable to set things up themselves.
Positives Aspects:
- 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.
Negative Aspects:
- An agreement with demanding requirements.
- Don’t allow publishers to use other ad platforms.
- They only work with large websites, which will limit publishers.
Websites slow down when they use ad networks with multiple partners, because a single page can display ads from various ad exchanges.
Regarding UX and performance, affiliates are better than ads. To balance UX and monetization, ensure your content stays top of mind and avoid disruptive ads.
You can use a reliable web host and a caching plugin, such as FlyingPress, to reduce 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. If someone asks for a suitable Raptive alternative, 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 prioritize user experience over ad revenue. And let’s be real… You should always prioritize user experience over monetization strategies, and ads aren’t the only way to generate revenue.
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