Compare Google Ad Manager and AdSense

This article compares the key differences between Google Ad Manager and AdSense to help you determine which product best fits your business needs.

Overview of Google Ad Manager and Google AdSense

Ad Manager and AdSense are powerful tools designed to help you sell your ad inventory, and while both provide access to millions of buyers, they are built for different publisher needs:

• Google Ad Manager is built for large publishers who have a significant direct sales team or require granular controls to manage inventory and avoid channel conflict.
• Google AdSense is best if you don't have a direct sales business or if channel conflict is not a major concern. AdSense is an automated solution that requires minimal operational management.

Differences between Ad Manager and AdSense

Use this table to compare the different features of Ad Manager and AdSense.

Feature	Ad Manager	AdSense
Preferred Deals	Deals interface allows you to set up Preferred Deals for fixed CPMs with buyers or Private Auctions with floor prices with multiple buyers.	No possibility to set up Preferred Deals.
Filtering and blocking	Account-level filtering: Google-certified vendors blocking URL blocking General category blocking (if available in your language) Sensitive category blocking Ad review center: review and approve/disapprove ads from various advertisers Advertiser blocking Ad technologies blocking Cookie & data usage blocking Blocking rule filtering: Google-certified vendor blocking URL blocking General category blocking (if available in your language) Sensitive category blocking Advertiser blocking Cookies and data usage (non-Google demand) blocking User-based data (Google Demand sources) blocking Opt in to the following: Sensitive categories Ad technologies Learn more about protections.	Account level filtering: Google-certified vendor blocking URL blocking General category blocking (if available in your language) Sensitive category blocking Ad review center: review and approve/disapprove ads from various advertisers
Reporting	Flexible reporting with the ability to create reports based on publisher-defined criteria or use a template as a starting point.	Standard reporting capabilities such as "Sites", "Ad Units", "Ad Sizes", and so on.
Buyers/Advertisers	Buyers purchase ad inventory from publishers through Google Ad Manager, usually on behalf of multiple advertisers. They include ad networks, trading desks, and demand-side platforms. Buyers using Google Ad Manager include: Authorized Buyers Display & Video 360 Google Ads Google-certified vendors. If a buyer is using a non-certified vendor (not encouraged), only Ad Manager publishers have access to this inventory.	Access to the same buyers and advertisers: Authorized Buyers Display & Video 360 Google Ads
Technology vendor permissions	Ad Manager allows all vendors; publishers can block any vendor.	Most vendors are allowed; publishers do not have the option to block a vendor.
Dynamic allocation	This feature is configured and managed within Google Ad Manager. Learn more about dynamic allocation in Ad Manager.	Dynamic allocation operates within Google Ad Manager; it cannot be configured or managed inside your AdSense account.
Revenue payments	Payment comes from Google. When your current balance reaches the payment threshold, a payment is sent towards the end of the following month if you've completed all required verification steps. Learn more about Ad Manager payment guidelines.	Payment comes from Google. When your current balance reaches the payment threshold, a payment is sent towards the end of the following month if you've completed all required verification steps. Learn more about AdSense payment timelines.

Note: For detailed payment schedules and setup instructions, refer to the Ad Manager payment guide or AdSense payment timelines.