This article explains the key differences between Google Ad Manager, AdSense and AdMob to help publishers choose the right monetisation solution for their websites or apps.
It's important to note that you can serve high-quality ads from all three platforms and that they all have access to the same premium Authorised Buyers.
Choose your monetisation solutionYou can use this tree to get a general idea of which publisher monetisation product based on inventory and sales strategy:
On this page:
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AdSense
AdSense acts as an ad network, providing you access to demand from advertisers and helping you set up your ad inventory. AdSense is best for publishers who want more automation for their ad solutions, and have a small dedicated ad management team.
AdSense is for you if you need:
- A place to monetise your website – blogs, forums and online services perform exceptionally well on AdSense
- A fast way to implement ad delivery
- Google to optimise your ad inventory for you and maximise your revenue through Auto ads
- Accessible performance reports
AdMob
AdMob is a mobile ad network and monetisation platform for mobile developers who want to earn money from ads, gain actionable insights, and grow their app business. As a network, AdMob allows you to monetise your mobile apps by helping you serve ads globally. As a monetisation platform, for developers who work with multiple ad networks, AdMob helps you maximise ad revenue across all your third-party network partners.
AdMob is for you if you need:
- Access to high-performing mobile app ad formats with strong controls for brand safety
- A solution to help you maximise ad revenue across Google and third-party networks with waterfall mediation and bidding
- A holistic view of ads performance and user engagement with Google Analytics for Firebase
- Automated tools to streamline your day-to-day tasks with features such as Ad Network Optimisation
- A solution to balance in-app purchase and ads-based revenue streams based on user behaviour with smart segmentation
Google Ad Manager
Google Ad Manager is an ad management platform for large publishers who have significant direct sales. Ad Manager provides granular controls and supports multiple ad exchanges and networks, including AdSense, Ad Exchange, third-party networks and third-party exchanges.
Ad Manager is for you if you need:
- A central place to monetise all of your inventory types (websites, mobile apps, videos or games)
- To manage a significant amount of ad revenue that comes through direct deals from buyers
- To use third-party networks to compete for ad inventory
- More complex reports to gain granular insights
Differences between products
|
Google Ad Manager |
AdSense |
AdMob |
AdMob |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Inventory types available |
Web and app |
Web |
App |
App |
|
Negotiate directly-sold ads with partners |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Tag pages to serve ads |
Yes, if you allow AdSense to show through Ad Manager |
Yes |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Use other ad networks (besides AdSense) to maximise revenue |
Yes |
No |
Yes AdMob network: Google demand, in addition to third-party bidding sources |
No |
|
Consistent reporting across all ad serving activities |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Yes |
| Google manages payments to you and billing your advertisers or collecting payable amounts from ad networks |
Yes, for Authorised Buyers, bidding and transactions through Programmatic Direct |
Yes |
No, payments to you come directly from your advertisers or ad networks and you manage billing and collection |
Yes |
|
No, for traditionally negotiated line items, payments to you come directly from your advertisers or ad networks and you manage billing and collection |