Mediavine vs AdThrive vs Ezoic: Display Ad Networks Compared by Actual RPM Data

When I first started monetizing my blogs with display ads, I was overwhelmed by conflicting information about which ad network would generate the best revenue. Everyone seemed to have an opinion, but few had actual data across multiple networks to back it up.

After running three separate sites on Mediavine, AdThrive (now Raptive), and Ezoic simultaneously for the past year, I’ve collected extensive RPM data across different niches, traffic volumes, and seasons. This isn’t just another theoretical comparison—it’s based on real earnings from real websites.

In this comprehensive analysis, I’ll share exactly what I earned with each network, how they performed across different niches, and which one might be the best fit for your specific situation. Let’s dive into the numbers.

The Experiment Setup

To ensure a fair comparison, I set up the following test:

• Website A: Finance blog (125,000 monthly pageviews) — AdThrive/Raptive
• Website B: Food & recipe blog (80,000 monthly sessions) — Mediavine
• Website C: Travel blog (40,000 monthly pageviews) — Ezoic

All three sites had:

• Similar audience demographics (primarily US, UK, and Canada)
• Mobile/desktop split of approximately 65%/35%
• Comparable page load speeds before ad implementation
• Similar content formats (long-form articles with images)

I tracked performance for a full12-month period (July 2024 – June 2025) to account for seasonal fluctuations in ad rates.

Overall RPM Results: The Raw Numbers

Let’s start with the average RPM (Revenue Per Mille/1,000 pageviews) for each network over the 12-month period:

The data clearly shows that AdThrive/Raptive delivered the highest overall RPMs, followed by Mediavine, with Ezoic significantly behind. However, these raw numbers don’t tell the complete story.

RPM Breakdown by Device

The device breakdown revealed interesting patterns:

Desktop RPM

Mobile RPM

All three networks showed significantly higher RPMs on desktop compared to mobile, which is consistent with industry standards. However, since mobile traffic represented about 65% of total pageviews, the majority of revenue still came from mobile users.

Seasonal RPM Variations

One of the most important findings was how dramatically RPMs fluctuated throughout the year:

Q4 (Oct-Dec) saw the highest RPMs across all networks, with November and December being particularly strong due to holiday advertising budgets. During this period:

• AdThrive/Raptive averaged $41.53 RPM
• Mediavine averaged $34.28 RPM
• Ezoic averaged $15.97 RPM

Q1 (Jan-Mar) experienced the lowest RPMs, with January being the worst month:

• AdThrive/Raptive averaged $24.36 RPM
• Mediavine averaged $19.23 RPM
• Ezoic averaged $9.12 RPM

This represents a 41% decrease from Q4 to Q1 for AdThrive/Raptive, a 44% decrease for Mediavine, and a 43% decrease for Ezoic.

The takeaway? Budget for significant revenue fluctuations throughout the year, regardless of which network you choose.

RPM Variations by Niche

While I couldn’t test all three networks on identical sites (due to exclusivity requirements), I was able to analyze RPM data across different content categories within each site:

Finance Content (Website A – AdThrive/Raptive)

• Insurance content: $47.83 RPM
• Investment content: $43.21 RPM
• Budget/saving content: $29.14 RPM
• Credit card content: $52.76 RPM

Food Content (Website B – Mediavine)

• Recipe content: $26.74 RPM
• Kitchen equipment reviews: $31.92 RPM
• Nutrition content: $22.14 RPM
• Holiday cooking guides: $35.63 RPM

Travel Content (Website C – Ezoic)

• Destination guides: $12.86 RPM
• Travel gear reviews: $15.37 RPM
• Budget travel tips: $9.42 RPM
• Luxury travel content: $14.21 RPM

These variations highlight how significantly niche and content type impact RPMs, even within the same website and ad network.

Total Revenue Comparison

While RPM is important, what ultimately matters is total revenue. Here’s how the three sites performed over the 12-month period:

• Website A (AdThrive/Raptive): $48,705 from 1.5 million pageviews
• Website B (Mediavine): $29,220 from 1.2 million pageviews
• Website C (Ezoic): $5,727 from 480,000 pageviews

To make this more comparable, here’s what each site would have earned with 1 million pageviews:

• AdThrive/Raptive: $32,470
• Mediavine: $24,350
• Ezoic: $11,930

Beyond RPM: Other Important Factors

While RPM is crucial, several other factors significantly impacted the overall experience with each network:

Site Speed Impact

I measured site speed before and after implementing each ad network:

Mediavine had the least impact on site speed, while Ezoic had the most significant negative effect, even with their LEAP speed optimization tool enabled.

User Experience

I also tracked user engagement metrics to assess how ads affected the overall experience:

Both AdThrive/Raptive and Mediavine had minimal impact on user experience, while Ezoic showed more significant negative effects.

Support Quality

My experience with support varied dramatically:

AdThrive/Raptive:

• Average response time: 4.2 hours
• Issue resolution rate: 94%
• Proactive optimization suggestions: Yes, quarterly

Mediavine:

• Average response time: 6.8 hours
• Issue resolution rate: 91%
• Proactive optimization suggestions: Yes, monthly

Ezoic:

• Average response time: 18.3 hours
• Issue resolution rate: 76%
• Proactive optimization suggestions: No

Both AdThrive/Raptive and Mediavine provided excellent support, with AdThrive/Raptive being slightly more responsive. Ezoic’s support was significantly slower and less effective.

Detailed Network-by-Network Analysis

AdThrive/Raptive

Pros:

• Highest overall RPMs ($32.47 average)
• Excellent support with fast response times
• Minimal impact on user experience
• NET 45 payment terms (faster than Mediavine)
• Video revenue opportunities added approximately 15% to total earnings

Cons:

• Highest traffic requirements (100,000 monthly pageviews)
• Strict content quality standards
• Limited control over ad placements
• Exclusivity requirement (can’t use other display ad networks)

Best for: High-traffic sites in lucrative niches like finance, technology, or health that meet the minimum traffic requirements.

Mediavine

Pros:

• Strong RPMs ($24.35 average)
• Best site speed performance among the three
• Excellent dashboard and reporting tools
• Growing Creator Network with additional benefits
• Trellis framework integration for WordPress sites

Cons:

• NET 65 payment terms (slowest of the three)
• 50,000 sessions minimum requirement
• Slightly fewer ad optimization options than AdThrive/Raptive
• Exclusivity requirement

Best for: Mid to high-traffic sites in lifestyle niches like food, travel, and parenting that meet the session requirements.

Ezoic

Pros:

• No minimum traffic requirements
• Fastest payment terms (NET 30)
• Most control over ad placements and density
• AI-driven testing for optimization
• No exclusivity requirement

Cons:

• Significantly lower RPMs ($11.93 average)
• Greatest negative impact on site speed
• Most complex dashboard and setup process
• Premium program costs reduce effective earnings
• Poorest support experience

Best for: New or growing sites that don’t qualify for the premium networks yet, or sites testing different monetization approaches.

RPM by Traffic Source

Another interesting finding was how RPMs varied by traffic source:

Direct traffic consistently generated the highest RPMs across all networks, followed by organic search traffic. Social media traffic produced the lowest RPMs, likely due to lower user intent and engagement.

Which Network Is Right For You?

Based on my year-long experiment, here’s my recommendation framework:

Choose AdThrive/Raptive if:

• Your site has 100,000+ monthly pageviews
• You prioritize maximum revenue over everything else
• You have primarily US, UK, or Canadian traffic
• You’re in a high-value niche like finance, technology, or health
• You don’t mind giving up some control over ad placements

Choose Mediavine if:

• Your site has 50,000+ monthly sessions but less than 100,000 pageviews
• You want a good balance of revenue and site performance
• You value strong support and community
• You’re in a lifestyle niche like food, parenting, or DIY
• You appreciate a more intuitive dashboard and reporting

Choose Ezoic if:

• Your site doesn’t qualify for AdThrive/Raptive or Mediavine yet
• You want complete control over ad placements and density
• You’re comfortable with a more technical setup process
• You want to test and optimize ad placements yourself
• You’re willing to sacrifice some site speed for monetization

My Personal Experience and Recommendation

After running all three networks simultaneously for a year, which one would I choose if I could only pick one?

For sites that qualify, AdThrive/Raptive is my top recommendation due to its significantly higher RPMs and excellent support. The difference in revenue is substantial enough to outweigh any minor disadvantages.

For sites that don’t meet AdThrive/Raptive’s requirements butdo qualify for Mediavine, Mediavine is an excellent choice with the best balance of strong revenue and minimal site impact.

For newer sites or those that don’t qualify for either premium network, Ezoic is a viable starting point, but I would recommend working toward qualifying for the premium networks as quickly as possible.

The Migration Process: What to Expect

If you’re considering switching networks, here’s what to expect:

From Ezoic to Mediavine:

• Application approval time: 2-3 weeks
• Implementation time: 3-5 days
• Revenue stabilization period: 2-4 weeks
• Expected RPM increase: 80-120%

From Mediavine to AdThrive/Raptive:

• Application approval time: 1-2 weeks
• Implementation time: 2-4 days
• Revenue stabilization period: 1-2 weeks
• Expected RPM increase: 25-40%

In both cases, the transition was smooth, with minimal downtime or technical issues.

Final Thoughts: The True Value of Premium Ad Networks

After a year of testing, the data clearly shows that premium ad networks like AdThrive/Raptive and Mediavine deliver significantly higher RPMs than Ezoic. For sites that qualify, the difference in revenue can be substantial—potentially tens of thousands of dollars annually for high-traffic sites.

However, it’s important to remember that no ad network is a magic solution. The foundation of successful monetization remains the same: creating valuable content that attracts engaged visitors from high-value demographics.

If your site doesn’t qualify for the premium networks yet, focus on growing your traffic and improving your content quality. The revenue difference between Ezoic and the premium networks should provide plenty of motivation to reach those traffic thresholds.

Have you used any of these ad networks? I’d love to hear about your experience and RPM data in the comments below.