In app monetization, mobile ad networks play a pivotal role in helping developers earn revenue from their apps. Mobile usage is at an all-time high, with people spending hours each day on smartphones. Knowing how to leverage mobile ad networks effectively can make the difference between a wildly successful app and one that struggles to generate income.
In this blog, we’ll explain what mobile ad networks are, discuss the different types of ad networks, highlight the benefits of these networks, list some top mobile ad networks in 2025, share best practices for mobile advertising, and explore emerging trends that app developers and marketers should watch.
What is mobile ad network?
A mobile ad network is an integrated platform that connects advertisers with app developers (publishers) who want to sell advertising space in their mobile apps. In other words, the ad network acts as a middleman: it aggregates ad inventory from many apps and matches it with demand from advertisers looking to reach mobile users. The network handles the complex process of serving ads to users in apps, so individual developers don’t have to directly broker deals with advertisers.
Mobile ad networks often provide an SDK (Software Development Kit) that developers integrate into their apps. Once integrated, the app can show various types of ads supplied by the network. When a user opens an app and an ad spot is triggered, the ad network selects an appropriate ad (based on targeting data, campaign bids, etc.) and displays it to the user. This all happens in milliseconds. The ad network manages tracking (impressions, clicks, installs) and payment, so the publisher earns revenue (usually a share of what the advertiser pays) without needing to manage the ads manually.
By mediating between publishers and advertisers, mobile ad networks simplify the monetization process. They often integrate with supply-side platforms (for publishers) and demand-side platforms (for advertisers) to streamline the buying and selling of mobile ads. For app developers, joining a mobile ad network is usually as simple as signing up and adding the network’s SDK to their app. The network then fills the app’s ad slots with ads and pays the developer per impression, click, or action (depending on the campaign model).
Types of mobile ad networks
Not all mobile ad networks are the same – there are several ways to categorize them. Understanding the types of mobile ad networks can help you choose the right one for your app:
Vertical vs. horizontal ad networks
Some ad networks are vertical – they focus on a specific niche or category. For example, a network might specialize in mobile games, or in finance and fintech apps. Vertical networks concentrate on a particular audience or industry, offering advertisers access to users within that niche. This focus can lead to higher relevance and better performance for niche apps. On the other hand, horizontal ad networks have a broad reach across many categories. They serve ads across a wide range of app types and industries without a singular niche focus. Horizontal networks prioritize scale and can deliver ads to a very large, diverse audience. In short, a vertical network is about depth in one area, while a horizontal network is about breadth across many areas.
Premium networks vs. performance networks
Another way to distinguish networks is by the kind of inventory and campaigns they emphasize. Premium ad networks work only with high-quality, brand-safe inventory – often top-tier publishers – and premium advertisers. They might have strict requirements to join but can offer high-value campaigns (often sold on a CPM basis for brand awareness). In contrast, performance-focused networks prioritize campaigns with direct response goals (like app installs or sign-ups). These networks often operate on CPI (cost-per-install), CPA (cost-per-action), or CPC (cost-per-click) models. Performance networks are popular for user acquisition campaigns where advertisers care about conversions, not just impressions. Many networks today blend both approaches, but it’s good to know where a network’s strength lies – delivering broad brand reach or driving performance metrics.
In-app ad networks vs. mobile web ad networks
A key distinction in mobile advertising is the medium. In-app ad networks specialize in delivering ads within mobile apps. They leverage data from app usage and often offer formats like banners, interstitials, native ads, and rewarded videos that appear inside an app’s interface. In-app ads typically enjoy high engagement since users are actively using the app (for instance, a game might show a rewarded video between levels). Mobile web ad networks, on the other hand, focus on ads shown on mobile websites (when users visit sites through a mobile browser). They might offer similar ad formats (banners, video, etc.), but these ads load on webpages rather than inside apps. Hybrid networks combine both in-app and mobile web inventory, giving advertisers a broader reach across mobile platforms. When choosing a network, consider where your users spend time – if your audience is primarily in-app, an in-app network (or hybrid) is ideal, whereas a mobile web network would matter if you have a mobile website to monetize.
Traditional vs. programmatic ad networks
Historically, ad networks operated on a traditional model – they negotiated deals and sold inventory in bulk, sometimes with fixed pricing. Modern mobile ad networks increasingly embrace programmatic advertising, using real-time bidding (RTB) and automated auctions to fill ad slots. Some networks are essentially private marketplaces or mediated exchanges, whereas others still work on direct sold campaigns. Bidding-based networks (programmatic) require less manual setup and allow multiple advertisers to bid for each impression in real time, often yielding higher eCPMs for publishers. Traditional networks may offer more stability (predetermined rates) but less flexibility. In 2025, many ad networks offer a mix: they provide programmatic demand (via RTB) while also allowing direct campaigns. Understanding a network’s technology will tell you how ads are filled – via auctions (open bidding, header bidding) or via preset deals.
In practice, these categories can overlap. For example, you might find a vertical, in-app ad network that operates programmatically. Or a horizontal network that offers both premium reserved deals and performance campaigns. The key is to find a network that aligns with your app’s audience, content, and monetization goals. For instance, a game developer might use an in-app, performance-oriented network (to show rewarded videos for game item rewards), whereas a news app might favor a horizontal network with high-quality brand ads to ensure a good user experience.
Benefits of mobile ad networks
Why use a mobile ad network at all? If you have an app with users, integrating with ad networks can unlock several key benefits for monetization and marketing. Here are some of the top advantages:
Access to a vast audience
Mobile ad networks give advertisers access to a massive global audience, and they enable publishers to monetize users from all over the world. Smartphone adoption is nearly universal – roughly 7 billion people carry smartphones today (and that number is growing). That means the potential reach of mobile ads is enormous. As a publisher, when you plug into an ad network, you’re not just showing ads from one or two advertisers – you gain access to thousands of advertisers who want to reach users in your app, including global brands. Conversely, if you’re an advertiser, a network can deliver your campaigns into millions of apps on phones across the globe.
Number of mobile users worldwide (forecast for 2024–2026). By 2025, there are nearly 7.5 billion mobile users, reflecting the immense audience accessible via mobile ad networks.
Advanced targeting capabilities
Modern mobile ad networks offer sophisticated targeting options that ensure ads are shown to the most relevant users. Using the wealth of data available from mobile devices (device type, location, demographics, usage patterns, etc.), networks can serve highly personalized ads that match user interests and behaviors. For example, an ad network might allow an advertiser to target 25-34 year old users in New York who enjoy sports apps. Or use contextual targeting to show ads related to the content of the app (e.g., a travel app gets ads for hotels and flights).
Variety of ad formats
Mobile ad networks typically support a wide variety of ad formats, giving developers and advertisers flexibility in how to engage users. This variety is a major benefit because it allows you to choose the ad experiences that best fit your app and audience. Common mobile ad formats include:
- Banner ads – small rectangular ads that can sit at the top or bottom of a screen.
- Interstitial ads – full-screen ads that appear at natural transition points (like between levels or upon launch).
- Rewarded video ads – opt-in video ads that users can watch in exchange for a reward (popular in gaming apps).
- Playable ads – interactive ads that allow users to try out a mini version of a game or app.
- Native ads – ads that are designed to match the look and feel of the app (e.g., sponsored content cards in a feed).
- Video ads – short video commercials (could be skippable or unskippable) shown within the app content.
- Rich media ads – interactive ads with animations, carousels, etc.
Top mobile ad networks
As of 2025, there are many mobile ad networks available, but a handful stand out as leaders in the industry. When choosing a network, you’ll want to consider factors like fill rates, eCPM, ad format support, and relevance to your app’s audience. Here are some of the top mobile ad networks (in no particular order):
Google AdMob
Google AdMob is one of the largest and most established mobile ad networks in the world. Backed by Google, AdMob has a vast pool of advertisers (many via Google Ads) and offers high-quality ad demand for all popular ad formats including banner, interstitial, native, and rewarded ads. It’s known for its easy integration – if you’ve used other Google services, AdMob’s interface and SDK are similarly straightforward.
Facebook Audience Network (Meta Audience Network)
Facebook Audience Network (FAN) – now often referred to as Meta Audience Network – leverages the enormous reach of Facebook’s advertising ecosystem to serve ads in third-party apps. FAN is powerful due to Meta’s precise targeting data: advertisers can target users based on their Facebook/Instagram profile data (interests, demographics, etc.), and those ads will show up in apps that are part of the Audience Network. For publishers, FAN can yield high eCPMs, especially for formats like native ads and rewarded videos that Meta heavily supports.
InMobi
InMobi is one of the largest independent mobile ad networks (not owned by a giant like Google or Meta) and has a strong global presence, especially in Asia and emerging markets. InMobi provides a suite of monetization solutions for publishers, including a rich array of ad formats (from standard banners to rich media and playable ads) and even an in-app mediation platform. One of InMobi’s big advantages is access to premium, global demand – they have partnerships with hundreds of DSPs and advertisers, meaning they can serve ads from a wide variety of campaigns.
AppLovin
AppLovin is a major mobile ad network and monetization platform that has a deep focus on mobile games (though it’s used in other app categories as well). It started as a user acquisition network and has since expanded to offer a full suite of solutions including its own mediation (MAX) and even app discovery. AppLovin’s network boasts 100+ demand partners and integrations, meaning it pulls in campaigns from numerous sources to compete for your inventory.
Unity Ads
Unity Ads is another heavyweight in mobile advertising, particularly in the mobile gaming sector. Owned by Unity (the company behind the popular game engine), Unity Ads integrates seamlessly with the Unity development platform, making it a natural choice for game developers using that engine. Unity Ads specializes in in-game advertising and offers formats like rewarded videos and playable ads that are easily dropped into game workflows.
ironSource
ironSource is a comprehensive app monetization and user growth platform that’s very well-known in the mobile games industry. (ironSource merged with Unity in 2022, but it still operates its ad network and mediation as a distinct offering as of 2025.) ironSource’s ad network is especially famous for its rewarded video and offerwall ads, which many top-grossing games use to monetize non-paying users. The ironSource SDK provides rewarded video ads that are smooth and user-friendly, helping developers increase engagement (players stick around longer if they can earn free rewards from ads) and revenue at the same time). ironSource also excels in user acquisition tools – they run a large mediation platform and even play a role in attribution – but focusing on monetization, their network brings in ads from a broad range of advertisers and often directly from performance advertisers (other game studios, app marketers, etc.).
As an app publisher in 2025, you’ll likely integrate multiple networks via mediation to capitalize on all these sources. But the ones listed in detail above (AdMob, FAN, InMobi, AppLovin, Unity Ads, ironSource) collectively cover a vast majority of the mobile advertising demand and are a great starting lineup for maximizing ad revenue.
