If you’re a blogger, influencer, or niche site owner, you’ve probably heard this advice before: “Just slap some AdSense ads on your site and start earning!”

But as you’ve likely discovered, Google AdSense isn’t always the perfect fit. Approval can be tricky, CPMs are hit-or-miss depending on your niche and audience, and their strict rules sometimes limit how creative you can get with monetization.

The good news? There are plenty of excellent AdSense alternatives out there — some that pay better, work with smaller sites, or offer more control over how ads appear on your pages.

Below are 10 of the best options for creators like you, with an overview of what makes each service unique — plus a handy comparison table at the end so you can see which ones match your current traffic level.

1. Media.net

Powered by Yahoo and Bing, Media.net is one of the largest contextual ad networks in the world. Rather than simply showing random ads, it scans your page content and displays ads that are relevant to what your readers are already reading about. This relevance can lead to higher engagement and better click-through rates compared to generic display ads. Media.net also offers rich ad units that blend into your site design, with responsive layouts that work well on mobile and desktop. It’s especially popular among publishers in niches like business, technology, and finance, where advertiser demand is high.

2. Ezoic

Ezoic is a machine-learning-based ad optimization platform rather than just an ad network. It connects you to a wide range of advertisers through Google Ad Exchange and other demand sources, then uses artificial intelligence to test thousands of ad layouts, placements, sizes, and formats on your site. Over time, it learns which combinations perform best for your audience and maximizes your revenue while minimizing user frustration. Ezoic is a great choice for publishers who want to grow their earnings but don’t want to micromanage their ad setup. It also provides tools for improving site speed, SEO, and user experience — a full toolkit for professional publishers.

3. PropellerAds

PropellerAds is a global advertising platform known for its wide variety of ad formats, including display banners, push notifications, on-click ads, and pop-unders. Unlike AdSense, it accepts almost any type of content, including niches that Google tends to disapprove of (like certain adult or file-sharing content). PropellerAds is beginner-friendly — you can start earning revenue almost immediately, even with low traffic, thanks to its high fill rates in nearly every country. Its unique formats, such as web push ads, also give you additional ways to monetize your audience beyond just display banners.

4. Sovrn //Commerce (formerly VigLink)

Sovrn //Commerce offers a completely different approach to monetization through affiliate link automation. Instead of showing traditional display ads, Sovrn scans your site for product mentions and outbound links and automatically converts them into affiliate links that earn you a commission on sales. This is ideal for blogs and content sites that recommend products, review items, or otherwise include a lot of outbound links. It’s a seamless way to earn affiliate revenue without having to manually join dozens of affiliate programs or insert links yourself.

5. Monumetric

Monumetric is a managed ad service designed for serious publishers who care about both revenue and user experience. They work with premium advertisers and use a combination of programmatic and direct-sold ads to get you the best rates. Their team handles much of the setup, optimization, and maintenance for you. Monumetric is known for its excellent customer support and willingness to work with publishers on a strategy that fits their goals. It does have a minimum traffic requirement (10,000 monthly pageviews) and a one-time setup fee for smaller publishers, but it can be well worth it if you want a hands-off, professional solution.

6. Amazon Publisher Services

Amazon’s advertising platform offers several products that let you tap into the world’s largest e-commerce marketplace. Its Transparent Ad Marketplace (TAM) and Unified Ad Marketplace (UAM) connect you to premium advertisers and Amazon’s own product ads. These tend to load quickly, look clean, and convert well — particularly if your site’s audience already shops on Amazon. Amazon Publisher Services works well alongside affiliate marketing, and it gives you access to top-tier demand while maintaining a good user experience. It’s particularly attractive for product-focused or shopping-related sites.

7. AdThrive

AdThrive is a premium ad management service for publishers who already have significant traffic (minimum of 100,000 monthly pageviews) and a primarily U.S.-based audience. It’s highly selective and focuses on high-quality lifestyle, food, parenting, DIY, and home-focused sites. In return, AdThrive delivers some of the highest RPMs in the industry, thanks to its direct relationships with premium advertisers and its focus on creating ad strategies that don’t hurt user experience. AdThrive’s dedicated account managers also help optimize your setup and handle advertiser negotiations, making it a great option for professional bloggers and established publishers.

8. Infolinks

Infolinks specializes in innovative, non-intrusive ad formats that integrate directly with your content. These include in-text ads, in-fold ads, in-tag ads, and in-frame ads, all of which appear as subtle overlays or highlights within your articles. This makes it easy to monetize even a small site without cluttering your pages with traditional banner ads. Infolinks has no minimum traffic requirements, pays quickly, and is easy to implement with just a few lines of code. It’s a solid choice for newer publishers who want to earn some income without harming their user experience.

9. SheMedia

SheMedia is an ad network and content platform built specifically for female-focused audiences. If your site’s content is geared toward women — such as parenting, beauty, fashion, lifestyle, or health — SheMedia offers premium display ads, sponsored content opportunities, and community support. Its advertiser base aligns well with its audience, so ads tend to perform better than generic networks. SheMedia typically requires at least 20,000 monthly pageviews, making it accessible to mid-level publishers who want to work with a supportive, niche-focused platform.

10. Revcontent

Revcontent is one of the biggest names in native advertising, serving content recommendation widgets that match the look and feel of your site. Native ads tend to perform better than traditional display ads because they feel more like part of the content. Revcontent gives you more control than most networks, allowing you to block certain advertisers, adjust widget styles, and fine-tune your strategy for maximum earnings. Revcontent works best for sites with high traffic (typically 50,000+ monthly visits) and strong audience engagement.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re just starting your blog, growing your influence, or managing a thriving niche site, there’s no reason to settle for AdSense alone. These alternatives open up more possibilities for better payouts, more creative ad formats, and networks that actually fit your audience.

✅ If you’re a beginner: Try PropellerAds, Infolinks, or Sovrn //Commerce.
✅ If you’re mid-level: Consider Ezoic, Monumetric, or SheMedia.
✅ If you’re advanced: Look at AdThrive or Revcontent.

Test a few, compare your earnings, and build a monetization strategy that works for you — and your readers.