Google AdMob vs AppLovin MAX: eCPM, Fill and Payouts Compared

At a glance

eCPM by format and tier

Android baseline eCPMs in US dollars per 1,000 impressions, before category and platform multipliers.

Interstitial shows the widest Tier 1 gap: AppLovin MAX at $9.80 against Google AdMob at $8.00.

Which wins for each kind of app

Each row runs 10,000 daily users with that category’s typical format mix and a balanced region split.

Google AdMob leads in 0 of 9 categories and AppLovin MAX in 9. The widest gap is in Casual Game, where AppLovin MAX earns about 22% more. The closest race is Finance App, where the two sit 18% apart.

How region changes the result

The same casual game at 10,000 daily users with three different audience splits.

AppLovin MAX stays ahead across all three audience splits, by 21% to 23%.

Google AdMob / AppLovin MAX

About Google AdMob

Google AdMob is Google's own app network, and alongside AppLovin MAX it is one of only two options in our tables that offer all five mobile formats, app open and native included. Its central Tier 1 Android estimates of about $12.00 for rewarded and $8.00 for interstitials, with blended fill near 88%, make it a dependable baseline rather than the top bidder.

Strengths

• Demand comes from Google's very large advertiser base, which tends to keep fill steady in most countries.
• App open ads are available, estimated at about $5.50 in Tier 1, a format only AppLovin MAX also offers in our data.
• Built-in mediation lets you add other networks through adapters later, so starting here does not lock you in.
• Reporting connects with Firebase and Google Analytics, which makes it easier to set ad revenue against retention.

Watch-outs

• Google enforces its invalid traffic and placement policies firmly, and ad serving can be limited while it reviews unusual activity.
• The banner estimate of about $0.90 in Tier 1 is modest, so an app built around banners should not expect much from AdMob alone.
• Your first payment waits for a $100 balance and an address check by posted PIN, which can add weeks if the letter is slow.

Best for: A first-time developer who wants every format available from one account, with mediation ready for when the app grows.

About AppLovin MAX

AppLovin MAX is a mediation platform built around in-app bidding, with AppLovin's own demand competing alongside other networks in each auction. It posts the highest central estimates in our mobile tables, about $14.50 for Tier 1 rewarded and $9.80 for interstitials on Android, and the highest blended fill at roughly 90%.

Strengths

• It supports all five formats we model, including native at about $4.00 and app open at about $6.00 in Tier 1.
• Bidding puts networks into a single auction, which removes much of the manual work of ordering a waterfall.
• AppLovin's own demand is deep in games, which is why it so often leads for game studios.
• Its banner estimate of about $1.10 in Tier 1 is the highest of the eight mobile networks we track.

Watch-outs

• Payment terms of roughly net 45 days mean the first payout comes later than it would from Google.
• Every extra adapter adds SDK weight and testing time, so add networks only where they actually win impressions.
• Its edge is concentrated in games, so a utility or content app may see a smaller gain over a single network.

Best for: A game with steady daily users that wants several demand sources bidding on every impression.

Payout terms

Verdict

On our numbers AppLovin MAX is the stronger single choice for most categories, and particularly for Casual Game, Hypercasual Game. Google AdMob holds its own in Casual Game. Many studios run both inside a mediation stack, which our model does not combine.

All figures come from our benchmark tables: Android eCPMs by tier, category or niche multipliers, modelled fill and the iOS multiplier. They are estimates for planning, not quotes.