Media.net vs Raptive: RPM, Requirements and Payouts

At a glance

Which wins in each niche

Each row runs 50,000 monthly sessions at two pages per session with the default display, in-article and sticky mix.

Media.net leads in 0 of 10 niches and Raptive in 10. The widest gap is in Gaming, where Raptive earns about 219% more. The closest race is Technology, where the two sit 219% apart.

How region changes the result

The same general site at 50,000 monthly sessions with three different audience splits.

Raptive stays ahead across all three audience splits, by 214% to 224%.

Entry requirements

Raptive asks for roughly 25,000 pageviews a month, while Media.net has no published minimum. A site below that bar can only use Media.net today.

Media.net / Raptive

About Media.net

Media.net runs a contextual ad network that matches ads to the words on your page rather than relying mainly on tracking the reader. It has no fixed traffic minimum but favours English-language content with US, UK and other Tier 1 readers, and our reference Tier 1 RPM for it is about $5.50.

Strengths

• Contextual matching means ads can still earn when cookies or device identifiers are restricted.
• It is often run alongside AdSense, giving a second source of demand for the same pages.
• Payout options include wire, PayPal and Payoneer, which helps publishers based outside the US.

Watch-outs

• Our tables show only display, native and sticky formats, with no video or interstitial.
• Its reference RPM is the lowest of the six web networks we model, and Tier 3 traffic earns very little.
• Approval leans on content language and audience location, so a non-English site may struggle to get in.

Best for: An English-language site with mostly US and UK readers, especially on commercial topics, that wants contextual demand next to AdSense.

About Raptive

Raptive, formerly AdThrive, is a premium managed network for creator-led sites, with an entry bar of 25,000 monthly pageviews, cut from 100,000 in October 2025. Our model gives it the highest reference RPM of the six web networks, about $18.00 per 1,000 Tier 1 pageviews, with all five formats available.

Strengths

• Its reference Tier 1 RPM of about $18.00 is the top figure in our web tables.
• Accepted publishers usually get account management support rather than a self-serve dashboard alone.
• Video, sticky and interstitial formats are part of the setup, so each page can earn in several layers.
• Payment arrives roughly 45 days after month end, sooner than Mediavine's typical cycle.

Watch-outs

• Beyond the 25,000 pageview bar it looks for mostly US, UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand traffic and long-form original content, which keeps it out of reach for many young sites. See its announcement.
• It is built around Tier 1 audiences, and our Tier 3 estimate of about $2.10 shows how little a mostly overseas readership adds.
• Like other premium managed networks it typically expects display exclusivity, so check what you would need to remove.

Best for: An established creator site with long-form original content and most of its readers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

Payout terms

Verdict

For sites that qualify for both, Raptive is ahead in most niches on our numbers, with the biggest edge in Gaming, Education. Media.net makes more sense where it is the only option your traffic allows or in General.

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.