Meta Audience Network vs Chartboost: eCPM, Fill and Payouts Compared
For a balanced global audience of 10,000 daily users in a typical casual game, our tables put Meta Audience Network about 12% ahead of Chartboost. The gap moves with category and region, so the tables below show where each network leads.
Updated · Every figure on this page is an estimate from our benchmark tables, not a quote from any network.
At a glance
| Meta Audience Network | Chartboost | |
|---|---|---|
| Formats in our model | Rewarded video, Interstitial, Banner, Native | Rewarded video, Interstitial, Banner |
| Modelled fill rate | 80% | 78% |
| Rewarded eCPM, Tier 1 | $10.50 | $10.00 |
| Interstitial eCPM, Tier 1 | $7.50 | $7.20 |
| Banner eCPM, Tier 3 | $0.09 | $0.08 |
| Payout threshold | Around $100 | Around $100 (account dependent) |
eCPM by format and tier
Android baseline eCPMs in US dollars per 1,000 impressions, before category and platform multipliers.
| Format | Meta Audience Network Tier 1 | Chartboost Tier 1 | Meta Audience Network Tier 2 | Chartboost Tier 2 | Meta Audience Network Tier 3 | Chartboost Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rewarded video | $10.50 | $10.00 | $4.40 | $4.00 | $1.10 | $1.10 |
| Interstitial | $7.50 | $7.20 | $3.00 | $2.90 | $0.80 | $0.80 |
| Banner | $0.85 | $0.70 | $0.38 | $0.30 | $0.09 | $0.08 |
| Native | $4.20 | Not offered | $1.80 | Not offered | $0.45 | Not offered |
| App open | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
Banner shows the widest Tier 1 gap: Meta Audience Network at $0.85 against Chartboost at $0.70. Native is only modelled for Meta Audience Network.
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.
| Category | Meta Audience Network | Chartboost | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypercasual Game | $9,289 | $8,231 | Meta Audience Network | 13% |
| Casual Game | $8,477 | $7,601 | Meta Audience Network | 12% |
| Mid-core / Strategy | $9,401 | $8,688 | Meta Audience Network | 8% |
| Puzzle Game | $8,391 | $7,587 | Meta Audience Network | 11% |
| Utility App | $2,512 | $1,379 | Meta Audience Network | 82% |
| Social / Lifestyle | $5,364 | $1,768 | Meta Audience Network | 203% |
| Finance App | $3,588 | $1,579 | Meta Audience Network | 127% |
| Entertainment App | $5,784 | $3,815 | Meta Audience Network | 52% |
| Education App | $2,783 | $2,113 | Meta Audience Network | 32% |
Meta Audience Network leads in 9 of 9 categories and Chartboost in 0. The widest gap is in Social / Lifestyle, where Meta Audience Network earns about 203% more. The closest race is Mid-core / Strategy, where the two sit 8% apart.
How region changes the result
The same casual game at 10,000 daily users with three different audience splits.
| Meta Audience Network | Chartboost | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerging-market lean | $5,245 | $4,730 | Meta Audience Network |
| Balanced global mix | $8,477 | $7,601 | Meta Audience Network |
| Tier 1 lean | $12,691 | $11,383 | Meta Audience Network |
Meta Audience Network stays ahead across all three audience splits, by 11% to 12%.
Meta Audience Network / Chartboost
About Meta Audience Network
Meta Audience Network sells your in-app inventory to advertisers who already run campaigns across Facebook and Instagram. In our tables it covers rewarded, interstitial, banner and native, and its native estimate of about $4.20 in Tier 1 is the highest of any mobile network we list.
Strengths
- Advertisers target using Meta's own audience data, which tends to lift prices for Tier 1 users.
- Native ads suit feeds and list screens where the ad can sit among your own content cards.
- As a bidder inside a mediation stack it adds a distinct pool of brand and app advertisers rather than repeating game demand.
Watch-outs
- Meta delivers its demand through bidding, so in practice you reach it through a mediation platform that supports bidding.
- Blended fill of about 80% and no app open format mean it rarely works as your only network.
- Apple's App Tracking Transparency limits how much of Meta's targeting applies to iOS users who decline tracking.
Best for: A social, lifestyle or content app with feed-style screens and a large share of Tier 1 users.
About Chartboost
Chartboost is a game-focused network that grew up on interstitials and rewarded video, and it also runs its own mediation product. In our tables it covers rewarded, interstitial and banner, at about $10.00, $7.20 and $0.70 respectively in Tier 1 on Android.
Strengths
- Its demand comes largely from game advertisers, which suits players who are open to trying other games.
- It has a history of supporting cross-promotion and direct deals between studios, useful if you publish several titles.
- It is a common bidder in mediation stacks, adding competition for full-screen slots.
Watch-outs
- Without native or app open formats it cannot cover every placement on its own.
- Fill of around 78% in our model sits at the low end, so a backup source matters.
- Its central estimates are below the leaders in every format, so its value tends to lie in competition rather than headline price.
Best for: A mobile game with full-screen breaks that wants an extra game-specialist bidder in its mediation line-up.
Payout terms
| Meta Audience Network | Chartboost | |
|---|---|---|
| Threshold | Around $100 | Around $100 (account dependent) |
| Cycle | Monthly, paid after the previous month is finalised | Monthly, net terms vary by contract |
| Methods | Bank transfer; typical terms, confirm in your own account | Wire or PayPal; typical terms, confirm in your own account |
Verdict
On our numbers Meta Audience Network is the stronger single choice for most categories, and particularly for Social / Lifestyle, Finance App. Chartboost 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.
Questions people ask
Does Meta Audience Network pay more than Chartboost?
In our benchmark tables Meta Audience Network earns more in 9 of 9 app categories for a balanced audience, with an average lead of about 60%. Your own results depend on category, region and setup.
Can I run Meta Audience Network and Chartboost together?
Usually yes. Most studios reach several networks through a mediation platform so they compete for each impression. Check each network’s current mediation support before you plan around it.
Which has better fill?
Our model uses a fill rate of 80% for Meta Audience Network and 78% for Chartboost. Fill varies by country, format and floor settings, so treat these as typical blended figures.