Meta Audience Network vs ironSource / LevelPlay: eCPM, Fill and Payouts Compared
For a balanced global audience of 10,000 daily users in a typical casual game, our tables put ironSource / LevelPlay about 21% ahead of Meta Audience Network. 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 | ironSource / LevelPlay | |
|---|---|---|
| Formats in our model | Rewarded video, Interstitial, Banner, Native | Rewarded video, Interstitial, Banner, Native |
| Modelled fill rate | 80% | 86% |
| Rewarded eCPM, Tier 1 | $10.50 | $12.50 |
| Interstitial eCPM, Tier 1 | $7.50 | $8.50 |
| Banner eCPM, Tier 3 | $0.09 | $0.10 |
| 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 | ironSource / LevelPlay Tier 1 | Meta Audience Network Tier 2 | ironSource / LevelPlay Tier 2 | Meta Audience Network Tier 3 | ironSource / LevelPlay Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rewarded video | $10.50 | $12.50 | $4.40 | $5.00 | $1.10 | $1.40 |
| Interstitial | $7.50 | $8.50 | $3.00 | $3.30 | $0.80 | $0.90 |
| Banner | $0.85 | $0.85 | $0.38 | $0.38 | $0.09 | $0.10 |
| Native | $4.20 | $3.00 | $1.80 | $1.30 | $0.45 | $0.35 |
| App open | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
Native shows the widest Tier 1 gap: Meta Audience Network at $4.20 against ironSource / LevelPlay at $3.00.
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.
| Category | Meta Audience Network | ironSource / LevelPlay | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypercasual Game | $9,289 | $10,906 | ironSource / LevelPlay | 17% |
| Casual Game | $8,477 | $10,216 | ironSource / LevelPlay | 21% |
| Mid-core / Strategy | $9,401 | $11,877 | ironSource / LevelPlay | 26% |
| Puzzle Game | $8,391 | $10,190 | ironSource / LevelPlay | 21% |
| Utility App | $2,512 | $2,539 | ironSource / LevelPlay | 1% |
| Social / Lifestyle | $5,364 | $4,880 | Meta Audience Network | 10% |
| Finance App | $3,588 | $3,448 | Meta Audience Network | 4% |
| Entertainment App | $5,784 | $6,261 | ironSource / LevelPlay | 8% |
| Education App | $2,783 | $3,188 | ironSource / LevelPlay | 15% |
Meta Audience Network leads in 2 of 9 categories and ironSource / LevelPlay in 7. The widest gap is in Mid-core / Strategy, where ironSource / LevelPlay earns about 26% more. The closest race is Utility App, where the two sit 1% apart.
How region changes the result
The same casual game at 10,000 daily users with three different audience splits.
| Meta Audience Network | ironSource / LevelPlay | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerging-market lean | $5,245 | $6,357 | ironSource / LevelPlay |
| Balanced global mix | $8,477 | $10,216 | ironSource / LevelPlay |
| Tier 1 lean | $12,691 | $15,302 | ironSource / LevelPlay |
ironSource / LevelPlay stays ahead across all three audience splits, by 21% to 21%.
Meta Audience Network / ironSource / LevelPlay
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 ironSource / LevelPlay
ironSource LevelPlay is Unity's mediation platform, pairing the ironSource network with access to other bidders and waterfall sources. Our estimates put it at about $12.50 for Tier 1 rewarded and $8.50 for interstitials on Android, with fill of around 86%.
Strengths
- Hypercasual and casual studios use it widely, so its tooling is shaped around high-volume rewarded and interstitial play.
- Mediation can mix bidding and waterfall instances, which helps when some networks you rely on do not bid.
- Native is supported alongside the video formats, estimated at about $3.00 in Tier 1.
- Since the merger with Unity it is the route Unity offers for mediating Unity Ads with other networks.
Watch-outs
- Our tables show no app open format, so that placement needs another source.
- Net payment terms differ between contracts, so read your own agreement rather than assuming a standard date.
- Product names and dashboards have changed during the Unity integration, so older tutorials may not match what you see.
Best for: A casual or hypercasual studio running several titles that wants mediation and a strong in-house network in one place.
Payout terms
| Meta Audience Network | ironSource / LevelPlay | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 ironSource / LevelPlay is the stronger single choice for most categories, and particularly for Mid-core / Strategy, Puzzle Game. Meta Audience Network holds its own in Social / Lifestyle, Finance App. 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 ironSource / LevelPlay?
In our benchmark tables ironSource / LevelPlay earns more in 7 of 9 app categories for a balanced audience, with an average lead of about 14%. Your own results depend on category, region and setup.
Can I run Meta Audience Network and ironSource / LevelPlay 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 86% for ironSource / LevelPlay. Fill varies by country, format and floor settings, so treat these as typical blended figures.