Unity Ads vs Meta Audience Network: eCPM, Fill and Payouts Compared
For a balanced global audience of 10,000 daily users in a typical casual game, our tables put Unity Ads about 19% 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
| Unity Ads | Meta Audience Network | |
|---|---|---|
| Formats in our model | Rewarded video, Interstitial, Banner | Rewarded video, Interstitial, Banner, Native |
| Modelled fill rate | 84% | 80% |
| Rewarded eCPM, Tier 1 | $13.00 | $10.50 |
| Interstitial eCPM, Tier 1 | $9.00 | $7.50 |
| Banner eCPM, Tier 3 | $0.09 | $0.09 |
| Payout threshold | Around $100 (account dependent) | Around $100 |
eCPM by format and tier
Android baseline eCPMs in US dollars per 1,000 impressions, before category and platform multipliers.
| Format | Unity Ads Tier 1 | Meta Audience Network Tier 1 | Unity Ads Tier 2 | Meta Audience Network Tier 2 | Unity Ads Tier 3 | Meta Audience Network Tier 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rewarded video | $13.00 | $10.50 | $5.20 | $4.40 | $1.30 | $1.10 |
| Interstitial | $9.00 | $7.50 | $3.40 | $3.00 | $0.90 | $0.80 |
| Banner | $0.80 | $0.85 | $0.35 | $0.38 | $0.09 | $0.09 |
| Native | Not offered | $4.20 | Not offered | $1.80 | Not offered | $0.45 |
| App open | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered | Not offered |
Rewarded video shows the widest Tier 1 gap: Unity Ads at $13.00 against Meta Audience Network at $10.50. 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 | Unity Ads | Meta Audience Network | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypercasual Game | $10,699 | $9,289 | Unity Ads | 15% |
| Casual Game | $10,100 | $8,477 | Unity Ads | 19% |
| Mid-core / Strategy | $11,966 | $9,401 | Unity Ads | 27% |
| Puzzle Game | $10,131 | $8,391 | Unity Ads | 21% |
| Utility App | $1,762 | $2,512 | Meta Audience Network | 43% |
| Social / Lifestyle | $2,218 | $5,364 | Meta Audience Network | 142% |
| Finance App | $2,006 | $3,588 | Meta Audience Network | 79% |
| Entertainment App | $5,017 | $5,784 | Meta Audience Network | 15% |
| Education App | $2,825 | $2,783 | Unity Ads | 1% |
Unity Ads leads in 5 of 9 categories and Meta Audience Network in 4. The widest gap is in Social / Lifestyle, where Meta Audience Network earns about 142% more. The closest race is Education 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.
| Unity Ads | Meta Audience Network | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerging-market lean | $6,204 | $5,245 | Unity Ads |
| Balanced global mix | $10,100 | $8,477 | Unity Ads |
| Tier 1 lean | $15,239 | $12,691 | Unity Ads |
Unity Ads stays ahead across all three audience splits, by 18% to 20%.
Unity Ads / Meta Audience Network
About Unity Ads
Unity Ads is a video-first network tied closely to the Unity engine, and in our tables it covers rewarded, interstitial and banner but not native or app open. Its Tier 1 Android estimates of about $13.00 for rewarded and $9.00 for interstitials sit among the stronger figures, helped by game studios buying installs from other games.
Strengths
- Rewarded and interstitial video are its core formats, and its central estimates for both are above AdMob's in our tables.
- If your game is built in Unity, the Ads package plugs into the editor and most of the work is configuration.
- Its advertisers are largely other game studios, so the creative usually suits a player audience.
Watch-outs
- There is no native or app open format, so those placements need a second network.
- Blended fill of about 84% trails AdMob and AppLovin MAX in our model, which leaves some requests empty without a backup source.
- Payment typically arrives 30 or more days after month end, so build that delay into your cash flow.
Best for: A Unity-built game whose earnings rest on rewarded videos offered at reward moments such as extra lives or doubled coins.
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.
Payout terms
| Unity Ads | Meta Audience Network | |
|---|---|---|
| Threshold | Around $100 (account dependent) | Around $100 |
| Cycle | Monthly, usually 30 or more days after month end | Monthly, paid after the previous month is finalised |
| Methods | Bank transfer or PayPal; typical terms, confirm in your own account | Bank transfer; typical terms, confirm in your own account |
Verdict
On our numbers the two are close enough that your category and audience decide it: Unity Ads leads in Hypercasual Game, Casual Game, Mid-core / Strategy, Meta Audience Network in Utility App, Social / Lifestyle, Finance App.
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 Unity Ads pay more than Meta Audience Network?
In our benchmark tables Unity Ads earns more in 5 of 9 app categories for a balanced audience, with an average lead of about 40%. Your own results depend on category, region and setup.
Can I run Unity Ads and Meta Audience Network 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 84% for Unity Ads and 80% for Meta Audience Network. Fill varies by country, format and floor settings, so treat these as typical blended figures.