Mobile Banner Ads: Low eCPM, Steady Income
The banner is the oldest mobile format and the least glamorous. It is a thin strip, usually at the top or bottom of the screen, that stays put while the user works or plays and swaps in a new ad every so often.
Updated · Every figure on this page is an estimate from our benchmark tables, not a quote from any network.
Its price per impression is tiny next to full-screen formats. Yet for an app with long sessions and no natural breaks, it can be the most reliable source of ad income you have. Every network in our tables offers it.
Estimated Banner eCPM by network
Android baseline, USD per 1,000 impressions, before category and platform multipliers. Networks that do not offer the format are left out.
| Network | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | iOS Tier 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google AdMob | $0.90 | $0.40 | $0.10 | $1.17 |
| Unity Ads | $0.80 | $0.35 | $0.09 | $1.04 |
| AppLovin MAX | $1.10 | $0.45 | $0.12 | $1.43 |
| Meta Audience Network | $0.85 | $0.38 | $0.09 | $1.11 |
| ironSource / LevelPlay | $0.85 | $0.38 | $0.10 | $1.11 |
| Vungle / Liftoff | $0.70 | $0.30 | $0.08 | $0.91 |
| InMobi | $0.65 | $0.30 | $0.11 | $0.85 |
| Chartboost | $0.70 | $0.30 | $0.08 | $0.91 |
AppLovin MAX has the highest Tier 1 eCPM for this format in our tables at $1.10.
Share of revenue by app category
How much of a category’s estimated revenue this format carries with the typical setup (Google AdMob, balanced audience).
| Category | Share | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Hypercasual Game | 34% | $3,960 |
| Casual Game | 24% | $2,503 |
| Mid-core / Strategy | Off in the typical setup | - |
| Puzzle Game | 18% | $1,907 |
| Utility App | 26% | $891 |
| Social / Lifestyle | 31% | $1,933 |
| Finance App | 25% | $1,253 |
| Entertainment App | 20% | $1,449 |
| Education App | 15% | $486 |
How it earns
Banners earn through volume. Each refresh counts as a fresh impression, so a user who spends twenty minutes in your app may see a good number of them. In our Tier 1 Android estimates banner eCPM runs from about $0.65 on InMobi to about $1.10 on AppLovin MAX, roughly a tenth of what an interstitial earns on the same network.
Size and viewability shape the price. Adaptive banners that span the screen width tend to draw more bidders than small fixed sizes, and a banner that stays visible for its whole refresh interval is worth more to buyers than one that scrolls off. Our calculator counts banners per session, with six as the default.
What it does to the experience
A banner costs the user a little screen space and not much else, which makes it the least disruptive format. Trouble starts when it sits too close to your controls. A tap meant for your interface that lands on the ad is an accidental click, and networks treat a pattern of those as invalid activity.
Long-standing policy at Google and other networks rules out banners that overlap content, sit hard against interactive buttons or move under the user's finger. Refresh rates are bounded by each network's rules too, so set refresh in the network or mediation dashboard rather than in your own code, and check current guidance before release.
Best practice
- Leave clear space between the banner and any button, particularly near bottom navigation.
- Use adaptive sizes so the banner fits each device width without stretching or leaving gaps.
- Hide the banner on screens where it would cover gameplay, video or a text field.
- Let the network or mediation layer control refresh so you stay inside its permitted range.
Common mistakes
- Expecting banners alone to fund an app with short sessions, where impressions have little time to build.
- Stacking two banners on one screen, which lowers the value of both and clutters the layout.
- Letting the keyboard or a pop-up push the banner up under the user's thumb.
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
Are banners worth adding if I already show interstitials?
Usually, if sessions are long. Banners earn in the time between breaks, so they add income without interrupting anyone. In short-session apps the gain is small and a cleaner screen may serve you better.
Why is my banner eCPM so low?
That is normal for the format, because a small creative attracts less spend per view. Judge banners on revenue per user per day rather than eCPM, and use the calculator to see their share of the total.
Does a banner slow my app down?
A little. Each refresh loads a new creative, using some data and memory. Current SDKs handle this well, but test on older devices to make sure scrolling and animation stay smooth.