Choosing the right ad formats for publishers is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll make as a monetization strategy. Pick the wrong format and you lose twice: revenue drops as advertisers pay less for low-viewability or high-bounce inventory, and users leave faster, which compresses traffic over time. The 2026 ad market has tightened on both dimensions. Privacy regulation, iOS tracking changes, and rising ad-blocker adoption have redistributed which ad formats perform where.
TL;DR
Highest CPMs in 2026: Interstitials and popunders lead on CPM; push and in-page push lead on CTR.
iOS push myth: Safari 16.4+ (March 2023) added Web Push for PWAs – the “iOS can’t receive push” claim is outdated. In-page push still offers the broadest reach without any opt-in.
GEO matters more than format: Tier 1 finance traffic can yield 4–8× the CPM of the same format in Tier 3 markets.
Best combination for most publishers: Popunder + Banner + In-Page Push. Start there; layer native once traffic exceeds ~100K monthly visits.
GDPR note: Standard push ads require explicit opt-in from EU users. In-page push does not. Plan your consent flow accordingly.
According to the IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2024, US digital advertising revenue hit $258.6 billion in 2024, a 14.9% year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, Backlinko’s ad blocker research shows that 31.5% of internet users globally now use ad blockers at least sometimes, making format selection the primary lever publishers can control.
This guide uses data from Mondiad’s publisher network alongside third-party benchmarks to give you a defensible, current picture of what each ad format actually earns for publishers in 2026.
Key Stats at a Glance
- $258.6B — US digital ad spend in 2024, up 14.9% YoY (IAB/PwC)
- 31.5% — Global internet users who use ad blockers at least sometimes (GWI via Backlinko)
- ~70% — Mobile share of free-to-play app revenue (data.ai 2024)
- 4–8x — CPM premium: Tier 1 finance traffic vs. Tier 3 same format
Mondiad network data Q1 2026. CPM ranges reflect Tier 1 GEO general-content traffic. Finance and software verticals command 30–70% higher CPMs.
Comparing Ad Formats for Publishers: CPM, Fill Rate, and Compatibility (2026)
The table below is the most complete comparison of ad formats for publishers available for 2026, drawing on Mondiad network averages (Q1 2026) and published benchmarks from eMarketer and Publift.
| Format | CPM Range (Tier 1) | Avg. CTR | Fill Rate | Desktop | Mobile | Opt-in Required | Best Verticals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Push ads | $0.50–$3.00 | 0.3–2% | High | Yes | Android | Yes (GDPR) | Finance, software |
| In-page push | $0.40–$2.50 | 0.2–1.5% | Very high | Yes | All incl. iOS | No | All verticals |
| Native ads | $1.00–$5.00 | 0.1–0.5% | High | Yes | Yes | No | Editorial, news, health |
| Banner (display) | $0.30–$2.00 | 0.05–0.1% | Very high | Yes | Yes | No | All verticals |
| Popunder | $1.50–$6.00 | N/A (CPM) | High | Yes | Yes | No | Downloads, gaming, VPN |
| Interstitial | $2.00–$8.00 | N/A (CPM) | High | Yes | Yes | No | Gaming, entertainment |
| Dynamic (sticky) | $0.80–$3.50 | 0.15–0.4% | High | Yes | Yes | No | E-commerce, seasonal |
CPM ranges are indicative averages. Actual payouts depend on GEO, traffic quality, vertical, and demand-side competition.
Push Ads: High CTR, Direct-to-Device Delivery
CPM: $0.50–$3.00 | CTR: 0.3–2% | Opt-in: Required (GDPR)
Among all ad formats for publishers, push notifications stand out for one reason: they reach subscribers even after they’ve left your site. That direct-to-device delivery is the format’s defining advantage. Because they land in the device notification tray rather than inside a browser tab, they’re immune to banner blindness and benefit from a multi-chance exposure window.
The trade-off is the opt-in requirement. For publishers in the EU, GDPR mandates explicit, informed consent before subscribing users to push notifications. Opt-in rates vary considerably by vertical: tech and software audiences typically convert at 5–12% opt-in, while general news audiences often convert below 3%.
On the demand side, push ads appeal to performance advertisers in affiliate offers, software downloads, and financial products because the subscriber relationship signals intent. This is why push consistently delivers higher CTRs than banner formats even at lower impression volumes.
GDPR compliance note: Under EU GDPR, push notification subscription requires a two-step opt-in flow with a clear explanation of what users are consenting to. Pre-ticking or soft opt-in patterns are not compliant. See the EDPB guidelines on ePrivacy for full guidance.
Mondiad tip: Segment your push subscriber list by recency. Subscribers who opted in within the last 30 days convert at 2–4x the rate of those older than 90 days. Prune inactive subscribers quarterly to protect your sender reputation and keep CPMs high.
In-Page Push Ads: Full Reach Including iOS, No Opt-In Required
CPM: $0.40–$2.50 | CTR: 0.2–1.5% | Opt-in: Not required
In-page push is one of the most underrated ad formats for publishers monetizing broad audiences. These ads mimic the visual design of push notifications — icon, title, and body text — but render as page elements rather than OS-level notifications. Because they’re part of the page DOM, they work on every browser and device, including iOS Safari, without requiring any browser permission or user opt-in.
This matters enormously for reach. Standard push ads historically excluded iOS users entirely (Apple restricted Web Push until Safari 16.4 in March 2023, and even post-update adoption requires users to add your site as a PWA). In-page push sidesteps this entirely. Your reach becomes 100% of your active sessions, not just your opted-in subscribers.
Publishers monetizing iOS-heavy audiences in lifestyle, recipe, parenting, and fashion will often find in-page push is the single highest-reach ad format available.
Mondiad tip: Place in-page push units at 25% and 75% scroll depth on long-form articles. Mid-scroll placement outperforms both top-of-page and bottom-of-page positioning by approximately 30% on CTR, based on Mondiad publisher network data.
Native Ads: The Highest-Trust Ad Format for Publishers
CPM: $1.00–$5.00 | CTR: 0.1–0.5% | Opt-in: Not required
Native ads are designed to match the editorial look and feel of the surrounding content, including headline, thumbnail, teaser copy, and byline-style attribution. The objective isn’t invisibility; it’s relevance. A native unit in a news feed that recommends a related article feels like editorial discovery – not advertising.
Research from the IAB Native Advertising Playbook 2.0 consistently finds that native units extend time-on-site and reduce bounce rate when contextually matched. This has a compounding effect: more time on site means more ad impressions across all your other formats.
Native also shows strong resistance to the ad fatigue that degrades banner performance over time. Because the unit earns attention through relevance rather than interruption, repeat exposure doesn’t produce the same CTR drop-off that standard display units experience. For publishers in editorial, news, and health verticals, native is consistently among the best-performing ad formats available.
Placement strategy: Embed native units inside editorial content feeds and at article midpoints, after the third or fourth paragraph, not in sidebars. Sidebar native placement performs similarly to sidebar banner — you lose the context advantage that makes native worth the lower CPM per unit.
Banner Ads: The Reliable Foundation of Publisher Monetization
CPM: $0.30–$2.00 | CTR: 0.05–0.1% | Opt-in: Not required
Banner ads are among the most widely used ad formats for publishers precisely because they’re the simplest to implement and the easiest for demand partners to buy at scale. The IAB standardized the core sizes – 728×90 leaderboard, 300×250 medium rectangle, and 160×600 wide skyscraper – and virtually every advertiser produces creative in these formats, which means near-perfect fill rates.
The honest story on banner ads in 2026 is that they’re a volume play. CTRs have declined steadily due to banner blindness. Nielsen Norman Group eyetracking research confirms that users almost never look at anything that looks like an advertisement, whether or not it’s actually an ad. The format compensates with volume: very high fill rates and very fast demand.
For publishers below 50,000 monthly sessions, banners often represent the highest-revenue format simply because implementation is trivial and fill is guaranteed. At higher traffic volumes, they serve as the foundation layer in a mixed ad format strategy.
Popunder Ads: Highest CPM With Zero In-Session Interruption
CPM: $1.50–$6.00 | Opt-in: Not required
Popunders are one of the highest-earning ad formats for publishers who prioritize CPM over CTR. A popunder opens a new browser window or tab behind the active page. Users don’t see the ad until they minimize, close, or switch away from their current tab. This means zero interruption during the active session and guaranteed viewability at session end.
Advertisers pay well for popunders because the inventory performs. The deferred-view mechanic means users encounter the ad during a natural attention break, rather than while competing content is demanding their focus. Verticals that perform particularly well include software downloads, gaming, VPN services, and offers targeting Tier 2–3 markets with high session volumes.
Mondiad data: Publishers who set a frequency cap of 1 popunder per user per 24-hour session see less than a 2% incremental bounce rate increase. Publishers running uncapped popunders see 8–14% bounce rate uplift over the same period. Cap at once per 24 hours.
Interstitial Ads: Full-Screen Format With the Highest CPMs
CPM: $2.00–$8.00 | Opt-in: Not required | Highest CPM format
Interstitials are the highest CPM ad format available to publishers in 2026. They occupy the full screen during natural content transitions – between article pages, between steps in a multi-page flow, or between levels in a browser game. Because there’s no competing content visible, banner blindness is structurally impossible. The full screen is the ad.
Advertisers know the unit will be seen; they price accordingly. The format works best at genuine transition moments, appearing at the end of an article before the next one loads, or between quiz questions — not interrupting mid-paragraph. Forced mid-content interstitials produce high close rates and poor advertiser performance metrics, which depresses CPMs over time.
Note that Google’s mobile interstitial penalty (active since January 2017) targets full-screen interstitials that appear immediately on page load. Interstitials placed at natural flow transitions rather than on landing are not affected.
Implementation rule: Only trigger interstitials at defined transition events such as page navigation, content pagination, or form steps. Never on page load or scroll events. Keep close buttons visible within 5 seconds.
Dynamic (Sticky) Ads: Persistent Viewability Throughout the Session
CPM: $0.80–$3.50 | CTR: 0.15–0.4% | 4–6x viewability vs. static placements
Dynamic sticky ads are among the most viewability-efficient ad formats for publishers. They anchor to a fixed position – typically the bottom of the viewport on mobile or the left/right sidebar on desktop – and follow users as they scroll. Unlike a static placement that gets scrolled past after three seconds, a sticky unit maintains viewability throughout the entire session.
Active viewability time is 4–6x higher than an equivalent static banner in the same vertical position. The format pulls from live programmatic inventory, making it particularly responsive to seasonal spikes. In Q4, when advertiser budgets peak, sticky placements see the most significant CPM uplift of any format.
The user experience consideration: mobile sticky footers should always include a visible close or dismiss option. Google’s Better Ads Standards flag mobile sticky ads that cover more than 30% of the screen or lack a close button as a policy violation.
In-App Advertising: Ad Formats for Publishers on Android and Mobile Games
Web monetization is one channel. In-app advertising is an entirely separate revenue opportunity and, for many publishers, a significantly larger one. According to data.ai’s State of Mobile 2024 report, in-app advertising accounts for roughly 70% of revenue for free-to-play mobile apps, and mobile ad spend overall has been growing at roughly 10% annually.
Android Apps
For Android developers, integrating a native SDK connects your app directly to performance demand with precise placement control. In-app placements can leverage device-level signals such as app category, session depth, and engagement score to improve targeting and yield. Banner, interstitial, and native ad placements inside a well-optimized Android app typically yield 30–60% higher eCPMs than equivalent mobile web placements, based on Mondiad publisher cohort comparisons.
Mobile Games: Rewarded Video
For game developers, rewarded video is the dominant high-yield format. Users voluntarily watch a full video ad in exchange for in-game currency, extra lives, or unlockable content. Completion rates exceed 90% because the user initiates the exchange. The Unity Ads platform pioneered this model, with eCPMs regularly reaching $10–$25 in Tier 1 markets for rewarded video in casual and mid-core games.
Strategic interstitials placed between game levels, rather than interrupting active play, are the second pillar of game monetization. The key metric to watch is the interstitial-to-retention ratio: if daily active users drop more than 5% week-over-week after enabling interstitials, your placement frequency is too high.
Best Ad Format Combinations for Higher Publisher Revenue
No single format is the complete answer. The publishers consistently seeing the highest RPM are those combining 2–3 complementary ad formats that serve users at different moments in a session. Start with one or two formats. Measure RPM per thousand sessions rather than per thousand impressions, since sessions account for bounce rate. Add a third format only after the first two are stable.
Popunder + Banner Popunders handle immediate conversion value at the highest CPM. Banners maintain consistent fill and presence throughout the session. Best for download, gaming, and VPN verticals.
Push + Native Push brings opted-in users back for repeat visits. Native captures in-session engagement with content-adjacent placements that feel organic. Best for editorial and news publishers.
In-Page Push + Interstitial In-page push reaches 100% of visitors including iOS without any opt-in. Interstitials capture the highest CPM at natural transition points. Best for paginated or multi-step content.
Dynamic Ads + Seasonal Campaigns Sticky placements pulling live inventory are the most responsive ad formats to advertiser budget spikes. Enable dynamic ads in September and run through Q4 to capture peak spend periods.
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