AppLovin MAX vs AdMob: Which Pays More in 2025?

The short answer

AdMob and AppLovin MAX are the two heavyweights of mobile monetization, but they aren’t the same kind of product. AdMob is Google’s ad network — one enormous source of advertiser demand. AppLovin MAX is a mediation platform that runs a real-time auction across many networks at once (including AdMob). At scale, MAX usually edges out AdMob on eCPM — but AdMob is faster to set up and the better first step for a brand-new app.

eCPM, head to head

Using blended Tier-1 benchmarks, they compare roughly like this:

• Rewarded video: AppLovin MAX ~$42 vs AdMob ~$32 eCPM
• Interstitial: AppLovin MAX ~$18 vs AdMob ~$14
• Banner: AppLovin MAX ~$1.20 vs AdMob ~$1.00

That’s a 15–30% advantage for MAX on paper. The reason is structural: because MAX auctions every impression across multiple demand sources, it captures the highest available bid — whereas AdMob on its own only sees Google’s demand.

When AdMob wins

• You’re launching and want one SDK, one dashboard, fast approval.
• You don’t yet have the scale to justify a full bidding stack.
• Your audience sits where Google’s demand is especially strong.

When AppLovin MAX wins

• You’re at scale and will wire up multiple networks as bidders.
• You want A/B testing, in-app bidding, and granular reporting.
• You’re squeezing every cent from rewarded and interstitial inventory.

The practical path

Start with AdMob to get live and earning. As you approach real scale (tens of thousands of daily users), move to MAX and add AdMob inside it as a bidding source — you keep Google’s demand and gain everyone else’s. For the numbers behind each format, see real eCPM ranges by network.

Want to see the difference for your own app? Calculate your estimated earnings →