Chartboost Mediation vs Google AdMob
Chartboost Mediation
chartboost.com
Google AdMob
admob.google.comSide by side
| Figure | Chartboost Mediation | Google AdMob |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 3 |
| Spec score · Game Monetization Software | 7.4 (#15) | 8.6 (#5) |
| Spec score · App Monetization Platforms | 7.2 (#8) | 8.4 (#2) |
| Ad formats | The documented formats include banners, rewarded video, and interstitial ads, with some partners also supporting adaptive banners or rewarded interstitials. | Supported formats include native, rewarded, banner, video and interstitial ads. |
| Purpose | Chartboost Mediation is a monetization solution for mobile app developers that uses bidding to increase competition for each ad impression. | AdMob matches ads to mobile apps using publisher-set criteria and handles advertiser and network billing. |
| Reporting | The dashboard provides real-time auction and performance data, and publishers can download customized reports or use the Mediation API. | AdMob provides customizable reports combining advertising and in-app-purchase revenue streams. |
| Support | Chartboost says Mediation publishers have direct communication channels to an account manager, product team, and support team. | Google offers a personalized AdMob specialist consultation for developers with more than 25,000 daily active users. |
| What it does | Chartboost Mediation is a monetization solution powered by bidding that lets mobile app developers increase competition for ad impressions. | AdMob matches advertiser-supplied ads to mobile-app ad spaces and pays publishers for qualifying interactions. |
Plans
In their own words
Chartboost Mediation
Chartboost Mediation is a free monetization platform for Android and iOS mobile apps. It uses bidding to increase competition for each ad impression and offers access to more than 50 demand sources. A unified auction runs real-time bidding and shows why a bid won. Developers can use bidding or waterfall setups, although individual partners may not support both. The dashboard filters performance by app, placement, ad type, network source, country, and date range, and supports custom reports. One-click A/B tests compare bidding, non-bidding, and other monetization arrangements. Chartboost bidding supports banner, rewarded video, and interstitial ads. Mediation SDK integrations are listed for Android and iOS version 5.4.0 and Unity version 5.3.0. Chartboost says there are no demand fees for bidding partners. Setup includes a free platform account, app imports, network selection, placements, ad groups, and SDK integration.
Google AdMob
Google AdMob helps mobile app developers monetize apps by matching ads according to publisher-set criteria and handling billing between advertisers and networks. Publishers can use mediation to work with multiple ad networks; participating sources bid on each impression in real time, and the highest-paying bid wins. Available formats include native, rewarded, banner, video and interstitial ads. AdMob integrates with Google Analytics for Firebase to provide insights into ad revenue and user engagement. Publishers can review individual ads and block them by advertiser URL, category, network or sensitive topic. Google provides Mobile Ads SDK integration guides for Android and iOS, while listed supported platforms also include Unity and Flutter. Signup requires a Google account and phone number, and monetization setup requires payment details. Before fully serving ads, a published app must be linked to a supported store and pass an app readiness review. Apps created after January 2025 that are not verified with app-ads.txt face limited ad serving. For USD accounts, the payment threshold is $100; identity and address verification are required to receive payment. Some features are in beta and not available to all publishers.