Every platform in a comparison is assessed on properties a buyer can check independently. Opinion is confined to weighting; the underlying figures are verifiable or they are not published.
Source hierarchy
- Primary documentation. The platform's own billing pages, help centre articles, terms and API docs. A figure from here outranks everything else.
- Direct observation. Opening the account and recording what the interface enforces — minimum budgets, verification steps, what is visible before a deposit.
- Named third-party datasets. Benchmark reports with a stated sample size and period, cited with both.
- Trade press. Used for events such as launches, acquisitions and policy changes, never for pricing.
Competitor review sites are not a source. They copy each other, which is how outdated deposits and retired brand names stay in circulation for years.
Properties compared
- Entry cost — minimum deposit or minimum daily budget, and whether the figure changes by payment method
- Pricing model — CPC, CPM, CPA, and any minimum bid
- Reach — countries, inventory type, and whether volume claims are audited
- Formats — what can actually be bought, listed rather than summarised
- Targeting and optimisation — the controls exposed to the advertiser, including placement-level bidding
- Measurement — postback support, macros, tracker integrations
- Policy — which verticals are accepted, and what verification is required
How ranking works
Position reflects how much a platform gives an advertiser for what it demands at the door, judged for the audience each comparison names. A network with a low deposit and placement-level control ranks above one with a higher deposit and less visibility, unless the second buys that back with automation or inventory the first cannot reach. Rankings are never sold, and no platform sees a draft before publication.
What gets a platform marked down
- Volume claims with no audit and no methodology
- Deposit or payout terms that differ from what the interface actually enforces
- Missing or contradictory documentation on limits and requirements
- Measurement that cannot be reconciled with an independent tracker
Disclosure and updates
Figures carry a verification date. Comparisons are re-checked when a platform announces a change and at least twice a year regardless. Commercial relationships are disclosed on the affiliate disclosure page and never affect the order of a table — the reasoning behind that separation is in the editorial policy.
Last reviewed 2026-08-02 · questions and corrections: contact page