Display advertising vs Push, pop-under & interstitial ads (2026): Which Monetization Method Pays Better?
Both are advertising revenue. Here is how Display advertising and Push, pop-under & interstitial ads compare on what they pay, the traffic they need, effort and the properties they suit, and when to pick each.
Display Advertising
Banner and responsive ad units sold by the thousand impressions: the default first dollar for any content site.
8.6 /10
Earns: $5-25 session RPM (general niche)
Pros
- Works from the first pageview with no sales, products or audience relationship
- Fully passive once the layout is set
- Scales linearly with traffic, and managed partners lift RPM 30-100% at 50k+ sessions
Cons
- The lowest revenue per visitor of any method on this site
- Slows the page and annoys readers if you chase RPM with more units
- Depends on advertiser demand: Q1 pays 30-40% less than Q4
Push, Pop-under & Interstitial Ads
Aggressive formats that pay high CPMs, accept almost any niche and pay weekly, at the cost of reader trust and search safety.
5.2 /10
Earns: $2-8 RPM, higher in tier-3 volume
Pros
- No traffic minimum, instant approval, weekly or even daily payouts
- Accept gambling, adult, crypto, dating, streaming and download sites
- Monetize the tier-3 traffic display networks pay pennies for
Cons
- Pop-unders and full-page interstitials violate Google's intrusive interstitial guidelines on mobile and can cost rankings
- Browsers and antivirus flag many of the advertisers; readers blame you
- Push subscriber lists decay fast and cannot be moved between networks
Display advertising vs Push, pop-under & interstitial ads at a glance
| Display advertising | Push, pop-under & interstitial ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor score | 8.6 / 10 | 5.2 / 10 |
| Typical earnings | $5-25 session RPM (general niche) | $2-8 RPM, higher in tier-3 volume |
| Per 1,000 visitors (US, general) | $5-25 | $2-8 |
| Traffic needed | 5k/mo | None |
| Cost to start | $0 | $0 |
| First payout | 1-2 months | 1-2 weeks |
| Difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Effort | Mostly passive | Mostly passive |
| Family | Advertising revenue | Advertising revenue |
| Blog / content site | Yes | Yes |
| Newsletter / email list | No | No |
| YouTube / video channel | No | No |
| Podcast | No | No |
| Mobile app | No | No |
| SaaS / web app | No | No |
| Community / forum | Yes | No |
| Social account | No | Yes |
| Online store | No | No |
| Directory / listing site | Yes | No |
| Free tool / utility | Yes | Yes |
| Ad & affiliate networks in this directory | 32 | 15 |
| Platforms & tools in this directory | 14 | 6 |
| Marketplaces & brokers in this directory | 1 | 0 |
| Reader upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Best for | adsense, header bidding, rpm | push notifications, popunder, interstitial |
Our pick
Display advertising edges it with a score of 8.6 versus 5.2. Display advertising is the better fit if you value: works from the first pageview with no sales, products or audience relationship, fully passive once the layout is set. Choose Push, pop-under & interstitial ads instead if you need: no traffic minimum, instant approval, weekly or even daily payouts, accept gambling, adult, crypto, dating, streaming and download sites. Most properties run both: see the planner.
Other advertising revenue to consider
Full ranking →
Newsletter Sponsorships Medium
Sell the primary slot, a secondary placement or a classified in each send, priced per thousand opens.
Sponsored Content & Brand Deals Medium
Brands pay for a post, video, integration or review featuring their product, sold directly or through a creator marketplace.
Podcast Sponsorships & Host-Read Ads Medium
Pre-roll, mid-roll and host-read spots priced per thousand downloads, the highest CPMs in media.
Mobile App Advertising Medium
Rewarded video, interstitials and banners inside an app, auctioned across networks by a mediation layer.