Display advertising vs Video advertising (2026): Which Monetization Method Pays Better?
Both are advertising revenue. Here is how Display advertising and Video advertising 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
Video Advertising (Instream, Outstream & CTV)
Pre-roll, mid-roll and outstream ads inside a player on your pages or channel, at CPMs several times higher than display.
7.4 /10
Earns: $10-35 RPM on pages with a player
Pros
- Video CPMs run 3-10x display CPMs for the same audience
- Managed partners provide the player and the video content if you have none
- Adds a unit that does not compete with display slots
Cons
- An autoplaying player with unrelated content is the most hated ad format on the web
- Heavy on page weight and battery; needs lazy loading and a mute default
- Instream demand wants real, watched video; outstream and "video content libraries" pay a fraction
Display advertising vs Video advertising at a glance
| Display advertising | Video advertising | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor score | 8.6 / 10 | 7.4 / 10 |
| Typical earnings | $5-25 session RPM (general niche) | $10-35 RPM on pages with a player |
| Per 1,000 visitors (US, general) | $5-25 | $10-35 |
| Traffic needed | 5k/mo | 25k/mo |
| Cost to start | $0 | $0-100/mo (player or hosting) |
| First payout | 1-2 months | 2-3 months |
| Difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Effort | Mostly passive | Mostly passive |
| Family | Advertising revenue | Advertising revenue |
| Blog / content site | Yes | Yes |
| Newsletter / email list | No | No |
| YouTube / video channel | No | Yes |
| Podcast | No | No |
| Mobile app | No | No |
| SaaS / web app | No | No |
| Community / forum | Yes | No |
| Social account | No | No |
| Online store | No | No |
| Directory / listing site | Yes | No |
| Free tool / utility | Yes | Yes |
| Ad & affiliate networks in this directory | 32 | 19 |
| Platforms & tools in this directory | 14 | 8 |
| Marketplaces & brokers in this directory | 1 | 0 |
| Reader upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Best for | adsense, header bidding, rpm | pre-roll, outstream, instream |
Our pick
Display advertising edges it with a score of 8.6 versus 7.4. 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 Video advertising instead if you need: video cpms run 3-10x display cpms for the same audience, managed partners provide the player and the video content if you have none. 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.