What platforms are you using nowadays, for ad monetization, for your apps? Are you using other in-app monetization methods besides ads?
I am working with Android games but I have mixed traffic. Are there any lesser known solutions for making money?
You can use, for example, HillTopads, which is a platform that works very well for monetizing apps lately and can be used for both Android and iOS. https://hilltopads.com/publishers-help/en/articles/11623322-how-to-monetize-mobile-apps-with-hilltopads
We’re currently using a mix, because one platform rarely covers all use cases. For in-app ads we rely on standard SDKs plus native formats — solutions like MGID work well, especially when you need ads that don’t feel intrusive and don’t hurt the user experience. Besides ads, we’ve also tested subscriptions and one-time purchases. In some niches they bring more stable revenue, but it really depends on the audience and the type of app. The best results came from a combination: ads for free users and paid features for those willing to pay.
For ad monetization in 2026, developers are heavily leaning on Google AdMob and AppLovin MAX as their primary mediation platforms. Maximize your ad revenue by using smart bidding rather than traditional waterfalls to ensure real-time competition for your inventory. Additionally, integrating Unity Ads or IronSource remains highly effective for gaming apps, especially for rewarded video formats. To maximize revenue, you should combine ads with other in-app monetization models. The industry standard has shifted toward a hybrid monetization strategy that balances ad revenue with user experience. The Recommendation Implement Hybrid Subscriptions with Freemium Tiers. Do not rely solely on ads. Instead, offer a free, ad-supported tier alongside a premium, ad-free subscription layer. You can further boost earnings by introducing Rewarded Micro-transactions—allowing users to choose between watching a rewarded video ad or spending a small amount of in-app currency to unlock a premium feature or item instantly. This captures revenue from both casual users and high-value spenders.
I basically do something similar - combining approaches. These days, it’s rare that a single platform covers everything well. About MGID: it’s a decent option if you don’t overdo it. Their native ads look fairly clean and don’t annoy users as much as classic banners. And subscriptions/in-app purchases -yes, in many niches they’re actually more stable than ads, but it really depends on the audience
With mixed android traffic, I’d focus more on GEO segmentation than on finding a single platform. Working as a publisher with HilltopAds, I’ve noticed that the same ad setup can perform completely differently across Tier 1 and Tier 3 traffic, so testing usually beats chasing the next “best” network.
Manuel's right that with mixed traffic the testing matters more than the network, and I'd push it one step further. On Android games the bigger lever is in-app bidding instead of a waterfall: Tier 3 impressions that sit unfilled behind a fixed floor get bid on in real time once you switch, which is usually where mixed-GEO games leak the most revenue. On format, rewarded video is the one that pays without wrecking retention because it's opt-in. The common mistake is leaning on interstitials to lift eCPM, then watching D1 retention drop and quietly eat the LTV gain, so revenue per session looks higher while total revenue falls. Rewarded placements tied to a real in-game benefit hold up far better on Tier 2 and 3. For the "besides ads" part you asked about, two things move the needle on games. A light IAP layer for the few payers (a one-time remove-ads, plus consumables or cosmetics) captures the whales that ads never will, and an offerwall monetizes the ad-fatigued non-payers by letting them earn currency through CPI offers, which still pay decently on lower tiers. That hybrid split is usually where the money is sitting, more than any swap between mediation networks.