After months of testing, I can say that MobClix has definitely paid me more than Admob.  When I first wrote this article, I was still waiting for payments, but now that they checks are regularly arriving the winner is clear:  MobClix.  Read on for details.

Check out the just-released Android Ad Network Primer on Kindle and in print for a crash course in getting advertisements into your Android app quickly.  It covers these and many other ad networks. [Now unavailable]

Update: Mobclix went into bankruptcy, and had lots of trouble paying developers before that.  Their technology has been acquired by Telefonica, and the new platform is called Axonix.  A review for that network may be coming, but poke around here now to find good choices to use instead of Mobclix.

[Update, Axonix is no longer available either]

Major Features – Admob vs. Mobclix

There are numerous other factors that I’m not covering here.  This is a rundown of the major differences that concern me the most.

Admob

• Easy to integrate
• No payment until you get to $20.  No ability to convert to ad credit unless you have $50 pending.
• Payment occurs 6 weeks after close of a month with sufficient credit
• Good analytics.  Can see geographic location of users.
• Nice visuals for daily activity
• House ads – serve when no ads are available.  Metrics on house ads just as with advertiser ads.  Easy to create house ads (text or graphic).  UPDATE the new house ads don’t allow you to just serve ads when no paid ads are available – you must specify a target number of clicks.
• Single library to integrate into your app

Mobclix

• Easy to integrate
• No payment until you get to $100.  If you don’t make it there in 180 days (6 months) it all gets converted into ad credit, which in turn expires in another 180 days.
• UPDATE – they now pay 90 days after the end of the month where you meet the minimum, no matter when the ad network pays them.  No more guessing!
• House ads were a little tricky to set up.
• Multiple ad networks means that fill rate is much less likely to dip (which has happened for me with Admob)
  • Adfonic
  • Adtini
  • EJam
  • InMobi
  • Jumptap
  • Mdotm
  • Mojiva
  • Smaato
  • Todacell
  • Traffic Marketplace
  • Vdopia
  • Velti
  • ZestADZ
  • Admob and Google (through open allocation)
• Single library to integrate (although it’s a little larger, around 150kb)

Deciding factors

• Mobclix has consistently earned at least 3x what I get from Admob.  Part of it is the opportunity for ad networks to have high-CPC (Cost-per-Click) ads, part of it is the higher number of ads served (the two networks previously had different ad switch frequencies, but even after updating that frequency I still can’t figure out the discrepancy), and part of it might be a higher click rate.
• Admob analytics have been very useful in understanding where my app is being used in the world.  That info is helpful when deciding if I should investigate an alternative marketplace.  For example, until I released to a market specifically for Central America, I saw zero requests for ads from that region.
• I use the Admob house ads to advertise for my paid app

Doing some quick math (3x the income for Mobclix, but 5x the payout requirement, plus a longer payout delay) I expect to get paid by Admob first.  It will be a small payout, though. (see updates below)

For now, I’m keeping both ad networks in my app.  I do intend to drop Admob eventually, but an event like the Mobclix analytics coming online or getting paid by Mobclix would bump that transition along faster.  In the meantime, I’m more likely to make Mobclix show up more often than Admob, since it pays more

Further thoughts

Motorola’s app market Shop4Apps also serves China, but I can’t deploy my app there until I use their ad network Amobee.  See my review of Amobee for why I don’t suggest it.

The additional danger is that the more ad networks I split my income between, the  longer it takes before any of them pay me.  Until my ad revenue is up (and until I get my first check) I think that being cautious and concentrating on one network is my best bet.

Updates

I have now received payments from Admob and MobClix, as well as MobFox.  All of their payout mechanisms worked as I expected, although MobClix took a while to get things smoothed out (they changed their payout timeframe and are now more predictable).

I continue to post new reviews and updates on ad networks, so click here to read more.  You also might want to read the next part in the MobClix vs. AdMob saga: 

Mobclix Vs. Admob Round 2 – Getting Paid

Update: Mobclix is defunct – see the note at the top of this post

If you’re looking for a rundown on more of the ad networks, including instructions for quickly implementing them, check out the Android Ad Network Primer, now available on Kindle and also in print from Amazon.  You’ll get all of my recommendations and it will get you up and running with easy-to-follow instructions to integrate advertisements from networks such as Admob and MobFox into your Android app.  Check it out now!