AppLovin MAX vs Chartboost Mediation

AppLovin MAX9.3Visit Chartboost Mediation8.8Visit

Higher score AppLovin MAX #1 in App Monetization Platforms 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit AppLovin MAX

vs

Chartboost Mediation #4 in App Monetization Platforms 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Chartboost

• AppLovin MAX fits best

  Mobile apps needing flexible ad mediation

• Chartboost Mediation fits best

  Teams needing free mediation with reporting APIs

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Side by side

Feature	AppLovin MAX 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Chartboost Mediation 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.8
Ranking	#1 in App Monetization Platforms	#4 in App Monetization Platforms
Best for	Mobile apps needing flexible ad mediation	Teams needing free mediation with reporting APIs
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Android, iOS	iOS, Android
Integrations	6 integrations	33+ integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features AppLovin MAX 0/3 · Chartboost Mediation 0/3
Ad mediation	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Revenue reporting	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
In-app bidding	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Ad formats	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
App platforms	Android, iOS, Unity, React Native, Flutter, Cordova, Adobe AIR, Unreal, Godot, Defold	Android, iOS, Unity
Demand sources	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Runs real-time auctions across competing demand sources Supports A/B tests for networks, price points, and regional setups Reports revenue and eCPM, with user- and impression-level access	Combines real-time bidding and waterfall mediation across demand sources. Includes revenue analytics, custom reports, and a reporting API. Supports placement-level A/B testing and rewarded, interstitial, and banner ads.
Cons	Focused on in-app advertising rather than broader monetization methods Waterfall segmentation and cloning may add management complexity Ad mediation is limited to mobile deployment	Ad formats are narrower than some alternatives. SDK coverage is limited to Android, iOS, and Unity. Teams needing broader platform coverage may need another option.
Our verdict	AppLovin MAX focuses on in-app advertising for mobile apps and games. Its mediation tools combine real-time auctions across competing demand sources with control over waterfalls, ad formats, reporting, and experiments. Supported formats… Read the review →	Chartboost Mediation connects multiple advertising demand sources for mobile app and game publishers. It combines real-time bidding with waterfall mediation, lets teams manage ad placements and groups, and provides performance analytics.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• AppLovin MAX — where it wins

  • Runs real-time auctions across competing demand sources
  • Supports A/B tests for networks, price points, and regional setups
  • Reports revenue and eCPM, with user- and impression-level access

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on in-app advertising rather than broader monetization methods
  • Waterfall segmentation and cloning may add management complexity
  • Ad mediation is limited to mobile deployment

• Chartboost Mediation — where it wins

  • Combines real-time bidding and waterfall mediation across demand sources.
  • Includes revenue analytics, custom reports, and a reporting API.
  • Supports placement-level A/B testing and rewarded, interstitial, and banner ads.

  Where it doesn't

  • Ad formats are narrower than some alternatives.
  • SDK coverage is limited to Android, iOS, and Unity.
  • Teams needing broader platform coverage may need another option.

• AppLovin MAX9.3/10 · Free plan

  A free mediation platform for mobile apps that need control over ad demand and formats.

  Visit AppLovin MAXFull verdict →
• Chartboost Mediation8.8/10 · Free plan

  Free mediation with bidding, waterfalls, placement testing, and a revenue reporting API.

  Visit ChartboostFull verdict →