What’s the Best Ad Format for Monetization in 2025? Experts Share Their Top Picks

What’s the Best Ad Format for Monetization in 2025? Experts Share Their Top Picks

A few months ago, a Reddit thread asked a deceptively simple question: “What’s the best ad format for user engagement and monetization?” We followed up with a LinkedIn poll. Rewarded Video led with 44% of the votes – but Interstitials, Native Ads, Playables, and Carousels weren’t far behind. Clearly, there’s more nuance. So we asked leading monetization experts from mobile, web, and CTV: “What is the best ad format for monetization in 2025 – and why?” Whether you’re optimizing in-app purchases, scaling web traffic, or monetizing CTV, here’s what the experts are seeing work right now. Traditional ad formats like rewarded videos and interstitials still dominate mobile gaming, but in 2025, it’s not about reinventing the wheel – it’s about evolving it. One smart tactic? Let players watch a rewarded ad to save their daily bonus streak. This reframes the value exchange from just in-game currency to progress continuity, which deepens engagement. At Ilyon, this approach is gaining real traction this year. Honestly, it depends heavily on your inventory type; whether it’s web, in-app gaming, or in-app non-gaming. For in-app gaming, I’d highlight two formats: 1. Rewarded Ads These have a low impact on churn and let users progress faster or access features for free. They also tend to have higher eCPMs than interstitials. Watch out: In games with strong IAP focus, rewarded ads can cannibalize revenue if not balanced carefully. 2. In-Gameplay Ads If you’ve already implemented rewarded, interstitial, and banners — and want to push ARPU further — in-gameplay ads are low-cost, low-disruption, and additive. Banner Ads: Scaled, Evolved, Still Effective Even in 2025, banners remain highly relevant. They’re cost-effective, scalable, and still represent over 40% of global programmatic impressions (source: eMarketer).

• Rich HTML5 and motion banners replace outdated static designs
• DCO (Dynamic Creative Optimization) allows real-time personalization
• Perfect for retargeting and awareness campaigns where CPM isn’t the only KPI

As 2025 unfolds, it’s clear there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to monetization

From rewarded videos that drive deeper engagement to banners reimagined with personalization and motion, the winning formula lies in knowing your audience, your platform, and your growth goals. The ad formats may be familiar, but the way we use them is anything but static. So the real question isn’t which format is best — it’s how you’ll use it to connect, convert, and scale.