Adsterra Review 2025: Traffic Quality,Scaling & Best Alternatives for Affiliates
An honest Adsterra review for affiliates and media buyers who care about ROI. We break down traffic quality, ad formats, minimum deposit, pricing, and what happens when you try to scale winning campaigns.
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Quick Comparison
| Adsterra | Blockchain-Ads | |
|---|---|---|
Push & pop |   | |
Native & video | | |
Traffic volume | High Variable Moderate | High |
Scaling stability | High Variable Moderate | Stable |
Quality filtering | High Variable Moderate | Advanced |
Source Transparency | High Moderate Limited | Full |
What is Adsterra?
Adsterra is an advertising network used by affiliates and advertisers to buy traffic across multiple formats including push notifications, pop and pop-under ads, native placements, banners, and video ads. Founded in 2013, it has grown into one of the larger ad networks serving the affiliate marketing space.
The platform is commonly used for fast offer testing and initial campaign validation, especially in CPA, CPI, and revshare funnels. Most experienced media buyers judge Adsterra not by its feature list, but by how traffic quality and ROI behave once daily spend increases beyond testing budgets.
How Does Adsterra Work?
Adsterra operates as a self-serve advertising platform where advertisers can launch campaigns across the network's publisher inventory. The platform uses a bidding system where you compete for ad placements based on your CPM, CPC, or CPA bids.
Adsterra Dashboard & Interface
The Adsterra dashboard provides campaign management tools including creative upload, targeting options, and basic reporting. The interface is straightforward for launching campaigns, though some buyers find the optimization controls limited compared to platforms built specifically for performance scaling.
Targeting Options
Adsterra offers standard targeting including geographic targeting (country, region), device type, operating system, browser, and connection type. Advanced users can target by carrier and implement frequency capping. However, the platform lacks some granular controls that performance-focused buyers often need for optimizing at scale.
Key insight: Adsterra works well for rapid testing across GEOs, but many affiliates report performance degradation when scaling budgets above $500-1000/day on winning campaigns.
Adsterra Ad Formats
Adsterra supports multiple ad formats designed for different campaign objectives and user experiences:
Push Notifications
Adsterra push advertising delivers messages directly to users who have opted in. This format typically sees high CTRs but requires careful frequency management to avoid subscriber fatigue. Push works best for time-sensitive offers and remarketing.
Pop & Pop-Under Traffic
Pop formats remain one of Adsterra's highest-volume traffic sources. These are commonly used for initial offer testing due to their low cost and high availability. Quality varies significantly by source, making whitelisting and blacklisting essential.
Native Ads
Adsterra native ads blend with publisher content for less intrusive placements. This format typically costs more but delivers higher engagement rates and is preferred for brand-sensitive verticals.
Video Ad Format
The Adsterra video ad format supports VAST-compliant pre-roll and mid-roll placements. Video inventory is more limited than other formats but can deliver strong performance for the right offers.
Banner Sizes
Adsterra banner sizes include standard IAB formats: 300x250, 728x90, 160x600, 320x50 (mobile), and 300x100. Banner performance varies widely by placement quality.
AdsterraMinimum Deposit & Pricing
| Pricing Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit (advertiser) | $100 |
| Minimum spend per campaign | No fixed minimum |
| Pricing models | CPM, CPC, CPA, CPL |
| Payment methods | Wire, Paypl, Paxum, WebMoney, Crypto |
AdsterraPros and Cons
Pros
- Large traffic volume across multiple GEOs
- Low minimum deposit ($100)
- Multiple ad format options
- Self-serve platform easy to start
- Fast campaign approval (usually)
- Crypto payment accepted
Cons
- Traffic quality inconsistent at scale
- ROI often drops when increasing spend
- Limited optimization controls
- Bot traffic requires vigilant filtering
- Support can be slow for non-VIP accounts
- Retargeting options limited
Common pattern: Many buyers report that campaigns performing well at $50-100/day see significant ROI decline when pushed to $500+ daily. This scaling challenge is the primary reason affiliates seek Adsterra alternatives.
Adsterravs Blockchain-Ads
| Feature | Adsterra | Blockchain-Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Push & pop traffic | Available | Available |
| Native & video formats | Available | Available |
| Traffic volume | High | High |
| Scaling stability | Often declines | More consistent |
| Bot filtering | Moderate | Advanced |
| Source transparency | Limited | Full visibility |
| Retargeting | Basc | Advanced |
The key difference isn't in available formats—both platforms cover the essentials. The difference is in what happens when you find a winning campaign and need to scale. Blockchain-Ads is built specifically for this phase, with stronger quality controls and more stable performance at higher spend levels.
BestAdsterraAlternatives
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Best for scaling winning campaigns. Same formats as Adsterra but built for stable performance at higher budgets. Offers migration bonuses for existing Adsterra advertisers.
Similar format coverage with different inventory sources. Good for diversifying traffic across multiple networks.
Strong push notification inventory. Worth testing as a supplementary traffic source alongside your main network.
Our Verdict
Adsterra works for testing, but serious affiliates need a platform built for scaling. If you're spending $500+/day and seeing diminishing returns, it's time to try a platform designed for performance stability.
Is Adsterra Legit?
Yes, Adsterra is a legitimate advertising network that has operated since 2013. They process payments reliably and have a large advertiser base. The question of "is Adsterra a scam" comes up mainly due to:
- Variable traffic quality: Some sources deliver bot traffic, requiring careful filtering
- Performance inconsistency: ROI can drop unexpectedly, especially when scaling
- Support responsiveness: Varies based on account spend level
These are common ad network challenges, not signs of fraud. The key is understanding Adsterra's limitations and using it appropriately—primarily for testing and moderate-scale campaigns, while using alternative platforms for aggressive scaling.
Migration Bonus for Adsterra Users
If you're currently running campaigns on Adsterra and ready to scale more aggressively, Blockchain-Ads offers a migration program designed to reduce your switching risk:
- Launch credits to test your campaigns on new inventory
- Dedicated onboarding to help restructure campaigns for stable scaling
- Priority support during your transition period
This offer is available for advertisers with active campaigns and verified Adsterra spend history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Adsterra is a legitimate ad network that pays reliably. However, most experienced affiliates judge networks by traffic consistency and ROI stability at scale, which is where Adsterra shows limitations.
The Adsterra minimum deposit is $100 for advertisers. This makes it accessible for initial testing, though scaling campaigns typically requires a larger budget commitment.
Yes. Blockchain-Ads supports push notifications, pop/popunder, native, banner, and video formats—with a focus on scalability and advanced quality controls.
To delete your Adsterra account, contact their support team directly. Make sure you have withdrawn any remaining balance before requesting account deletion.
Adsterra offers basic retargeting functionality, though options are limited compared to platforms built specifically for performance marketing. Advanced retargeting is one reason buyers explore alternatives.
For affiliates focused on scaling winning campaigns, Blockchain-Ads is the top Adsterra alternative due to its stable performance at higher budgets and advanced filtering. PropellerAds and RichAds are also worth testing for traffic diversification.
Quick Comparison
| Adsterra | Blockchain-Ads | |
|---|---|---|
Push & pop | | |
Native & video | | |
Traffic volume | High Variable Moderate | High |
Scaling stability | High Variable Moderate | Stable |
Quality filtering | High Variable Moderate | Advanced |
Source Transparency | High Moderate Limited | Full |
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