WordAds vs Google AdSense. Which is best for WordPress.

WordAds vs Google AdSense, the challenge.

If you have a WordPress website and are really looking to make a go out of it monetarily speaking, then one of the first things you need to look at is how to monetize it. 

One of the easiest and most popular ways to monetize a WordPress website is through the use of display advertising. 

Google AdSense is the most popular way to monetize a WordPress website with display advertising. But how do other display advertising networks match up to Google AdSense? 

In this post I’m going to look at one of those display advertising networks called WordAds by Automattic, the company that owns WordPress.com. 

If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’re asking yourself the same questions I was, “Are there any better alternatives to AdSense?” The good news is yes, there are better alternatives to AdSense.

However, is WordAds one such better alternative to AdSense? 

I’m also going to answer some common, frequently asked, questions related to WordAds vs AdSense and then give you my conclusions as well. 

I will finally give you my personal opinion on which display ad network is best for WordPress, WordAds vs AdSense.

Which is better for WordPress.com, WordAds or AdSense?

When I first researched this post, I thought it was a no-brainer. I thought that WordAds would be much better for WordPress.com then AdSense. 

However, when I looked closer, I found that there’s very little difference between the two for WordPress.com. 

In fact, you can only use WordAds if you have a WordPress.com Premium, Business, or eCommerce plan. Actually, if you have any paid plan for WordPress.com, you can use AdSense as well. 

In addition, WordAds still has to accept your site even if it’s hosted on WordPress.com. 

The only advantage that WordAds may have over AdSense is that they may pay more. 

But this greatly depends not only on your niche, but also on the amount of traffic you have.

Therefore, I think that since AdSense is more versatile, it would probably be a better option. 

Please note, that I’m saying this without knowing a particular site, niche as well as traffic. The only way for you to truly find out is to try both on your WordPress site yourself.

Can I use WordAds on a self-hosted WordPress website or blog?

Yes, you can use WordAds on a self-hosted WordPress website or blog. 

However, you must have Jetpack as well as the Security or Complete plan in order to activate WordAds on your self-hosted WordPress website. Although Jetpack can be free, those two plans are not. So keep that in mind.

Can I use WordAds and AdSense at the same time?

There are no restrictions as far as using both WordAds and AdSense at the same time on your WordPress website. However, it could get quite messy with all those ads.

Can you use AdSense on WordPress?

Yes you can use AdSense on WordPress. Do you have a paid WordPress.com hosting plan, or you are self-hosting your website from another hosting provider? Then as long as you are accepted into the AdSense program you can display AdSense ads on your WordPress website.

Can I monetize a free WordPress site with WordAds or AdSense?

Unfortunately, you cannot monetize a free WordPress site with either Google AdSense nor WordAds.

You can, however, monetize your free WordPress website with either affiliate products and services or sponsored posts.

Does WordPress put ads on your site?

If you have a free WordPress blog plan on WordPress.com, then WordPress.com does put ads on your free WordPress blog or site. You should also know that you do not receive any of the revenue those ads may generate.

In fact, WordPress.com receives all revenues from all ads generated on free WordPress.com blogs. As they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. 

Someone has to pay for your “free” hosting.

Are WordAds worth it?

If you already have a WordPress.com Premium, Business, or eCommerce plan, then you should give WordAds a try to see if they are worth it for you. 

They make it quite easy for you to do so since you can request approval for as well as activate WordAds right from your WordPress.com dashboard.

WordAds vs Google AdSense, the winner is.

In the WordAds vs Google AdSense matchup, I would have to say that Google AdSense wins hands down. Why?

First of all, Google AdSense is very flexible. You cannot only place them in self-hosted WordPress sites, but you can also place them in WordPress.com for sites on their Premium, Business, or eCommerce plans.

In addition, in order for you to place WordAds on a self-hosted WordPress website, you would have to have a paid Jetpack Security or Complete plan. Whereas with AdSense, you do not need anything but AdSense approval from Google.

Finally, Google AdSense is quite flexible in regards to ad placement layouts. You can place as many or as little as you like as long as you don’t break the terms of agreement which states that your ad placements must not be deceiving in nature.

WordAds currently has two placement options. You can read about them here, “Ad creative and placement”. That’s it.

So unless you’ve done a side by side comparison or an A/B split test with one of your websites. One with Google AdSense the other with WordAds, so that you can calculate which one pays more for your niche. There is no real way to tell until you try it yourself. 

You should also calculate the extra cost of needing a Jetpack paid plan because if you plan to use WordAds on a self-hosted WordPress website you will need to purchase one of the Jetpack paid plans, Security or Complete, in order to install them on your self-hosted WordPress website.

As much as I was rooting for WordAds, I must say, I stand by my conclusion that Google AdSense wins hands down.