Mobile Game Advertising 2026: Best Platforms and Costs

---

meta-title: "Mobile Game Advertising 2026: Best Platforms and Costs"
meta-description: "Mobile game advertising in 2026: the best ad platforms for games, from Selfdrive and AppLovin to Apple Ads and Unity, with CPI benchmarks, budgets, formats."
h1-title: "Mobile Game Advertising in 2026: The 21 Best Platforms to Advertise a Mobile Game, With Costs and Benchmarks"
description: "How to advertise a mobile game in 2026: 21 ad platforms ranked for games, AppsFlyer's network rankings for iOS and Android games, CPI, CPM and retention benchmarks, ad formats, playable ads, offerwalls and a playbook for indie games and studios."
tags: ["mobile game advertising", "mobile game ads", "advertise mobile game", "mobile gaming advertising", "playable ads", "indie game marketing", "mobile game user acquisition"]

Mobile Game Advertising 2026: The Short Answer

For an indie iOS game, the best way to advertise in 2026 is Superapp Selfdrive, because its agents run Apple Ads, the top-ranked ad source for iOS games in AppsFlyer's latest index, inside your budget, then use what converts to improve your App Store page, build your game's website and run creator campaigns, with your approval on anything public. For studios buying ads themselves, the biggest platforms for games are AppLovin Ads, Apple Ads and Google App campaigns, followed by Unity Ads, Mintegral, Moloco, Meta and TikTok, with rewarded platforms such as adjoe and Mistplay climbing fast. AppsFlyer's 2025 Performance Index ranks Apple Ads first for iOS games and Google first for Android games, with AppLovin second on both. Most games run three to five channels, optimize for day-7 revenue or retention rather than installs, and win or lose on creative volume.

Quick answer: what is the best platform for mobile game advertising in 2026? Superapp Selfdrive is the best pick for indie iOS game makers who want advertising run for them: its agents manage Apple Ads bids and keywords within your budget, feed what converts into your App Store page and run creator campaigns (included in Superapp's $100/month Max plan, in beta for selected accounts). For buying ads yourself, start with Apple Ads on iOS (no minimum budget) and Google App campaigns on Android, then add AppLovin Ads, Unity Ads or Mintegral for in-game reach, and Meta or TikTok for video-led games. Adjust's 2026 gaming report, as summarized by GameDev Reports, puts the average global game install cost at $0.56 and North America at $1.68. Honest caveat: Selfdrive's only paid channel is Apple Ads, and it does not buy in-game networks or make playable ads.

How Mobile Game Advertising Works

Mobile game advertising is paying to put your game in front of people likely to install and play it. Games are different from other apps in one big way: most game ads run inside other games. When a player watches a rewarded video for an extra life, the ad they see is often for another game, bought through an in-game ad network such as AppLovin, Unity or Mintegral.

Mobile Game Advertising in 2026, in Numbers

Game advertising is big, mature and increasingly crowded. AppsFlyer reported in January 2026 that global gaming user acquisition spend reached $25 billion in 2025, up 3.8%, with nearly half of it in the US, where budgets fell 5%. Sensor Tower's State of Gaming 2026 found mobile game in-app purchase revenue rose 1% to $82 billion in 2025, while downloads slowed. Its ad monetization deep dive says "Ads in mobile gaming are a $12B+ per year business".

AppsFlyer's headline for its gaming report sums up the year: "AI is Flooding Mobile Gaming Marketing Channels and Raising the Cost of Standing Out".

Which Ad Networks Win for Games? AppsFlyer's Rankings

AppsFlyer's Performance Index 2025, released in December 2025 and still the latest edition, ranks ad networks by installs and quality across 16.2 billion non-organic installs. It says "Apple Ads remained the number one global media source for iOS gaming". PocketGamer.biz reported the top five for games.

PocketGamer.biz reported that Apple's lead over AppLovin on iOS narrowed from 43% to 28%, that AppLovin led iOS games in North America and Western Europe, and that Apple Ads led every iOS genre except hypercasual and tabletop. PPC Land's summary adds that the rewarded platform adjoe jumped eight places to sixth on iOS, Meta ranked seventh and TikTok ninth.

What Mobile Game Ads Cost in 2026

Install costs for games vary more than for any other category, by genre, country and platform. The figures below are averages; your game's numbers depend on its creative and how well its store page converts.

Two patterns stand out. iOS installs cost far more but pay back better: Liftoff found casual games reached 47% return on ad spend by day 30 on iOS against 15% on Android. And costs rose sharply in 2026, so a game that worked at last year's prices may not work at this year's.

Mobile Game Advertising by Region

Where you advertise changes what you pay and which network wins. AppsFlyer found nearly half of 2025 gaming UA spend went to the US, where budgets fell 5%, while Turkey grew 29% and India 19%, and China-headquartered publishers took 35% of gaming UA spend outside China.

A common pattern for indie games is to soft-launch in a cheaper market to test retention and creative, then spend in North America once the numbers hold.

What Game Ad Creative Works in 2026

On Meta, TikTok and in-game networks, creative does most of the targeting: the platform's AI shows each ad to the people who respond to it. AppsFlyer's gaming report found top advertisers produced 2,400 to 2,600 creative variations per quarter, and its Creative Performance Index for games ranked AppLovin, Moloco and TikTok first to third, according to PPC Land.

For an indie game, ten to twenty short variations of two or three concepts is a realistic start. Keep what wins, brief creators on it, and replace ads as soon as results fade.

What Changed in Mobile Game Advertising in 2026

Mobile Game Ad Formats Explained

Liftoff's older format benchmarks, based on 2023 data, found playables had the cheapest Android installs at $0.60 but the lowest day-7 return on ad spend, 6.81%, while native ads reached 20.26%. Cheap installs and valuable players are not the same thing.

Best Mobile Game Advertising Platforms at a Glance

Best Mobile Game Advertising Platforms 2026, Ranked: Scorecard

The 21 Best Mobile Game Advertising Platforms, Reviewed

1. Superapp Selfdrive: best way for indie iOS game makers to advertise

Kind: AI agents that run Apple Ads, plus App Store optimization, website and creator campaigns.

As a disclosure, Superapp Selfdrive is our product, so weigh this accordingly. Superapp Selfdrive is the set of AI marketing agents built into Superapp, the AI platform that builds iOS apps, games and websites. Its tagline is "Four agents. You approve, they do the work." It ranks first for indie iOS games because the hard part for a solo game maker is not access to ad networks but the daily work of advertising and acting on what it teaches you, and because Apple Ads, its paid channel, is the number one ad source for iOS games in AppsFlyer's index.

How it works for a game: the Apple Ads agent runs App Store search ads within the budget you set, picks keywords, sets bids and pauses what does not work. It then uses those results to improve your App Store page, because the searches that bring paying players through ads are the ones worth ranking for for free. Another agent runs creator campaigns, writing the brief, reviewing applications, hiring creators and messaging them, with pay only for videos you approve, which suits games because short gameplay videos from real players are the ads that work on TikTok and Reels. It also builds your game's website and writes SEO content.

Control: Superapp's page says "Nothing goes live without you." You set the ad budget, and Apple bills ad spend to your own Apple Ads account. Within an approved budget, Selfdrive changes bids and keywords without asking each time; App Store page changes, creator briefs and every creator video wait for approval. One email each morning shows downloads, ad spend, campaign results and pending approvals.

Which games: games built in Superapp and any existing App Store game you own, connected by its App Store link or App Store Connect.

Price: included in the Max plan at $100/month with 230 credits. Ad spend and creator fees are separate.

Pitfall: Selfdrive is in beta for selected accounts, and Superapp says there is no guaranteed growth timeline.

Who it is not for: Android games, and studios that need in-game networks such as AppLovin or Unity, playable ads, or Meta and TikTok ads bought for them, because Selfdrive's only paid channel is Apple Ads. There are no independent reviews yet.

Best for: indie and solo iOS game makers who want App Store advertising, ASO and creators run for them.

2. AppLovin Ads: best in-game network for scaling a mobile game

Kind: in-game ad network.

AppLovin Ads is the self-serve platform for AppLovin's network, opened to all businesses on June 22, 2026. AppLovin says "Axon remains the name of our AI recommendation system." Your ads run inside games that use AppLovin's MAX mediation, which, with Google's AdMob, takes 65% of mobile gaming ad revenue according to Sensor Tower. AppsFlyer ranks AppLovin second for both iOS and Android games, first in iOS hypercasual, and ahead of Apple in North America and Western Europe. Advertisers set goals such as a target return on ad spend.

Formats: rewarded video, interstitials and playables, with AppLovin's SparkLabs creative studio for larger advertisers.

Price: no published minimum.

In their words: AdExchanger noted in August 2026, writing about AppLovin's push beyond games, that "the ads are still largely served in gaming apps" (AdExchanger), which for a game advertiser is the point.

Pitfall: it learns from purchase or revenue events, so a new game with little data can burn budget early.

Who it is not for: games without in-app purchases or ad revenue tracking.

Best for: free-to-play games ready to scale, especially casual, hypercasual and puzzle.

3. Apple Ads: best for iOS games

Kind: App Store search.

Apple Ads shows your game in App Store search results, the Search tab, the Today tab and on other apps' pages. It is the number one ad source for iOS games in AppsFlyer's index and led every iOS genre except hypercasual and tabletop. Apple Ads can promote a game while it is on pre-order, which you can open 2 to 180 days before release, so players download it automatically on launch day. Ad variations can send different keywords to different custom product pages, and Apple's own example is a maze game.

Price: no minimum. Basic charges per install and caps budgets at $10,000 per app per month; Advanced charges per tap with keyword control and no cap.

Pitfall: reach is limited to App Store search demand, and popular game keywords are competitive.

Who it is not for: Android games.

Best for: every iOS game, from launch onward. Our guides to Apple Ads Basic vs Advanced and the best Apple Ads tools go deeper.

4. Google App campaigns: best for Android games

Kind: store search, video and in-app.

Google App campaigns put one campaign across Google Play, Search, YouTube, Discover and the Display Network, including AdMob inventory inside other games. Google is first for Android games in AppsFlyer's index and leads Android casino, tabletop, puzzle, racing and action. For launches, pre-registration campaigns let players sign up before release; they run only on Android, your game must launch within 90 days, and you bid a target cost per pre-registration.

Budget: Google's best practices say install campaigns bidding on target CPI need a daily budget of "at least 50 times the bid."

Pitfall: little control over where ads run and no keyword reporting.

Who it is not for: tiny budgets that cannot meet the 50 times rule.

Best for: Android games of any genre, and pre-launch sign-ups.

5. Unity Ads: best for games built in Unity and casual games

Kind: in-game ad network.

Unity Ads runs on Vector, which Unity calls a "self-learning AI model built to give marketers precision targeting". It offers install, event, return on ad spend and creative-testing campaigns. Unity closed ironSource Ads' direct demand business on April 30, 2026 and moved those advertisers to Unity Ads, and Unity's Luna tool makes playables free for Unity campaigns. AppsFlyer ranks Unity Ads fourth for Android games, down one place.

Price: not published.

In their words: Naavik wrote in April 2026 that "AppLovin still retains a clear lead" (Naavik).

Pitfall: it is game-centric, and results depend heavily on creative.

Who it is not for: non-game apps.

Best for: Unity-built games and casual titles that want in-game reach alongside AppLovin.

6. Mintegral: best for hybrid-casual and ad-funded games

Kind: in-game network and programmatic.

Mintegral, part of Mobvista, connects to about 10,000 publishers and 100,000 apps and offers CPI, target ROAS (for in-app ads, purchases or both) and AI smart bidding. Games were most of its revenue in the first half of 2026. AppsFlyer moved it up to third for Android games and first in iOS tabletop. Its Mindworks studio makes playables and video for advertisers.

Price: not published.

Pitfall: in 2020 a security firm alleged click fraud in Mintegral's SDK, which Mintegral denied; monitor install quality as with any network.

Who it is not for: games aimed only at the US premium audience.

Best for: hybrid-casual and ad-funded games scaling globally, especially in Asia.

7. Moloco: best AI DSP for RPG and paying-player games

Kind: DSP.

Moloco Ads is a machine-learning demand-side platform that bids across ad exchanges toward in-app actions and return on ad spend. Moloco says "2B+ daily active users can be reached by Moloco Ads." AppsFlyer ranks it fourth for iOS games and strong in RPG.

Budget: "The current minimum for new Moloco Ads campaigns is $300 per day".

Pitfall: it needs reliable purchase events from your MMP and a real budget.

Who it is not for: games at launch with little conversion data.

Best for: mid-core and RPG games optimizing for paying players.

8. Meta Advantage+ app campaigns: best for creative testing and broad reach

Kind: social.

Meta Advantage+ app campaigns let Meta's AI choose audience, placement and budget across Facebook and Instagram, testing up to 50 creative combinations, and optimize for installs, events or purchase value. AppsFlyer ranks Meta fifth for Android games and seventh on iOS, climbing on both.

Price: no fee beyond ad spend.

In their words: Adapty wrote in June 2026 that "30-60% of iOS conversions can be invisible to Meta's attribution" (Adapty).

Pitfall: partial iOS measurement and fast creative fatigue.

Who it is not for: games without a steady creative supply.

Best for: casual, social and narrative games that want to test many ad concepts.

9. TikTok Ads and TikTok Ad Network: best for video-led games

Kind: social video and in-game network.

TikTok Smart+ app campaigns automate targeting, bids and creative for installs and in-app events. TikTok's in-app network, now called the TikTok Ad Network and formerly Pangle, spans nearly 400,000 apps and opened to US advertisers in October 2026, Digiday reported. TikTok also offers playable ads through Smart+, as a file under 5MB. AppsFlyer ranks TikTok ninth for iOS games and seventh on Android, strong in midcore and sports and racing.

Budget: campaign daily budgets must exceed $50 and ad groups must exceed $20.

Pitfall: polished trailers often lose to native, creator-style video, and creative fatigue is fast.

Who it is not for: games that do not show well in a few seconds of video.

Best for: midcore, sports, racing and any game with a visual hook.

10. Liftoff Accelerate: best managed partner for acquisition and re-engagement

Kind: DSP and network.

Liftoff Accelerate runs acquisition and re-engagement on its Cortex AI engine, with Vungle supply that Liftoff says is "integrated in 95% of top gaming apps." It can "directly optimize for any type of KPI (CPC, CPI, CPA, ROAS, pLTV)." Liftoff listed on Nasdaq in June 2026.

Price: not published; mostly sold with account management.

Pitfall: less self-serve than AppLovin or Google.

Who it is not for: indie games that want to sign up and launch today.

Best for: studios that want a managed partner for both new and lapsed players.

11. adjoe: best rewarded platform for games with deep progression

Kind: rewarded play.

adjoe's Playtime product pays mobile users for the time they spend in the games it advertises, reaching about 500 million users a year across more than 500 studios, and optimizes campaigns on retention and in-app events. It was the biggest climber in AppsFlyer's index for iOS games, up eight places to sixth, and rose six places on Android.

Price: not published; sales-led.

Pitfall: reward-motivated players play for the reward, so judge them on purchases, not installs.

Who it is not for: short games with little progression to reward.

Best for: games with long progression where reaching level 20 or 50 is a sign of a valuable player.

12. Mistplay: best for rewarded reach across loyalty apps

Kind: rewarded play.

Mistplay runs a loyalty app that rewards people for playing games, and in May 2026 launched the Mistplay Audience Network after buying Connected Rewards and MyChips, extending rewarded game ads to other apps' audiences.

Price: not published; sales-led.

Pitfall: Mistplay's own app has historically been Android-first.

Who it is not for: iOS-only games.

Best for: Android games with clear in-app events to pay for.

13. Tapjoy Offerwall: best offerwall for free-to-play games

Kind: offerwall.

The Tapjoy Offerwall, now a Unity product, shows your game as an offer inside other apps, where players earn currency for reaching goals in it. Unity says "You only pay when a user completes an offer." Campaign types include multi-reward cost per engagement, daily rewards and cost per action. Unity is migrating the ironSource offerwall onto Tapjoy.

Price: pay per completed offer; sales-led setup.

Pitfall: offer-driven players need careful quality checks.

Who it is not for: premium paid games.

Best for: free-to-play games that want players who reach specific milestones.

14. Snapchat Ads: best for games aimed at younger players

Kind: social.

Snapchat offers full-screen vertical ads with app install and purchase goals, and in September 2025 added an App Power Pack with playable app ads in testing, end cards and Sponsored Snaps for installs, Marketing Dive reported. A Snap executive said in January 2026 that games drive about 60% of its advertising.

Budget: the ad squad daily minimum is 5 units of currency, about $5.

Pitfall: Snapchat tests the creative you upload but does not create new creative for you.

Who it is not for: games for older audiences.

Best for: casual and social games aimed at teens and young adults.

15. Reddit Ads: best for niche genres with active communities

Kind: social.

Reddit lets you target communities organized around specific games and genres. It made app event optimization generally available in May 2026, with Max campaigns for apps in beta, eMarketer reported.

Budget: low; minimums have been reported at $5 per ad group.

Pitfall: Reddit users are quick to call out ads that feel generic.

Who it is not for: mass-market casual games.

Best for: strategy, roguelike, puzzle and other core genres with loyal communities.

16. InMobi DSP: best for Asia Pacific game launches

Kind: DSP.

InMobi DSP buys mobile in-app performance inventory across InMobi's exchange and partners including Google AdX, AppLovin and Unity, with CPI and ROAS goals. InMobi bought MobileAction, an Apple Ads and ASO tool, in May 2026.

Price: not published; managed.

Pitfall: less self-serve than other DSPs.

Who it is not for: small indie budgets.

Best for: studios launching in Asia Pacific.

17. Kayzen: best self-serve programmatic for in-house studios

Kind: DSP.

Kayzen is a self-serve programmatic DSP with published pricing. Its Starter plan costs $1,250 a month including up to $10,000 of media spend.

Pitfall: it needs an in-house team who understand programmatic buying.

Who it is not for: studios without UA staff.

Best for: studios that want to run programmatic in-house rather than through a network.

18. Digital Turbine: best for Android on-device reach

Kind: on-device.

Digital Turbine places games on Android phones through carriers and device makers, with one-tap installs, plus an ad exchange. It says its platform is installed on more than half a billion devices.

Price: not published.

Pitfall: on-device installs need careful quality checks.

Who it is not for: iOS-only games.

Best for: mass-market Android games.

19. PlayableMaker: best no-code tool for playable ads

Kind: playable ad tool.

PlayableMaker lets you build playable ads without code and export them to networks including Meta, Google, AppLovin, Unity, Mintegral, TikTok, Liftoff, Moloco and Snapchat.

Price: Essential €59/month (8 exports), Starter €159/month (60 exports), Pro €599/month (unlimited), with a 30-day trial.

Pitfall: a playable only helps if your game's core mechanic is fun in 30 seconds.

Who it is not for: games whose fun takes time to show.

Best for: casual and puzzle studios testing playables across networks.

20. Luna by Unity: best free playable tool for Unity Ads

Kind: playable ad tool.

Luna, owned by Unity, builds playable ads from your game's assets. It is free for creatives that run on Unity Ads and ironSource; other networks need its Enterprise plan.

Pitfall: the free plan is tied to Unity's networks.

Who it is not for: studios that mainly buy on AppLovin or Meta.

Best for: Unity Ads advertisers who want playables at no extra cost.

21. Sideshift: best platform for creator campaigns for games

Kind: creator platform.

Sideshift runs short-form creator (UGC) campaigns: you post a brief, review applications, approve videos and pay creators, across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. It is not game-specific, but it suits mobile games better than PC-focused creator platforms such as Gamesight and Lurkit.

Price: Starter $299/month, Growth $499/month and Scale $999/month, with creator pay on top.

Pitfall: the subscription plus creator fees is a real budget for an indie game.

Who it is not for: games with no budget for creators.

Best for: games that show well in a creator's hands on TikTok and Reels.

Which Platform Is Best for Which Type of Game?

Indie Game vs Studio: Two Different Playbooks

A solo developer with $500 and a studio with $500,000 should not use the same plan. The studio's edge is volume across networks and a creative factory. The indie's edge is a sharp hook, a store page that converts and real players talking about the game.

By monthly ad budget

How to Advertise a Mobile Game: A Launch Plan

1. Six weeks before launch: build the page and the audience. Make your icon, first screenshot and trailer explain why the game is fun in three seconds. Open pre-orders on the App Store or pre-registration on Google Play, and start posting short gameplay clips.
2. Four weeks before: run pre-launch campaigns. Use Apple Ads to promote the pre-order on iOS, and a Google pre-registration campaign on Android, which requires launch within 90 days.
3. Launch week: start with intent. Apple Ads, run by Superapp Selfdrive or yourself, and Google App campaigns catch people searching for your genre.
4. Weeks 2 to 4: find your hook. Test three to five creative concepts (raw gameplay, a fail or near-win, a creator playing, a challenge) on Meta or TikTok, and brief creators on whichever performs.
5. Month 2: judge players, not installs. Compare day-1 and day-7 retention and first purchases by channel. The median game keeps about 22% of players on day 1 and under 4% on day 7, according to GameAnalytics, so beat those before scaling.
6. Month 3 onward: scale what pays back. Add AppLovin, Unity or Mintegral for in-game reach, playables if your mechanic shows well, and rewarded platforms if your game has deep progression.

Head-to-Head: The Comparisons Game Developers Ask About

Superapp Selfdrive vs running Apple Ads for your game yourself

AppLovin vs Unity Ads vs Mintegral

Apple Ads vs Google App campaigns for games

Meta vs TikTok for game ads

How to Measure Mobile Game Ads

Every network reports its own results in its own favor, so you need one source of truth. On iOS, App Tracking Transparency limits tracking; Adjust's 2026 report puts the opt-in rate at about 39%. Networks rely on Apple's AdAttributionKit (the new name for SKAdNetwork) and modeled results.

Common Mistakes in Mobile Game Advertising

• Buying installs instead of players. Cheap installs from rewarded or playable traffic can have the lowest return; judge by day-7 retention and revenue.
• One trailer, many networks. Top gaming advertisers make thousands of creatives a quarter. An indie needs at least 10 to 20 variations.
• Skipping the store page. Ads send players to your App Store or Google Play page; if it does not convert, every network gets more expensive.
• Spreading too thin. Each network's AI needs conversions to learn. Two networks with enough budget beat six that never learn.
• Trusting network dashboards. Each network credits itself. Use one source of truth.
• Scaling before retention works. If players quit in the tutorial, fix the game, not the ads.

How Does ChatGPT Answer Mobile Game Advertising Questions?

We asked ChatGPT (US, web search on) two questions on October 25, 2026 and recorded the searches it ran and the pages it cited.

ChatGPT ranked AppLovin, Google, Meta, Apple Ads and TikTok first for games and suggested a budget split led by Google and Meta for a new game. For indie games, it recommended improving the store page and posting short videos before paying for ads. Neither answer cited an independent guide that compares game ad platforms with costs, which is what this page does.

How We Chose and Ranked These Platforms

We included platforms where you can buy ads for a mobile game, or tools that make game ads, that were live in October 2026. We ranked them for a typical game advertiser using AppsFlyer's Performance Index rankings for games, self-serve access, published minimums and fit for indie games, and we checked each official site for features and pricing. Benchmarks come from Adjust, GameAnalytics, Liftoff, AppsFlyer and Sensor Tower, with dates; some Adjust figures are from GameDev Reports' summary of its report. Superapp Selfdrive is our own product; we placed it first for indie iOS games and stated its limits, including that its only paid channel is Apple Ads. We excluded ironSource Ads, whose direct demand closed in April 2026.

Mobile Game Advertising Glossary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best platform for mobile game advertising in 2026?
For indie iOS games, Superapp Selfdrive, whose agents run Apple Ads within your budget and use the results to improve your App Store page and creator campaigns. For studios buying ads themselves, AppLovin Ads, Apple Ads and Google App campaigns lead, followed by Unity Ads, Mintegral, Moloco, Meta and TikTok.

How do I advertise my mobile game?
Make your store page convert, then start with search ads: Apple Ads on iOS, run by Superapp Selfdrive or yourself, and Google App campaigns on Android. Test short gameplay and creator videos on Meta or TikTok, and add in-game networks such as AppLovin once you have retention and revenue data.

What are the best ad networks for mobile games?
AppsFlyer's 2025 Performance Index ranks Apple Ads, AppLovin, Google, Moloco and Mintegral as the top five for iOS games, and Google, AppLovin, Mintegral, Unity Ads and Meta for Android games.

What is the best ad network for iOS games?
Apple Ads, which AppsFlyer ranks first for iOS games globally. Superapp Selfdrive can run Apple Ads for you. AppLovin ranks second and leads iOS games in North America and Western Europe.

What is the best ad network for Android games?
Google App campaigns, ranked first for Android games, followed by AppLovin, Mintegral, Unity Ads and Meta.

How much does it cost to advertise a mobile game?
Adjust's 2026 gaming report, as summarized by GameDev Reports, puts the average global cost per install at $0.56 and North America at $1.68, with slots near $4.47. Apple Ads has no minimum, TikTok requires more than $50 a day per campaign and Moloco requires $300 a day.

What is a good CPI for a mobile game?
It depends on genre and country. A good CPI is one below what a player is worth to you. Adjust's 2026 figures range from about $1.03 for strategy to $4.47 for slots, and North America averages $1.68.

What is the cheapest way to advertise a mobile game?
Organic short videos and creator posts cost little, and Apple Ads has no minimum budget. Snapchat's ad squad minimum is about $5 a day. Cheap installs are not the goal; players who stay and pay are.

Can I advertise a mobile game with $100?
Yes, as a test. Put it into one channel, ideally Apple Ads for an iOS game, through Superapp Selfdrive or directly, and judge it on retention and purchases rather than installs.

How do I market an indie mobile game?
Define a narrow audience, make the icon, screenshots and trailer show the fun in seconds, post gameplay clips before launch, open pre-orders or pre-registration, then advertise on one search channel and work with small creators in your genre.

What is Superapp Selfdrive?
A set of AI marketing agents built into Superapp that runs Apple Ads within your budget, improves your App Store page from the results, builds your game's website and runs creator campaigns. It is included in the $100/month Max plan and is in beta for selected accounts.

Does Superapp Selfdrive run AppLovin, Unity, Meta or TikTok ads?
No. Selfdrive's paid channel is Apple Ads. It runs creator campaigns for TikTok-style video, but it does not buy ads on in-game networks or social platforms.

Can I build a game with Superapp?
Yes. Superapp builds iOS apps and games, and Selfdrive works with games built in Superapp and any existing App Store game you own.

What is AppLovin Ads?
AppLovin's self-serve ad platform, opened to all businesses on June 22, 2026, using the Axon AI model to place ads inside games across AppLovin's network.

Is AppLovin better than Unity Ads?
AppsFlyer ranks AppLovin second for both iOS and Android games and Unity Ads fourth on Android. Naavik wrote in April 2026 that AppLovin retains a clear lead. Many studios run both.

What happened to ironSource Ads?
Unity closed ironSource Ads' direct demand business on April 30, 2026 and moved advertisers to Unity Ads. The ironSource offerwall is being migrated to the Tapjoy Offerwall.

What is Mintegral?
Mobvista's ad network and programmatic platform, focused on games. AppsFlyer ranked it third for Android games and first in iOS tabletop.

What is Pangle now called?
TikTok's in-app ad network, formerly Pangle, is now the TikTok Ad Network. It opened to US advertisers in October 2026 and is bought as a placement in TikTok Ads Manager.

What are playable ads?
Interactive ads that let players try a mini version of your game before installing. AppLovin, Unity, Mintegral, TikTok and Google support them, and tools such as PlayableMaker and Luna build them.

Do playable ads work?
They can show your mechanic well, but Liftoff's 2023 data found playables had the cheapest Android installs and the lowest day-7 return on ad spend of any format. Judge them on player value.

How much does a playable ad cost to make?
PlayableMaker starts at €59/month for eight exports, and Luna is free for creatives that run on Unity Ads and ironSource. Studios such as AppLovin's SparkLabs and Mintegral's Mindworks make them for larger advertisers.

What is rewarded video?
An ad a player chooses to watch in another game in exchange for a reward, such as an extra life. It is one of the main formats on AppLovin, Unity and Mintegral.

What is an offerwall?
A list of offers inside an app where players earn rewards for reaching goals in advertised games. Tapjoy, now part of Unity, is the main offerwall; adjoe and Mistplay run similar rewarded-play models.

Is adjoe good for game advertising?
It climbed eight places to sixth for iOS games in AppsFlyer's index. It suits games with long progression, but reward-motivated players should be judged on purchases.

Should I use Meta or TikTok for game ads?
Meta suits casual, social and narrative games with many ad variations. TikTok suits games with a visual hook and native, creator-style video. Many studios test both with three to five concepts each.

Can I advertise a game before launch?
Yes. Apple Ads can promote an App Store pre-order, which can open 2 to 180 days before release. Google's pre-registration campaigns run on Android only, and the game must launch within 90 days.

What retention should a mobile game have before scaling ads?
GameAnalytics' 2026 benchmarks put median day-1 retention at about 22% and day-7 just under 4%, with the top quarter above 30% and about 6 to 7%. Beat the median before scaling.

Do I need an MMP for game advertising?
If Apple Ads is your only paid channel, App Store Connect may be enough. With two or more networks, use an MMP: Singular is free to 15,000 paid conversions and Adjust starts free up to 1,500 a month for 12 months.

How many ad networks should a mobile game use?
Indie games should use one or two. Studios typically run three to five, and Adjust's 2026 report found the average fell from six partners per app to about five.

Why are mobile game installs getting more expensive?
Adjust's 2026 report found the average gaming CPI rose 30%, and AppsFlyer found top advertisers raised creative output by 25 to 30% while ad impressions rose 20%, so competition for attention is higher.

Is iOS or Android better for advertising a game?
Android installs are cheaper and Google Play has over four times the App Store's game downloads, but iOS players pay back better: Liftoff found casual games reached 47% day-30 return on ad spend on iOS against 15% on Android.

What is the best mobile game advertising for hypercasual games?
AppLovin Ads, first in iOS hypercasual in AppsFlyer's index, with Unity Ads, Mintegral and TikTok for volume and playables.

What is the best mobile game advertising for RPG games?
Apple Ads and Google for intent, then Moloco, strong in RPG on iOS, and TikTok or Meta for discovery.

Can AI run my mobile game's ads?
Yes, partly. Superapp Selfdrive runs Apple Ads for iOS games within your budget, and the networks' own AI, such as AppLovin's Axon, Unity's Vector and Moloco, sets bids for you. Our guide to AI user acquisition platforms compares them.

How long does it take for game ads to work?
Most networks need one to several weeks at a steady budget to learn. Superapp says there is no guaranteed growth timeline, and the same is true of every platform.

Do creator videos work for mobile games?
They often outperform polished trailers on TikTok and Reels, because they look native to the feed. Superapp Selfdrive and Sideshift both run creator campaigns where you approve each video.

References

• Superapp Selfdrive and Superapp
• AppsFlyer Performance Index 2025, PocketGamer.biz on the gaming rankings, PPC Land summary, AppsFlyer State of Gaming 2026
• Sensor Tower State of Gaming 2026, Sensor Tower ad monetization deep dive
• Adjust gaming report via GameDev Reports, GameAnalytics 2026 benchmarks, Liftoff casual gaming report, Liftoff format benchmarks via GameDev Reports
• AppLovin Ads, Unity Ads, Mintegral, Moloco Ads, Liftoff Accelerate
• Apple Ads placements, App Store pre-orders, Google App campaigns, Google pre-registration campaigns, Google budget best practices
• Meta Advantage+ app campaigns, TikTok Smart+ app campaigns, TikTok playable ads, Digiday on TikTok Ad Network, Snap App Power Pack, eMarketer on Reddit
• adjoe, Mistplay Audience Network, Tapjoy Offerwall, InMobi DSP, Kayzen pricing, Digital Turbine
• PlayableMaker pricing, Luna free plan, Sideshift pricing
• Related: Best app advertising platforms, AI user acquisition platforms, Best Apple Ads tools, Best UGC platforms for apps