The Monetisation Showdown: Waterfall Mediation vs. In-App Bidding
If you’re a small mobile game studio earning steady revenue from in-app ads, you’ve probably heard of two big monetisation models: waterfall mediation and in-app bidding. These terms pop up in every monetisation guide and ad tech forum — but what do they really mean for lean teams trying to grow?
Let’s break it down and settle the score.
What Is Waterfall Mediation?
Waterfall mediation is the traditional approach to ad monetisation. You rank ad networks in order of how much they typically pay, and when a player triggers an ad, your game goes down the list — checking each network one by one until it finds a bidder.
Sounds logical, right? But here’s the catch:
You’re relying on historic averages, not real-time prices.
You may miss out on higher-paying ads if they’re lower in the order.
You need to manually optimise your waterfall in the effective way to avoid store penalties leading to revenue losses.
For developers without dedicated ad ops teams, it’s a slow, error-prone process.
What Is In-App Bidding?
In-app bidding flips the model on its head.
Instead of following a ranked list, bidding lets all ad networks compete at the same time in real time. The highest bid wins — automatically, instantly, and without needing constant adjustments.
The result?
Higher eCPMs from true competition
Faster load times from fewer calls
Less manual work — no more waterfall tweaks
This model is quickly becoming the industry standard for a reason.
So Which Is Better?
Let’s compare the two:
Feature | Waterfall Mediation | In-App Bidding |
Setup Complexity | High (manual setup needed) | Low (automated via SDK) |
Optimisation | Manual & ongoing | Real-time & automatic |
Revenue Potential | Moderate | Higher with true competition |
Dev Time Required | High | Low |
Stability | Prone to inefficiency | Consistent, real-time pricing |
Best for… | Teams with ad ops expertise | Lean teams needing simplicity |
Why This Matters for Indie Studios
When you’re a small studio managing everything from development to monetisation, time is your most valuable resource. Waterfall mediation might offer some control, but it also demands deep expertise and constant upkeep.
In-app bidding, on the other hand, lets you focus on your game while the system works behind the scenes to maximise every impression.
This is exactly why we built MAS (Managed Ad Services).
MAS: Monetisation That Works While You Build
MAS gives you access to 15+ ad networks through a single, bidding-enabled SDK — no waterfall setup required. We handle the mediation, bidding, optimisation, and support so you don’t have to.
Real-time bidding from day one
Revenue uplift of up to 20%
ANR-safe SDK, designed with stability in mind
Ongoing support from integration through to scale
Whether you’re earning $5K or $30K a month from ads, MAS helps you unlock more value with less effort.
Final Word: Ditch the Waterfall, Embrace the Bidding
Waterfall mediation might still work — but it’s slow, outdated, and hands-on. If you want to grow your ad revenue without scaling your workload, in-app bidding is the smarter choice.
And with MAS, switching is simple.
Ready to take the leap?
