Pricing models that fit different growth stages
A practical framework for media teams comparing CPM, CPC, CPA, and hybrid pricing across traffic and monetization goals.
What you actually control when you buy here
This page does not describe a promise of results: it describes the controls that exist in the platform, in the order you will use them when setting up a campaign. If you want the comparative view of formats, that lives on the formats page; if you want the conceptual explanation of pricing models, that lives on the blog.
1. Where it shows: seven filters, not one
Targeting is not just country. A campaign is matched against the context of every request across seven independent dimensions, and a single mismatch is enough for that impression not to be served:
- Country: 69 countries available, as ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes.
- Spanish autonomous community: all 19, including Ceuta and Melilla.
- Province, within the selected community.
- Device: desktop, mobile, tablet, and TV/console.
- Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and ChromeOS.
- Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, Samsung Internet, and Internet Explorer.
- Ad blocker presence, detected on the browser side.
A dimension you leave empty restricts nothing: "undefined" is not the same as "excluded". And if you switch a campaign to global scope, the geographic filter is skipped entirely, which is useful for a first read before narrowing down.
2. The geographic detail that does not punish you
Community and province are only evaluated when the geographic resolution of that request knows them. If the provider resolves the country but goes no deeper, the campaign is not discarded: it is served with less precision instead of losing the impression. That is a deliberate decision, and worth knowing because it changes how you read a regional report.
Region names arrive in different shapes depending on the source ("Catalonia", "Cataluña", "CT"). They are normalised before comparison, lowercased and unaccented, so targeting by community does not depend on how the provider spells it that day.
3. How your spend is counted
A campaign is accounted for by impression or by click, and those are different paths in the code, not two labels for the same thing. In impression mode, every served ad deducts one unit from the advertiser impression balance and credits the publisher at that moment. In click mode nothing is deducted when the ad is shown: consumption happens when someone clicks, and that is when the click balance is charged.
The practical consequence is that the two modes are not compared by looking at the same column. In impression mode, the number governing pace is how many impressions remain; in click mode, a campaign can accumulate deliveries without consuming balance and then drain suddenly the day the creative starts working. Check the remaining balance before raising limits, not after.
4. Choosing a format by buying goal
The catalogue has seventeen formats and they do not compete for the same thing. Grouped by what you can reasonably ask of each:
Volume and fast response
PopUnder, PopUp, Interstitial, and Vignette Banner interrupt browsing, which is why they perform in direct response and tolerate repetition badly. Direct Link paints no creative at all: it sends straight to the destination, which makes it useful for testing an offer without producing artwork.
Sustained presence
Standard sizes cover the full page: Leaderboard 728×90, Billboard 970×250, Medium Rectangle 300×250, Large Rectangle 336×280, Half Page 300×600, and Wide Skyscraper 160×600. On mobile, Mobile Banner 320×50 and Large Mobile Banner 320×100.
Attention and return visits
Video Pre-roll 640×360 for a long message, Slider 300×250 for presence without blocking reading, and In-Page Push and Push Notification, both 360×100, to bring back someone who already knows the brand.
One detail that saves confusion: formats that occupy no space on the page are registered with a 1×1 size. That is not a catalogue error, it is how a format that reserves no visible space is declared.
CPM planning
Useful when the main goal is predictable reach, inventory packaging, and visibility across large traffic sets.
CPC optimization
Works well when the platform wants to judge traffic response more directly and keep attention on click quality.
CPA focus
Best for campaigns that need conversion clarity, tighter measurement, and better accountability after the click.
Hybrid setups
Helpful when advertisers and publishers need a custom workflow that blends scale, quality, and operational flexibility.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers for choosing the right model
These answers make the difference between reach, interaction, and outcome easier to apply in real campaign planning.
Use CPM when reach, visibility, and simple, predictable inventory buying matter most.
CPC is a better fit when the click matters more than the impression and you want a more direct response signal.
CPA works best when the quality of the post-click outcome matters more than raw traffic volume.
Advertiser tools built for control
An ExoClick-style advertiser stack, focused on segmented traffic, automation, conversion visibility, and scalable operations.
Premium segmented traffic
Separate by geography, device, browser, and traffic source so campaigns are easier to control.
Automation tools
Use operational shortcuts that help teams scale without manually touching every placement.
Conversion tracking
Keep a clean view of outcomes so optimization is based on results, not just clicks.
Security review
Keep suspicious traffic, abusive behavior, and low-quality sources in check before budget scales.
Certified access
Reserve select traffic for accounts that meet the right quality and compliance expectations.
Faster iteration
Change creative, targeting, or bidding strategy without rebuilding the whole workflow from scratch.
Ad formats that fit different buying goals
A compact, network-style view of inventory that is easy to compare for advertisers and easy to package for publishers.
Banner ads
Classic display placements for reach, branding, and stable supply.
Native ads
Placements that sit closer to content and can feel less interruptive.
Push notifications
Direct messaging for campaigns that need immediate visibility.
Interstitials
High-attention placements for traffic with clear session intent.
Video ads
Richer creative for stronger attention and engagement.
Popunders
Performance-oriented placements for aggressive response goals.
Direct link
Lightweight traffic promotion or monetization for simple destinations.
In-page push
Browser-friendly push-style visibility without full subscription flows.
Editorial resources and next steps
A short content layer that keeps the site useful after the first page view: guides, network pages, and practical reading paths.
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Read analysisFrequently asked questions
Quick answers about campaigns, monetization, traffic controls, and how to work with the Adstean team.
Use the contact form on the site or write to support@adstean.com. That keeps advertiser, publisher, and platform questions in a single support flow.
The strongest gains usually come from tightening targeting, reviewing creative performance, comparing inventory quality, and removing underperforming segments quickly instead of letting weak traffic keep spending or filling.
Publishers should understand where traffic comes from, how users behave on-site, which placements are sustainable, and which formats fit the audience without damaging the user experience or long-term retention.
Bring a clear offer, target markets, acceptable pricing range, creative assets, and a working view of the conversion path. Campaigns tend to improve faster when these basics are defined before volume starts flowing.
The useful answer depends on the traffic source, campaign objective, and inventory profile. In practice, teams usually compare models such as CPC, CPM, and performance-driven structures, then optimize according to margin, response quality, and delivery consistency.
Adstean is positioned as a practical ad operations platform. Advertisers can launch and refine campaigns with clearer controls, while publishers can organize monetization around the traffic and inventory they actually have.