Offerwall vs Rewarded Video Ads: Which Earns More?

The short answer

Rewarded video and offerwalls both let users earn something in your app without paying. The difference is the size of the exchange. A rewarded video asks for 15 to 30 seconds of attention and gives a small reward. An offerwall asks for a real action, such as installing a game and reaching a level, and gives a much bigger one. Video usually reaches more of your users; the offerwall usually earns more from the users who take part. For most games and apps, the best answer is both, placed where each one fits.

If you are new to the model, start with What is an offerwall? This guide goes deeper into the comparison.

How rewarded video ads work

1. The user taps a button such as “Watch a video for 50 coins” or “Double your reward”.
2. An ad SDK, often through a mediation layer that asks several networks at once, loads a short video or playable ad.
3. When the ad finishes, the SDK reports the completed view, and you grant the reward. Many networks can also confirm the view to your server, which is safer than trusting the device.
4. The network pays you for the impression, usually priced per 1,000 views (eCPM).

Because users opt in, stores treat rewarded ads differently from forced interstitials. Google Play’s Ads policy, for example, says its rules on disruptive full-screen ads do not apply to rewarded ads that users explicitly opt into.

How an offerwall works

1. The user opens a wall that lists offers available in their country and on their device, each with a reward in your currency.
2. They pick one and complete it: play a game to a level, sign up for a service, finish a survey, or complete a short task.
3. The result is checked, which can take seconds for simple offers or days for offers that need a review or a purchase.
4. The offerwall calls your server with a postback, and you credit the user. If a result is later reversed, a second postback tells you to take the reward back.

You earn per completed action (CPA), not per view. See What is a postback URL? for how the server-to-server part works.

Side by side

Revenue per user: why the numbers behave differently

Rewarded video revenue is a volume game. Each view earns a small amount, and each user can only watch so many before you hit frequency caps or they get bored. Revenue grows with daily active users and sessions, and eCPM moves with the season, the user’s country, and demand from advertisers. It is steady but has a ceiling per user.

Offerwall revenue is concentrated. Many users never open the wall, some open it and browse, and a smaller group completes offers, sometimes several a week. A single completed game offer can be worth far more than dozens of video views, so this group often produces most of the wall’s revenue. The totals depend heavily on country mix, the offers available on each device, and how rewarding your currency rate looks.

That is why eCPM alone is a poor way to compare them. A video eCPM is measured per view, while an offerwall “eCPM” per wall opening mixes browsing with completions that may arrive days later. Compare both on the audience instead:

• ARPDAU: revenue from each format in a day divided by daily active users.
• Earnings per 1,000 active users: the same idea over a week or month, which smooths out delayed offer confirmations.
• Revenue per engaged user: revenue divided by users who used the format at least once.

For the formulas behind this, read eCPM and EPC explained and How much can you earn with an offerwall?

User experience

Rewarded video is predictable: tap, watch, get the reward. The cost is attention, and too many prompts make the app feel like an ad player. Keep videos optional, reward them instantly, and never punish users who skip them.

An offerwall takes users out of your app for longer and asks for trust. They need to understand what counts as done, see pending rewards, and get help when something is missing. Missing-reward questions are the most common support request on any wall, so show a clear history and answer quickly. In return, the users who like the wall tend to value it, because it lets them unlock things they could not otherwise afford.

Impact on your in-game economy

Both formats hand out free currency, and both can compete with in-app purchases if the rates are too generous. A useful rule: video rewards should cover small conveniences, such as an extra life or a daily boost, while offerwall rewards can reach premium items, because the user did real work for them. Set your offerwall rate so that the same item takes a meaningful effort, and review it when you change prices. Monetize a mobile game with an offerwall covers currency design in detail.

Fraud risk

• Rewarded video: emulators and scripts that farm views, and modified clients that grant the reward without an ad. Grant rewards from your server after the network confirms the view, and cap views per user per day.
• Offerwall: multiple accounts, VPNs that fake a country, and fake completions. These lead to reversals that cost you the payout and hurt your standing with advertisers. Use a stable user ID, sign the wall link on your server, handle reversal postbacks, and hold rewards before cashouts if they have real value.

The traffic quality rules list what Sharklio never accepts, and Publisher earnings and reversals explains what happens when a result is taken back.

When to use each, and how to run both

• Use rewarded video when sessions are short and frequent, rewards are small, and most users will never spend money.
• Use an offerwall when users want something bigger than a video can pay for, such as a premium skin, a battle pass, or a cashout on a rewards site.
• Use both on the same “get more coins” screen: a video for a small instant top-up, and the offerwall for users who want to earn more. When a user reaches the daily video cap, point them to the wall instead of showing nothing.

Measure each format by revenue per active user and by its effect on retention and purchases, not just by its own earnings line.

For other ways to earn beyond ads, see AdSense alternatives.

Frequently asked questions