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Summary
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Diversify Ad Partnerships: Leverage the rising performance of smaller ad networks like Moloco and Reddit, which have shown significant ROI and user growth, to complement established giants like Google and Meta in your marketing strategy.
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Utilize the New ROI Quadrant: Use the Singular ROI Quadrant to identify high-ROI, low-cost ad networks (e.g., Reddit, Rokt) that can optimize your campaign investments and enhance overall return on ad spend.
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Focus on Emerging Platforms: Consider investing in rewarded ad networks and innovative formats from platforms like Snap and TikTok, as they are gaining traction and driving effective user engagement, especially in niche markets.
April 23, 2025 — San Francisco, CA — Today Singular released the 2025 Singular ROI Index, the most comprehensive data-driven ranking of mobile advertising performance across the globe. This year’s report reflects tens of billions of dollars in ad spend, billions of app installs, and trillions of in-app and web ad impressions across millions of advertising campaigns, offering marketers a roadmap to the best ad partners for return on ad spend.
“The dominance of Google and Meta remains but names like TikTok, Apple Search Ads, and Moloco are firmly in the global growth conversation,” says John Koetsier, VP of Insights at Singular. “And our new Singular ROI Quadrant reveals that it’s often smaller ad networks that deliver outsized ROI for advertisers.”
Key findings from the 2025 Index:
- The golden 9
Nine massive ad platforms hit every regional leaderboard, including AppLovin, Google Ads, ironSource from Unity, Liftoff, Meta Ads, Mintegral, Moloco, TikTok for Business, and Unity Ads. - Apple Search Ads dominance
Despite not being available on Android, Apple ranks 3rd in total ad spend and 7th overall in ROI. - X is still relevant, but there’s a caveat …
The former Twitter is still a player, hitting 18 top lists, despite having lost some steam as X. The caveat: ads on X perform best in porn and gambling verticals. - Moloco’s rise
AppLovin gets all the news, but this under-the-radar ad network is 5th in global ROI and 5th in spend. Also, Moloco made every regional/vertical list it qualified for the second year in a row. - Reddit’s ascent
With 47% year-over-year user growth and its first profitable year, Reddit Ads now ranks on 18 top lists, with standout performance in gaming and fintech. - Rewarded ad networks’ massive surge
A third of top growth ad networks—including KashKick, Adjoe, and MAF—now operate in the rewarded or incentivized ad space. Some are so big they had to be classified with the large ad networks. - Snap’s resurgence
With innovations like SKOverlay formats, value-based optimization, and a 7/0 delivery window, Snap Ads is driving profitable app installs and growth.
New in 2025: Singular ROI Quadrant
This year introduces the Singular ROI Quadrant, highlighting four classes of ad partners by contrasting ad cost to campaign ROI.
Marketers can now identify high-ROI but low-cost ad networks in the Quadrant of Growth, with networks like Reddit, Rokt, and Digital Turbine leading in specific regions.
Additionally, the ROI Index now includes a searchable view by geo and vertical, enabling marketers to find top-performing ad partners tailored to their unique growth needs.
View the entire report
See the full 2025 Singular ROI Index here.
