Executive summary: what the 2026 ROI Index tells us

If you only read one section, read this. Here is what the data is actually saying.

AI is not the edge. It is the baseline.

Every platform that appears repeatedly across 2026 leaderboards is investing heavily in:

• Automated bidding
• Creative-level optimization
• Predictive modeling under sparse signals
• Cross-channel signal aggregation
  

AI is now table stakes. The differentiator is how effectively it is applied at scale.

What this means:
Push partners on how they model under signal loss.
Push on creative automation.
Push on assist weighting and cross-channel influence.

Privacy-first measurement has matured

We are no longer in the “ATT shock” phase.

2025 accelerated infrastructure stability beyond SKAdNetwork, including:

• Aggregated Event Measurement from Meta
• Advanced real-time reporting from Tiktok and Snap
• Expanded on-device modeling from Google Ads
  

The consistency of scaled iOS leaderboards reflects that maturity.

What this means:
iOS is no longer unstable. It is simply more model-dependent. Sophistication now determines performance.

Multi-touch attribution is no longer optional

Last-touch alone underestimates contribution.

Some networks dominate Exclusive Reach.
Some dominate Assist Power.
Some expand meaningfully under MTA Uplift.

Platforms appearing across multiple MTA metrics are influencing more of the journey than last-click reporting suggests.

What this means:
Budget allocation should consider assist-heavy contributors, not just final-click closers.

Scale is concentrated, but it is not narrow

A core group of media channels repeatedly appears across:

• All-platform global lists
• Gaming and non-gaming splits
• iOS and Android scaled leaderboards

That includes:

• Apple Ads
• AppLovin
• Google Ads
• Liftoff
• Meta
• Mintegral
• Moloco
• Tiktok For Business
• Unity Ads
• Snapchat Ads
• X Ads

These platforms are not just large. They are versatile and performing across operating systems and verticals.

What this means:
If you are allocating the majority of your spend, this is the competitive arena. These platforms have demonstrated the ability to sustain ROI at meaningful volume.

Consolidation is amplifying visibility

M&A and ecosystem expansion are increasing cross-leaderboard density for certain platforms.

Broader infrastructure translates into:

• Stronger modeling
• More signal access
• Cross-portfolio durability
  

Growth-tier networks are still carving out efficient pockets.

What this means:
Balance core scaled allocation with disciplined testing in the growth tier.

Rewarded ecosystems are now core strategy

Rewarded and incentive-driven platforms continue to appear prominently across gaming and growth leaderboards.

These are no longer experimental budget lines.

They have matured through:

• Stronger retention filtering
• Better fraud controls
• More disciplined optimization
  

What this means:
If rewarded was previously dismissed due to quality concerns, it may be time to re-test under modern guardrails.

Emerging markets are stabilizing

Android-heavy regions in particular show more consistent ROI patterns than in prior volatile cycles.

Infrastructure investment and platform maturity are reducing unpredictability.

What this means:
Re-evaluate geo expansion strategies. Volatility has decreased in several regions.

Gaming vs non-gaming is no longer a hard divide

In previous years, you could clearly bucket networks by vertical strength.

In 2026, that line is softer.

Many scaled partners now appear across both gaming and non-gaming leaderboards, on both OS environments.

Optimization systems are adapting more fluidly across signal types, including subscription events, purchase flows, and ad monetization.

What this means:
Revisit old assumptions. Cross-vertical channel testing is more viable than it was even two years ago.

Methodology summary

The Singular ROI Index 2026 is built on trillions of impressions, billions of clicks, and billions of installs.

To prevent scale from distorting efficiency comparisons, we separate:

• Scaled leaders
  Partners meeting defined minimum spend and volume thresholds within each category.
• Growth leaders
  Partners demonstrating strong ROI performance below those scale thresholds.

Leaderboards are presented alphabetically among qualifying networks. Inclusion is based strictly on performance thresholds.

Regional data remains largely Android-weighted due to privacy-safe limitations on granular iOS geo reporting.

A full methodology appears at the end of this report.

Global ROI leaderboards

The Global ROI leaderboards reflect aggregated performance across the full dataset, spanning all major markets and vertical categories.

Unlike regional views, which surface localized strengths, the global rankings highlight platforms demonstrating consistent ROI across heterogeneous environments. This includes differences in signal availability, OS dynamics, and category-specific optimization pressures.

When a network appears across multiple global segments, it indicates cross-environment robustness rather than isolated outperformance.

Regional ROI Index

Regional performance is where global scale meets local nuance.

Regional leaderboards are largely Android-weighted due to iOS privacy constraints. Scaled leaders across APAC, EMEA, North America, and South America reflect a mix of global platforms and regionally strong networks.

Emerging regions show increasing stability and repeat performance among core scaled platforms, with growth-tier networks carving out localized strengths.

Under SKAN, there’s limited geographical data available for most iOS installs, and that which is available is inside each advertiser’s own slightly customized SKAN conversion model. So our regional data is largely Android-based.

MTA ROI leaderboards

For the first time, the ROI Index includes dedicated multi-touch attribution (MTA) leaderboards.

Last-touch attribution remains the industry default, but it captures only the final interaction before conversion. In reality, most user journeys involve multiple touchpoints across discovery, consideration, and conversion. Channels that influence early engagement or mid-funnel consideration often receive no credit under last-touch models.

Multi-touch attribution addresses this by evaluating the full conversion path and assigning value to all meaningful interactions. This provides a clearer picture of how different channels work together to drive growth.

Singular’s analysis consistently shows that when campaigns are evaluated with multi-touch attribution, certain networks demonstrate significantly greater influence than last-touch reporting suggests. These channels may not always close the conversion, but they play a critical role in shaping the user journey.

The takeaway for marketers is simple: evaluating networks solely through last-touch attribution can undervalue important drivers of growth. Multi-touch attribution helps reveal those contributions and enables smarter budget allocation.

For a deeper overview of how Singular’s multi-touch attribution works, see the product release:
https://www.singular.net/blog/multi-touch-attribution-assists/

MTA metrics used in the ROI Index

To capture how networks contribute across the conversion journey, the ROI Index includes three MTA metrics.

Exclusive Reach
Installs where a network was the only engagement in the path to attribution.
Highlights platforms delivering truly unique audiences.

Assist Power
Installs where a network appeared in the journey but did not receive last-touch credit.
Surfaces channels influencing discovery and consideration.

MTA Uplift
The increase in a network’s measured contribution under multi-touch attribution compared with last-touch attribution.
Reveals platforms whose influence extends beyond final-click attribution.

Interpreting the MTA leaderboards

Networks appearing across multiple MTA metrics are influencing more than just the final step in the conversion journey.

They may introduce new audiences, shape user consideration, or help close conversions.

For marketers building diversified acquisition strategies, these platforms often represent partners that drive value across the full funnel, not just the last click.

Platform density: who shows up the most

Platforms with the highest number of leaderboard placements demonstrate cross-category durability.

Network

# of rankings

31

31

31

31

29

28

27

27

25

24

25

18

18

16

16

16

14

What this tells us:
Durability matters. These platforms are not winning in one pocket. They are appearing across OS splits, verticals, and MTA views. For marketers building diversified portfolios, this density map is strategic guidance.

Full methodology

The Singular ROI Index 2026 is based on aggregated, anonymized performance data across:

• Trillions of impressions
• Billions of clicks
• Billions of installs
• Thousands of ad networks
• Millions of campaigns
  

Leaderboards are divided into Scaled and Growth categories to prevent scale from distorting efficiency comparisons.

Rankings are presented alphabetically among qualifying networks. Inclusion is based strictly on performance thresholds.

Regional data is largely Android-weighted due to privacy-safe limitations on granular iOS geo reporting.

All MTA metrics are calculated using multi-touch modeling frameworks that account for assist contributions and full-path engagement.

Marketers: an important note

The data in this report provides valuable insights drawn from a diverse range of sources based on campaigns in pretty much every country on the planet, including some regions that aren’t even countries.

(We’ll see data from scientists using their phones at McMurdo Station, for instance, in Antarctica.)

That offers a compelling look at key trends shaping the marketing landscape. 

However, it’s important to note that this is not a complete view of the entire ecosystem: it’s a view of what Singular clients are doing. While the findings are based on billions of dollars of spend and installs, and trillions of ad impressions, making it highly indicative of what’s actually going on, marketers should consider the ROI Index as part of a broader context and complement them with additional data sources and strategic judgment.

That’s also why we’ll often bring in external data and insights to complement what we see in Singular data.