Google AdSense VS Infolinks VS Clicksor

In the world of online affiliate marketing, you have a wide range of options. Some, like Amazon’s affiliate network, require not insignificant space on a website and a real investment in writing about products in order to make commissions. Others, like Google AdSense, are much more freeform and work by dynamically scanning your content for organic ad opportunities.

Google AdSense is a great option, but it’s not a perfect option for everyone. Some users find themselves blocked from using Google Services, either due to mistakes made in the past or mistakes made by Google. Some simply choose to avoid the Google juggernaut and would prefer an alternative. Some find poor performance with AdSense and want to explore their options.

Two of those potential options are discussed below. Clicksor and Infolinks are both popular alternatives with many similarities to AdSense. Are they good options for you, or should you stick with Google’s well-documented offering?

A Word of Warning

AdSense is a Google property. That means that as long as you play by the rules, you can be safe and secure with your advertising. You don’t have to worry about your site being penalized simply for using it. Other offerings, like Infolinks and Clicksor, have somewhat more mixed reputations. They are not, in and of themselves, detrimental to your site. However, because they are not as carefully monitored as AdSense, they are easier to use in black hat fashions. This in turn means that Google may scrutinize certain mistakes more closely and potentially count them against you.

This does not mean that you are going to harm yourself just by using these AdSense alternatives. It does mean you need to watch yourself and stay on the right side of the rules to achieve the greatest success. Of course, the same is true of AdSense itself; if you break the rules, you can find your account blocked just as easily as you can find a search penalty elsewhere.

Similarities and Differences

All three of these ad networks offer broadly similar services. They all scan your site with various algorithms to determine keywords they can use to place ads that fit with your content. They each have banks of advertisers in their network, serving ads of varying quality. AdSense generally has the best vetting for its advertising partners, though this leads them to be more selective in what they serve.

Each service offers a range of ad formats. They can place inline text ads, which look like links but earn you a commission when a user clicks on them. They can place larger banner ads, which can earn you money on clicks or impressions. Interstitial ads are also available across several of these platforms.

The primary differences between these three networks fall into a handful of categories.

• Quality of the keyword scanning algorithm.
• Quality of the ads served.
• Revenue share percentage offered to publishers.
• Amount paid per ad click, view or impression.
• Minimum earnings required to request a payout.
• Ease and speed of approval into the program.

Benefits of AdSense

AdSense is typically regarded as one of the most powerful and lucrative ad monetization options available. They offer high-quality advertisements, a sophisticated contextual algorithm, and publisher controls that are hard to beat. You’ll rarely see out-of-context advertising placed on keywords that aren’t genuinely relevant.

AdSense offers publishers a 68% revenue share on content ads, though this drops to 51% for search platform ads. AdSense also has very robust and flexible controls, allowing you to position ads, block certain advertisers, choose ad formats, and generally customize the experience to suit your site. If you run Google AdSense alongside other ads, these controls become even more important.

Being a Google property, AdSense integrates deeply with Google Analytics and Search Console, giving you granular reporting data to help you optimize performance over time.

Where AdSense Falls Flat

There are two primary issues with AdSense. The first is the time it takes to be approved for the program. Google typically takes more than seven days to review and approve new applicants, and in some non-U.S. countries the process can stretch significantly longer.

The second issue is the strict restrictions placed on publishers. You will need to stay firmly within Google’s rules to avoid penalties or removal from the program. Gray and black hat sites, adult content sites, online casinos, and certain pharmaceutical sites will need to look elsewhere entirely.

Benefits of Infolinks

Infolinks is primarily focused on in-text advertising, though it has expanded its offerings over the years. Textual ads are easier to make look organic, so you don’t have to worry about intrusive banners disrupting your site’s design. The Infolinks scanning algorithm is also surprisingly robust, giving you a reasonable level of control over the content that appears.

Infolinks offers publishers a notable 70% revenue share, which actually edges out AdSense’s 68% on content ads. It also operates in over 128 countries, making it one of the more globally accessible options available. Approval is fast - Infolinks typically approves or rejects applications within 72 hours, compared to Google’s week-plus timeline.

The minimum payout threshold is $50 via PayPal, with bank transfer and prepaid card options available at higher earning levels. Infolinks also runs a referral program that pays existing publishers 10% of a referred publisher’s revenue for one full year, which can add up meaningfully over time.

One particularly interesting stat: approximately 60% of Infolinks publishers use it alongside AdSense, meaning the two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive if your site qualifies for both. If you want to maximize earnings from both networks, learning the highest earning AdSense layouts can help you get the most out of running them together.

Where Infolinks Falters

Infolinks suffers somewhat on the raw earnings-per-click front. While the 70% revenue share sounds attractive, the underlying cost-per-click rates tend to be lower than what AdSense commands. Infolinks is best suited for sites with high traffic volume that either cannot use AdSense or want to supplement it. A high enough volume of traffic, coupled with a solid click rate and decent ad quality, means you can still earn a respectable amount from this alternative.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Clicksor

Clicksor is the second AdSense alternative discussed here, and it does boast a large network of advertisers and a relatively easy approval process. Beyond that, however, the advantages become harder to identify. Clicksor’s contextual algorithm is less refined than the competition, and the broad nature of their advertiser pool means you may occasionally end up with ads you wouldn’t want associated with your site.

Unlike Infolinks, Clicksor offers a range of ad formats beyond in-text links, including image ads, animated banners, and pop-unders. Some of these formats can be problematic from a user experience and SEO standpoint. Clicksor has also historically had issues with occasionally serving low-quality or questionable ads, which makes it a riskier choice for publishers who care about brand integrity.

Clicksor’s pay rates remain on the lower end for the industry. The minimum payout is $50 via PayPal, and while wire transfers are available, they come with a high minimum threshold and an administrative fee.

In general, if you can qualify for Google’s AdSense, you would be well advised to follow the rules and work within that ecosystem. Your pay rates will be higher, your controls more precise, and your reporting far more detailed. Infolinks is a legitimate and competitive alternative - particularly for publishers who want fast approval, global reach, or a supplement to their existing AdSense income. Clicksor remains a more cautious recommendation and is best approached carefully if you pursue it at all.