Google AdSense is an ad network by Google that allows website owners to earn money by displaying contextual ads. You earn money whenever someone views or clicks on these ads. While it’s a trusted platform, it has strict approval policies and often low CPMs, especially for small publishers.

Alternative networks like Adsterra and Clickadu often offer higher CPMs, faster approvals, and more ad format choices. While AdSense relies heavily on contextual display ads, these platforms use popunders, push notifications, and native ads to maximize earnings, especially for tier 2 and tier 3 traffic.

Yes, absolutely. Many publishers run AdSense alongside other ad networks to diversify income. Just make sure you’re not violating any platform’s policy by mixing ad types (e.g., don’t overload your site with intrusive ads).

Most alternative ad networks pay weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depending on your chosen payment method (PayPal, bank transfer, Bitcoin, etc.). Payment thresholds are generally lower than AdSense, starting from as little as $5 to $100.

Some ad formats like popunders or scripts can slightly affect speed. However, most networks provide optimized, asynchronous code that won’t noticeably slow down your site if implemented correctly.