Photo credit: venturebeat.com
Singular has unveiled its 2025 Return on Investment (ROI) Index, a detailed analysis that benchmarks mobile advertising performance globally. According to the latest report, Reddit and Moloco have emerged alongside established leaders such as Google, Meta, TikTok, and Apple in the mobile ad sector.
The findings of this year’s report are based on substantial data, encompassing tens of billions of dollars in ad spend, billions of app installations, and trillions of ad impressions generated across a vast array of campaigns. This wealth of information equips marketers with insights to optimize their return on ad spend (ROAS). The previous edition of this index was covered in 2023.
“While Google and Meta continue to dominate the landscape, platforms like TikTok, Apple Search Ads, and Moloco are firmly part of the global discussion on growth,” noted John Koetsier, vice president of Insights at Singular. “Our new Singular ROI Quadrant shows that smaller ad networks frequently yield impressive ROI for advertisers.”
Interestingly, although Applovin has seen a significant boost in valuation over the past year, its competitor Moloco has outstripped Applovin in ad spend among Singular’s customers.
Key insights from the 2025 Index:
The Golden Nine
A total of nine prominent ad platforms have performed well across all regional rankings, including AppLovin, Google Ads, ironSource (Unity), Liftoff, Meta Ads, Mintegral, Moloco, TikTok for Business, and Unity Ads.
Apple Search Ads’ Dominance
Despite only being available on iOS, Apple ranks third in overall ad spend and seventh in ROI.
X’s Continued Relevance, with Qualifications
The platform formerly known as Twitter, now called X, still features prominently, appearing on 18 leaderboard lists; however, its influence has waned, especially in sectors outside adult and gambling content.
Moloco’s Ascendance
While AppLovin garners most media attention, Moloco quietly ranks fifth globally in ROI and spending, marking its second consecutive year of performance on all regional and vertical lists it entered.
Reddit’s Growth
Experiencing a 47% increase in user growth and achieving profitability for the first time, Reddit Ads made its mark by featuring on 18 top lists, demonstrating particularly strong performance in gaming and fintech sectors.
Surge in Rewarded Ad Networks
Approximately one-third of the fastest-growing ad networks, such as KashKick, Adjoe, and MAF, now function in the rewarded or incentivized ad domain. Some of these networks have grown large enough to compete with major players in the industry.
Snap’s Recovery
Recent innovations like SKOverlay formats and value-based optimization have revitalized Snap Ads, making significant contributions to app installs and overall growth.
New Developments in 2025
This year sees the introduction of the Singular ROI Quadrant, which categorizes ad partners based on the relationship between ad expense and campaign ROI. Marketers can now easily identify ad networks offering high ROI at lower costs, with Reddit, Rokt, and Digital Turbine shining in specific regions.
Moreover, the ROI Index has added a feature allowing users to search by geographic area and vertical market, empowering marketers to pinpoint top-performing ad partners that align with their specific growth objectives.
Source
venturebeat.com