Probably of all the ad networks on the list, this is the least known but it is also the best. They offer very innovative solutions, such as content ads, search targeting, web bar, and mobile ads. Media.net is especially good for huge sites with lots of US, UK, and Canada traffic. One of the downsides of Media.net is that the payment is at $100 but for a huge site this should be pocket money.

2 Chitika

Chitika doesn't offer that many types of ads but its main advantage is that the ads it offers are very targeted. The CTR is great because the ads are displayed only when a user comes from a search engine. Its low $10 payout is also good because even if your site is small, or you use only one ad block, most likely you will be getting payments monthly instead of having to wait for them for months.

3 Bidvertiser

Bidvertiser is another (mainly) PPC network, though they started offering a conversion bonus. Its payout is also at $10, which means for a small site it is also an option.

4 Infolinks

Infolinks offers in-text advertising. In-text ads are very unobtrusive compared to the rest and they don't eat space because they are displayed as popups when the user hovers over the hyperlink in the text they are anchored to. In-text ads from Infolinks work surprisingly well, though it varies depending on the niche. However, its payout of $50 isn't very nice, if your site(s) are small because you might have to wait for months to reach it.

5 adBrite

Many webmasters consider adBrite to be the best Google Adsense alternative but since my experience with them isn't as good as my experience with Chitika or Infolinks, it comes as Number 5. adBrite is essentially an ad marketplace, where buyers and sellers can communicate to negotiate the price. This is what makes it different from the rest. However, you need to have a very popular site with a very lucrative demographics in order to make it there because the competition is really huge.

6 Clickbank

If you do not insist on using CPC ads as a Google Adsense alternative but are open to suggestions, then you should try affiliate sales (known also as CPA ‐ Cost Per Action). Clickbank is the Mecca of CPA offers and it should be your first stop. Clickbank offers probably millions of products and choosing what to promote could be the hardest task. However, the rewards you get could be times what you are making with Adsense on a good day.

7 Amazon

Amazon is another CPA ad network that works well for many publishers. It is especially good if you have a tech site because there are lots of cool gadgets there but since they have offers in almost any niche, it is also an option. Their ads are context sensitive and because of this are almost always relevant. However, their terms are very complicated and it will take you a lot of time to get familiar with what commissions you will be getting for your sales.

8 Kontera

Kontera is another in-text network you can consider an alternative to Google Adsense. It is comparable in performance with Infolinks but again, this varies a lot depending on the niche. However, if you are to choose between Kontera and Infolinks, I will definitely pick Infolinks.

9 eBay

If Clickbank, Amazon, and a few other of the top CPA networks don't work for you, you could give eBay a try. Again, your success (or the lack of it) with it varies depending on the niche but you can make some money with it. I wouldn't put eBay ads as my primary source of income because this will waste space I can use for better ads. However, as a secondary or even tertiary advertiser, if you have some free space left, eBay could be given a try.

10 LinkShare

You might be surprised to find LinkShare ‐ a relatively unknown company - on the list of Top Adsense alternatives but it is an alternative for real. It has a huge choice of offers and they pay at $1. Maybe it is even better than the rest on this list because if your site isn't huge, you won't have to wait for months (or even years) till you get the paycheck. Linkshare has offers in almost any niche and there you will find many of the best advertisers from all over the world.

I could add many more companies that are also worth trying. The good news is that there are many more Google AdSense alternatives and the fact that they didn't make the Top 10 doesn't mean they are worse. These 10 are my personal favorites and I can tell from experience that they do work. Well, the fact that they work for me doesn't necessarily mean they will work for everybody else. In fact, under some circumstances the companies that didn't make it to the list could be even better alternatives but you won't know this unless you try them. The world doesn't start or end with Google Adsense, though certainly it is one really good ad program.