Unity LevelPlay (the rebranded ironSource mediation) and AppLovin MAX are the two biggest mediation platforms for indie game studios in 2026. They're close enough in core capability that the comparison comes down to specifics. Here's how we think about it after running both for multiple indie publishers.
Network coverage
Both have AdMob, AppLovin, Meta, Unity, TikTok / Pangle, Mintegral, Vungle / Liftoff, IronSource, Chartboost, Inmobi. Edge cases matter:
- LevelPlay has direct, first-class ironSource demand because it's the same network family. If you have meaningful ironSource bidding inventory, LevelPlay's integration is slightly more polished.
- MAX has direct, first-class AppLovin Exchange demand the same way. For most casual / hyper-casual genres in 2026, AppLovin Exchange is among the top 2 revenue contributors per impression.
Net: if your top revenue source today is ironSource, LevelPlay wins by a hair. If it's AppLovin, MAX wins by a hair. For everyone else they're a wash.
eCPM in practice
We've seen 0–8% differences between the two platforms on identical inventory. That's within noise — meaning, the choice between MAX and LevelPlay is almost never going to be the difference between "this game is profitable" and "this game isn't." Bigger differences come from:
- Whether you have AppLovin Exchange enabled with proper SDK key (MAX side)
- Whether you have ironSource Exchange enabled with proper SDK key (LevelPlay side)
- Floor configuration (much bigger than the platform choice)
Reporting and dashboards
Subjective but consistent across the studios we've audited:
- MAX: Cleaner UI, more recent design language. Country-level drill-down is fast. Ad unit comparison view is the strongest in the market.
- LevelPlay: More raw data accessible without exports. Has a better A/B test flow built in. UI feels denser, takes longer to learn.
If your team includes a data person who likes to slice and dice, LevelPlay's data access is friendlier. If your team is "the founder checks one tab a day," MAX is easier.
Integration cost
SDK size: both are similar, within 1MB of each other on Android. Setup time for a new title is 1–3 hours either way. Migration cost from one to the other is 1–2 days, not weeks. This is not a real differentiator anymore.
Pricing and rev-share
Both platforms take a similar cut from network deals (effectively zero on direct bidding; small on classic waterfall lines that flow through their mediation). The rev-share difference is below the noise floor of monthly eCPM variance.
When to pick LevelPlay
- You already use Unity for the game itself (Unity Ads SDK integration is one fewer dependency).
- Your team likes raw data + custom A/B tests.
- You have a meaningful ironSource direct relationship.
When to pick MAX
- You're primarily on Unreal, native, or non-Unity tech.
- Your top revenue source is AppLovin Exchange or AppDiscovery network demand.
- Your team is small (1–3 people) and you want the cleanest "one screen per day" workflow.
The honest punchline
Both work. The studios that win on ad revenue do not win because they picked differently — they win because they tune floors, monitor anomalies, and act on country-level data. Whichever platform you pick, the optimization layer is what actually moves revenue. That's where Mediation One sits — on top of either MAX or LevelPlay (or both, if you split traffic) and tells you what to do next.