Ad Inserter vs Advanced Ads
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| Feature | Ad Inserter v2.8.19 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details | Advanced Ads v2.0.29 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 300,000+ | 100,000+ |
| Last updated | September 23, 2026 | October 14, 2026 |
| Editions | Ad Inserter | Advanced Ads · Advanced Ads Pro ($) |
| Pros | Insert ads at positions in the content, with loop-only options; Rotating banners and AdSense fallback; Shortcode, widget and virtual ads.txt | Placements, ad groups and display conditions in the free core; AdSense and ads.txt tools included |
| Cons | Many settings to learn before ads are placed correctly; Ad codes can slow pages and affect layout; AdSense connection goes through Google OAuth | Some ad types and group types need Advanced Ads Pro; Large plugin with many modules that contact third-party services |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | 1 |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Ad insertion at chosen positions, Rotating banners, Fallback when AdSense does not fill, AdSense connection through Google OAuth, Ad shortcode, Ad widget, REST settings endpoint, Virtual ads.txt file | Ad placements, Ad groups, Ad management and types, ads.txt checker, Google AdSense settings and reports, Privacy and consent options for ads, Ad blocker counter sent to Google Analytics, Premium ad types disabled without Pro ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Analytics | — | Google Analytics |
| Plugins | — | Yoast SEO |
| Other | Google AdSense | Google AdSense, PubGuru header bidding |
| Requires WordPress | 6.0 | 5.9 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.0 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | Only if you agree | No |
| External services | oauth2.googleapis.com, adsense.googleapis.com | wpadvancedads.com, adsense.googleapis.com, accounts.google.com, app.pubguru.com, api.wordpress.org, c.pubguru.net |
| Blocks | — | 1 |
| Shortcodes | 2 | 3 |