Paved newsletter sponsorship marketplace pricing and plans for advertisers and a Paved alternative without the 30% publisher commission
Paved takes 30% of a marketplace booking and 40% of ad network earnings. On a $300 newsletter slot that is $90 gone. A flat membership charges the same whether you sell one slot or twenty.
Platform
commission
You keep
$
On a 30% marketplace you'd keep $, that's $ less.
Matched opportunities
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$
In short
Paved is a newsletter-first advertising marketplace that charges publishers a 30% commission on Marketplace bookings and 40% on Ad Network performance earnings, with no subscription for advertisers. Sponsorships charges a flat membership, takes 0% commission, and covers newsletters, podcasts, YouTube and events in one place, with the brand paying you directly. Paved buys you advertiser demand for that commission, which is worth paying if your inbound is thin, and worth nothing if brands already email you.
Side by side
Sponsorships vs Paved
Swipe to compare
| Capability | Sponsorships | Paved |
|---|---|---|
| 0% commission on your deals | ~30% cut | |
| Flat membership pricing | ||
| Podcast, newsletter, YouTube and events | Newsletters mainly | |
| Self-serve, no agency | ||
| Deal pipeline and deliverables | ||
| Public profile and media kit | ||
| You keep the brand relationship | Marketplace-mediated |
Comparison reflects general product positioning and is provided in good faith. Verify current capabilities with each vendor.
The detail
What Paved does well, and where the cost lands
Paved runs a strong newsletter advertising marketplace and brings real demand from brands to publishers. The tradeoff is the cut: Paved takes a 30% publisher commission on Marketplace bookings and 40% on performance earnings from its Ad Network, so nearly a third of each booking, and more on network fill, leaves the table. Sponsorships takes 0% commission on your deals and charges a flat membership instead, so a $300 newsletter slot as an illustrative example pays you the full amount. It also covers podcasts, YouTube, and events in one place rather than newsletters only, with a public profile, media kit, deal management, and deliverables.
This comparison is made in good faith, so please verify current terms with each provider.
Questions
Paved questions, answered
What is the Paved newsletter sponsorship marketplace?
It is a marketplace where newsletter publishers list ad inventory and advertisers browse and book it directly, positioned as the largest of its kind for newsletters. Publishers set rates and dates, advertisers search by audience and category, and Paved handles booking and payment. It is newsletter-first, while Sponsorships covers newsletters, podcasts, YouTube and events in one place.
How much does Paved cost?
Paved charges publishers rather than advertisers. Published terms are a 30% commission on Marketplace bookings and 40% on performance earnings through the Ad Network, charged only on completed campaigns. There is no subscription or minimum monthly spend for advertisers. Sponsorships charges publishers a flat membership and 0% commission instead, so a booking pays out in full.
What CPM do newsletter sponsorships get on Paved?
Paved has published primary newsletter sponsorships landing in roughly the $15 to $30 CPM range, with average cost per click around $5.00. Booked prices vary far more than that band suggests: small independent newsletters list slots from about $100, while established publications command thousands, and a commonly cited average sits near $5,000 per placement.
What are Paved's pricing and plans for advertisers?
There is one plan and it is free. Paved gives advertisers a free account with no subscription, no tiered pricing and no minimum spend. You pay the publisher's listed price for each Marketplace placement you book, or set your own budget for pay-per-click campaigns on the Ad Network. The fees sit on the publisher side instead: 30% of Marketplace bookings and 40% of Ad Network earnings.
What is the difference between the Paved Marketplace and the Paved Ad Network?
The Marketplace is direct booking: an advertiser picks a specific newsletter and a specific send date at the publisher rate, and Paved takes a 30% publisher commission. The Ad Network is programmatic fill across many newsletters, priced on performance, and carries a 40% commission on publisher earnings. Direct booking gives publishers more control and a larger share.
Is there a Paved alternative with no commission?
Yes. Sponsorships charges a flat membership and takes 0% commission, and payment moves directly between the creator and the brand rather than through the platform. On an illustrative $300 newsletter slot, a 30% marketplace cut leaves $210 while a 0% commission model leaves the full $300. The tradeoff is honest: a marketplace commission buys inbound advertiser demand, and a flat-fee model asks you to bring or attract more of your own.
Who should use Paved and who should not?
Paved suits a newsletter publisher who wants advertiser demand delivered and is willing to pay roughly a third of each booking for it, particularly one without an existing sales motion. It suits you less if you already have inbound sponsors, if you publish across podcasts, YouTube or events as well as email, or if your rates are high enough that a 30% cut outweighs the value of the introductions.
Figures are published vendor terms and industry benchmarks, not quotes. Verify current pricing with each vendor.
Other comparisons
Weighing all of them at once? See the full roundup of the newsletter ad networks, compared on commission, formats and fit.
Keep 100% of your deals
Flat membership, 0% commission, every format in one place. List your audience, get discovered, and manage every deal yourself. Decide for yourself.