VPN campaigns can drain budgets without the right setup. This article reveals a real-tested HilltopAds formula to launch profitable VPN campaigns fast. Inside, you’ll get proven settings, budgets, and optimization tactics that scale results.
According to recent research, the VPN market is growing rapidly and is expected to nearly double in the coming years, reaching $61 billion by 2025 and is forecast to reach $124.94 billion by 2030. This growth is fueled by the widespread adoption of remote work, rising concerns around online privacy, and increasing geo-restrictions on digital content.
Promote VPN campaigns with HilltopAds
– the best ad network for advertisers with high-quality traffic
As demand and competition rise, VPN offers continue to gain momentum in affiliate marketing, attracting higher budgets and stronger payouts, making proper campaign setup and optimization critical for long-term success.
That’s why we created this practical, Christmas-special guide to share VPN campaign setups we’ve personally tested and optimized at HilltopAds. In this article, we focus on the key factors that determine profitability: traffic sources, ad formats, budgets, and campaign settings.
If you’re currently searching for reliable VPN offers and affiliate programs, we’ve already covered this topic in detail on our blog:
Why is HilltopAds the Best Ad Network for VPN Advertising?
VPN offers require massive reach, clean traffic, and flexible targeting, and this is exactly where HilltopAds stands out.
HilltopAds is the best ad networks for VPN campaigns, offering huge volumes of high-quality global traffic, strong performance in Tier-1, Tier-2, and Tier-3 GEOs, advanced auto-optimization tools & experienced account managers who share real insights, benchmarks, and scaling strategies.
How to Set Up a VPN Campaign in HilltopAds?
Short answer: easy. Detailed answer: below, we walk you through the targeting settings that actually work. Follow the steps below to launch and optimize your VPN campaign in HilltopAds.
Keypoints
- Top format Popunder mobile
- Budgets depend on GEO and the number of countries tested
We recommend set $200-300 daily for TIER-1, $100 – for TIER–2, 3 - Auto-optimization tools are essential
- Test multiads and make sure you use appropriate creatives
Ad format: Popunder mobile (recommended and most stable)
Model types: CPM or CPA Goal(available when conversions are tracked)
Traffic channels:
– CPM: High + Medium
– CPA Goal: All traffic
Frequency cap:
— 1 impression per 24 hours (1/24)
— Or 1 impression per 48 hours (1/48)
Technical Targeting
- Device type: Mobile / Smartphones only
- OS & OS versions: Target latest 2–3 Android & iOS versions
Android 13+ for US, CA, MX, ES, ZA
iOS 15+ for US, JP, DE, GB, FR - Always match the language to the target GEO
For example, use English for the US, Canada, and the UK; French for France; German for Germany; Spanish for Spain and Mexico; and so on. - Browsers:
Tier-1: Safari, Chrome, DuckDuckGo, GoogleSB, Samsung, Android
Tier-2/3: Safari, Chrome, GoogleSB, Samsung, Android
LATAM: Safari, Chrome, GoogleSB, Samsung, Android + Brave - WebView-only traffic campaigns (Proxy traffic disallowed by default)
* However, we recommend testing Proxy traffic at minimal rates. Especially effective in Tier-2 and Tier-3 GEOs where adult sites are blocked.
Auto-Optimization Rules (Must-Have)
This approach protects your budget while allowing enough data for optimization. Auto-optimization is critical for VPN campaigns due to high traffic volumes.
As a general rule, the simpler and faster the target action, the shorter the check interval should be. For example, when optimizing based on installs, we recommend using a shorter period and more frequent checks.
Use HilltopAds’ auto-optimization tools
and take your campaigns to the next level.
Optimization triggers
CPI offers
5–10K impressions + at least 1 conversion
CPT offers
20–30K impressions + at least 1 conversion
eCPA
Or optimize strictly by eCPA per event
This approach allows you to scale best ad zones faster and eliminate underperforming zones automatically.
Also, read our recent article on how to Boost your Brand Awareness:
Money Talk: Budget & Spend
Your testing budget should directly depend on the GEO tier and campaign scale.
Recommended daily budgets:
- Tier-1 GEOs: $200–300 per day
- Tier-2 & Tier-3 GEOs: around $100 per day
This budget allows you to collect enough data to make correct optimization decisions instead of killing campaigns too early.
Launch VPN campaigns on HilltopAds and get
- Advanced targeting options
- Direct traffic sources
- Self-serve platform
- Fully-managed service
- Postback tracking
Bonus Tip: MultiAds with Pre-Lander Rotation
As a separate testing step, we recommend trying MultiAds, which allows you to add multiple destination links with different pre-landers within a single campaign. To launch a MultiAds campaign, please contact your personal HilltopAds manager, who will help you set it up correctly.
Along with this, we strongly suggest experimenting with different creatives and messaging angles, such as privacy protection, connection speed, and geo-unblocking. Rotating multiple pre-landers and angles often helps identify the best-performing combination and can unlock additional ROI without increasing traffic costs.
Please make sure your creatives comply with our policy. You can find a detailed, illustrated guide on allowed and prohibited ad creatives in our Help Center.
Read our latest article on how to promote YouTube videos:
Is It Worth Running VPN Offers on HilltopAds?
VPN offers are a practical and reliable vertical when you use the right traffic source and a proven setup. In this article, we’ve shown simple, clear steps for launching VPN campaigns on HilltopAds, based on configurations we actively use and test.
With high-quality mobile Popunder traffic, flexible CPM and CPA Goal models, built-in auto-optimization tools, and granular targeting, HilltopAds makes it easy to test, optimize, and scale VPN campaigns without unnecessary complexity. By following the setups and budget recommendations described above, you can avoid common mistakes, reach stable performance faster, and focus on scaling what works. That’s why we recommend launching VPN campaigns on HilltopAds if you’re looking for a straightforward and results-driven approach.
👉 If you’re ready to start, register with HilltopAds, the best ad network for VPN advertising, today and launch your first profitable VPN campaign using the setup from this guide.
Our managers are always ready to help you choose GEOs, formats, and offers and scale your results faster.