How Much Do Game Publishers Take? Revenue Share & Deal Terms
"How much does a publisher take?" depends on what kind of partner it is. HTML5 portals publish fixed revenue shares in their terms. Mobile publishers negotiate each deal. Below is what official pages say, followed by the contract terms that matter as much as the percentage.
Web portals and syndication networks: published percentages
These numbers come straight from each platform's own terms or developer pages, or from Portal Ready where noted on the listing. Check what the percentage applies to: gross or net revenue (net is after ad-serving, hosting and payment costs).
| Platform | Type | Stated developer share | Min payout | Exclusivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poki | Web portal | 100% (direct traffic); 50% (Poki-sourced traffic) | – | exclusive (web) |
| GameDistribution | Web syndication network | 33% of net revenue | EUR 100 | non-exclusive |
| GameMonetize | Web syndication network | 45% (90% if also on your own site) | USD 30 | – |
| Y8 | Web portal | 50% of eligible ad revenue | USD 100 (PayPal) | non-exclusive |
| GamePix | Web portal | 50% of net revenue | – | non-exclusive |
| Playgama | Web syndication network | 50% on playgama.com; 70–90% tiered on partner sites | USD 100 | – |
| itch.io | Storefront | 90% by default (you set itch.io's cut, 0–100%) | – | non-exclusive |
| Lagged | Web portal | 50% (paid via your own AdSense) | – | – |
- GameDistribution: 33% of net revenue, paid within 60 days of each monthly report once you reach EUR 100. Games may not be distributed via native apps or subscriptions (developer terms).
- Poki: 100% of revenue from players who arrive directly (bookmarks, search, social, your community), and a split for players Poki sends you (Poki). Portal Ready reports 50/50 for that traffic.
- Playgama: 50% on playgama.com, and a tiered 70–90% of net revenue on partner sites (Playgama FAQ).
- itch.io: you set itch.io's cut yourself, from 0 to 100%; the default is 10%.
- Coolmath Games: buys a non-exclusive hosting license instead of sharing ad revenue, and you keep your IP (Coolmath).
Mobile publishers: negotiated deals
None of the mobile publishers we track publishes a standard percentage. What their pages do describe is the shape of the deal:
- Publisher-funded testing: Voodoo funds one test campaign per game (Voodoo terms).
- Funding or investment: SayGames mentions upfront payments up to investment (SayGames). BoomBit lists project and equity investment and joint ventures, and reports $26M in lifetime revenue share paid to developers (BoomBit). TapNation mentions acquisition funding and a buy-out option (TapNation).
- Outright purchase: some companies buy games rather than publish them (see publishers offering funding).
Industry commentary puts typical publisher cuts anywhere from 20% to 70%, and stresses asking whether the percentage is of gross or net (Game Developer). That's commentary, not a market survey.
Terms that matter as much as the percentage
- Gross vs net: what is deducted before your share is calculated.
- Recoupment: whether the publisher recovers advances or marketing spend before you're paid, and whether that is capped. Developers on r/gamedev describe splits that apply "only until recoupment". That's anecdotal.
- Exclusivity and term: for example, Poki is web-exclusive, while CrazyGames is non-exclusive with an optional exclusive bonus. See non-exclusive options.
- IP ownership: CrazyGames says you keep 100% ownership (CrazyGames FAQ), and Coolmath says you keep your IP.
- Payout thresholds: EUR 100 on CrazyGames and GameDistribution, USD 30 on GameMonetize, USD 100 on Y8 (see the comparison table).
Related: Do you need a publisher? · How to pitch a hybrid-casual publisher.
FAQ
How much do HTML5 game portals pay developers?
Published shares range from 33% of net revenue (GameDistribution, per its developer terms) to 45% (GameMonetize) and 50% (Y8, GamePix, Lagged). Poki pays 100% of revenue from players who arrive directly. Check each listing for the source.
Do mobile game publishers publish their revenue split?
The mobile publishers we track do not publish a standard percentage. Deals are negotiated, and may include publisher-funded tests, upfront payments, investment or buy-outs.
What should I check besides the percentage?
Whether it is gross or net, recoupment of advances or marketing, exclusivity and term length, IP ownership, and payout thresholds.
Sources checked 2026-10-15. Terms you sign override this page. Spot an error? Report a correction.