Dan Ruby, Research Director for ad firm Chitika, just pinged us to share his latest Android research findings. The research compared the Apple and Google mobile platforms to determine which is more profitable for advertising, and the answer is overwhelmingly Android. When we say overwhelmingly, we mean by 80%:

As usual, this is based on Chitika's ad network - so while the numbers are likely pretty accurate, they're not necessarily official.

All of the studied platforms have an equal pay-out rate, but Android users have a significantly higher ad click rate - nearly 1.2% of ads displayed are clicked on, versus about .65% for the iPhone. Interestingly, Android even beats out the iPad, despite the iPad being a more capable device with a larger screen.

The end result is that given the same number of app downloads, ad-based apps bring in 80% more revenue on Android. That’s good news for Android devs, and coupled with the incredible growth of the Android platform, should help convince them that Android is the place to be.

[Source: Chitika]