How to add ads to a Flutter app in 5 minutes

adPluga — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:51:24 +0000

This guide shows how to get an ad showing in a Flutter app, first in test mode and then for real. You do not need a billing account or a card to reach the end.

What you need

A Flutter 3.10 or newer app (Dart 3).
A free adPluga account.
Two minutes in the dashboard to create the key and the space.

1. Create the key and the space in the dashboard

Under Properties, create the property for your app.
Under Slots, create a space, for example a 320×50 banner at the bottom of the screen. Keep the slot id.
Under Integration, copy the publishable test key. It starts with pk_test_.

The test key shows real ads in your app, but nothing is charged, nothing is paid and nothing counts toward the quota.

2. Install the SDK

flutter pub add adpluga_flutter

The package works on Android and iOS.

3. Initialise once

Do it when the app starts, before showing any ad:

import 'package:adpluga_flutter/adpluga_flutter.dart';

Future<void> main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
  await AdPluga.initialize(publisherKey: 'pk_test_...');
  runApp(const MyApp());
}

4. Show a banner

The banner is a widget like any other. Put it where you want the ad to show:

AdPlugaBanner(
  slotId: 'your-slot-id',
  onImpression: () {},
  onClick: () {},
  onError: (err) {},
)

When there are no advertisers for that space yet, an adPluga ad shows instead. The space is never empty.

5. Show an interstitial

An interstitial fills the whole screen between two moments of the app, for example at the end of a level:

final ad = await InterstitialAd.load(slotId: 'your-interstitial-slot-id');
await ad.show(context);

The SDK also has native, rewarded and carousel formats.

6. Go live

When everything works in test, swap pk_test_ for pk_live_. To use the live key, first confirm in the dashboard that the property is yours. We do not ask for a card for that: the free plan serves live up to 100,000 decisions a month, and a decision is each ad request the app makes.

Already using AdMob?

You do not have to remove it. Under Mediation in the dashboard, add AdMob and other networks (Meta, InMobi, Unity, Liftoff) and let them compete for the same space with adPluga. The best offer wins each time. The AdMob alternative page explains how.

The full SDK reference is at SDKs and the shortest path at Quickstart.

I work on adPluga. A complete Flutter example app is at github.com/adpluga/examples.

DEV Community: adPluga