PPC Calculator
CPC, CTR, conversion rate, and CPA of a PPC campaign.
CPM Calculator
Find the cost per thousand impressions of an ad campaign, or solve for the cost or impressions instead. The CPM calculator works for display, social, and video ads.
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How to use the CPM Calculator
- Choose what to Solve for: CPM, cost, or impressions.
- Enter the other two values.
- Press Calculate. The answer appears with the cost per single impression.
How it works
CPM = cost ÷ impressions × 1,000 cost = CPM × impressions ÷ 1,000 impressions = cost ÷ CPM × 1,000
CPM stands for cost per mille, Latin for thousand.
Examples
- $500 for 200,000 impressions: $2.50 CPM.
- At an $8 CPM, 1,000,000 impressions cost $8,000.
- $1,200 at a $4 CPM buys 300,000 impressions.
- $100 at a $5 CPM buys 20,000 impressions.
CPM versus CPC
With CPM you pay for views, whether or not anyone clicks. With CPC you pay only for clicks. CPM suits awareness campaigns; CPC suits campaigns that need traffic.
You can compare the two by working out the effective CPC: CPM ÷ (CTR × 1,000), with CTR as a fraction. A $5 CPM with a 0.5% click-through rate costs $5 ÷ (0.005 × 1,000) = $1.00 per click. If the same audience is offered at $1.50 per click, the CPM buy is cheaper for traffic, as long as the click rate holds.
CPM for advertisers and eCPM for publishers
The same formula works from both sides of an ad. An advertiser uses CPM to see what 1,000 impressions cost. A publisher uses eCPM, effective cost per mille, to see what 1,000 impressions earned: earnings ÷ impressions × 1,000. A site that made $36 from 12,000 ad impressions has a $3.00 eCPM, and the calculator gives that answer if you enter the earnings as the cost.
Publishers also quote RPM, revenue per 1,000 page views rather than per 1,000 ad impressions. A page with three ad slots has three impressions per view, so its RPM is higher than its eCPM.
Why CPM prices change
Most ads are sold in auctions, so the CPM moves with demand. Narrow targeting, such as one job title or one small region, costs more per thousand than a broad audience because fewer impressions match. Prices usually rise in the weeks before major shopping holidays, when more advertisers bid for the same people. Video and premium placements cost more than banner slots, and audiences in high-income countries cost more than the same audience elsewhere. Compare CPMs within one platform and format rather than across them.
Limitations
- Assumes all impressions cost the same. Real auctions vary by audience, time, and placement.
- Viewability is not considered: some served impressions are never seen.
Frequently asked questions
What does CPM mean?
Cost per mille: the price of 1,000 ad impressions.
How do I calculate CPM?
Divide the cost by the number of impressions and multiply by 1,000.
What is a good CPM?
It varies widely by platform and audience, from under $2 for broad display to $20 or more for niche social or video.
How many impressions do I get for $100?
Divide 100 by the CPM and multiply by 1,000. At a $5 CPM, $100 buys 20,000 impressions.
What is eCPM?
Effective cost per mille: a publisher's earnings per 1,000 ad impressions. $36 earned from 12,000 impressions is a $3.00 eCPM.
Related tools
Often used together with CPM Calculator.
ROAS Calculator
Return on ad spend, with break-even ROAS.
Ad Spend Calculator
Plan an ad budget from target CPA or CPM.