CPC & CPM Calculator — Cost Per Click and Cost Per Mille
Enter your total ad spend, number of impressions, and number of clicks to instantly calculate CPC (cost per click), CPM (cost per thousand impressions), and CTR (click-through rate) — the core metrics for evaluating any paid digital ad campaign.
Average cost paid each time a user clicked the ad
- 1
Click-through rate (CTR)
500 ÷ 100,000 × 100 = 0.5% - 2
CPM (per 1,000 impressions)
1,000 ÷ 100,000 × 1,000 = 10 - 3
CPC (cost per click)
1,000 ÷ 500 = 2
How does this calculator work?
CPC = Budget ÷ Clicks (what you pay per click); CPM = Budget/Impressions × 1,000 (cost per 1,000 views); CTR = Clicks/Impressions × 100 (engagement rate). Enter spend, impressions and clicks to derive all three. Compare to industry benchmarks — Search CTR 3–5%, display 0.1–0.5% — to judge campaign performance.
Formula
How this is calculated
Digital advertising is priced and evaluated using three core metrics. CPC (cost per click) tells you the average amount you paid each time a user actually clicked your ad — the primary metric for performance or direct-response campaigns where action (visits, purchases) is the goal. CPM (cost per mille, from the Latin for thousand) tells you the cost to show your ad 1,000 times, making it the standard buying unit for brand-awareness campaigns where reach matters more than clicks. CTR (click-through rate) is the percentage of impressions that converted to clicks, a proxy for ad relevance and creative effectiveness.
The three metrics are mathematically linked: CTR = CPC / (CPM / 1000), so knowing any two of the three lets you derive the third. High CPM with low CTR suggests the ad is reaching a broad audience that finds it irrelevant. Low CPM with high CTR is the ideal: cheap impressions and strong engagement. Industry benchmarks vary widely by channel — Google Search averages CTR of 3–5%, display 0.1–0.5%, social 0.5–1.5% — so always compare against vertical-specific norms.
Note that all these metrics measure cost and engagement efficiency, not ROI. To assess profitability you also need conversion rate and average order/lead value, which the ROI and ROAS calculators on this site cover.
Frequently asked questions
There is no universal good CPC — it depends entirely on what a click is worth to you. If a click leads to a £50 purchase with 2% conversion rate, each click is worth about £1; spending £0.50 per click is profitable, spending £2 is not. Compare CPC to your cost per conversion (CPC ÷ conversion rate) and benchmark against your industry: Google Ads averages range from £0.50 in e-commerce to £8+ in legal and finance niches.
Optimise for CPM when your goal is brand awareness and reach — you want as many people as possible to see your message, not necessarily click. CPM buying makes sense for video campaigns, brand launches, and retargeting. CPC (or CPA — cost per acquisition) bidding is better when you need measurable actions: sign-ups, purchases, or leads. Many platforms let you switch between bidding models for the same ad.
Low CTR usually indicates a mismatch between ad creative and audience, poor ad placement visibility, or ads shown to non-relevant audiences. Check your targeting (demographics, keywords, interests), refresh ad creative (images, headlines), and ensure the call-to-action is clear and compelling. On display networks, average CTR is below 0.5%, so "low" is relative — compare to benchmarks for your specific channel and industry.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). CPC & CPM Calculator — Cost Per Click and Cost Per Mille [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cpc-cpm-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "CPC & CPM Calculator — Cost Per Click and Cost Per Mille." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cpc-cpm-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "CPC & CPM Calculator — Cost Per Click and Cost Per Mille," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cpc-cpm-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_cpc_cpm_calculator, title = {CPC & CPM Calculator — Cost Per Click and Cost Per Mille}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cpc-cpm-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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