CPC, CPM and CPA Calculator
Enter what you spent and what you got. Fill in any of the boxes and every measure that can be worked out appears, from cost per click to cost per acquisition.
Worked examples
A £500 campaign
Spent £500, 100,000 impressions, 2,000 clicks, 80 conversions
CPM £5.00, click-through rate 2%, CPC £0.25, conversion rate 4%, CPA £6.25
With a target CPA of £10 the most you could pay per click is £0.40.
About CPC, CPM and CPA Calculator
Advertising costs are quoted in several ways. CPC is the cost per click, CPM is the cost per thousand impressions, and CPA is the cost per acquisition, meaning each sale, sign-up or other result you count. The click-through rate and the conversion rate link them together: you pay for impressions, a share of them become clicks, and a share of those clicks become results.
Enter what you spent and whichever of impressions, clicks and conversions you have. The calculator shows every measure it can work out: CPM, click-through rate, CPC, conversion rate and CPA, plus revenue per conversion, return on ad spend and the difference between revenue and spend if you add revenue. Add a target cost per acquisition and it shows the most you could pay per click at your current conversion rate and whether your CPA is inside the target.
How to use CPC, CPM and CPA Calculator
- Enter the amount you spent in pounds.
- Add impressions, clicks and conversions. Leave out any you do not have.
- Add revenue if you want return on ad spend, and a target cost per acquisition if you have one.
- Read the main figures at the top and the full list underneath.
Common uses
- Comparing the cost of two campaigns
- Checking a campaign against a target cost per sale
- Working out what you can afford to pay per click
- Reporting advertising results to a client
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CPC, CPM and CPA?
CPC is the spend divided by clicks. CPM is the spend divided by impressions, times 1,000. CPA is the spend divided by conversions. Each answers a different question about where the money goes.
What is a conversion?
Whatever action you decide to count: a purchase, an enquiry, a download or a sign-up. Use the same definition every time you compare campaigns.
How do I find the most I can pay for a click?
Multiply your target cost per acquisition by your conversion rate. If you can pay £10 for a sale and 4% of clicks buy, you can pay up to £0.40 per click and still hit your target.
Why are some measures missing?
A measure needs the figures that make it up. Without impressions the tool cannot work out CPM or click-through rate, and without conversions it cannot give CPA. Add the missing number to see them.
Which is the most important?
For most businesses, CPA, or ROAS if you know revenue, because they connect spending to results. CPC and CPM help find where in the funnel a problem lies.