CPM calculator
Enter any two of total cost, impressions and CPM to get the third, in your currency. Add clicks and conversions to see CTR, cost per click and cost per acquisition. It works for Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, YouTube or any campaign that buys impressions.
CPM Calculator
Enter any two of cost, impressions and CPM to get the third. Results update as you type.
Optional
Adds click-through rate and cost per click
Adds cost per acquisition and conversion rate
$750.00 ÷ 300,000 × 1,000 = $2.50 CPM
Key takeaways
- CPM (cost per mille) is what you pay for 1,000 ad impressions: total cost ÷ impressions × 1,000.
- Enter any two of cost, impressions and CPM and the calculator works out the third.
- Add clicks and conversions to see click-through rate, cost per click and cost per acquisition in the same place.
- A higher CPM isn't automatically bad: judge it against what those impressions go on to produce.
The CPM formula
CPM stands for cost per mille, from the Latin for a thousand. It's the price of 1,000 ad impressions, and it can be rearranged to find any of the three numbers:
- CPM = total cost ÷ impressions × 1,000
- Total cost = CPM × impressions ÷ 1,000
- Impressions = budget ÷ CPM × 1,000
Worked example
A campaign spends $750 and is shown 300,000 times. Its CPM is $750 ÷ 300,000 × 1,000 = $2.50. If those impressions bring 1,200 clicks, the click-through rate is 1,200 ÷ 300,000 = 0.4% and the cost per click is $750 ÷ 1,200 = $0.63.
To plan the other way round: with a $2,000 budget and an expected CPM of $8, you can buy about $2,000 ÷ $8 × 1,000 = 250,000 impressions.
Want this applied to your site?
The free written audit identifies exactly where these improvements move the needle for your pages — no call required.
CPM vs CPC vs CPA
| Metric | What you pay for | Formula | Best when the goal is |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPM | 1,000 impressions | Cost ÷ impressions × 1,000 | Reach and awareness |
| CPC | One click | Cost ÷ clicks | Website traffic |
| CPA | One conversion | Cost ÷ conversions | Leads or sales |
| eCPM | Earnings per 1,000 impressions | Earnings ÷ impressions × 1,000 | Selling ad space as a publisher |
What makes CPM go up or down
- Audience: narrow, high-value audiences (senior job titles on LinkedIn, for example) cost more to reach than broad ones.
- Competition and season: more advertisers bidding for the same people pushes prices up, especially in the run-up to big retail dates.
- Format and placement: video and premium placements usually cost more per impression than standard display.
- Ad quality: platforms reward ads people engage with, so a weak ad can pay more for the same audience.
- Country: the same audience costs different amounts in different markets.
Is a high CPM a problem?
Not on its own. A $20 CPM that reaches people ready to buy can beat a $2 CPM shown to people who never will. Compare CPM against your cost per acquisition and return on ad spend, and against your own past campaigns on the same platform, rather than a generic benchmark.
Frequently asked questions
Get help with paid media
Written findings by senior strategists. Published transparent pricing.