CPM Calculator

Cost per thousand impressions - all three directions

CPM = cost per 1,000 impressions. The same maths works in any currency - the $ sign is just the convention.

CPM - cost per mille, Latin for "per thousand" - is the standard price unit of online advertising: what 1,000 ad impressions cost. This free CPM Calculator works in all three directions. Give it a campaign's cost and impressions and it tells you the CPM you actually paid. Give it a budget and a CPM rate and it tells you how many impressions that budget buys. Or give it a CPM and a target number of impressions and it tells you what the campaign will cost. That makes it useful for planning a buy, checking a media quote, or sanity-checking a report from an ad platform.

The reference example: spend $500 and receive 100,000 impressions, and your CPM is $500 / 100,000 x 1,000 = $5.00. Whether $5 is a good CPM depends entirely on context - premium video and tightly targeted audiences in wealthy countries can cost ten times that, while broad display ads in cheaper markets can cost under $1. CPM also says nothing about quality: impressions no one saw, or saw on the wrong sites, are expensive at any price, so marketers pair CPM with viewability, click-through and conversion numbers before judging a campaign. This calculator does the arithmetic only, instantly, in your browser.

How to use

  1. Choose what to work out: CPM, impressions, or total cost.
  2. Enter the two numbers that mode asks for (the card shows only the fields you need).
  3. Click "Calculate".
  4. Read the headline answer plus the plain-English breakdown underneath it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CPM formula?

CPM = total cost / impressions x 1,000. So $500 of spend and 100,000 impressions gives a $5.00 CPM. The other two modes are the same formula rearranged: impressions = budget / CPM x 1,000, and cost = CPM x impressions / 1,000. This calculator does all three so you never have to rearrange anything by hand.

What is a good CPM?

There is no single good number - it varies by platform, format, country and audience. As a rough feel: broad social media ads often land between $3 and $15, premium video and professional audiences can be $20 to $50 or more, and cheap display inventory can be under $1. Compare any quote against the same platform and audience, and always ask what the impressions actually deliver.

What is the difference between CPM, CPC and CPA?

CPM charges per thousand impressions - you pay for ads being shown. CPC (cost per click) charges only when someone clicks. CPA (cost per acquisition) charges when someone completes an action like a purchase or sign-up. CPM suits awareness campaigns and comparing media prices; CPC and CPA tie cost closer to results but usually at a higher unit price.

Does the calculator work for other currencies?

Yes - the maths is identical in pounds, euros, rupees or any other currency. The fields show a $ sign because CPM is usually quoted in dollars, but you can enter figures in your own currency and read the answer in that same currency.

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