Cost Per Click Calculator
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount you pay, on average, each time a user clicks your advertisement. It is the dominant pricing model in search engine marketing (Google Ads, Microsoft Ads) and is also used in social media advertising. Knowing your CPC lets you compare it to your revenue per click to determine whether a campaign is profitable before scaling budget. Enter your total ad spend and total clicks for any period to calculate CPC, and optionally enter your conversion rate and average order value to see revenue per click.
CPC formula
CPC = Ad Spend / Clicks Revenue per Click = (Conversion Rate / 100) * AOV
If Revenue per Click exceeds CPC, the campaign covers ad cost before product cost. Subtract cost of goods from revenue per click to find profit per click.
CPC benchmarks by industry
- Legal and financial services: often $5 to $50 per click on search due to high competition.
- Ecommerce retail: typically $0.50 to $3.00 per click depending on category.
- Software and SaaS: $2 to $10 per click on branded and category terms.
- CPC varies by match type: broad match typically costs less but converts at a lower rate than exact match.
Cost per click: frequently asked questions
What is cost per click (CPC)?
Cost per click is the average amount you pay each time a user clicks on your ad. It is calculated by dividing total ad spend by the number of clicks received. CPC is the primary pricing model for search and social ads.
What is a good CPC?
A good CPC depends on your industry and conversion value. If each click converts at 2% and each conversion is worth $50, your maximum profitable CPC is $50 * 0.02 = $1.00 (before accounting for desired margin). Compare CPC to revenue per click, not to a universal benchmark.
What factors affect CPC?
CPC in auction-based ad platforms (Google Ads, Meta Ads) is driven by competition for the keyword or audience, your Quality Score or relevance score, bid strategy, device, time of day, geographic targeting, and ad format.
How do I calculate revenue per click?
Revenue per Click = Conversion Rate * Average Order Value. If your conversion rate is 3% and AOV is $100, revenue per click is $3.00. If your CPC is below $3.00, each click generates positive revenue (before cost of goods).
What is the difference between CPC and CPM?
CPC (Cost Per Click) charges you per click regardless of impressions. CPM (Cost Per Mille) charges per 1,000 impressions regardless of clicks. CPC is better for direct-response campaigns; CPM is better for brand awareness.
Official sources
- Federal Trade Commission, Digital Advertising: ftc.gov/business-guidance.
- U.S. Census Bureau, E-Stats: census.gov/programs-surveys/e-stats.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 15 June 2026. See our methodology.