Turn spend, impressions, and clicks into CPM, CPC, and CTR instantly.
CPM, CPC, and CTR — the three numbers every media buyer reads together
These three metrics describe the efficiency of a paid campaign at the top of the funnel. This calculator works them all out from the same three inputs: spend, impressions, and clicks.
CPM = (Ad spend ÷ Impressions) × 1,000 — what you pay for every 1,000 times your ad is shown.
CPC = Ad spend ÷ Clicks — what you pay for each click.
CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100 — the percentage of people who clicked after seeing the ad.
How they connect
They aren't independent. A great creative with a high CTR will pull your CPC down even when CPM stays the same, because you're getting more clicks for the same impressions. That's why experienced buyers diagnose campaigns in this order: if CPC is high, check CTR first (creative/targeting problem) before blaming CPM (auction/competition problem).
Worked example
Spend $500, get 100,000 impressions and 1,500 clicks:
- CPM = ($500 ÷ 100,000) × 1,000 = $5.00
- CPC = $500 ÷ 1,500 = $0.33
- CTR = (1,500 ÷ 100,000) × 100 = 1.5%
Use CPM to compare how expensive a placement or audience is, CPC to compare what each visit costs, and CTR to judge whether your creative and targeting are actually resonating.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate CPM?
Divide ad spend by impressions, then multiply by 1,000. For example, $500 spent on 100,000 impressions is a CPM of $5.00. CPM stands for cost per mille (per thousand impressions).
How do you calculate CPC?
Divide ad spend by the number of clicks. For example, $500 spent for 1,500 clicks is a CPC of about $0.33. CPC tells you what each visit to your site is costing.
What is the difference between CPM and CPC?
CPM charges by impressions (views), CPC charges by clicks. CPM is useful for awareness and reach; CPC ties cost directly to traffic. A campaign can have a low CPM but a high CPC if its click-through rate is poor.
What is a good CTR?
It depends on the channel. Paid social often runs around 1–2%, while high-intent search ads frequently exceed 3%. A rising CTR usually lowers your CPC, so improving creative and targeting pays off twice.
What is a good CPM for Facebook ads?
Meta CPMs typically fall in the $5–$15 range for many audiences, but vary widely by country, season, and targeting. Compare your CPM to your own historical baseline rather than a single industry number.
How are CPM, CPC, and CTR related?
Mathematically, CPC ≈ CPM ÷ (CTR × 10) when CPM is in dollars per thousand impressions and CTR is a percentage. A higher CTR pulls CPC down for the same CPM, which is why creative testing affects both metrics together.