Money
CPM Calculator
Pick what to solve for. Enter any two of cost, impressions, and CPM, and the calculator returns the third using CPM = cost / impressions × 1000.
Solve for
Total ad impressions for the campaign.
Disclaimer
CPM stands for cost per mille (Latin for one thousand). It is the price an advertiser pays for 1,000 ad impressions. Real ad spend may include taxes, platform fees, viewability adjustments, and frequency-cap effects that this calculator does not model.
Educational estimate. Not a performance guarantee or media-plan advice. Real campaigns also need CTR, conversion rate, and ROI analysis.
CPM
$5.00
$500.00 buys 100,000 impressions.
CPM is the standard pricing unit for display, video, audio, and many social-media ad buys. Two campaigns with the same CPM can still have very different ROI depending on click-through and conversion rates.
Examples
$500 buys 100,000 impressions
CPM = $5.00
CPM $8 × 250,000 impressions
Cost = $2,000
$1,500 budget at CPM $6
Impressions = 250,000
$100 at CPM $2
Impressions = 50,000
How it works
CPM is a per-1,000-impressions price. The math is one multiplication and a divide; the constant 1,000 in the formula comes from the "mille" convention.
CPM · CPM = cost / impressions × 1000
Cost · cost = CPM × impressions / 1000
Impressions · impressions = cost / CPM × 1000
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Frequently asked questions
Cost per mille (Latin for one thousand). CPM is the price an advertiser pays per 1,000 ad impressions. A $5 CPM means each thousand views costs $5; one million views at that rate costs $5,000.
An impression is a single display of an ad to a user. Viewability standards (e.g. MRC for display: 50% of pixels in view for 1+ second) may apply on some platforms, but the basic CPM math treats raw impressions delivered.
CPM is per 1,000 impressions; the advertiser pays regardless of clicks. CPC (cost per click) charges only when a user clicks the ad. CPA (cost per acquisition) charges only on a defined conversion. CPM is common for brand awareness; CPC and CPA align cost with response.
It varies wildly by channel, audience, and time of year. Display networks can be under $1 CPM for broad audiences; programmatic video can be $10 to $30; premium publications and CTV can exceed $40. The right benchmark is whatever drives positive ROI for your campaign.
No. The calculator handles the basic CPM relationship. Real campaigns also include ad-server fees, exchange fees, agency commissions, sales tax in some jurisdictions, and platform minimums.
No. CPM is only one input to a media plan. Real performance also depends on CTR, conversion rate, frequency, creative quality, and audience targeting. Consult a qualified marketing professional for campaign decisions.
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