Marketing
CPM Calculator
Cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM) is a standard way to price and compare display, video, and social ad placements, regardless of how many people actually click.
The formula
CPM = (total spend ÷ impressions) × 1,000
Worked example
You spend $500 for 250,000 impressions:
CPM = (500 ÷ 250,000) × 1,000 = $2.00
Frequently asked questions
What does CPM mean?
CPM stands for "cost per mille" (mille is Latin for thousand) — it's the cost of 1,000 ad impressions, used to compare pricing across different ad placements and platforms.
What's a good CPM?
It varies widely by platform, audience, and industry — social feeds and display ads often run a few dollars per 1,000 impressions, while more targeted or premium placements can run much higher. Compare CPM within the same channel and audience rather than across very different platforms.
How is CPM different from CPC?
CPM charges (or measures cost) per 1,000 impressions regardless of clicks, while CPC (cost per click) measures cost per individual click. A campaign can have a low CPM but a high CPC if few people click, or vice versa.