CPM Calculator
CPM means cost per mille — the cost of one thousand ad impressions. It is the standard way display, video and social advertising is priced, and the quickest way to compare how expensive it is to reach an audience across channels. Enter your campaign cost and the impressions it bought, and this free calculator returns your CPM, the cost of a single impression, and how much reach $1,000 buys.
What is CPM?
CPM is the cost to show your ad one thousand times — "mille" is Latin for thousand. If a campaign costs $500 and delivers 200,000 impressions, the CPM is $2.50: you pay $2.50 for every 1,000 times the ad is seen. It is the dominant pricing model for awareness advertising, where the goal is reach and visibility rather than an immediate click.
CPM lets you compare the raw cost of attention across very different channels and audiences on a single, simple basis.
The CPM formula
CPM = (total cost ÷ impressions) × 1,000
Cost per impression = total cost ÷ impressions
You can rearrange it to plan a budget: impressions = (budget ÷ CPM) × 1,000. So at a $2.50 CPM, a $1,000 budget buys 400,000 impressions.
A worked example
A campaign costs $500 and delivers 200,000 impressions.
- CPM: ($500 ÷ 200,000) × 1,000 = $2.50
- Cost per impression: $500 ÷ 200,000 = $0.0025
- Reach per $1,000: 1,000 ÷ $2.50 × 1,000 = 400,000 impressions
CPM vs CPC vs CPA
CPM prices impressions (views). CPC (cost per click) prices clicks. CPA (cost per acquisition) prices a completed action like a sale or sign-up. A low CPM is only good if those impressions lead somewhere — a cheap CPM with terrible targeting can cost more per actual customer than an expensive, precise one. Use CPM to compare reach cost, but judge a campaign on its downstream CPC and CPA.
What is a typical CPM?
CPMs swing widely by platform, format and how tightly you target. Broad display can run a couple of dollars; premium video, niche professional audiences and tightly targeted social can run much higher. There is no universal "good" CPM — a $20 CPM that reaches exactly your buyers can be a bargain, while a $1 CPM reaching no one is wasted. Compare CPMs only within the same channel and audience, and always tie them back to results.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CPM calculator free?
Yes, free with no sign-up. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
How do I calculate CPM?
Divide the total campaign cost by the number of impressions, then multiply by 1,000. A $500 campaign with 200,000 impressions has a CPM of $2.50.
What does CPM stand for?
Cost per mille — the cost per one thousand impressions. "Mille" is Latin for thousand.
How many impressions will my budget buy?
Divide your budget by the CPM and multiply by 1,000. At a $2.50 CPM, a $1,000 budget buys 400,000 impressions.
What is the difference between CPM and CPC?
CPM charges per thousand impressions (views), while CPC charges per click. CPM suits awareness campaigns; CPC suits campaigns where clicks are the goal.
What is a good CPM?
It depends entirely on the platform, format and targeting. A higher CPM that reaches exactly the right audience can outperform a cheap one that reaches no relevant buyers, so compare CPMs only within the same channel and judge by results.
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