About the CPM Calculator
This CPM calculator handles all three versions of the cost-per-mille formula. Choose what you want to find — the CPM rate, the total cost of a campaign, or how many impressions a budget will buy — then enter the other two numbers. “Mille” is Latin for thousand, so CPM is the price of 1,000 ad impressions.
Media buyers use it to compare quotes from publishers and ad networks, marketers use it to plan how far a budget will stretch on display, video, social or podcast ads, and publishers and creators use it to estimate what their inventory is worth to advertisers.
CPM measures reach, not results. Pair it with click-through rate and conversion rate to understand what those impressions actually deliver.
How to use the cpm calculator
- 1Choose whether you want to find CPM, total cost or impressions.
- 2Enter the two known values shown for that option.
- 3Read the result, plus the cost of a single impression.
- 4Compare the CPM against other channels or publisher quotes.
Formula and method
CPM is the cost of 1,000 impressions, so dividing total cost by impressions gives the cost of a single impression, and multiplying by 1,000 gives CPM. Rearranging the same relationship gives total cost from a CPM rate and an impression goal, or the impressions a fixed budget will buy.
The calculator assumes a flat CPM across the campaign. On auction-based platforms your effective CPM will move with competition, audience and placement, so treat the result as a planning estimate.
- CPM
- Cost per 1,000 impressions
- Cost
- Total amount spent or budgeted
- Impressions
- Number of times the ad is shown
Worked examples
$2,000 for 250,000 impressions
$2,000 ÷ 250,000 impressions = $0.008 per impression. Multiplying by 1,000 gives a CPM of $8.00.
Budget for 500,000 impressions at a $12 CPM
500,000 impressions is 500 blocks of 1,000. At $12 per thousand, the campaign costs 500 × $12 = $6,000.
How far does $5,000 go at a $10 CPM?
$5,000 ÷ $10 = 500 blocks of 1,000 impressions, so the budget buys 500,000 impressions.
Frequently asked questions
What does CPM stand for?+
CPM stands for cost per mille, where mille is Latin for thousand. It is the price an advertiser pays for 1,000 impressions of an ad, used across display, video, social, audio and print media.
How do you calculate CPM?+
Divide the total cost by the number of impressions and multiply by 1,000. A $600 campaign that delivers 150,000 impressions has a CPM of $600 ÷ 150,000 × 1,000 = $4.
What is the difference between CPM and eCPM?+
CPM is usually the rate an advertiser pays. eCPM (effective CPM) is what a publisher actually earned per 1,000 impressions from all ad types, calculated as earnings ÷ impressions × 1,000.
Is a lower CPM always better?+
No. A cheap CPM on a poorly targeted or low-visibility placement can cost more per click or sale than a pricier, well-targeted one. Compare cost per click and cost per acquisition too.
How do I convert CPM to CPC?+
Divide CPM by 1,000 times the click-through rate as a decimal. A $10 CPM with a 2% CTR gives $10 ÷ (1,000 × 0.02) = $0.50 per click.