CPM Calculator
Calculate cost per thousand impressions for ad campaigns.
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This CPM calculator works out the cost per thousand impressions of an ad campaign from two numbers: what you spent and how many impressions you received. CPM (cost per mille, Latin for thousand) is the standard way to compare the price of reach across Google, Meta, YouTube, OTT and publisher deals.
The CPM formula
CPM = total cost ÷ impressions × 1000
Enter the Total cost in any currency and the Impressions count. The result shows CPM to two decimals, plus the cost per single impression.
Worked examples
- ₹15,000 spent for 2,50,000 impressions: 15,000 ÷ 2,50,000 × 1000 = ₹60.00 CPM, or ₹0.06 per impression.
- $4,500 for 1.2 million impressions: $3.75 CPM. The per-impression row shows 0.00 here, because it is rounded to two decimal places and the true value is about $0.004.
CPM is most useful for comparing offers of different sizes. Suppose one network quotes ₹20,000 for 4,00,000 impressions and a regional news site quotes ₹12,000 for 2,00,000. The first works out to ₹50 CPM and the second to ₹60, so the bigger package is cheaper per thousand, though the pricier one may still win if its readers match your customers better.
Rearranging for planning
The same relationship answers budgeting questions:
- Budget needed = CPM × target impressions ÷ 1000. Reaching 5,00,000 impressions at ₹60 CPM costs ₹30,000.
- Impressions you can buy = budget ÷ CPM × 1000. ₹10,000 at ₹40 CPM buys 2,50,000 impressions.
CPM, CPC and CPA compared
| Metric | You pay per | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| CPM | 1,000 impressions | Awareness and reach |
| CPC | Click | Website traffic |
| CPA | Action (sale, lead) | Performance goals |
They are linked through click-through rate: effective CPM = CPC × CTR × 1000. A campaign paying ₹5 per click with a 1.2% CTR is effectively paying 5 × 0.012 × 1000 = ₹60 per thousand impressions. This lets you compare a CPC deal with a CPM deal on equal terms; work out CTR first with the CTR calculator.
Why CPMs vary so much
- Audience: narrow, high-value targeting such as business decision-makers costs more than broad reach.
- Format and placement: video and premium placements usually cost more than standard display banners.
- Season: competition for inventory rises around big sale periods such as Diwali, pushing prices up.
- Viewability: an impression is counted when an ad is served, not necessarily seen. The industry viewability standard counts a display ad as viewable when at least 50% of it is on screen for one second (two seconds for video). Buying on a viewable CPM basis costs more per thousand but wastes less.
The publisher side: eCPM and RPM
Publishers and creators use the same formula with earnings instead of spend. AdSense's page RPM, for example, is estimated earnings ÷ page views × 1000. If a blog earned ₹2,400 from 1,20,000 page views, its page RPM is ₹20. For video income estimates, the YouTube earnings calculator applies a CPM range to your views.