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CPM Calculator (Cost Per 1,000 Impressions)

CPM = (Ad spend ÷ Impressions) × 1,000. The standard metric for upper-funnel display, video, and brand campaigns. UK benchmarks vary widely by platform: programmatic display ~£0.50-£3, Meta ~£3-£8, YouTube ~£5-£15.

Last verified: 25 April 2026 Source: Industry-standard ad metrics Next review: 25 October 2026

Metric —

CPM —

Interpretation —

Standard Meta display campaign

£500 spend · 250,000 impressions

£500 ÷ 250,000 × 1,000 = £2.00 CPM. Comfortable for Meta UK display.

Premium YouTube campaign

£1,500 spend · 150,000 impressions

£1,500 ÷ 150,000 × 1,000 = £10 CPM. Mid-range for YouTube TrueView in-stream UK.

Programmatic display floor

£100 spend · 200,000 impressions

£100 ÷ 200,000 × 1,000 = £0.50 CPM. Cheap programmatic — likely lower-quality inventory.

CPM (Cost Per Mille — ‘mille’ is Latin for thousand) is the base unit of impression-based ad pricing. Useful for awareness campaigns where you’re paying to be seen, not for direct response.

When CPM matters

Brand awareness campaigns — measuring reach efficiency
Upper-funnel display/video — driving consideration before purchase intent
Ad-format comparison — comparing video vs display vs sponsored content
Negotiating with publishers — quoting agreed rate cards

When CPM doesn’t matter

Performance campaigns optimising for clicks or conversions — CPC and CPA are more relevant
Direct-response email — open rate and CTR matter more
Affiliate marketing — CPA dominates

UK CPM benchmarks by platform

Platform	Typical UK CPM range
Programmatic display (Open RTB)	£0.50-£3
Google Display Network	£2-£5
Meta feed (Facebook + Instagram)	£3-£8
YouTube TrueView in-stream	£5-£15
TikTok Promote / TopView	£5-£20
LinkedIn feed	£15-£40
Premium publisher direct	£8-£25
Connected TV (CTV) UK	£20-£40

These are media costs only — platform fees, agency fees, and creative production are separate.

What this calculator doesn’t model

Viewability filters (served vs viewable impressions)
Frequency capping effects on cost
Ad-tech overhead (DSP fees, verification fees)
Audience reach (impressions ≠ unique users)
Brand uplift / attribution beyond clicks

For click-side metrics, see CPC calculator and CTR calculator. For conversion economics, see CPA calculator and ROAS calculator.

Common mistakes

Confusing CPM with CPC. CPM is impression-based (how many times shown), CPC is action-based (clicks). CPM is for awareness; CPC for response. Different optimisation goals.
Comparing CPMs across platforms. Meta CPM ≠ YouTube CPM ≠ programmatic CPM — different audiences, ad formats, targeting precision. Compare YOUR campaigns over time, not platform-vs-platform.
Treating low CPM as ‘cheap’. Low CPM with low CTR = wasted impressions. Combine with CTR for real cost-per-engagement view. £0.50 CPM at 0.1% CTR = £500 per engaged user.
Mixing reach and frequency. Impressions ≠ unique people. 100,000 impressions might be 25,000 unique users seeing your ad 4× each. Reach planning matters for awareness; impressions matter for cost.
Forgetting viewability. A served impression isn’t necessarily a seen impression. Industry viewability standard: ≥50% of pixels in view for ≥1 second. Many platforms charge on served impressions; programmatic increasingly charges on viewable impressions only.

What this calculator doesn't cover

Doesn’t differentiate served vs viewable impressions.
No reach/frequency split (impressions ≠ unique users).
Doesn’t model platform fees on top of media spend (ad-tech overhead can add 10-20%).
Single-campaign focused; for multi-campaign blended CPM, sum spend and impressions first.

Frequently asked questions

What's a good CPM?

Depends on platform and audience. UK programmatic display: £0.50-£3. Meta feed: £3-£8. YouTube TrueView: £5-£15. LinkedIn: £15-£40 (premium B2B). Google Display Network: £2-£5. Higher CPMs aren’t bad — they often reflect more targeted, more engaged audiences.

CPM vs CPC vs CPA — which to optimise?

CPM for awareness/branding. CPC for traffic generation. CPA for conversions. Most campaigns optimise CPA at the bidding level but track all three. Strong CTR keeps CPM-based campaigns competitive even when buying on impression.

Why does CPM vary so much by platform?

Audience quality, targeting precision, ad format scarcity. LinkedIn CPM is high because LinkedIn audiences are professionally segmented (job title, seniority, industry) — advertisers pay premium to reach decision-makers. Programmatic display CPM is low because most inventory is commoditised banner positions on long-tail content.

Are CPMs increasing or decreasing in the UK?

Increasing year-over-year for most platforms (5-15% annually) due to ad-load saturation and rising competition. Programmatic has held flatter due to oversupply. Plan budgets with annual CPM inflation in mind.

How do CPMs compare to traditional media?

TV CPM (UK linear, AB1 audience): £15-£40. Press: £20-£60. Radio: £8-£15. Out-of-home: £5-£20. Digital is generally cheaper but offers less guaranteed reach for the same spend.

About this calculator. Maintained by Jordan — a UK seller and creator who actually uses these platforms (Etsy, eBay, Vinted, DistroKid). Built to be accurate, mobile-fast, and honest about its limits. Spot a bug? Email hello@payoutmath.co.uk.