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CPM (cost per thousand impressions) ties together budget, reach and price — give this calculator any two and it returns the third. Use it to answer planning questions fast: what does 500k impressions cost at an $8 CPM, or what CPM did that invoice actually work out to.
Frequently asked questions
What does CPM stand for and how is it calculated?
Cost per mille — Latin for thousand. CPM = (total cost ÷ impressions) × 1,000. A $500 spend delivering 100,000 impressions is a $5.00 CPM.
What's a typical CPM?
Hugely variable by channel, audience and season: display often runs $2–10, social $5–15, premium video and connected TV $20–40+. Q4 retail competition inflates everything. Compare like-for-like placements rather than chasing a universal number.
Is a lower CPM always better?
No — CPM prices impressions, not outcomes. Cheap impressions on the wrong audience cost more per result than expensive ones on the right audience. Judge channels on CPA or ROAS; use CPM for budgeting and reach math.