platform-cost-benchmarks
CPM/CPA/CPC/ROAS benchmarks; cross-platform budget split; 2025-2026 figures for Google/Meta/TikTok/LinkedIn/YouTube.
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tessl review fix ./skills/platform-cost-benchmarks/SKILL.mdPlatform Cost Benchmarks (2025-2026)
Use these benchmarks to advise on budget planning, CPA targets, and platform selection. They're directional, not exact — always compare against the user's actual data when available.
CPM by Platform
| Platform | Avg CPM | Range |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | $4-$7 | $3-$15 |
| YouTube | $6-$8 | $3-$12 |
| Meta (Reels) | $7-$10 | $4-$18 |
| Meta (Feed) | $8-$12 | $5-$20 |
| Google Display | $3-$5 | $1-$10 |
| Google Search | $10-$30 | up to $50+ |
| $33-$65 | $20-$100+ |
ROAS Benchmarks by Channel
| Channel | Median | Strong | Top performer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search | 4-8x | 8-12x | 15x+ |
| Google Shopping | 3-6x | 6-10x | 12x+ |
| Meta (overall) | 2.5-4x | 4-6x | 8x+ |
| TikTok | 1.5-3x | 3-5x | 6x+ |
| YouTube | 2-4x | 4-7x | 10x+ |
| 1-2x | 2-3.5x | 5x+ |
Industry CPA Benchmarks
| Industry | Meta CPA | Google CPA | TikTok CPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-com (<$50 AOV) | $12-$25 | $15-$30 | $8-$20 |
| E-com ($50+ AOV) | $25-$60 | $30-$75 | $15-$40 |
| SaaS (SMB) | $50-$150 | $40-$120 | $30-$80 |
| SaaS (Enterprise) | $150-$500 | $100-$400 | n/a |
| Lead gen (B2B) | $30-$100 | $25-$80 | $20-$60 |
| Education / courses | $20-$60 | $15-$50 | $10-$35 |
Cross-Platform Budget Split by Business Type
| Scenario | Meta | TikTok | YouTube | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2C e-com (<$50 AOV) | 40% | 30% | 25% | 5% | 0% |
| B2C e-com ($50+ AOV) | 45% | 35% | 15% | 5% | 0% |
| DTC brand launch | 30% | 15% | 40% | 10% | 5% |
| B2B SaaS (SMB) | 35% | 40% | 10% | 10% | 5% |
| B2B SaaS (Enterprise) | 15% | 30% | 5% | 10% | 40% |
| Info products / courses | 35% | 15% | 35% | 15% | 0% |
Budget-to-Action Decision Tree
- <$1K/mo → ONE platform (Meta or TikTok). AI creative only. 3-5 creatives.
- $1K-$5K → Two platforms. AI + minimal human creative. 10-15 active creatives.
- $5K-$15K → Three platforms. Hybrid AI + human production. 15-25 active creatives.
- $15K-$50K → All relevant platforms. Full AI pipeline + human heroes. 25-50 active creatives.
- $50K+ → Full stack. Dedicated creative strategist. 50+ creatives. Incrementality testing.
Reading the benchmarks
- A user "underperforming" the median is NOT necessarily failing — context matters (industry, geo, account maturity, conversion definition).
- Brand-new accounts typically run 30-50% above benchmark CPA for the first 4-6 weeks while pixels learn.
- Don't recommend "switch platforms" purely on benchmark gaps — diagnose tracking, creative, and audience first.
About this skill
Part of the Synter free skills collection — open-source agent skills for advertising, PPC, and marketing automation.
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