Calculate cost per click and click-through rate in one place. CPC measures click cost, while CTR shows how frequently impressions generated a click.
CPC and CTR Calculator
Enter cost and clicks for CPC, or clicks and impressions for CTR. Enter all three to calculate both.
Compare managed CPC with self-service CPM
Use the same currency for both prices. The comparison translates outcome pricing into an equivalent CPM at your expected response rate.
Cost-only comparison. Consider service, creative, data, technology, minimum-spend and operational differences separately.
What are CPC and CTR?
CPC is the average media cost of each click. CTR is the percentage of impressions that generated a click. Looking at both helps separate the price paid for outcomes from the campaign’s response rate.
CPC and CTR formulas
- CPC = Cost ÷ Clicks
- CTR = (Clicks ÷ Impressions) × 100
CPC and CTR example
A campaign spends $500, delivers 100,000 impressions and generates 250 clicks. Its CPC is $2 and its CTR is 0.25%.
Compare managed CPC with self-service CPM
A managed insertion-order service may quote an attractive CPC even when the underlying media is purchased programmatically on a CPM basis. Open the comparison section in the calculator and enter the self-service CPM, managed CPC and expected CTR.
- Managed CPC equivalent CPM = CPC × CTR (%) × 10
- Self-service CPC = CPM ÷ (CTR (%) × 10)
- Break-even CTR = CPM ÷ (CPC × 10)
For example, an $8 self-service CPM at a 1% CTR produces a $0.80 CPC. A managed offer of $1.20 CPC at the same response rate is equivalent to a $12 CPM. The self-service campaign only needs a 0.6667% CTR to match the $1.20 managed CPC.
This is a media-cost comparison, not a complete commercial assessment. Consider service, creative, data, technology, minimum-spend, measurement and operational differences before choosing a buying model.
How to interpret the result
A lower CPC is not automatically more efficient if click quality, landing-page experience or conversion performance differs. Compare campaigns using the same click definition and evaluate post-click outcomes alongside CPC and CTR.