guides19 min read
Ad Performance Benchmarks Guide 2026
Comprehensive advertising benchmarks for 2026. Compare your CPC, CTR, conversion rates, and ROAS against industry standards across all major platforms.
Kevin O'Brien
Performance Analytics Director | January 1, 2025
Key Takeaways
- 1**Industry matters most** — Finance CPC is 3x retail CPC on the same platform
- 2**Platforms aren't comparable** — Different users, intents, and ad formats
- 3**Benchmarks are starting points** — Your specific performance depends on many factors
- 4**Trends matter more than absolutes** — Is your performance improving or declining?
Key Takeaways
The average Google Ads CPC is $5.26 across all industries, but ranges from $1.16 (Real Estate) to $9.21 (Legal). Meta's average CPC is $0.70, but B2B averages $2.52. Benchmarks without context are meaningless.
- Industry matters most — Finance CPC is 3x retail CPC on the same platform
- Platforms aren't comparable — Different users, intents, and ad formats
- Benchmarks are starting points — Your specific performance depends on many factors
- Trends matter more than absolutes — Is your performance improving or declining?
- Focus on business metrics — CTR and CPC don't matter if ROAS is strong
How to Use Benchmarks
Before diving into numbers, understand their proper role.
What Benchmarks Are For
✅ Identifying outliers — Is my CPC 3x industry average? ✅ Setting realistic goals — What's achievable? ✅ Diagnosing problems — Why is my CTR so low? ✅ Prioritizing platforms — Where should I invest? ✅ Evaluating vendors — Is my agency delivering?What Benchmarks Aren't For
❌ Exact targets — Your business is unique ❌ Success criteria — Meeting benchmark ≠ profitable ❌ Universal truths — They're averages, not rules ❌ Year-over-year comparison — Platforms change constantly"Our CTR is above benchmark" doesn't mean your ads are working. A profitable campaign with below-benchmark CTR beats an unprofitable one that exceeds all benchmarks.
Google Ads Benchmarks 2026
Search Ads by Industry
| Industry | Avg CPC | Avg CTR | Avg CVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advocacy | $3.85 | 4.41% | 1.96% |
| Auto | $2.34 | 4.00% | 6.03% |
| B2B | $5.47 | 2.41% | 3.04% |
| Consumer Services | $6.40 | 2.41% | 6.64% |
| Dating & Personals | $2.78 | 6.05% | 9.64% |
| E-commerce | $1.81 | 2.69% | 2.81% |
| Education | $4.10 | 3.78% | 3.39% |
| Employment Services | $4.04 | 2.42% | 5.13% |
| Finance & Insurance | $6.75 | 2.91% | 5.10% |
| Health & Medical | $3.63 | 3.27% | 3.36% |
| Home Goods | $3.05 | 2.44% | 2.70% |
| Industrial Services | $3.89 | 2.61% | 3.37% |
| Legal | $9.21 | 2.93% | 6.98% |
| Real Estate | $1.16 | 3.71% | 2.47% |
| Technology | $5.53 | 2.09% | 2.92% |
| Travel & Hospitality | $2.18 | 4.68% | 3.55% |
Display Ads by Industry
| Industry | Avg CPC | Avg CTR | Avg CVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advocacy | $0.62 | 0.59% | 1.00% |
| Auto | $0.58 | 0.60% | 1.19% |
| B2B | $0.79 | 0.46% | 0.80% |
| Consumer Services | $0.81 | 0.51% | 0.98% |
| E-commerce | $0.45 | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Education | $0.47 | 0.53% | 0.50% |
| Finance & Insurance | $0.86 | 0.52% | 1.19% |
| Health & Medical | $0.63 | 0.59% | 0.82% |
| Legal | $0.72 | 0.59% | 1.84% |
| Real Estate | $0.75 | 1.08% | 0.80% |
| Technology | $0.51 | 0.39% | 0.86% |
| Travel & Hospitality | $0.53 | 0.47% | 0.51% |
Search CTR averages 3-4% because users are actively searching. Display CTR averages 0.5% because users are browsing passively. Both can be profitable—different context, different expectations.
Shopping Ads Benchmarks
| Industry | Avg CPC | Avg CTR | Avg CVR | Avg ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel | $0.65 | 1.40% | 2.10% | 4.2x |
| Electronics | $0.81 | 1.10% | 1.90% | 3.8x |
| Home & Garden | $0.58 | 1.25% | 2.40% | 4.5x |
| Health & Beauty | $0.72 | 1.30% | 2.00% | 3.9x |
| Sports & Outdoors | $0.54 | 1.35% | 2.30% | 4.1x |
| Toys & Games | $0.48 | 1.50% | 2.80% | 5.2x |
Meta Ads Benchmarks 2026
Facebook & Instagram by Industry
| Industry | Avg CPC | Avg CTR | Avg CVR | Avg CPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel | $0.45 | 1.24% | 1.85% | $5.58 |
| Auto | $0.85 | 0.80% | 5.11% | $6.80 |
| B2B | $2.52 | 0.78% | 2.82% | $19.66 |
| Beauty | $0.48 | 1.16% | 2.45% | $5.57 |
| Consumer Services | $0.73 | 0.62% | 2.59% | $4.53 |
| Education | $1.06 | 0.73% | 3.10% | $7.74 |
| Employment | $0.69 | 0.47% | 4.15% | $3.24 |
| Finance | $1.92 | 0.56% | 4.87% | $10.75 |
| Fitness | $0.56 | 1.01% | 2.19% | $5.66 |
| Food & Beverage | $0.42 | 1.20% | 1.93% | $5.04 |
| Healthcare | $0.97 | 0.83% | 3.28% | $8.05 |
| Home Improvement | $0.68 | 0.70% | 2.89% | $4.76 |
| Legal | $1.35 | 1.61% | 4.64% | $21.74 |
| Real Estate | $0.95 | 0.99% | 2.15% | $9.41 |
| Retail | $0.43 | 1.59% | 1.95% | $6.83 |
| Technology | $1.27 | 1.04% | 2.03% | $13.21 |
| Travel | $0.63 | 0.90% | 2.82% | $5.67 |
Meta by Campaign Objective
| Objective | Avg CTR | Avg CPC | Avg CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Awareness | 0.40% | N/A | $4.85 |
| Reach | 0.35% | N/A | $3.20 |
| Traffic | 0.90% | $0.55 | $4.95 |
| Engagement | 1.20% | $0.12 | $1.44 |
| App Installs | 1.40% | $1.85 | $25.90 |
| Video Views | 0.55% | N/A | $2.60 |
| Lead Gen | 0.85% | $2.10 | $17.85 |
| Conversions | 0.95% | $1.15 | $10.93 |
| Catalog Sales | 1.10% | $0.72 | $7.92 |
Don't choose objective based on CPC alone. Lead Gen has higher CPC but generates qualified leads. Conversions cost more but optimize for actual purchases.
TikTok Ads Benchmarks 2026
TikTok by Industry
| Industry | Avg CPM | Avg CTR | Avg CVR | Avg CPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Install | $8.50 | 1.80% | 12.5% | $0.47 |
| E-commerce | $6.20 | 1.40% | 2.10% | $0.44 |
| Fashion | $5.80 | 1.60% | 2.30% | $0.36 |
| Beauty | $6.40 | 1.75% | 2.50% | $0.37 |
| Gaming | $9.20 | 2.10% | 8.00% | $0.44 |
| Food & Beverage | $5.10 | 1.35% | 1.90% | $0.38 |
| Finance | $12.50 | 0.90% | 3.80% | $1.39 |
| Education | $8.30 | 1.20% | 3.20% | $0.69 |
| Entertainment | $4.80 | 2.00% | 5.50% | $0.24 |
TikTok Video Performance
| Metric | Benchmark | Top Performers |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Watch Time | 8-12 sec | 15+ sec |
| Video Completion (15s) | 40-50% | 65%+ |
| Video Completion (30s) | 25-35% | 50%+ |
| Video Completion (60s) | 15-25% | 40%+ |
| Engagement Rate | 3-8% | 12%+ |
| Share Rate | 0.3-0.8% | 2%+ |
LinkedIn Ads Benchmarks 2026
LinkedIn by Ad Format
| Format | Avg CTR | Avg CPC | Avg CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Image | 0.44% | $5.58 | $24.55 |
| Carousel | 0.40% | $4.85 | $19.40 |
| Video | 0.38% | $5.10 | $19.38 |
| Text Ads | 0.025% | $3.50 | $0.88 |
| Spotlight | 0.60% | $6.20 | $37.20 |
| Message Ads | 3.2% open | $0.50/send | N/A |
| Lead Gen Forms | 13% fill | $25-75/lead | N/A |
LinkedIn by Industry
| Industry | Avg CPC | Avg CTR |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Software | $5.28 | 0.45% |
| Financial Services | $6.85 | 0.38% |
| Healthcare | $4.92 | 0.42% |
| Higher Education | $3.68 | 0.55% |
| Hospitality | $3.15 | 0.52% |
| IT Services | $5.74 | 0.40% |
| Manufacturing | $4.15 | 0.48% |
| Professional Services | $5.42 | 0.44% |
| Staffing | $4.95 | 0.50% |
LinkedIn is the most expensive major ad platform. But for B2B, it often delivers the highest quality leads. Cost-per-qualified-lead may actually be lower despite higher CPC.
YouTube Ads Benchmarks 2026
YouTube by Ad Format
| Format | Avg CPV | Avg VTR | Avg CTR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skippable In-Stream | $0.03-0.08 | 25-40% | 0.35% |
| Non-Skip In-Stream | $0.015-0.03 | 95%+ | 0.15% |
| Bumper (6 sec) | $0.01-0.02 | 95%+ | N/A |
| Discovery Ads | $0.04-0.10 | 45-60% | 0.50% |
| Shorts Ads | $0.02-0.05 | 30-50% | 0.45% |
YouTube by Industry
| Industry | Avg CPV | Avg VTR |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive | $0.042 | 32% |
| CPG | $0.038 | 28% |
| Entertainment | $0.025 | 42% |
| Finance | $0.065 | 26% |
| Gaming | $0.035 | 45% |
| Retail | $0.041 | 30% |
| Technology | $0.055 | 28% |
| Travel | $0.048 | 35% |
E-commerce Benchmarks 2026
Overall E-commerce Performance
| Metric | Average | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion Rate | 2.5% | 3.5% | 5%+ |
| Cart Abandonment | 70% | 65% | 55% |
| Bounce Rate | 45% | 35% | 25% |
| Avg Order Value | Varies | +15% YoY | +25% YoY |
| ROAS (Paid) | 3.0x | 4.5x | 6x+ |
| Customer Acq Cost | $45 | $30 | $20 |
E-commerce by Channel
| Channel | Avg CVR | Avg ROAS |
|---|---|---|
| Google Shopping | 2.8% | 4.2x |
| Meta Ads | 1.9% | 3.5x |
| Paid Search | 3.2% | 5.1x |
| 4.5% | 38x | |
| Organic Social | 1.1% | N/A |
| Organic Search | 2.4% | N/A |
| Direct | 3.8% | N/A |
ROAS benchmarks vary dramatically by product category. Luxury goods: 2-3x. Consumables: 5-8x. Electronics: 3-4x. Apparel: 3.5-5x.
SaaS & B2B Benchmarks 2026
SaaS Marketing Benchmarks
| Metric | Average | Good | Excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost Per Lead | $200 | $150 | $75 |
| Lead-to-MQL Rate | 35% | 45% | 60% |
| MQL-to-SQL Rate | 30% | 40% | 55% |
| SQL-to-Opp Rate | 50% | 60% | 75% |
| Opp-to-Close Rate | 20% | 25% | 35% |
| Customer Acq Cost | $800 | $500 | $300 |
| LTV:CAC | 3:1 | 4:1 | 6:1 |
| Payback Period | 18 mo | 12 mo | 8 mo |
B2B by Channel
| Channel | Avg CPL | Avg Lead Quality |
|---|---|---|
| $75-150 | High | |
| Google Search | $50-100 | High |
| Meta | $30-60 | Medium |
| Display/Programmatic | $25-50 | Medium-Low |
| Content Syndication | $40-80 | Medium |
| Trade Publications | $100-200 | High |
Mobile App Benchmarks 2026
App Install Campaigns
| Platform | Avg CPI | Avg CTR | Day 1 Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta | $2.50 | 1.8% | 25% |
| Google UAC | $2.10 | 2.1% | 22% |
| TikTok | $1.85 | 2.4% | 20% |
| Apple Search | $3.20 | 7.5% | 30% |
| Unity Ads | $1.50 | 1.2% | 18% |
| ironSource | $1.40 | 1.0% | 17% |
App Categories
| Category | Avg CPI | Day 30 Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming (Casual) | $1.50 | 8% |
| Gaming (Midcore) | $3.50 | 12% |
| Shopping | $2.80 | 10% |
| Finance | $5.50 | 15% |
| Health & Fitness | $2.20 | 11% |
| Social | $2.00 | 14% |
| Entertainment | $2.50 | 9% |
| Productivity | $3.80 | 16% |
Email Marketing Benchmarks 2026
Email by Industry
| Industry | Open Rate | CTR | Unsubscribe |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce | 15.5% | 2.6% | 0.20% |
| Finance | 21.0% | 2.8% | 0.15% |
| Healthcare | 20.5% | 2.4% | 0.18% |
| Education | 24.0% | 3.2% | 0.12% |
| Media & Entertainment | 19.5% | 2.9% | 0.22% |
| Non-Profit | 25.5% | 3.5% | 0.10% |
| Professional Services | 18.0% | 2.3% | 0.17% |
| SaaS | 17.5% | 2.5% | 0.19% |
| Travel | 17.0% | 2.2% | 0.21% |
Email by Campaign Type
| Type | Open Rate | CTR |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Series | 50-60% | 8-12% |
| Abandoned Cart | 40-50% | 10-15% |
| Promotional | 14-18% | 2-4% |
| Newsletter | 18-22% | 3-5% |
| Re-engagement | 12-16% | 1-3% |
| Post-Purchase | 35-45% | 5-8% |
Interpreting Your Performance
Performance Diagnosis Framework
Your metric vs Benchmark:
MUCH BETTER (>50% above)
→ Investigate why
→ Is it sustainable?
→ Can you scale it?
BETTER (10-50% above)
→ You're doing well
→ Keep optimizing
→ Look for more gains
ON PAR (within 10%)
→ Room for improvement
→ Test new approaches
→ Look for inefficiencies
WORSE (10-50% below)
→ Diagnose the issue
→ Test alternatives
→ Audit your setup
MUCH WORSE (>50% below)
→ Something is broken
→ Audit immediately
→ Consider major changes
Factors That Affect Your Numbers
| Factor | Impact on Performance |
|---|---|
| Brand awareness | Higher CTR, lower CPC |
| Product complexity | Lower CVR, higher touchpoints |
| Price point | Affects CVR and ROAS |
| Competition | Drives up CPC |
| Creative quality | Major impact on all metrics |
| Landing page | Makes or breaks CVR |
| Audience size | Affects reach and frequency |
| Seasonality | Swings all metrics |
A 0.5% CTR might be excellent for B2B display or terrible for consumer social. Always compare within the right context: platform, industry, objective, and format.
The Bottom Line
Benchmarks are tools, not targets:
"Benchmarks tell you what's normal. Your job is to be better than normal. Use benchmarks to identify problems, then run tests to find your own optimal performance."
> "The best benchmark is your own performance last month. Industry averages are starting points; continuous improvement is the goal."
AdBid tracks your performance against industry benchmarks automatically. See where you stand and where you can improve. Start your benchmark analysis.
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