Free tool · any channel · no sign-up
CPM calculator
Enter any two of cost, impressions and CPM to get the third. Then compare creators by what each thousand views of their content costs you. Everything runs in your browser.
CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions)
£12.50
Compare creators by cost per 1,000 views
Enter each creator’s fee and the views you expect, ideally their median views. The cheapest reach comes first.
| Creator | Fee (£) | Expected views | CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| £16.00 | |||
| £7.50cheapest | |||
| £27.78 |
Formula
How to calculate CPM
Cost per 1,000 impressions. Rearranged: cost = CPM × impressions ÷ 1,000, and impressions = cost ÷ CPM × 1,000.
A worked example: a creator charges £400 for a post and their recent videos have a median of 25,000 views. £400 divided by 25,000, times 1,000, is a CPM of £16. A second creator charges £900 with a median of 120,000 views, a CPM of £7.50. The second creator costs more than twice as much and still reaches each thousand people for less than half the price.
That is the whole point of CPM. A fee on its own tells you nothing about value. The cost of reaching a thousand people does.
For influencer campaigns
Which views to put in the sum
The number you divide by decides whether the CPM means anything. Follower count is the wrong one: most followers never see a given post. The best post is wrong too, because it is the exception. Use the median views of the creator’s recent posts, which is what a normal post, and so a paid one, is likely to do.
The free Instagram average views calculator and TikTok average views calculator give you the median for any public account in a few seconds. For a longer guide to CPM and how it compares with the other cost metrics, read how to calculate CPM for ad campaigns.
Cost metrics
CPM and the other ways to price reach
CPM
Cost per 1,000 impressions or views. The standard way to compare reach across ads, channels and creators.
CPV
Cost per view. CPM divided by 1,000. Common for video ads, where a view has a set minimum watch time.
CPE
Cost per engagement: the fee divided by likes, comments and shares. Useful when the aim is response, not reach.
CPC
Cost per click. Needs a tracked link or a promo code, and tells you more about sales than CPM can.
CPA
Cost per acquisition: the fee divided by the customers it brought. The number that matters most, and the hardest to measure.
Rights and extras
Usage rights, whitelisting and exclusivity belong in the cost before you divide, or the cheapest CPM will not be the cheapest deal.
FAQ
CPM questions
CPM means cost per mille, the cost of 1,000 impressions. It lets you compare two ads, two channels or two creators that cost different amounts and reach different numbers of people. The lower the CPM, the cheaper each thousand people reached.
Divide the total cost by the number of impressions, then multiply by 1,000. A £500 campaign that gets 40,000 impressions has a CPM of £12.50. The same formula works in any currency.
Multiply the CPM by the impressions and divide by 1,000. At a £10 CPM, 250,000 impressions cost £2,500. Pick "Cost" at the top of the calculator to do it for you.
Divide the budget by the CPM and multiply by 1,000. £2,000 at a £8 CPM buys 250,000 impressions. Pick "Impressions" in the calculator.
Use the creator’s fee as the cost and the views you expect as the impressions. For the expected views, use the median views of their recent posts, not their follower count and not their best post. Our free Instagram and TikTok average views calculators give you the median in a few seconds.
There is no honest single number. It moves with the platform, the niche, the country and the rights you buy. The useful test is relative: put every creator on your shortlist through the comparison table on this page and book the ones that reach people most cheaply, once you are happy their audience is real.
CPM is the cost per 1,000 impressions, the times a post or ad was shown. CPV is the cost per view, usually per video view. For creator content the play count is the number you can see, so this calculator treats views as impressions. To get CPV from CPM, divide the CPM by 1,000.
Only if you put them in the cost. For a fair comparison, add everything you pay the creator, including usage rights and whitelisting, to the fee before you compare. A cheap post with no rights can cost more in the end than a pricier one you can run as an ad.
What is CPM?
CPM means cost per mille, the cost of 1,000 impressions. It lets you compare two ads, two channels or two creators that cost different amounts and reach different numbers of people. The lower the CPM, the cheaper each thousand people reached.
How do you calculate CPM?
Divide the total cost by the number of impressions, then multiply by 1,000. A £500 campaign that gets 40,000 impressions has a CPM of £12.50. The same formula works in any currency.
How do you work out the cost from a CPM?
Multiply the CPM by the impressions and divide by 1,000. At a £10 CPM, 250,000 impressions cost £2,500. Pick "Cost" at the top of the calculator to do it for you.
How many impressions will my budget buy?
Divide the budget by the CPM and multiply by 1,000. £2,000 at a £8 CPM buys 250,000 impressions. Pick "Impressions" in the calculator.
How do you calculate CPM for an influencer?
Use the creator’s fee as the cost and the views you expect as the impressions. For the expected views, use the median views of their recent posts, not their follower count and not their best post. Our free Instagram and TikTok average views calculators give you the median in a few seconds.
What is a good CPM for influencer marketing?
There is no honest single number. It moves with the platform, the niche, the country and the rights you buy. The useful test is relative: put every creator on your shortlist through the comparison table on this page and book the ones that reach people most cheaply, once you are happy their audience is real.
What is the difference between CPM and CPV?
CPM is the cost per 1,000 impressions, the times a post or ad was shown. CPV is the cost per view, usually per video view. For creator content the play count is the number you can see, so this calculator treats views as impressions. To get CPV from CPM, divide the CPM by 1,000.
Does the CPM include usage rights and production?
Only if you put them in the cost. For a fair comparison, add everything you pay the creator, including usage rights and whitelisting, to the fee before you compare. A cheap post with no rights can cost more in the end than a pricier one you can run as an ad.
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Want creators booked at a fair CPM?
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