Enter your ad spend and clicks to get your cost per click (CPC). Add your conversion rate and commission to see your cost per sale, the most you can pay per click and still break even, and the budget you need for a click goal. Or compare two campaigns to see which one really gives you cheaper sales.
Mode: work out the CPC of one campaign, or compare two campaigns side by side.
Example helper: tap an example to fill in the numbers, then replace them with your own.
Planning estimate only. Real CPC changes with your audience, ad quality, competition and time of year. Does not include taxes, refunds or the value of your own time.
Quick answer: Divide your ad spend by the number of clicks. For example, $150 spent for 300 clicks is a $0.50 CPC. To stay profitable, your CPC must be lower than your commission × conversion rate: with a $20 commission and 5% of clicks buying, that’s $1.00.
The calculator uses only the numbers you enter — no hidden averages or platform “benchmarks”.
CPC = ad spend ÷ clicks
Expected sales = clicks × conversion rate
Cost per sale (CPA) = ad spend ÷ sales
Break-even CPC = commission × conversion rate
Profit = sales × commission − ad spend
Budget for click goal = click goal × CPC
Clicks a month = daily budget × 30 ÷ CPC
Break-even CPC is the same number as your earnings per click (EPC): what each click earns you on average. Pay less than that per click and the campaign makes money.
A low CPC only helps if those clicks buy. Two campaigns can spend the same amount, and the one with cheaper clicks can still cost you more per sale. That’s why Compare mode judges campaigns by cost per sale whenever you enter sales for both.
Your actual CPC is what you really paid per click. Your max bid is the highest you’ve told the ad platform you’re willing to pay. Use the break-even CPC from this calculator as a ceiling when you set bids, and leave room below it for profit.
Example values are only placeholders. Your result is only as accurate as the numbers you put in:
| Input | Where to find it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Ad spend | Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, Pinterest Ads, TikTok Ads | Use the “amount spent” column for the same dates as your clicks. |
| Clicks | The same ads dashboard | Use link clicks, not all clicks, so likes and profile taps don’t count. |
| Conversion rate | Sales ÷ clicks from your affiliate dashboard | Our Conversion Rate Calculator can work this out. |
| Commission per sale | Your affiliate dashboard or program terms | Use your average commission after refunds. |
$150 of ad spend brought 300 clicks: a $0.50 CPC. If 5% of clicks buy, that’s 15 sales at a cost of $10.00 per sale.
At $0.50 per click, 2,000 clicks need a $1,000 budget. A $10 a day budget buys about 600 clicks a month — about 30 sales at a 5% conversion rate.
With a $20 commission and 5% of clicks buying, each click earns $1.00 on average, so that’s your break-even CPC. At $0.50 per click, 300 clicks bring 15 sales: $300 earned for $150 spent, a $150 profit. If clicks cost $1.20 instead, the same 300 clicks cost $360 and you lose $60.
Campaign A: $150 for 300 clicks ($0.50) and 15 sales. Campaign B: $150 for 420 clicks ($0.36) and 12 sales. B gets 120 more clicks, but A costs $10.00 per sale against B’s $12.50. Campaign A is the better buy.
One that’s comfortably below your break-even CPC: your commission × conversion rate. CPC varies so much by platform, niche and country that any fixed “good” number would be misleading. This calculator works out your own limit.
CPC is the average you actually paid per click. Max bid is the highest you’ve allowed the ad platform to charge. You often pay less than your max bid.
Common reasons are ad fatigue (the same people have seen your ad many times), more advertisers competing for the same audience, or a narrower audience running out. Fresh creative or a new audience usually helps.
The most you can pay for a click without losing money: commission × conversion rate. If you earn $20 per sale and 5% of clicks buy, each click is worth $1.00 to you.
Not always. Compare cost per sale if you can. Cheaper clicks that rarely buy can cost more per sale than pricier clicks that convert well.
No. It only changes the symbol shown. Enter all your amounts in the currency you choose.
To see whether a whole campaign paid off, use the Affiliate ROI Calculator, or browse all IncomeJets tools.
Disclaimer: This calculator is a planning tool, not an income promise. It uses only the numbers you enter and standard arithmetic. Paid traffic can lose money, so test with a small budget first.
Last updated: 11 October 2026 · By Udaychandra, IncomeJets