2025 cost-per-click benchmarks across search, display, and social platforms
SaaS CPC variance is extreme — generic category terms ($2–$4) vs. competitor comparison terms ($8–$20+). Bidding on '[competitor] alternative' keywords typically yields 3–5× higher CPC but often higher conversion rates.
Typical SaaS campaign CPC falls between $2.00 and $8.50 depending on platform, keyword intent level, and targeting specificity.
Average (blended): $3.80 (Google Search, 2025)
| # | Platform | Avg. CPC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Search | $3–$9 | ⭐ Trial/demo intent |
| 2 | Bing Search | $2–$6 | Lower CPC, smaller volume |
| 3 | $4–$10 | B2B — job title targeting | |
| 4 | Meta Ads | $1–$3 | Retargeting & lookalikes |
| 5 | Display | $0.50–$1.20 | Awareness only |
| 6 | YouTube | $0.08–$0.20 | Pre-roll / TrueView |
| Year | Average CPC |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $3.10 |
| 2023 | $3.35 |
| 2024 | $3.58 |
| 2025 | $3.80 |
| 2026E | $4.05 |
2026E = projected estimate.
Index 100 = annual average. Values above 100 indicate above-average CPC periods.
| Quarter | Index | Relative Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 112 | |
| Q2 | 103 | |
| Q3 | 84 | |
| Q4 | 101 |
SaaS advertisers should maintain separate campaigns for brand, competitor, and category terms — lumping them together inflates average CPC and obscures which intent tier is actually profitable.