Cost per acquisition

CPA Calculator

Find out what each conversion costs. Fill any two fields and the calculator solves the third - spend, conversions, or CPA.

Solve for
Result: CPA
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Add Ad spend and Conversions to calculate CPA.CPA = Ad spend / Conversions

How CPA is calculated

CPA = Ad spend / Conversions

CPA (cost per acquisition) is the average amount you pay for each conversion - a purchase, lead, sign-up, or any goal event you define. It is one of the most direct measures of campaign efficiency.

CPA pulls together spend and conversion volume into a single number that tells you whether your campaigns are worth running at their current cost.

The target CPA you should aim for depends on the value of each conversion. If a customer is worth $200 in lifetime value, a $40 CPA leaves healthy margin. If they are worth $35, the same $40 CPA is a loss.

Ad spend
Total amount paid for the campaign or ad set in the measured period.
Conversions
Number of goal completions (purchases, leads, sign-ups, etc.).
CPA
Average cost to generate one conversion.

Common questions

What is a good CPA?

There is no universal answer - a good CPA is one that is lower than the value of a conversion. Calculate your target CPA from your margins and customer lifetime value, then use that as your benchmark.

What is the difference between CPA and CPL?

CPA is a broad term for any conversion. CPL (cost per lead) is a specific type of CPA where the conversion is a lead form submission. CPL is a subset of CPA.

How do I lower my CPA?

Improve targeting to reach higher-intent audiences, refine ad creative to increase CTR, optimize landing pages to improve conversion rate, and pause underperforming segments. All of these reduce wasted spend per conversion.

Can I use CPA for non-purchase goals?

Yes. CPA works for any defined conversion: email sign-ups, app installs, phone calls, video views that hit a threshold, or any other action you assign value to.

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