This post covers benchmarks for Google Ads, Meta Ads, TikTok and YouTube, benchmarks by ecommerce category, year-over-year trends, and how to use these numbers.
1. Google Ads Benchmarks for Ecommerce (2026)
These numbers represent the middle 50th percentile across ecommerce accounts. Your specific results will vary based on category, competition, and account maturity.
Google Search (Non-Branded)
- Average CPC: $1.10 - $1.80
- Conversion Rate: 2.5% - 4.0%
- CPA: $28 - $72
- ROAS: 2x - 4x
Google Shopping / Performance Max
- Average CPC: $0.40 - $0.80
- Conversion Rate: 1.8% - 3.2%
- CPA: $18 - $45
- ROAS: 3x - 6x
Google Branded Search
- Average CPC: $0.30 - $0.80
- Conversion Rate: 8% - 15%
- CPA: $3 - $10
- ROAS: 8x - 15x
The branded vs non-branded split is why blended reporting is misleading. For more on this, see blended vs channel ROAS.
2. Meta Ads Benchmarks for Ecommerce (2026)
Meta includes Facebook and Instagram. These benchmarks cover both platforms combined.
Meta Prospecting (Cold Audiences)
- Average CPM: $10 - $18
- Average CPC: $0.80 - $1.50
- CTR: 1.0% - 1.8%
- Conversion Rate: 1.5% - 3.0%
- CPA: $25 - $60
- ROAS: 1.5x - 3.5x
Meta Remarketing (Warm Audiences)
- Average CPC: $0.50 - $1.00
- Conversion Rate: 4% - 8%
- CPA: $8 - $25
- ROAS: 4x - 10x
Meta ROAS is heavily dependent on creative quality. Brands with strong video creative typically outperform the high end of these ranges. Brands relying on static images alone tend to land at the low end.
Also worth noting: Meta's default attribution window (7-day click, 1-day view) is more generous than Google's. Switch to 7-day click only for a more honest comparison. The difference can be 20-40% in reported conversions.
3. TikTok and YouTube Benchmarks (2026)
TikTok Ads
- Average CPM: $6 - $12
- Average CPC: $0.50 - $1.20
- Conversion Rate: 1.0% - 2.5%
- CPA: $20 - $55
- ROAS: 1.5x - 3x
TikTok is still maturing for ecommerce. It works best for products under $50 that are visually interesting and target 18-35 demographics. Creative refreshes need to happen every 1-2 weeks (faster than Meta) because the platform's algorithm deprioritizes stale content.
YouTube Ads
- Average CPV: $0.03 - $0.08
- Average CPC: $0.80 - $2.00
- Conversion Rate: 0.5% - 1.5%
- CPA: $40 - $100
- ROAS: 1x - 2.5x
YouTube is more of a brand awareness and consideration channel for ecommerce. Comparing its ROAS directly against Shopping ROAS is unfair. YouTube creates demand that shows up later as branded search conversions. If you're only measuring direct response, YouTube will always look bad. Measure it by its impact on branded search volume and overall blended ROAS.
4. Benchmarks by Ecommerce Category
Channel-level averages hide significant variation by category. Here are the ranges we see for the most common ecommerce verticals (Google Ads, non-branded):
- Fashion/Apparel: CPC $0.80-$1.20, CPA $22-$45, ROAS 3x-5x
- Beauty/Cosmetics: CPC $0.90-$1.50, CPA $18-$35, ROAS 4x-7x
- Health/Supplements: CPC $1.20-$2.00, CPA $30-$55, ROAS 3x-5x
- Home/Furniture: CPC $0.70-$1.40, CPA $45-$90, ROAS 2x-4x
- Electronics: CPC $1.50-$2.50, CPA $35-$75, ROAS 2x-3x
- Food/Beverage: CPC $0.60-$1.10, CPA $15-$30, ROAS 3x-5x
- Pet Products: CPC $0.70-$1.30, CPA $20-$40, ROAS 4x-6x
For a deeper dive into what constitutes a "good" ROAS for your specific category, see our ROAS benchmarks guide.
5. Year-Over-Year Trends (2024-2026)
A few notable shifts over the last two years:
CPCs are up 8-12% across Google Ads. More advertisers, more automation-driven bidding, and AI-generated ad copy have increased competition in most categories. This is unlikely to reverse.
Meta CPMs have stabilized. After sharp increases in 2022-2023, Meta advertising costs have leveled off. CPMs are roughly flat year-over-year in most verticals, though Q4 still sees 30-50% seasonal spikes.
Performance Max adoption is near-universal. About 85% of ecommerce accounts now run at least one PMax campaign. Average PMax ROAS is comparable to standard Shopping, but with wider variance. Well-configured PMax campaigns outperform standard Shopping. Poorly configured ones significantly underperform.
Conversion rates are slightly declining. Not because ads are worse, but because consumers are browsing more before buying. The average ecommerce buying cycle has extended by about 2 days compared to 2024, which means attribution windows matter more than ever.
TikTok's share of ecommerce ad spend grew from 5% to 12%. Still small compared to Google (45%) and Meta (35%), but growing fast. Brands under $100 AOV are the primary adopters.
6. How to Use These Numbers
Benchmarks are context, not targets. Here's how to use them properly:
Diagnosis, not goal-setting: If your Google Shopping CPA is $80 and the benchmark is $18-$45, something is probably wrong. But if your CPA is $50 on a high-AOV product, it might be perfectly profitable. Compare against your own break-even CPA first, then use benchmarks to validate.
Channel allocation: If your Meta ROAS is 1.5x and the benchmark is 2x-4x, there's room to improve before you blame the channel. Maybe it's creative, maybe it's targeting, maybe it's attribution settings. Don't cut a channel just because it's below benchmark. Diagnose why first.
Competitive context: If your CPCs jumped 30% but the benchmark for your category also went up 20%, you're dealing with market-level inflation, not an account problem. Respond with efficiency improvements, not panic.
Budget conversations: When leadership asks "are we spending the right amount?", benchmarks help frame the conversation. If you're getting below-benchmark CPA and above-benchmark ROAS, you probably have room to scale. If you're at the high end of CPA benchmarks, the focus should be on efficiency before spending more.
For a deeper analysis of your specific account, run a free Google Ads audit to see where you stand against these benchmarks.
Frequently Asked Questions
The average CPC for ecommerce Google Ads in 2026 is $1.10-$1.80 for Search campaigns and $0.40-$0.80 for Shopping campaigns. CPCs vary significantly by category: fashion averages $0.80-$1.20, electronics $1.50-$2.50, and health/supplements $1.20-$2.00.
A good CPA depends on your average order value and margins. For most ecommerce brands, CPA should be below 20-30% of your AOV. If your AOV is $80, target a CPA under $16-$24.
Google Ads typically produces higher ROAS (3x-6x) because it captures existing intent. Meta Ads produces lower immediate ROAS (2x-4x) but better reaches new audiences. Most ecommerce brands need both.
TikTok works well for visually interesting products under $50 targeting 18-35 demographics. Average ROAS is 1.5x-3x. The platform is still maturing, so test with 10-15% of your social budget before committing more.
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