Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Hardware and Networking

Introduction

Hardware and Networking advertisers saw a dramatic reset in cost per lead over the past year. Across all countries, CPL opened extremely elevated in late 2024, then dropped hard into early 2025, stabilized through mid-year, and softened again late summer into October. Compared to the global, all‑industry benchmark, this category carried a premium most of the year but flipped to below‑market levels by Q3–Q4. The standout months were December 2024 at the peak and October 2025 at the low, underscoring a more volatile trajectory than the broader market.

This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Hardware and Networking across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Across November 2024–October 2025, Hardware and Networking median CPL averaged about $54 (median ≈ $54), well above the global all‑industry average of roughly $41 (median ≈ $40.9). The category peaked at $100.36 in December 2024 and ultimately fell to a $20.96 low in October 2025—a 79% swing from peak to trough. The period began at $98.29 in November 2024 and ended at $20.96 in October 2025, a 79% decline across the window. Excluding the Q4 spike, 2025 YTD averaged $45, still 11% above the global 2025 pace (~$40.8).

Monthly movements were pronounced. December to January plunged 69% ($100.36 → $30.93), then February rebounded 92% to $59.40. From March through July, costs held a mid‑$50s range ($51.73–$56.49) before cooling sharply in August ($32.19) and again in October ($20.96). Average absolute month‑to‑month change was about $15—nearly 5× the global benchmark’s ~$3—signaling materially sharper swings for Hardware and Networking.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality showed two distinct arcs. Q4 2024 was unusually costly for Hardware and Networking, with November–December posting the year’s highest CPLs. The typical early‑Q1 softening appeared abruptly in January, followed by a spring recovery that steadied into early summer. Late summer brought a clear reset: August dipped more than 40% from July, with another step down into October, marking the period’s trough. By contrast, the global benchmark traced a classic curve: a March low ($33.27) and a steady climb to a September high ($47.62), reflecting broad market competition intensifying into late Q3.

Country vs. Global

Relative to the global all‑industry benchmark, Hardware and Networking was mostly above market but ended below. The category outpaced the benchmark in 8 of 12 months, including large premiums in November (+137%) and December (+153%) 2024, and consistent overage from February through July (+28% to +56%). The gap narrowed and then inverted late year: August (−27%), September (−21%), and October (−54%) all ran below global CPLs. While the global trend rose steadily from March to September (+43%), Hardware and Networking was choppier—falling 62% from July to October—and far more volatile throughout.

Closing

These Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per lead highlight how Hardware and Networking industry ad performance across all countries has been higher on average than the global norm, yet notably more volatile, with a decisive late‑year pullback. Understanding CPL trends within this category—alongside broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance—helps contextualize country‑specific ad costs and compare industry ad performance to global patterns.