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July 2025 - July 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Hardware and Networking lead costs ran noticeably above the market this year, with sharp spikes in late Q4 and a dramatic peak in March. Across the 12-month window the industry averaged meaningfully higher CPLs and showed pronounced month-to-month swings compared with the global baseline. 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 in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
Cost per lead for Hardware and Networking started the period at $41.27 in June 2025 and finished at $71.74 in May 2026, with an overall 12‑month mean of about $86.84. The distribution is right‑skewed: the median CPL is roughly $73.18, while the low point was $36.06 in October 2025 and the year’s high was $182.80 in March 2026. By contrast the global baseline averaged about $46.51 over the same months.
Month-to-month momentum produced large moves. Early summer showed a lift from $41 to $75 between June and August, a mid‑autumn dip to the $36 range in October, then a big surge in December (about $123). January and February stayed elevated near $95–$101 before the March peak. April cooled to $133, and May settled back toward the $72 range. These movements produced an average absolute month-to-month change of roughly 44% — a volatility profile far higher than the baseline.
Seasonality shows two clear pulses: a December spike and an even larger March surge. The December increase (to ~$123) interrupts a summer–fall run, while the March peak (~$183) stands out as the single most volatile month. The pattern reads as moderate early summer growth, an October trough, a Q4 lift, and a pronounced Q1 amplification that fades by late spring. These rhythms create a year that is punctuated by short, high-cost episodes rather than a steady trend.
Relative to the global baseline, Hardware and Networking CPLs were typically above market. The industry averaged ~87% higher than the global benchmark ($86.8 vs $46.5). At the narrowest gap, June 2025 saw Hardware and Networking about 4% below the global CPL; at the widest, March 2026 was roughly 264% above global levels. Across the year, month‑by‑month variance ranged from about −26% (October) to +264% (March), illustrating a category that is markedly more volatile than the market average.
Understanding Cost Per Lead benchmarks for Hardware and Networking across All countries available provides a clear view of industry ad cost dynamics and how they diverge from broader Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends, CPM analysis, CTR performance, and country-specific ad costs in industry ad performance comparisons.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Hardware and Networking industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.
Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.
Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.
Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.
If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
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