Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Hardware and Networking

Introduction

Hardware and Networking lead costs ran hotter and choppier than the market in 2025. Across all countries, Cost per Lead (CPL) for this industry swung from early lows to a year-end surge, with a mid-year dip that briefly undercut the global benchmark before rebounding sharply into Q4. Volatility defined the year: fast lift in February, a soft stretch in late summer, and the steepest spike in December.

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

Hardware and Networking CPL started at $30.93 in January and ended at $77.57 in December, a 151% climb from start to finish. The annual average landed at $50.21 (median $53.24), with the highest month in December ($77.57) and the lowest in January ($30.93). The path wasn’t linear: a +91% jump from January to February ($59.05) set an elevated tone for the spring, with April–July largely holding in the mid-to-high $50s. A pronounced retreat followed—August ($36.70) and October ($31.26) formed a second trough—before a sharp Q4 rally: +65% from October to November ($51.72) and another +50% into December’s peak.

Month-to-month volatility averaged about $11, far sharper than the global all-industry benchmark’s ~$3.10 average swing. Peak-to-trough from July to October showed a 45% drop, underscoring how sensitive Hardware and Networking CPL was to changing demand and auction pressure.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Q1 was mixed: an unusually low January, then a rapid February reset, leaving the quarter at a $47.64 average. Q2 was the steadiest, averaging $55.67 across April–June with minimal week-to-week drama. Q3 marked the softest period—$44.03 average—driven by a swift July-to-August pullback that extended into October. Q4 was split: October stayed subdued ($31.26), then momentum returned in November and culminated in December’s high watermark.

These rhythms align with broader Facebook Ads benchmarks where competition typically tightens toward year-end; however, Hardware and Networking showed an exaggerated late-summer softness and an outsized December spike versus what’s typical in general CPM analysis or CTR performance narratives.

Country vs. Global

Against the global benchmark (all industries, all countries), Hardware and Networking CPL averaged 21% higher in 2025 ($50.21 vs. $41.53). The gap moved widely month to month:

• Above market for eight months, including sustained premiums through spring and an +84% spread at the December peak.
• Below market for four months—most notably October, when CPL sat 36% under the global level.
• The narrowest gap appeared in November (+7%), suggesting brief alignment before December’s acceleration.

Trend-wise, the global series rose steadily about 21% from January to December with modest variance, while Hardware and Networking climbed 151% over the same span—more volatile, more episodic, and more seasonally amplified. The late-summer stretch (Aug–Oct) averaged $35.38 versus the global $46.86, then flipped to a notable premium in November–December.

Closing

Within Facebook Ads benchmarks, this Cost per Lead view for Hardware and Networking across all countries complements how marketers look at CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance by revealing the industry’s distinct cost curve. Taken together, these benchmarks highlight industry ad performance patterns and country-specific ad costs at a global rollup—showing how Hardware and Networking CPL diverged meaningfully from the overall market in 2025.