Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Hardware and Networking

Introduction

Hardware and Networking advertisers across all countries saw a two-act year in Facebook Ads cost-per-lead (CPL): an exceptionally expensive Q4 2024 followed by a mid-2025 plateau and a sharp deflation into early Q4 2025. On average, CPL in this industry ran higher and moved more sharply than the global benchmark, starting near triple-digit costs before falling to the lowest point of the period by October. Big swings defined the story, with December’s peak giving way to a dramatic January reset and a second slide late summer into fall.

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

• Starting point and finish: CPL opened at $98.29 in November 2024 and closed at $21.19 in October 2025, a 77% decline across the window.
• Highs and lows: The period peaked at $100.36 in December 2024 and bottomed at $21.19 in October 2025, a $79 range.
• Average: The industry averaged $54.30 CPL across the 12 months, versus a $40.94 global average.
• Volatility: Month-to-month absolute moves averaged $14.97, far above the global benchmark’s $3.22 average swing.

Key monthly dynamics:

• December’s $100.36 high underscored a premium Q4.
• January reset to $30.93 (−69% month over month), the sharpest single drop.
• February rebounded to $59.40, then March–July settled into a narrow $51.7–$56.5 band.
• August stepped down to $32.19, September ticked to $37.45, and October slid again to the $21.19 low (−43% vs. September).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The pattern aligns with classic seasonal pressure: costs ran hottest in late Q4 2024, then eased materially in early Q1. From March through July, CPL stabilized in the mid‑$50s, showing a relatively steady acquisition cost after the post-holiday normalization. Late Q3 introduced a second leg down: August marked a clear break from the mid-year plateau, and CPL continued to soften into October, setting the period low.

Country vs. Global

Relative to the global Facebook Ads benchmarks, Hardware and Networking CPL was:

• Higher on average: $54.30 vs. $40.94 globally (+33%).
• More volatile: average monthly swing of $15, roughly 4.6x the global benchmark.
• Above market in six months (February–July), below market in four (January and August–October), and dramatically above in Q4 2024.

The gap shifted throughout the year:

• Overperformance was widest in December (+153% vs. global).
• Near parity in January (13% below global).
• Underperformance widened late: August (−28%), September (−23%), and deepest in October (−53%).

The global trend itself climbed steadily from early-year lows (roughly $33–$36 in March–January) to $45–$48 by September–October. In contrast, Hardware and Networking moved in the opposite direction from mid-year onward, declining from the mid‑$50s plateau to $21 by October.

Closing

In sum, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per lead in the Hardware and Networking industry across all countries show a year marked by a costly Q4 spike, a spring-to-summer stabilization, and a pronounced late-year decline. These CPL trends highlight a more volatile, higher‑cost profile than the global average, with a clear divergence from market direction in the back half of the period. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-lead benchmarks for Hardware and Networking across all countries helps contextualize industry ad performance, country-specific ad costs, and how CPL compares to broader CTR performance, CPM analysis, and CPC trends worldwide.