Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Software Development advertisers in New Zealand ran on leaner click costs than the market, but with sharper swings. Across the last 12 months, CPC averaged 0.96 in New Zealand versus 1.14 globally, with a dramatic May peak and an October trough defining the year’s rhythm. The period opened near 0.94 (December 2024), lifted to 1.00 in January, surged in May (1.41), then reset sharply into October (0.68) before rebounding back to 1.00 in November. 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 Software Development in New Zealand compared to the global benchmark.
CPC in New Zealand’s Software Development category averaged 0.96, with a median near 0.95. The high was 1.41 in May; the low was 0.68 in October. From December 2024 to November 2025, CPC rose about 6%, moving from 0.94 to 1.00. Nine of the 12 months sat below 1.00, highlighting a generally cost-efficient environment.
Momentum was choppy. After a mild January lift (+6% vs December), Q1 eased (February down 11% month over month), then built into a pronounced Q2 surge: April added 8% MoM and May jumped a further 36%. That spike unwound quickly—June fell 39% from May—followed by a steadier Q3 under 1.00. October marked the deepest dip (−28% vs September), with a swift November rebound (+46% vs October).
Volatility averaged 0.19 points in monthly absolute moves, notably more turbulent than the global benchmark’s 0.05. The biggest single-month swing locally was the May-to-June reset (−0.55), whereas the global series’ largest move came in November (+0.21).
The year reads like a mid-year crescendo. Q1 averaged 0.95—subdued but stable for Software Development. Q2 was the standout at 1.10, driven almost entirely by the May spike. Q3 softened to 0.92, a return to sub-1.00 equilibrium. Q4 showed an atypical pattern for Facebook Ads benchmarks: a pronounced October trough (0.68) followed by a November catch-up to 1.00, rather than a smooth climb.
Globally, CPCs tended to firm through late Q3 into Q4, with a clear rise from September (1.06) to November (1.31). New Zealand’s October decline diverged from that broader pattern before partially rejoining it in November.
New Zealand’s Software Development CPC trailed the global benchmark by roughly 16% on average (0.96 vs 1.14). The category stayed below market in 11 of 12 months, with May as the lone exception—running 24% above the global median that month (1.41 vs 1.14). The narrowest gap appeared in April (about 8% below global), while the widest appeared in October (about 38% below).
While the global trend rose modestly across the period and spiked into November, New Zealand’s curve was more jagged: a Q2 lift (+16% from Q1 to Q2), a softer Q3 (−16% from Q2), and a deeper October dip before a November rebound. In short, lower country-specific ad costs in New Zealand came with higher month-to-month variability compared to the global CPC trend.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for the Software Development industry in New Zealand shows a market that runs below the global average but with more pronounced swings. This CPC analysis helps frame country-specific ad costs and compares Software Development industry ad performance in New Zealand to global Facebook Ads benchmarks.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Software Development industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting New Zealand, advertisers should consider local market factors and user behavior. 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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Late November–early December (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), Christmas season (Boxing Day sales), Mid‑year promotions (Matariki in June), Back-to-school (late January/early February)
CPM and CPC might rise around Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day as public events increase media consumption. Matariki is new public holiday with growing awareness—advertising may see elevated competition. Late November–December Black Friday/Cyber Monday could drive ad costs significantly. Regional anniversary holidays may cause local inventory shifts.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
The truth is that varies, so play with our tool to get some benchmarks that are relevant to you. CPC values are highly dependent on the region, industry and campaign objective. The US is one of the most expensive markets.
Several factors affect CPC: your audience targeting, competition in your industry, ad relevance score, and creative performance. If your ad isn't getting engagement or relevance is low, CPC tends to spike.
CPC spikes usually happen because of increased competition in your target audience, seasonal trends (like holidays), poor ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check if your audience targeting has become too narrow or if your creative is showing fatigue.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference between platforms. Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop. How many times do check Instagram on your phone and how often do you open it in your computer? There's simply much more mobile inventory. Tip: segment your performance data by placement to understand where your clicks are coming from. Spoiler: it's likely all mobile.
For most businesses, optimizing for conversions will deliver much better ROI than focusing purely on CPC. A low CPC is meaningless if those clicks don't convert. However, if you're running awareness campaigns or some kind content promotion, CPC optimization might potentially make sense, although most experts have switched to conversion optimization by now.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
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Cost per lead across different markets
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