Facebook Ads CPM Benchmarks for Hardware and Networking

Introduction

Hardware and Networking advertisers ran materially cheaper impressions than the broader market through the period, with CPMs consistently below the global, all‑industry benchmark and a gentler volatility profile. The category traced a classic mid‑year trough, hit a sharp Q4 spike in November, then entered 2026 with one of its tightest gaps to global pricing as the wider market reset lower. 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 all countries, Hardware and Networking CPMs started 2025 at $11.20 and finished January 2026 at $14.24, a 27% lift year over year. The category averaged $12.22 over the 13 months, peaking at $14.66 in November and bottoming at $8.99 in September—a $5.68 swing end‑to‑end. Momentum built early: from January to March CPMs climbed 20% to $13.48, held near that level in April–May ($13.53–$13.91), then slid through the summer, dropping 35% from May’s $13.91 to September’s $8.99. The rebound was brisk—October rose to $10.60, and November surged 38% month over month to $14.66 before moderating to $11.78 in December and rebounding to $14.24 in January 2026.

Month‑to‑month volatility for the category averaged $1.55, led by three standout moves: a +$4.07 jump in November, a −$2.88 cooldown in December, and a +$2.46 gain in January 2026. Six of the 13 months landed above the full‑period average, with Q2 the strongest stretch (average $13.29) and Q3 the softest (average $10.54).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The pattern aligned with familiar Facebook Ads benchmarks: a steady Q1 build, firmer pricing in Q2, and a summer lull. CPMs softened from June through September, then re‑accelerated into Q4 as auction pressure rose—most visible in the November spike. December pulled back, typical of post‑peak pacing within holiday cycles. Notably, January 2026 diverged from the broader market’s reset: while global CPMs fell to a new low, Hardware and Networking CPMs climbed, reclaiming a level near the category’s annual highs.

Country vs. Global

Against the global benchmark (average $19.81), Hardware and Networking CPMs across all countries were cheaper throughout—about 38% lower on average in this period. The gap was widest in September (−55% vs. global) and October (−51%), narrowing dramatically by January 2026 to just 10% below market as global CPMs dropped to $15.74 and the category rose to $14.24. The global curve trended higher into Q4, peaking at $25.22 in November before a sharp January reset (−29% vs. December). By contrast, Hardware and Networking traced a deeper mid‑year dip but a smoother overall path, with slightly lower month‑to‑month volatility than the market ($1.55 vs. $1.63).

In short, the category remained below average on price, tracked the expected seasonal trough and Q4 surge, and closed the window with its closest approach to global CPMs as the market eased.

Closing

This CPM analysis provides Facebook Ads benchmarks for Hardware and Networking across all countries, showing how category CPMs compare to global levels across seasonal peaks and troughs. Understanding CPM benchmarks for Hardware and Networking globally helps quantify country‑agnostic ad costs and evaluate how industry ad performance aligns with broader market dynamics.