Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Software Development CPMs ran well below the broader market for most of the year, then surged at the turn of 2026. Across all countries, monthly median cost per thousand impressions averaged about 10.0 for Software Development, roughly half of the global Facebook Ads benchmark (19.8). The category showed a muted Q4 compared to the market’s holiday spike, followed by a sharp January lift that nearly closed the gap with the global baseline. Volatility stayed moderate for most of 2025 before a pronounced jump into 2026.
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 across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
Software Development CPM started 2025 at 9.58 and ended at 14.96 in January 2026, a 56% rise across the period. The 2025 average sat at 9.61, with a yearly low of 8.50 in October and a local high of 10.37 in November. After easing back to 9.40 in December, CPMs jumped 59% month over month to 14.96 in January 2026—the highest point in the series.
The median CPM range over the period spanned roughly 6.5 points (8.50 to 14.96), while month-to-month movement averaged 1.14 points—steady by paid social standards. The rhythm was gentle through midyear (February’s 10.28; March’s 9.89; April’s dip to 8.81), climbed back toward 10 in early summer, and then slipped into October’s trough before staging a measured Q4 lift and a pronounced new-year spike.
Seasonality was visible but subdued through Q4 for Software Development. CPMs softened into October, then rose into November and cooled in December, mirroring a lighter-weight holiday pattern than the overall market. The standout dynamism arrived in early Q1: January 2026 reversed December’s softness and vaulted to a new high, marking a clear break from the typical early-year trough seen in many categories.
In pattern terms:
Relative to the global benchmark, Software Development CPMs were consistently below market through 2025—about 49% lower on average. The gap was widest in October (61% below the global CPM of 21.69) and narrowed materially in November and December (59% and 57% below, respectively). In January 2026, the category nearly reached parity: 14.96 versus the global 15.74, just 5% under.
The global baseline itself was more turbulent, with an average monthly swing of 1.63 points versus Software Development’s 1.14. The market surged into a pronounced Q4 peak (25.22 in November) before falling back to 15.74 in January 2026, down 11% from January 2025—while Software Development ended the period sharply higher.
This CPM analysis of Facebook Ads benchmarks shows Software Development ad costs across all countries averaging around 10.0, materially below the global baseline, with a muted Q4 and a strong January rebound. Understanding CPM trends for the Software Development industry across all countries helps advertisers evaluate country-specific ad costs, compare industry ad performance to the global market, and situate results within broader Facebook Ads benchmarks and CTR/CPC trends.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Mille (CPM) is the cost advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions of their Facebook ad. In the Software Development 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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All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
CPMs are heavily influenced by competition, seasonality (e.g., Q4 costs more), audience size, and ad quality. Smaller audiences and lower relevance scores often lead to higher CPMs.
Different campaign objectives, bidding strategies, and even time of day can change your CPM. For example, conversion campaigns usually have higher CPMs than traffic ones. Also, broad targeting tends to drive lower CPMs.
In most industries, CPMs range from $5 to $18 depending on the region and objective. Retail and e-comm campaigns often sit at the higher end. Our live data above shows a breakdown by country and industry.
Both matter, but audience quality (intent + match with your offer) usually has more impact than pure size. However, extremely tight audiences often lead to expensive CPMs due to limited delivery opportunities.
Depends on your goal. For awareness, CPM is more relevant. For performance campaigns, CPC and CPA matter more. But all are connected—inefficient CPMs can inflate your entire funnel.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
Average cost per click benchmarks across industries
Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
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