Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
June 2025 - June 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Software Development’s CPMs ran well below the overall market this year, showing a low-single-digit climb from mid‑2025 into spring 2026 punctuated by a sharp winter spike. Relative to the global benchmark, Software Development averaged roughly half the cost per thousand impressions and displayed larger relative swings around a lower base. 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 All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
From June 2025 to May 2026, COST_PER_THOUSAND_IMPRESSIONS (CPM) for Software Development averaged about $10.96, beginning at $10.12 in June 2025 and finishing at $11.12 in May 2026 — an overall rise of roughly 10%. The 12‑month low was $9.23 in December 2025; the high was $14.76 in March 2026, a near 60% increase from the trough. Monthly volatility (standard deviation) sits near $1.90, meaning month‑to‑month swings of around $1.90 on a $11 average — a coefficient of variation of about 17%.
Notable monthly moves: a subdued summer and fall plateau (June–January clustered around $9.2–$10.4), then a pronounced lift in February 2026 (+46% month‑over‑month into $14.17) that continued into March before easing through April and May. The single largest percentage jump occurred into February, while the sharpest decline came into May (about −17% from April).
The cadence has two clear rhythms: a relatively calm six‑month window from mid‑2025 through January 2026 with CPMs in the high‑$9s to low‑$10s, and a winter/spring cycle that produced a short, sharp lift peaking in March 2026. The November 2025 period shows the industry holding near $9.9–$10.4 rather than following the global November spike; instead, the market‑wide lift appears later for Software Development, concentrated in Feb–Mar 2026. After the March peak, costs softened through April and May but remained above the prior-year trough, creating a higher end‑of‑period baseline.
Compared to the baseline global CPMs (average ≈ $20.68 over the same months), Software Development was materially below market — about 47% lower on average. The gap fluctuated: at its narrowest in February 2026 Software Development CPM was roughly 29% below the global benchmark; at its widest in November 2025 the gap reached about 59%. In absolute terms the global benchmark sat near $20–$24 across late 2025–spring 2026 while Software Development clustered around $9–$15, producing a consistent “below average” posture but with a more pronounced relative variability (Software Development CV ≈ 17% vs. global CV ≈ 9%).
Understanding CPM (cost per thousand impressions) Facebook Ads benchmarks for Software Development in All countries available helps contextualize industry ad costs, CPM analysis, CPC trends, CTR performance comparisons, and broader country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance.
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.
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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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