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Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2026: CTR, CPM, CPC, and ROAS by Industry
Facebook ads benchmarks for 2026 with CTR, CPM, CPC, and ROAS data by industry. Based on 35,000+ brands and 1,180+ campaigns.
What CTR, CPC, CPM, and ROAS should you expect from Facebook ads? As of early 2026, the median CTR across all industries is 2.19% and median CPM is $14.19. As of the same period, median CPC for traffic campaigns is $0.70 and median ROAS for ecommerce is 1.86x — based on data from 35,000 brands running Meta ads throughout 2025.
These facebook ads benchmarks draw from two primary datasets: Triple Whale's analysis of nearly 35,000 ecommerce brands (January–December 2025) and WordStream's report covering 1,180 campaigns (April 2024–June 2025). Where numbers conflict, both are cited so you can triangulate against your own account.
Editorial note: All benchmark figures in this article were compiled as of March 2026 from publicly available third-party reports. We have no affiliation with the data providers cited. If you spot an error, contact us at hello@rule1.ai and we will correct it promptly.
Methodology and data sources: Triple Whale aggregates anonymized Meta Ads data from nearly 35,000 ecommerce brands using its attribution platform (January–December 2025). WordStream's benchmarks come from 1,180 Facebook ad campaigns across service and retail verticals (April 2024–June 2025). Focus Digital analyzes CTR and ROAS data from 5,000+ companies. The SuperAds platform tracks global CPM and CPC medians across its advertiser base. Numbers from each source reflect different sample compositions and campaign types — cross-source comparisons should account for these differences. Industry tables below include all categories reported by each source — no industries were excluded.
Average CTR for Facebook Ads by Industry
A good CTR for Facebook ads is anything above 1.5% for most verticals. The platform-wide median hit 2.19% in 2025, up 13.5% year-over-year, with every single industry improving its CTR compared to 2024.
CTR by Industry — Ecommerce (Triple Whale, Jan–Dec 2025)
| Industry | Median CTR | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| Health & Wellness | 2.70% | +22.8% |
| Books & Music | 2.34% | +25.5% |
| Lifestyle & Boutique | 2.28% | +10.2% |
| Beauty | 2.27% | +17.8% |
| Apparel & Accessories | 2.25% | +15.7% |
| Home & Garden | 2.22% | +9.2% |
| Automotive | 2.22% | +14.1% |
| Media & Publishing | 2.21% | +24.2% |
| Toys, Art & Collectibles | 2.19% | +8.0% |
| Electronics | 2.19% | +8.0% |
| Travel Accessories & Luggage | 2.19% | +17.1% |
| Pets & Animals | 2.13% | +11.0% |
| Sports & Outdoors | 1.91% | +13.1% |
| Baby | 1.91% | +12.7% |
| Food & Beverage | 1.85% | +5.5% |
Data as of January 2026: Triple Whale Meta Ads Benchmarks, 35,000 brands, full-year 2025.
CTR by Industry — All Verticals, Traffic Campaigns (WordStream, Apr 2024–Jun 2025)
| Industry | CTR | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts | 4.13% | +146% |
| Travel | 2.76% | — |
| Sports & Recreation | 2.60% | +102% |
| Arts & Entertainment | 2.10% | — |
| Beauty & Personal Care | 1.81% | — |
| Attorneys & Legal | 1.76% | +80% |
| Personal Services | 1.70% | — |
| Real Estate | 1.68% | -36% |
| Restaurants & Food | 1.67% | -25% |
| Animals & Pets | 1.64% | — |
| Health & Fitness | 1.63% | — |
| Automotive — For Sale | 1.48% | — |
| Education & Instruction | 1.45% | — |
| Furniture | 1.39% | — |
| Business Services | 1.38% | — |
| Industrial & Commercial | 1.36% | — |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry | 1.29% | — |
| Home & Home Improvement | 1.28% | — |
| Finance & Insurance | 0.98% | — |
| Physicians & Surgeons | 0.83% | — |
| Automotive — Repair/Service | 0.80% | -27% |
Data as of September 2025: WordStream Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2025, 1,180 campaigns.
The gap between these two datasets matters. Triple Whale tracks ecommerce brands running purchase-optimized campaigns. WordStream includes service businesses running traffic campaigns. Your benchmark depends on which bucket you fall into.
CTR by Campaign Objective (Focus Digital, 2025)
| Objective | CTR |
|---|---|
| Lead Generation | 2.53% |
| Traffic / Link Clicks | 1.57% |
| Engagement | 1.42% |
| Conversions | 1.38% |
| Video Views | 1.21% |
| Brand Awareness | 0.94% |
| Reach | 0.87% |
Data as of mid-2025: Focus Digital CTR Benchmarks Report, 2025.
Lead generation campaigns outperform traffic campaigns by 61% on CTR. If your CTR sits below 1% on a conversion campaign, the creative likely needs work — not the targeting. Ad fatigue is a common culprit when CTR drops after a strong initial run.
Average CPM for Facebook Ads
As of early 2026, the median CPM across all industries was $14.19 for full-year 2025, up 20% year-over-year. No industry was spared from rising reach costs, with increases ranging from +8% (Baby, Food & Beverage) to +38% (Health & Wellness).
CPM Monthly Trend (Global Median, Mar 2025–Jan 2026)
| Month (as of Jan 2026) | Global Median CPM |
|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | $19.23 |
| Apr 2025 | $18.57 |
| May 2025 | $19.79 |
| Jun 2025 | $19.67 |
| Jul 2025 | $19.58 |
| Aug 2025 | $20.38 |
| Sep 2025 | $19.96 |
| Oct 2025 | $21.69 |
| Nov 2025 | $25.22 |
| Dec 2025 | $22.04 |
| Jan 2026 | $15.74 |
All CPM figures as of January 2026. Global median, 13-month window ending January 2026. Source cited in methodology above.
As of January 2026, the November 2025 spike ($25.22) is the annual Q4 auction crunch — Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holiday gifting push CPMs 25–35% above the annual mean. January resets to the year's low. Plan your budget cycles accordingly: a CPM calculator helps model seasonal cost shifts before they hit your P&L.
CPM by Industry — Ecommerce (Triple Whale, 2025)
| Industry | YoY CPM Change | Notable (as of Jan 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Health & Wellness | +38.0% | As of Jan 2026, median $20.70 — highest absolute CPM |
| Books & Music | +27.4% | — |
| Travel Accessories & Luggage | +22.5% | — |
| Apparel & Accessories | +19.4% | — |
| Electronics | +17.1% | — |
| Automotive | +17.1% | As of Jan 2026, median $10.01 — lowest absolute CPM |
| Sports & Outdoors | +15.9% | — |
| Food & Beverage | +8.4% | Lowest CPM increase |
| Baby | +8.1% | Lowest CPM increase |
Data as of January 2026: Triple Whale Meta Ads Benchmarks, full-year 2025. Absolute CPM figures published only for select industries.
The platform-wide CPM increase of 20% is the headline number, but context matters. Meta's Q4 2025 earnings showed ad impressions grew 17% while cost-per-impression fell 7% — driven largely by cheaper Reels inventory entering the auction. The CPM rises above reflect advertiser demand outpacing that new supply.
Average CPC for Facebook Ads by Industry
As of mid-2025, the average CPC for Facebook traffic campaigns is $0.70, down from $0.77 in 2024. As of the same period, lead campaigns run higher at $1.92 average CPC. For context, Google Ads averaged $5.26 CPC (as of mid-2025, per WordStream) — Facebook traffic clicks cost 87% less.
CPC by Industry — Traffic Campaigns (WordStream, 2025)
| Industry | CPC (as of mid-2025) |
|---|---|
| Shopping, Collectibles & Gifts | $0.34 |
| Sports & Recreation | $0.41 |
| Arts & Entertainment | $0.49 |
| Travel | $0.51 |
| Restaurants & Food | $0.72 |
| Beauty & Personal Care | $0.74 |
| Business Services | $0.75 |
| Animals & Pets | $0.78 |
| Automotive — For Sale | $0.79 |
| Health & Fitness | $0.80 |
| Automotive — Repair/Service | $0.81 |
| Physicians & Surgeons | $0.82 |
| Apparel / Fashion & Jewelry | $0.86 |
| Attorneys & Legal | $0.86 |
| Education & Instruction | $0.86 |
| Industrial & Commercial | $0.86 |
| Furniture | $0.85 |
| Real Estate | $0.91 |
| Home & Home Improvement | $0.99 |
| Personal Services | $1.00 |
| Finance & Insurance | $1.22 |
Data as of September 2025: WordStream Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2025, traffic campaigns.
CPC by Industry — Leads Campaigns (WordStream, 2025)
| Industry | CPC (as of mid-2025) |
|---|---|
| Restaurants & Food | $0.74 |
| Career & Employment | $0.86 |
| Sports & Recreation | $1.07 |
| Arts & Entertainment | $1.08 |
| Real Estate | $1.57 |
| Education & Instruction | $1.65 |
| Industrial & Commercial | $1.80 |
| Personal Services | $2.08 |
| Furniture | $2.18 |
| Home & Home Improvement | $2.23 |
| Physicians & Surgeons | $2.23 |
| Health & Fitness | $2.64 |
| Beauty & Personal Care | $3.06 |
| Attorneys & Legal | $4.10 |
| Dentists & Dental | $9.78 |
Data as of September 2025: WordStream Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2025, leads campaigns.
As of mid-2025, dental and legal services pay a steep premium — $9.78 and $4.10 per click, respectively — because each lead carries high lifetime value. If you're in those verticals and your CPC is below those numbers, your targeting is probably working.
Global CPC Trend (2025)
As of January 2026, the global median CPC averaged $1.11 over the 13-month window from January 2025 to January 2026. CPC peaked as of November 2025 at $1.32 and bottomed as of January 2026 at $0.85. The same Q4 pattern that inflates CPMs also lifts CPCs, though the swing is narrower (roughly 55% peak-to-trough vs. 60% for CPM). CPC trend data sourced from the same global benchmark provider cited in the methodology section above.
Facebook Ads ROAS by Industry
As of early 2026, the median ROAS across all ecommerce industries on Meta is 1.86x for full-year 2025, up 1.3% year-over-year. As of that period, for every $1 spent the median brand earned $1.86 in attributed revenue — not accounting for the 20–30% of conversions that iOS privacy changes hide from platform reporting.
ROAS by Industry — Ecommerce (Triple Whale, 2025)
| Industry | Median ROAS | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive | 2.54x | +1.7% |
| Sports & Outdoors | 2.28x | +3.8% |
| Travel Accessories & Luggage | 2.25x | -0.8% |
| Apparel & Accessories | 2.18x | +3.9% |
| Home & Garden | 2.18x | +7.0% |
| Baby | 2.17x | +1.6% |
| Toys, Art & Collectibles | 1.93x | +2.7% |
| Lifestyle & Boutique | 1.93x | +2.7% |
| Electronics | 1.92x | +1.5% |
| Books & Music | 1.65x | +2.8% |
| Pets & Animals | 1.58x | +7.1% |
| Beauty | 1.57x | -1.1% |
| Food & Beverage | 1.56x | +7.2% |
| Health & Wellness | 1.50x | -2.8% |
| Media & Publishing | 1.17x | -2.2% |
Data as of January 2026: Triple Whale Meta Ads Benchmarks, 35,000 brands, full-year 2025.
ROAS by Targeting Strategy (Focus Digital, Apr 2025)
| Strategy | Median ROAS | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Retargeting | 3.61x | 1.73–7.52 |
| Prospecting | 2.11x | 1.14–4.07 |
| Lookalike | 1.80x | 0.78–4.74 |
Data as of April 2025: Focus Digital, 5,000+ companies.
Retargeting delivers 71% higher ROAS than prospecting, which is expected — you're reaching people who already know you. The real diagnostic question is whether your prospecting ROAS covers customer acquisition costs at your margins. Use a ROAS calculator to find your breakeven point, then compare against these benchmarks. If you need a deeper breakdown of what qualifies as good ROAS, we cover that separately.
ROAS by Funnel Stage
| Funnel Stage | Typical ROAS Range |
|---|---|
| Cold Prospecting | 1:1 – 3:1 |
| Warm Audience | 3:1 – 6:1 |
| Hot Retargeting | 4:1 – 10:1 |
| Cart Abandoners | 5:1 – 10:1 |
Data as of early 2026: TrendTrack ROAS Benchmarks.
These ranges are directional. A 1:1 ROAS on cold prospecting can still be profitable if your LTV-to-CAC ratio supports it — subscription brands often operate this way, hitting 0.8–1.5x ROAS on month one and recovering to 8x+ by month twelve.
Conversion Rate by Industry
As of early 2026, the median ecommerce conversion rate on Meta ads is 1.60% for full-year 2025, up 8.3% year-over-year. For lead generation campaigns, the overall conversion rate is 7.72%, though that number dropped from 8.67% the prior year as CPLs climbed.
Conversion Rate — Ecommerce (Triple Whale, 2025)
| Industry | Median CVR | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| Food & Beverage | 2.02% | -0.1% |
| Beauty | 1.94% | -1.1% |
| Baby | 1.85% | +0.9% |
| Pets & Animals | 1.80% | +11.1% |
| Lifestyle & Boutique | 1.74% | +7.6% |
| Books & Music | 1.72% | +17.5% |
| Health & Wellness | 1.72% | +5.0% |
| Media & Publishing | 1.56% | +21.0% |
| Toys, Art & Collectibles | 1.52% | +14.9% |
| Apparel & Accessories | 1.46% | +9.4% |
| Home & Garden | 1.32% | +18.5% |
| Automotive | 1.30% | +15.8% |
| Travel Accessories & Luggage | 1.29% | -16.7% |
| Sports & Outdoors | 1.28% | +11.0% |
| Electronics | 1.20% | -1.6% |
Data as of January 2026: Triple Whale Meta Ads Benchmarks, full-year 2025.
Conversion Rate — Lead Campaigns (WordStream, 2025)
| Industry | CVR | CPL (as of mid-2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants & Food | 18.25% | $3.16 |
| Attorneys & Legal | 10.53% | $18.17 |
| Education & Instruction | 10.08% | $28.22 |
| Real Estate | 9.53% | $16.61 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 9.34% | $18.17 |
| Industrial & Commercial | 9.34% | $37.34 |
| Dentists & Dental | 6.38% | $76.71 |
| Personal Services | 6.51% | $30.57 |
| Career & Employment | 5.77% | $17.64 |
| Beauty & Personal Care | 5.29% | $51.42 |
| Health & Fitness | 5.63% | $52.98 |
| Home & Home Improvement | 5.22% | $41.26 |
| Sports & Recreation | 5.48% | $19.30 |
| Physicians & Surgeons | 4.51% | $47.47 |
| Furniture | 3.77% | $40.04 |
Data as of September 2025: WordStream Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2025, leads campaigns.
Restaurants converting at 18.25% with a $3.16 CPL (as of mid-2025, per WordStream) is the standout — low friction offers (free appetizer, discount code) drive volume. On the opposite end, dentists and physicians face the reality of high-consideration decisions: people research before booking, so conversion rates stay under 7% and CPLs as of mid-2025 push toward $50–$77 per the same dataset.
Video Ads vs. Static Image Ads
As of mid-2025, video ads earn a marginally higher CTR (1.0% median) than static images (0.91% median), but the performance gap widens when you factor in format-specific placements.
| Metric | Image Ads | Video Ads | Carousel Ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median CTR (as of mid-2025) | 0.91% | 1.0% | 0.90% |
| Median CPM (as of mid-2025) | ~$6.90 | ~$6.90 | — |
| Customer Acq. Cost (as of mid-2025) | ~$28 | — | ~$15 |
| Common Use | Direct response | Awareness, engagement | Product catalogs |
Data as of mid-2025: BestEver.ai Facebook Ads Benchmarks.
Vertical video with audio — the Reels format — performs in a different category. Meta's own data shows Reels ads deliver 35% higher CTR than non-vertical video, with 12% higher conversions per dollar and 10–30% lower CPM than Feed placements. The hook rate in those first 3 seconds is the make-or-break metric for video ads; 90% of viewers who watch 3 seconds will continue watching.
Dynamic product ads also deserve mention: they lift performance 20–60% compared to static creatives by pulling product images and prices from your catalog in real time.
Facebook Ads Benchmarks by Placement
Not all placements perform equally. CTR varies 3x between the highest and lowest-performing Meta placements.
| Placement | CTR |
|---|---|
| Instagram Stories | 1.34% |
| Facebook Feed | 1.11% |
| Instagram Feed | 1.01% |
| Facebook Reels | 0.94% |
| Facebook Stories | 0.83% |
| Instagram Reels | 0.76% |
| Audience Network | 0.58% |
| Right Column | 0.41% |
Data as of mid-2025: Focus Digital CTR Benchmarks Report.
Instagram Stories leads in CTR, but Facebook Feed still commands 55–65% of total impressions as of mid-2025. Reels placements are growing fast (10–20% of impressions, projected to hit 35–55% by end of 2026) and offer lower CPMs as of mid-2025 — $10–12 vs. ~$16 for Feed.
The practical takeaway: leave Advantage+ placement optimization on and let Meta's algorithm find the cheapest conversions. But monitor placement breakdowns weekly. If Audience Network is eating budget at 0.58% CTR, exclude it.
Are Facebook Ads Getting More Expensive?
CPMs rose 20% platform-wide in 2025 (as of January 2026, per Triple Whale). That is the blunt answer. But the full picture depends on what you're optimizing for.
Traffic campaigns got cheaper. CPC dropped from $0.77 to $0.70 (-9%) and CTR improved from 1.57% to 1.71% year-over-year (as of mid-2025, per WordStream). Fewer advertisers are running traffic-only campaigns because they don't drive conversions, which reduced auction pressure.
Lead campaigns got more expensive. CPL jumped 21% to $27.66 and CPC rose slightly to $1.92 (as of mid-2025, per WordStream). More advertisers are competing for qualified leads, and Meta's lead form improvements made the format more popular — increased demand, higher prices.
Ecommerce held roughly steady on efficiency. ROAS edged up 1.3% to 1.86x and CVR improved 8.3% to 1.60% (as of January 2026, per Triple Whale), even as CPMs climbed. Meta's AI-driven optimization improvements — particularly Advantage+ Shopping campaigns — offset some of the rising reach costs.
As of mid-2025, Facebook ads still cost far less than Google Ads for comparable outcomes: $0.70 CPC vs. $5.26 on Google (as of mid-2025, per WordStream). CPL shows the same gap: $27.66 on Meta vs. $70.11 on Google as of that period. The gap narrowed slightly in 2025, but Meta remains the lower-cost platform by a wide margin.
How to Use These Facebook Ads Metrics
Benchmarks are a diagnostic starting point, not targets. An account running 0.8% CTR in Finance & Insurance (0.98% industry average as of mid-2025) has a different problem than one running 0.8% CTR in Travel (2.76% average).
Step 1: Find your vertical in the tables above. Compare your CTR, CPC, CPM, and ROAS against the industry median. If you need help setting up the right columns and custom metrics in Meta Ads Manager, see our Facebook ads reporting guide.
Step 2: Identify which metric is the outlier. High CTR but low ROAS? Your landing page or offer is the bottleneck, not the ad. Low CTR with reasonable CPC? The creative isn't resonating — test new hooks and angles.
Step 3: Account for funnel stage. Your prospecting campaigns will always underperform retargeting on ROAS. Compare prospecting-to-prospecting and retargeting-to-retargeting against the funnel stage benchmarks above.
Step 4: Track over time. A single snapshot means less than a trend. If your CTR is declining week-over-week while frequency climbs, that's ad fatigue — not a targeting problem.
Tools like Rule1's creative analytics can automate this comparison, flagging ads that fall below your industry's benchmark thresholds so you catch underperformers before they drain budget.
What These Numbers Mean for Your Account
Benchmarks are diagnostic signals, not targets to chase. Your own historical data is the most relevant comparison — if your CTR improved 30% quarter-over-quarter, that matters more than whether you hit the industry median. When you do reference industry benchmarks, find your specific vertical rather than comparing against all-industry averages. Use deviations from these benchmarks to identify which part of the funnel needs attention: a CTR below your industry's median points to creative problems, while a strong CTR paired with weak ROAS points to landing page or offer issues.
FAQ
What is a good CTR for Facebook ads?
Above 1.5% is solid for most industries as of early 2026. The platform-wide median is 2.19% for ecommerce (Triple Whale, full-year 2025) and 1.71% for traffic campaigns across all verticals (WordStream, mid-2025). Health & Wellness leads ecommerce at 2.70%. Shopping & Gifts leads traffic campaigns at 4.13%. If your CTR sits below 1%, prioritize creative testing over audience changes — the ad is the variable Meta's algorithm has the least control over.
What is the average CPM for Facebook ads in 2026?
As of January 2026, the global median CPM reset to $15.74 after a November 2025 peak of $25.22 (as of November 2025, per global benchmark data). The full-year 2025 ecommerce median was $14.19 (as of January 2026, per Triple Whale). Expect 2026 averages to land in the $14–$17 range outside of Q4, when holiday competition pushes CPMs 25–35% higher.
What is a good CPC for Facebook ads?
As of mid-2025 (per WordStream), the all-industry average for traffic campaigns is $0.70 and for lead campaigns it's $1.92. "Good" depends on what that click is worth to you. As of that same period, an ecommerce brand converting at 1.6% with a $70 AOV can afford up to $1.12 per click at breakeven — use the ROAS formula to calculate your own ceiling.
What is a good ROAS for Facebook ads?
As of early 2026, the ecommerce median is 1.86x (Triple Whale, full-year 2025). Retargeting campaigns average 3.61x, prospecting averages 2.11x (as of April 2025, per Focus Digital). Whether that's "good" depends on your margins. A brand with 70% gross margin breaks even at 1.43x ROAS. A brand with 40% margin needs 2.5x just to cover ad spend. The how to calculate ROAS guide walks through breakeven math.
How do Facebook ad benchmarks vary by industry?
Dramatically. As of mid-2025, traffic campaign CTR ranges from 0.80% (Auto Repair) to 4.13% (Shopping & Gifts) — a 5x spread. CPC as of the same period ranges from $0.34 to $1.22. ROAS ranges from 1.17x (Media & Publishing) to 2.54x (Automotive). The tables in this article cover 15+ industries across both ecommerce and service verticals. Find your industry, then benchmark against it — cross-industry comparisons are misleading.
What is a good conversion rate for Facebook ads?
As of early 2026, the ecommerce purchase campaign median is 1.60% (Triple Whale, full-year 2025). For lead generation, the all-industry average is 7.72% (WordStream, mid-2025). Top performers like Restaurants & Food hit 18.25% on lead forms. If your conversion rate is below your industry median but CTR is strong, the problem is downstream — landing page, offer, or checkout friction.
How do Reels ads perform compared to Feed ads?
As of mid-2025, Reels carry 10–30% lower CPMs than Feed ($10–12 vs. ~$16) and deliver 12% more conversions per dollar according to Meta's data. Vertical video with audio gets 35% higher CTR than standard video. The tradeoff is that Reels currently account for only 10–20% of total impressions, so they can't absorb full-scale budgets yet. That share is growing fast.
Should I trust in-platform ROAS numbers?
Not entirely. iOS privacy changes cause Meta to underreport conversions by an estimated 20–30%. Multi-touch attribution tools give a more complete picture, and ROAS analytics platforms that integrate server-side data can close that gap. Use in-platform numbers for relative comparisons (ad A vs. ad B) but external attribution for absolute ROAS measurement.
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