Paid Media
Cost Per View Calculator
Video buying lives or dies on cost per view, but the definition of a view changes by platform, so the number only means something inside one platform at a time. Enter spend and views to price your attention, then model a target.
Result
FormulaCPV = video spend ÷ views
Worked example
$4,500 spent for 90,000 views is a $0.05 cost per view, or $50 per thousand views. Hitting a $0.03 target on the same budget would deliver 150,000 views, an extra 60,000 exposures earned entirely through creative and targeting work.
What to watch for
A view is not a standard unit. YouTube skippable counts at 30 seconds or full completion, Meta counts far shorter durations, and TikTok shorter still. Comparing CPV across platforms without normalising to watch time is meaningless.
Hook rate drives CPV more than bidding does. In agency accounts, the first three seconds explain most of the gap between a cheap video buy and an expensive one, so I test openings before I touch the auction.
Cheap views from autoplay placements are the easiest metric in marketing to fake yourself out with. Pair CPV with view-through rate and cost per completed view before you call a video campaign efficient.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good cost per view?
On skippable YouTube inventory, low single-digit cents is common for broad audiences and can climb well past ten cents for tight targeting. Use your own trailing average for the same platform, format and audience as the benchmark.
Is CPV better than CPM for video?
CPV is better for judging whether people chose to watch. CPM is better for judging total exposure and for comparing video against static formats. I report both and let the campaign objective decide which one leads.
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This calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server, logged, or stored. Figures are for planning and do not constitute financial advice. See disclosures.