Break-even CPA Calculator

Find the most you can pay per customer

Calculate your break-even cost per acquisition and cost per lead from your deal value, margin, and conversion rate. Know your ceiling before you set your bids.

Inputs
Currency
$
Revenue from a single order, before costs
%
Net margin after COGS and fulfillment, before ad spend
Results

Enter your numbers on the left to see your break-even CPA.

Results will appear here as you type.

Three things break-even CPA tells you

01
What break-even CPA means

Break-even CPA is the maximum you can spend to acquire one customer before your ads cost more than they return. It is derived entirely from your order value and margin, no benchmarks needed.

02
How the lead-to-sale rate sets your CPL

Not every lead becomes a client. Your break-even cost per lead accounts for that reality: if only 15% of leads close, each lead needs to be cheap enough that the wins still cover the losses. That is your CPL ceiling.

03
Why this is a ceiling, not a target

Hitting break-even means zero retained profit. A real bid target sits below the ceiling, leaving margin for reinvestment and business growth. Use the Profit-to-Acquisition Ratio Calculator to derive that number.

Know your ceiling. Ready to build a strategy around it?

A break-even number tells you where you cannot go. Building campaigns that consistently stay profitable below it is the real work. If your CPA is drifting toward the ceiling, let's look at what is driving it.

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