Meta Ads benchmark data for 2026. Compare performance by channel, industry, and metric.
| Metric | Median | 25th percentile | 75th percentile | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTR (click-through rate) | 0.90% | 0.50% | 1.60% | 2.5%+ |
| CPC (cost per click) | $1.86 | $0.90 | $3.40 | <$0.50 |
| CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) | $14.40 | $8.50 | $24.80 | <$6 |
| CVR (conversion rate) | 9.21% | 4.8% | 15.0% | 20%+ |
| CPA (cost per acquisition) | $18.68 | $9 | $38 | <$5 |
| ROAS (return on ad spend) | 2.87x | 1.5x | 4.5x | 7x+ |
| Industry | Median | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce | 1.20% | 0.65% | 2.10% |
| Automotive | 1.05% | 0.55% | 1.85% |
| Education | 0.98% | 0.50% | 1.72% |
| Home Services | 0.92% | 0.48% | 1.62% |
| Healthcare | 0.68% | 0.35% | 1.20% |
| SaaS | 0.75% | 0.38% | 1.32% |
| Legal | 0.55% | 0.28% | 0.97% |
| Financial Services | 0.56% | 0.29% | 0.99% |
| Real Estate | 0.80% | 0.41% | 1.41% |
| B2B Services | 0.62% | 0.32% | 1.09% |
| Nonprofit | 1.15% | 0.60% | 2.02% |
| Insurance | 1.28% | 0.65% | 2.25% |
| Dental | 0.72% | 0.36% | 1.28% |
| Industry | Median | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce | 3.40x | 1.8x | 5.6x |
| Home Services | 3.20x | 1.7x | 5.2x |
| B2B Services | 2.60x | 1.4x | 4.3x |
| Financial Services | 2.30x | 1.2x | 3.8x |
| SaaS | 2.10x | 1.1x | 3.5x |
| Healthcare | 1.90x | 1.0x | 3.2x |
| Legal | 1.80x | 0.9x | 3.0x |
| Education | 2.40x | 1.3x | 4.0x |
| Real Estate | 2.20x | 1.1x | 3.7x |
| Automotive | 2.80x | 1.5x | 4.6x |
| Nonprofit | 3.10x | 1.6x | 5.1x |
| Insurance | 1.90x | 1.0x | 3.2x |
| Dental | 2.10x | 1.1x | 3.5x |
The average Meta Ads CTR across all industries is 0.90%. Ecommerce (1.20%) and Automotive (1.05%) tend to see higher CTRs. Legal (0.55%) and Financial Services (0.56%) are on the lower end due to less visually engaging creative options and compliance restrictions.
Meta Ads are interrupt-based (users are not actively searching). Google Search ads match active intent, producing much higher CTRs (6%+ median). Meta's strength is targeting precision and volume, not search intent.
The median Meta Ads ROAS is 2.87x. Ecommerce brands should target 3x or more. Your break-even ROAS depends on gross margin - for a 40% margin business, you need 2.5x minimum to be profitable. We recommend targeting your break-even + 0.5–1x as your performance target.
Key Meta optimization levers: (1) test creative aggressively (visual content has short fatigue cycles), (2) use Advantage+ audiences to let Meta's algorithm find your best customers, (3) ensure pixel is properly configured for downstream conversion events, (4) A/B test landing pages for message match with ad creative.