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Cost Per View (CPV) Calculator

Calculate the cost per view (CPV) of a video ad campaign from spend and views, plus the cost per 1,000 views, view rate, CPM and how many views a planned budget will buy.

Ad spend

Views

Impressions

Planned budget

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How it works

CPV = ad spend ÷ views · Cost per 1,000 views = CPV × 1,000 · View rate = views ÷ impressions × 100 · Views for a budget = budget ÷ CPV

Cost per view is the main pricing and reporting metric for video ads such as skippable in-stream ads, where the advertiser pays only when someone watches long enough (commonly 30 seconds or the whole ad if shorter) or interacts. Dividing spend by views gives the average CPV; the view rate shows how compelling the opening seconds are. A higher view rate usually lowers CPV, because the platform rewards ads people choose to watch.

Worked example

A campaign spends $500 and gets 12,500 views from 50,000 impressions. CPV = 500 ÷ 12,500 = $0.040, or $40.00 per 1,000 views. The view rate is 25.00%, the CPM is $10.00, and a $2,000 budget at the same CPV buys about 50,000 views.

Sources: Google Ads Help — About cost-per-view (CPV) bidding

Frequently asked questions

What is a good cost per view?

Typical video-ad CPVs run from about one to a few cents and up to 0.10 or more for narrow, competitive audiences. Compare against your own past campaigns for the same audience and format.

How is CPV different from CPM?

With CPM you pay for every 1,000 impressions, whether anyone watches or not. With CPV you pay only for views, so CPV campaigns cost more per impression but nothing for people who skip.

How can I lower my CPV?

Hook viewers in the first five seconds, target audiences that care about the topic, test several thumbnails and openings, and exclude placements with poor view rates. Better view rates usually bring lower costs.

What counts as a view?

It depends on the platform and ad type. A common rule for skippable video ads is 30 seconds watched (or the full ad if it is shorter) or a click on the ad. Check your platform’s definition before comparing CPVs.

Related calculators

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Cost Per Click (CPC) Calculator

Work out your average cost per click from ad spend and clicks — and how many clicks a budget will buy.

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Work backwards from a sales goal to the ad budget you need: orders, clicks, monthly and daily budget, CPA, expected ROAS and profit after ad spend for Google, Meta or any pay-per-click campaign.

Cost Per Lead Calculator

Calculate cost per lead (CPL) from campaign spend and leads, then see the cost per customer, revenue, marketing ROI and the most you can pay per lead and still break even.

This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.