Cost Per Acquisition Statistics for 2026: Industry Benchmarks, Channel CPA, CAC Trends, LTV Ratios, and Paid Search Performance

In 2026, the cost of acquiring a customer has become one of the most scrutinized metrics in marketing. Overall customer acquisition costs have risen 60% over five years across industries, and the median New CAC Ratio for SaaS companies reached USD 2.00 in 2024, meaning businesses now spend two dollars to acquire each dollar of new annual recurring revenue. The top quartile of SaaS performers spend USD 1.00 per dollar of new ARR. The bottom quartile spends USD 2.82. The gap between efficient and inefficient acquisition is growing, not shrinking.

The channel-level cost data is equally instructive. The average CPA for Google Search ads across all industries is USD 70.11 in 2025, with the lowest industry at USD 28.50 for automotive repair and the highest at USD 131.63 for attorneys and legal services. Display advertising averages USD 60.76. Facebook averages USD 18.68 per acquisition. Microsoft Ads average USD 41.44. Apple Search Ads average USD 2.58. And outbound sales remain the most expensive B2B acquisition channel at an average CAC of USD 1,980.

The industry-level divergence is even more dramatic. Fintech companies face the highest CAC of any sector at USD 1,450 per customer, followed by insurance at USD 1,280, healthcare at USD 921, and B2B SaaS at USD 702. Ecommerce companies average USD 274 per customer across the full sales and marketing cost stack but closer to USD 78 across industry benchmarks when normalized by channel. Arts and entertainment sees one of the lowest sector CACs at USD 21, benefiting heavily from organic discovery and social sharing. A strong LTV:CAC ratio of 3:1 or above remains the primary indicator of a healthy, scalable acquisition model, and 99% of affiliate programs use CPA as the core payment structure because it eliminates the risk of paying for impressions that do not convert.

This article compiles more than 60 cost per acquisition statistics drawn from the WordStream and LocaliQ 2025 Search Advertising Benchmarks (16,000-plus campaigns across 23 industries), Triple Whale 2025 Google Ads Benchmarks (ecommerce brands), Benchmarkit 2025 SaaS Performance Metrics, KeyBanc 2024 Private SaaS Survey, Phoenix Strategy Group analysis of 240-plus portfolio companies, Genesys Growth CAC benchmark compilation, First Page Sage B2B SaaS CAC Report, Userpilot CAC industry analysis, Amra and Elma CPA and CAC statistics, Flyweel 2025 CPL and CAC Benchmark Index, and Marketer.com CAC industry study, all published within the last two years.

Scope and Methodology

Includes only publicly available cost per acquisition statistics relevant for 2026.
Based on the latest figures published within the last two years.
Sources include primary research, first-party platform data, institutional studies, and industry reports.
Each statistic is listed separately with its original source and study context.
No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.

Key Cost Per Acquisition Statistics for 2026

The average CPA for Google Search advertising across all industries in 2025 is USD 70.11, based on the WordStream and LocaliQ 2025 Search Advertising Benchmarks report analyzing more than 16,000 U.S.-based campaigns running April 2024 through March 2025, published at LocaliQ.
The average CPA for display advertising across all industries is USD 60.76, slightly lower than search despite broader reach, as display conversions reflect higher-intent retargeting traffic, based on WordStream and LocaliQ benchmark data cited in a 2025 CPA statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
The average Facebook Ads CPA across all industries is USD 18.68, making Facebook one of the most cost-efficient paid acquisition channels for B2C brands due to its detailed audience targeting, based on WordStream data cited in a 2025 CPA marketing statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
Microsoft Advertising average CPA across all industries is USD 41.44, approximately 30% lower than Google Ads’ USD 70.11, based on LocaliQ and WordStream benchmark data cited in a 2025 Bing Ads statistics analysis by Coupler.io.
Apple Search Ads average a CPA of USD 2.58, making them one of the lowest-cost acquisition channels for mobile app marketers due to the high purchase intent of App Store users, based on data cited in a 2025 CPA marketing statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
Customer acquisition costs have risen 60% over five years industry-wide, driven by increased digital channel competition, rising ad prices, and audience fragmentation, based on SimplicityDX research cited in a CAC benchmarks compilation by Genesys Growth.
The median New CAC Ratio for SaaS companies increased 14% in 2024 to USD 2.00, meaning companies spend USD 2.00 to acquire USD 1.00 of new annual recurring revenue, based on the Benchmarkit 2025 SaaS Performance Metrics survey cited in a 2025 CAC benchmark report by Phoenix Strategy Group.
99% of affiliate marketing programs use the CPA payment model, making it the dominant compensation structure in performance marketing worldwide, based on data cited in a 2025 CPA marketing statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
A healthy LTV:CAC ratio of 3:1 or above is the primary indicator of a scalable, profitable acquisition model across SaaS, technology, and B2B services, meaning every dollar spent on acquisition should yield at least USD 3.00 in customer lifetime value, based on analysis published in the Flyweel 2025 CPL and CAC Benchmark Index at Flyweel.
A strong CPA for most industries falls between USD 10 and USD 30, a range that generally indicates a healthy balance between acquisition cost and conversion value, based on data cited in a 2025 CPA marketing statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
Ecommerce customer acquisition cost has risen 40% from two years ago, with the average ecommerce CAC across all categories sitting at approximately USD 78, based on data published in a 2025 ecommerce CAC analysis by UpCounting.
The average CPL for B2B companies across all channels is USD 84 in 2025, with Google Ads averaging USD 70.11 and LinkedIn averaging USD 110, based on the Flyweel 2025 CPL and CAC Benchmark Index published at Flyweel.

CPA by Industry Statistics

The attorneys and legal services industry has the highest average CPA in Google Search at USD 131.63, followed by furniture at USD 121.51 and business services at USD 103.50, reflecting complex, high-value purchasing decisions and intense keyword competition, based on the WordStream 2025 Google Ads Benchmarks report published at WordStream.
The automotive repair, service, and parts industry has the lowest average CPA in Google Search at USD 28.50, followed by restaurants and food at USD 30.27, arts and entertainment at USD 30.27, and animals and pets at USD 31.82, based on the WordStream 2025 Google Ads Benchmarks report published at WordStream.
Technology has the highest average Google Search CPA at USD 133.52, compared to the automotive industry’s lowest CPA of USD 33.52, a fourfold spread reflecting the compounding effect of high ticket value, longer sales cycles, and keyword competition, based on WordStream benchmark data cited in a 2025 CPA statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
B2B companies face an average CPA of USD 116.13 for search and USD 130.36 for display advertising, reflecting long sales cycles and the high cost of converting decision-makers through paid channels, based on WordStream benchmark data cited in a 2025 CPA statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
Consumer services see an average CPA of USD 90.70 for search and USD 60.48 for display advertising, based on WordStream benchmark data cited in a 2025 CPA statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
Display network technology advertisers enjoy a lower average CPA of USD 19.23, making display an efficient channel for remarketing and brand awareness in the tech sector, based on legacy WordStream AdWords data cited in a CPA benchmarks overview at Search Engine Land.
The dating and personals industry has one of the lowest search network CPAs at USD 6.91, reflecting high intent, fast decision cycles, and competitive ad unit design, based on legacy WordStream study data cited at Search Engine Land.
Mobile CPA for Google Search averages USD 80.89, compared to USD 7.72 for desktop in certain verticals, with service industries experiencing the largest mobile-to-desktop CPA gap due to phone call conversions that are harder to track, based on Rocking Web Google Ads Benchmarks 2025 analysis published at Rocking Web.

Customer Acquisition Cost by Industry Statistics

Fintech companies face the highest CAC of any major industry at USD 1,450 per customer, driven by regulatory compliance requirements, trust-building timelines, and extended sales cycles, based on data cited in a 2025 CAC by industry analysis by Phoenix Strategy Group.
Insurance companies face an average CAC of USD 1,280 per customer, the second highest of any tracked sector, reflecting the challenges of building consumer trust in a highly competitive and regulated market, based on data cited in a 2025 top customer acquisition cost statistics analysis by Amra and Elma.
Medtech companies see an average CAC of USD 921, with medical device sales teams facing complex procurement processes, clinical validation requirements, and lengthy hospital purchasing cycles, based on data cited in a 2025 customer acquisition cost statistics analysis by Amra and Elma.
B2B SaaS companies average a CAC of USD 702 across all company sizes and sales channels, driven by long sales cycles and high-touch enterprise sales processes, based on first-party B2B SaaS CAC data compiled from a decade of client data by First Page Sage and cited in a 2025 industry comparison by Userpilot.
B2B SaaS small businesses average a CAC of USD 1,200 per customer, while enterprise SaaS companies command CACs between USD 1,200 and USD 2,000 due to extended 6 to 18-month sales cycles, complex procurement, and specialized sales teams, based on data published in a 2025 CAC trends analysis by Phoenix Strategy Group.
Financial services and wealth management companies face a CAC range of USD 2,167 to USD 4,056 per customer, reflecting the combination of regulatory complexity, extensive trust-building, and the high lifetime value of advisory relationships, based on data cited in a 2025 CAC trends analysis by Phoenix Strategy Group.
Higher education and college B2B companies face the highest CAC among B2B sectors at USD 1,143 per new customer acquired, driven by the lengthy decision-making processes involving administrators, faculty, and procurement teams, based on Userpilot CAC by industry analysis published at Userpilot.
Ecommerce SaaS enjoys the lowest CAC among B2B SaaS sectors at USD 274 per customer, benefiting from short sales cycles, clear ROI demonstration, and self-serve purchasing behavior, based on data cited in a 2025 CAC by industry study by We Are Founders.
Ecommerce brands average a CAC of USD 70 for general consumer acquisition, with retail and ecommerce as a whole averaging approximately USD 50 per customer when cost stacks are normalized, based on Phoenix Strategy Group benchmark analysis published at Phoenix Strategy Group.
Arts and entertainment companies benefit from one of the lowest CACs across all sectors at USD 21, driven by high organic discovery rates, strong social sharing behavior, and lower-friction purchasing decisions, based on data cited in a 2025 CAC by industry analysis by Phoenix Strategy Group.

CAC by Channel Statistics

Paid search delivers an average CAC of USD 802 for B2B companies and USD 70.11 for general campaigns, reflecting the high intent of search traffic but also the increasingly competitive and expensive keyword auction environment, based on the Phoenix Strategy Group CAC benchmarks by channel analysis citing Optifai Sales Ops Benchmark 2025 data, published at Phoenix Strategy Group.
Paid social delivers an average CAC of USD 230 on Facebook and USD 982 on LinkedIn for B2B companies, with privacy changes and iOS restrictions reducing ad efficiency across social platforms, based on the Phoenix Strategy Group CAC benchmarks by channel analysis published at Phoenix Strategy Group.
Organic search (SEO) delivers a long-term CAC as low as USD 290 for B2B companies, requiring upfront time and content investment but delivering lower sustained acquisition costs than paid channels, based on the Phoenix Strategy Group CAC benchmarks by channel analysis citing First Page Sage data, published at Phoenix Strategy Group.
Referral programs achieve one of the lowest B2B CACs at USD 150 for SaaS companies, with referred customers also demonstrating higher loyalty and longer retention that further improves long-term unit economics, based on data cited in a 2025 top customer acquisition cost statistics analysis by Amra and Elma.
Outbound sales delivers the highest CAC of any acquisition channel at USD 1,980 for B2B companies, justified by its effectiveness for high-value enterprise deals where deal size far exceeds the acquisition cost, based on the Phoenix Strategy Group CAC benchmarks by channel analysis published at Phoenix Strategy Group.
Silicon Valley companies acquire customers via paid ads at approximately USD 200 per customer, while companies targeting Southeast Asia markets report CACs 2 to 5 times lower than U.S. equivalents for comparable products, reflecting geographic arbitrage opportunities in emerging markets, based on data cited in a 2025 CAC trends analysis by Phoenix Strategy Group.

SaaS and B2B CPA Statistics

Top-quartile SaaS companies spend approximately USD 1.00 to acquire USD 1.00 of new ARR, while bottom-quartile companies spend USD 2.82 for the same result, a 182% efficiency gap that continues to widen as digital channels mature, based on the Benchmarkit 2025 SaaS Performance Metrics survey cited in a 2025 CAC benchmark report by Genesys Growth.
The average CAC payback period for private SaaS companies extends to approximately 23 months, meaning companies operate at a loss on each new customer for nearly two years before breaking even, based on the KeyBanc 2024 Private SaaS Survey cited in a 2025 CAC benchmark report by Genesys Growth.
75% of software companies reported declining customer retention rates in 2024, creating a feedback loop where higher churn forces higher acquisition spending to maintain revenue, based on data cited in a 2025 CAC trends analysis by Phoenix Strategy Group.
B2C companies average a CAC of USD 70 per customer, compared to USD 536 for the average B2B company, reflecting the fundamental difference in sales complexity, buying committee involvement, and conversion timeline, based on industry comparison data published at Marketer.com.
LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms convert at 13% compared to 2.35% for external landing pages, delivering a 277% conversion rate advantage that substantially reduces the effective CPA for B2B lead generation campaigns, based on LinkedIn advertising data cited in a 2025 LinkedIn advertising statistics overview at SEO Design Chicago.
B2B SaaS display campaigns show an average CPM of USD 50.60, CPC of USD 0.79 to USD 0.81, and CTR of 0.46%, with display CPA at USD 130.36 compared to search CPA of USD 133.52, offering near-parity between formats in the technology vertical, based on Rocking Web analysis of WordStream 2024 data published at Rocking Web.

AI and Technology Impact on CPA Statistics

Businesses leveraging AI in customer acquisition have seen CAC reductions of up to 50%, with the largest gains concentrated in ecommerce, fintech, and SaaS where AI tools optimize targeting, automate segmentation, and personalize outreach at scale, based on data cited in a 2025 top customer acquisition cost statistics analysis by Amra and Elma.
Companies using AI-powered chatbots and dynamic content personalization report 20% to 30% improvements in conversion rates, making previously unprofitable customer segments viable for acquisition, based on analysis published at Marketer.com.
A 5% improvement in customer retention drives a 25% to 95% increase in profits, making retention strategy the most leverage-efficient mechanism for reducing effective CAC over time, based on data cited in a 2025 CAC benchmarks analysis by Genesys Growth.
Marketing technology utilization averages only 33% across businesses that have purchased martech tools, leaving significant efficiency improvements available for companies that consolidate and integrate their existing stacks before purchasing additional tools, based on data cited in a 2025 CAC benchmarks analysis by Genesys Growth.
Long-tail keywords deliver approximately 40% lower CPA than head terms in Google Search, while product title optimization in Shopping campaigns can reduce CAC by 25% through improved Quality Score and ad relevance, based on data published in a 2025 ecommerce CAC analysis by UpCounting.

Regional or Geographic Statistics

Ecommerce CAC varies significantly by region, with North America commanding the highest average CPA at USD 5.28 per mobile app install in 2024, followed by EMEA at USD 1.03 and APAC at USD 0.93, reflecting dramatic differences in digital advertising maturity and cost-per-install benchmarks across markets, based on data cited in a 2025 CPA statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
Emerging markets in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America offer 40% to 60% lower acquisition costs with comparable customer quality, based on cross-market analysis cited in a 2025 CAC benchmarks report by Genesys Growth.
Mobile app user acquisition costs are projected to rise to USD 4.70 per iOS install and USD 3.40 per Android install in 2025, up from USD 4.50 and USD 3.20 in 2023, based on data cited in a 2025 CPA statistics overview by Amra and Elma.
Latin America and Southeast Asia are identified as the top two regional growth markets for CPA-efficient digital acquisition in 2025, with companies achieving CAC reductions of 2 to 5 times versus U.S. and European equivalents through localized digital strategies, based on cross-market analysis cited in a 2025 CAC trends analysis by Phoenix Strategy Group.
Career and employment industry CPL declined 46.74% year-over-year in 2025 on Google Ads, the steepest single-industry CPL decline recorded, while arts and entertainment saw a 32.28% CPL decline, making both sectors significantly more cost-efficient for acquisition than in 2024, based on the WordStream 2025 Google Ads Benchmarks report published at WordStream.
The global affiliate marketing industry reached USD 18.5 billion in value in 2025, with CPA as the backbone of affiliate compensation and advertiser spend growing as brands shift toward performance-based models that eliminate upfront media cost risk, based on data cited in a 2025 CPA marketing statistics overview by Amra and Elma.

References

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