Break-even CPC Calculator
Highest affordable CPC when gross profit per order meets your on-site conversion to purchase.
Open calculator →ROAS Calculator
Attributed revenue ÷ ad spend for the attribution window your team adopts.
Overview
Read campaign efficiency quickly. ROAS compares revenue credits to dollars spent—not profit because taxes, refunds, COGS overhead, labor may still eat margin.
When to use this calculator
- Before you scale spend on a campaign that “looks good” in the ads UI
- When ROAS is up but bank balance disagrees and margin may be the gap
- When you compare platforms and need the same attribution window on each side
- When you brief a client or buyer and need plain revenue-per-ad-dollar language
Rule of thumb
ROAS above 1× means revenue beat ad spend in your attributed model. Margin still decides whether you keep cash.
Terms used in this calculator
- ROAS (Return on ad spend)
- Revenue you attribute to ads divided by what you spent on those ads, using one clear time window.
- ROI
- Return compared to everything you counted as investment—often wider than ads alone when people say "full ROI."
Calculator
Return on ad spend
3.56x
Results are simplified estimates for educational purposes only and should not be treated as financial, accounting, legal, or tax advice. See our disclaimer for details.
Formula
Revenue attributed to ads ÷ total ad spend. Both numbers must honor the same lookback.
Example calculation
Using the default example values from the JSON seed for this tool:
- Attributed revenue
- 18500
- Ad spend
- 5200
Result: 3.56x (Return on ad spend)
How to interpret this result
Attributed revenue divided by ad spend in the same attribution window.
Profitability still depends on margin after COGS—high ROAS can still lose money.
Compare campaigns only with consistent attribution rules.
Common mistakes
- Comparing ROAS across different attribution lookback windows.
- Calling ROAS “profit” without margin context.
- Treating platform-reported ROAS as proven incrementality.
What to do next
If ROAS and margin still disagree, open break-even ROAS, break-even CPC, or CPA calculators with the same attribution window.
How to improve this result
- Pause spend on slices where margin after COGS cannot survive—even “good” ROAS.
- Speed up landing pages and match creative promise to the first screen.
- Lift AOV with honest upsells so higher CPAs still clear contribution.
Recommended tools
- Baremetrics SaaS metrics and subscription analytics dashboards.
- ChartMogul Subscription analytics for revenue, churn, and cohort reporting.
- Google Ads Help Official documentation for campaign structure and measurement basics.
- Shopify Commerce platform for building and scaling an online store.
FAQ
- Is ROAS profit?
- No—divide margin-aware profit next if profitability is on the table.
- Why do platforms disagree?
- Attribution windows, estimated versus observed conversions, and cross-device stitching differ.
- Can branded search inflate ROAS?
- Yes—segment brand versus prospecting before scaling budgets.
- Multi-touch caveat?
- ROAS reacts to attribution credit rules you cannot see here—stay consistent internally.
- Good ROAS target?
- Margin and payback dictate it—external benchmarks rarely transfer cleanly.
Related calculators
CAC Calculator
Sales + marketing spend in a slice ÷ newly acquired customers counted the same window.
Open calculator →Landing Page Conversion Rate Calculator
Goal completions divided by landing visits for the slice you counted.
Open calculator →Affiliate disclosure
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