# CPV Calculator | Calculate Cost Per View Calculate cost per view (CPV) for your video campaigns, plus view rate, CPM, and cost per ThruPlay. Works for YouTube, Meta, and TikTok — with a clear breakdown of how each platform defines a "view". ## What is CPV? CPV (Cost Per View) is a video advertising metric that measures how much you pay for each view of your ad. It is the standard efficiency metric for view-based buying on platforms like YouTube, Meta, and TikTok, where you are charged for engaged video views rather than raw impressions (CPM) or clicks (CPC). ## How CPV is Calculated CPV is your total ad spend divided by the number of views: **CPV = Total Ad Spend / Total Views** For example, $500 spent for 10,000 views is a $0.05 CPV. This calculator also derives your view rate (views ÷ impressions) when you enter impressions, and your cost per ThruPlay when you enter ThruPlays. ## Calculator Features ### Input Fields - **Ad Spend**: Total amount spent on the video campaign - **Views**: Total number of paid video views (use your platform's view definition) - **Impressions** (optional): Derives view rate and CPM - **ThruPlays** (optional, Meta): Derives cost per ThruPlay ### Results - **CPV**: Cost per single view - **View Rate**: Views ÷ impressions - **CPM**: Cost per 1,000 impressions - **Cost per ThruPlay**: Stricter, completion-based CPV variant ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What counts as a 'view' — and why does it make CPV hard to compare? Each platform defines a view differently, so CPV is only comparable within the same platform and definition. YouTube TrueView in-stream counts a view at 30 seconds (or the full ad if shorter, or an interaction). Meta's ThruPlay optimizes for completions or at least 15 seconds, while its older video-view metric counted 3 seconds. TikTok reports views at impression but also 2-second and 6-second focused views. Always pair a CPV with the view definition behind it. ### What is a good CPV? It depends heavily on platform, view definition, format, audience, and geography, so treat any benchmark as indicative. As rough 2024 ranges: YouTube TrueView in-stream often runs ~$0.10–$0.30 per view; Meta cost per ThruPlay commonly lands ~$0.02–$0.15; TikTok 6-second views frequently fall ~$0.02–$0.10. Because the underlying view definitions differ, compare your CPV against your own historical results on the same platform. ### How is CPV different from CPM and cost per ThruPlay? CPM is cost per 1,000 impressions (paying for exposure). CPV is cost per single view (paying for engaged views). Cost per ThruPlay is a stricter, Meta-specific CPV variant that only counts longer/completed plays, so it is always higher than a loose video-view CPV. Reading them together tells you where in the funnel your spend is going. ## Related Tools - [Video Drop-off & Retention Calculator](/resources/tools/calculators/video-dropoff-calculator.md) - Analyze where viewers stop watching - [CPM Calculator](/resources/tools/calculators/cpm-calculator.md) - Calculate cost per 1,000 impressions - [ROAS Calculator](/resources/tools/calculators/roas-calculator.md) - Calculate return on ad spend ## Additional Resources - [Marketing Glossary](/resources/glossary) - Comprehensive definitions of marketing terms - [Marketing Guides](/resources/guides) - Step-by-step optimization guides ## Get Started Ready to calculate your CPV? Use our free calculator to measure view efficiency across YouTube, Meta, and TikTok.