ROAS & Ad Break-Even Calculator
Find out whether your ads make money and how far you can push them. Enter your order economics and ad numbers to get ROAS, the break-even ROAS you must beat, and your maximum profitable cost per acquisition and per click.
ROAS vs break-even
How you compare
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ROAS alone can't tell you if ads pay — you need your margin. Break-even ROAS equals order value divided by contribution (revenue minus product and other costs). Beat it and ads are profitable. Max cost per acquisition is your contribution per order — the most you can pay for a sale. Divide by your conversion rate to get max cost per click, the bid ceiling for your campaigns.
How it’s calculated
Contribution = order value − product cost − other costs. ROAS = revenue ÷ ad spend; break-even ROAS = order value ÷ contribution; max cost per acquisition = contribution; max cost per click = max CPA × conversion rate.
Results update as you type and are estimates, not professional advice — verify important decisions with a qualified professional.
Worked example
At a $60 order value, $28 cost, and $2,000 revenue on $500 spend, ROAS is 4.0x versus a 1.88x break-even — profitable.
Common mistakes
- Judging ROAS without knowing your break-even ROAS.
- Ignoring product cost, so 'profitable' ads actually lose money.
Where it is used
- Deciding whether to scale or pause an ad campaign.
- Setting a max cost-per-click bid ceiling.
Frequently asked questions
What's break-even ROAS?
Order value divided by your contribution margin per order. If your real ROAS is above it, ads make money.
How is max CPC derived?
Max cost per acquisition times your conversion rate. If 1 in 50 clicks buys and you can pay $30 per sale, your max CPC is about $0.60.
Why use contribution instead of a margin %?
Entering order value and costs directly is more concrete and avoids guessing a blended margin number.
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