CUSTOMER ACQUISITION COST

Customer Acquisition Cost Calculator

Calculate blended CAC from marketing spend, sales spend, and new customers, then compare it with gross profit per new customer.

What CAC measures

Customer acquisition cost averages the marketing and sales spend used to win new customers in the same period. It is closer to a full acquisition cost than CPC alone.

Total acquisition spend = marketing spend + sales spend
CAC = total acquisition spend ÷ new customers
Gross profit after CAC = gross profit per new customer − CAC
Customers needed to cover spend = ceil(total spend ÷ gross profit per new customer)

Example

$6,000 of marketing and $2,000 of sales for 40 new customers is an $8,000 total and a $200 CAC. At $500 of gross profit per new customer, $300 remains after CAC, and 16 equally profitable new customers cover the $8,000 spend.

Read CAC with lifetime value

A first-purchase margin can sit below CAC when customers buy again. This page uses the gross profit you enter for one new customer and does not forecast repeat purchases, retention, or discounting.

Frequently asked questions

What belongs in CAC?

Advertising, content, tools, sales compensation, and other spend used to win customers in the same window. Keep the definition consistent across periods.

Is a new customer the same as an order?

No. One customer can place several orders. The denominator is first-time customers in the period.

Does CAC below first-purchase profit mean the business is profitable?

Not by itself. Overhead, refunds, tax, and service cost still sit outside this average.

Why not use one blended CAC for every channel?

A blended number can hide expensive channels. Run the same formula on each channel’s spend and new customers.

More calculators

CPC, CTR, and CPM Calculator →Customer Lifetime Value Calculator →ROAS Calculator →

Calculations run in your browser. Values are not uploaded or stored.