Industry vs industry
Updated 2026-10-21
E-commerce vs Finance Advertising Benchmarks
E-commerce vs Finance — CPC: $4.14 vs $3.39 • CPM: $9.00 vs $18.50 • CPA: $49.40 vs $74.44. 2026 advertising benchmarks.
E-commerce
CPA$49.40
CPC$4.14
CPM$9.00
vs
Finance
CPA$74.44
CPC$3.39
CPM$18.50
Amber underline marks the lower cost on each metric. Ties get neither. Industry swatches are uncolored — these are categories, not brands.
Quick comparison
Quick Comparison
Delta reads left to right: how E-commerce compares to Finance.
| Metric | E-commerce | Finance | Δ E-commerce vs Finance | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost Per Acquisition | $49.40 | $74.44 | -34% | Cost to acquire one conversion in this industry. |
| Cost Per Thousand Impressions | $9.00 | $18.50 | -51% | Cost to buy 1,000 impressions. |
| Cost Per Click | $4.14 | $3.39 | +22% | Cost per click across the industry mix. |
| Conversion Rate | 4.01% | 2.64% | +52% | Board conversion rate for the industry. |
| Competitiveness | High | High | — | How crowded the auction is relative to other verticals. |
Top platforms
Top Advertising Platforms
E-commerce
Meta Ads
Google Ads PPC
Google Display Network
Finance
Google Ads PPC
LinkedIn Ads
Programmatic Display
Under the hood
How each industry buys
E-commerce
- Profile
- Online retail and shopping - typically lower CPA due to shorter sales cycles
- Competitiveness
- High
- Conversion rate
- 4.01%
Finance
- Profile
- Banking, loans, insurance - highly regulated and competitive
- Competitiveness
- High
- Conversion rate
- 2.64%
Verdict
When to Use Each Platform
Lean E-commerce when…
- Your product looks like e-commerce
- You need the lower CPA ($49.40 vs $74.44)
- You can use the higher conversion rate (4.01%)
Lean Finance when…
- Your product looks like finance
FAQ
Related Comparisons
Which industry is cheaper to advertise in?
E-commerce CPA is $49.40 versus Finance at $74.44. Cheaper CPA is not always the better buy — conversion rate and deal size still decide.
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