TikTok Ads VS LinkedIn Ads

TikTok Ads is bought on CPM only, averaging $9.45. LinkedIn Ads averages $6.83 CPC and $37.80 CPM. Analysis for Ireland in 2026.

Decision helper

Which should I actually pick?

Answer three quick questions and we'll score TikTok Ads vs LinkedIn Ads against your budget, goal, and industry.

Scores blend budget fit (25%), industry benchmark rank (25%), and goal alignment (50%). See the underlying data ↓

Advertising in Ireland

Ireland is a small but disproportionately strategic European ad market — CPMs run roughly 5% above US baselines, but the country's outsized role as the European HQ for Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, and most major tech platforms makes it relevant beyond its population (~5.2M). Most platforms' EU-wide commercial decisions are made in Dublin, and EU GDPR enforcement against US tech companies routes through the Irish DPC (Data Protection Commission), which has been historically criticized as slow but is now more active. Domestic ad spend is dominated by retail, financial services, telecom, and a notably high concentration of B2B SaaS due to Dublin's tech employer base. English-language creative is standard; Irish (Gaeilge) creative is rarely used outside specific cultural campaigns.

Currency
EUR
Top Ad Platforms
Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads
CPM vs US Baseline
+5% premium
Regulatory Notes
EU GDPR enforced by the Irish DPC, which has lead supervisory authority over most US-headquartered platforms; ePrivacy Regulations govern cookies and direct marketing.

Quick Comparison

TikTok Ads

Short-form video advertising on TikTok

CPC
CPM only
CPM
$9.45
Lower Cost
Best For:
Gen Z Viral content Creative brands
Pricing: medium

LinkedIn Ads

B2B professional network advertising - premium pricing

CPC
$6.83
CPM
$37.80
Best For:
B2B marketing Professional services Enterprise sales
Pricing: high

TikTok Ads vs LinkedIn Ads, at a glance

The metrics where both platforms publish data. Lower is better for cost metrics.

TikTok Ads is 75% cheaper per thousand impressions

Note: TikTok Ads publishes no CPC benchmark.

When to Use Each Platform

Choose TikTok Ads If:

  • You're targeting gen z
  • You're targeting viral content
  • You're targeting creative brands
  • You want lower cost per thousand impressions ($9.45 vs $37.80)

Choose LinkedIn Ads If:

  • You're targeting b2b marketing
  • You're targeting professional services
  • You're targeting enterprise sales

Under the hood

The auction, the creative, the budget floor — the three things you actually need to know before picking a platform.

TikTok Ads
How it bills

TikTok Ads runs on CPM ($8–12 typical, higher for premium placements like TopView). CPC is available but the platform's optimization heavily favors CPM-bid campaigns. Auction density is lower than Meta but growing quickly; creative quality dominates.

Creative at a glance

9:16 vertical video (1080×1920), 9-60s (best performance 15-30s), native-feeling — polished ads underperform UGC-style creative here by 2-3x. Sound-on is standard. Captions optional but boost completion.

Min. spend for signal

$500/day ($15K/month) is the practical floor for the Traffic and Conversion objectives to exit learning phase in a reasonable window. Smaller budgets work for Awareness and Video View goals.

LinkedIn Ads
How it bills

LinkedIn Ads auction is priced at a premium ($6–10 CPC, $30–40 CPM) because targeting is by job title, company, and seniority — data that no other platform has natively. Every click is a self-selected B2B audience, which is why B2B marketers accept the CPMs.

Creative at a glance

Sponsored Content (single image 1200×627 or 1:1, carousel, video 4:5 or 16:9). Message Ads (subject + 500 char body). Text Ads (headline 25 ch + description 75 ch + tiny image). Video 3s–30min but 15–30s wins.

Min. spend for signal

LinkedIn's minimum daily budget is $10/campaign, but to reach signal on Lead Gen Form campaigns you need $75–150/day. Real B2B budgets on LinkedIn run $5K–20K/month.

Calculate Your Costs

CPM Calculator

Calculate your cost per thousand impressions

Use Calculator

CPC Calculator

Calculate your cost per click

Use Calculator

ROAS Calculator

Calculate your return on ad spend

Use Calculator

CTR Calculator

Calculate your click-through rate

Use Calculator

Conversion Rate Calculator

Calculate your visitor-to-conversion rate

Use Calculator

Break-Even ROAS

Find your minimum profitable ROAS

Use Calculator

Related Comparisons

Data last updated: July 1, 2026

Advertising in Ireland: FAQs

The Irish DPC is the lead supervisory authority for Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Apple, and most other major US tech platforms operating in the EU. Its rulings shape what those platforms can offer to advertisers across the entire EU — recent decisions have constrained Meta's behavioral advertising approach, for example. For media buyers, watching DPC activity is effectively watching the leading edge of EU adtech regulation.

Yes — Dublin's tech employer concentration (Google, Meta, LinkedIn itself, Stripe, Salesforce, AWS, plus a large indigenous SaaS base) makes LinkedIn unusually deep for B2B targeting relative to the country's size. CPMs typically run \u20ac35-\u20ac75 for tightly-targeted senior-tech audiences. International B2B brands often run Ireland-specific campaigns to reach EU regional decision-makers based in Dublin.

Slightly lower on average — Irish CPMs run roughly 10-15% below UK equivalents on Meta and Google for broad consumer targeting. The gap narrows for premium B2B LinkedIn inventory, where Dublin's tech concentration drives competitive pricing. EUR/GBP exchange shifts make the apparent gap move quarter to quarter, so denominate budgets and benchmarks carefully when comparing.