Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Cost per thousand reach (CPM)
$25.00
Cost per engagement (CPE)
$0.50
Engagement rate
5.00%
Estimated cost per click
$5.00
Psst — share this and help Rex grow
One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter flat fee for the deal ($).
- 2Enter estimated reach / impressions.
- 3Enter total engagements (likes+comments+saves+shares).
- 4Enter estimated link clicks (optional).
- 5Read your cost per thousand reach (cpm) on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Influencer rate cards vary wildly and comparing a $2,000 post to a $500 story is meaningless without normalizing for actual reach and engagement. This calculator takes a deal's flat fee, estimated reach (or impressions), and engagement count (likes, comments, saves, shares combined) and returns cost per thousand impressions (CPM), cost per engagement (CPE), and engagement rate, so you can rank creators and formats on comparable terms rather than sticker price. It also computes an estimated cost per click if you supply a link-click estimate, useful when the deal includes a swipe-up or bio link. Benchmarks differ sharply by platform and tier: nano and micro-influencers (under 50K followers) commonly deliver CPMs of $10-25 with engagement rates of 3-8%, while mega-influencers and celebrities often run CPMs of $30-80 with engagement rates under 1-2%, because raw reach doesn't scale with attention. A cheaper CPM with a much lower engagement rate isn't automatically a worse deal if your goal is broad awareness, but for a direct-response campaign chasing clicks or conversions, CPE and engagement rate matter more than the CPM headline. Always ask for verified past post analytics rather than follower count alone before committing budget, since follower counts include inactive and bot accounts that inflate reach estimates.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Flat fee for the deal: 1500 $
- Estimated reach / impressions: 60000
- Total engagements (likes+comments+saves+shares): 3000
- Estimated link clicks (optional): 300
Results
- Cost per thousand reach (CPM): $25.00
- Cost per engagement (CPE): $0.50
- Engagement rate: 5.00%
- Estimated cost per click: $5.00
What each field means
Inputs
- Flat fee for the deal ($)
- The flat fee for the deal used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1500 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Estimated reach / impressions
- The estimated reach / impressions used in the calculation. Starts at 60000 so you have a working example on load.
- Total engagements (likes+comments+saves+shares)
- The total engagements (likes+comments+saves+shares) used in the calculation. Starts at 3000 so you have a working example on load.
- Estimated link clicks (optional)
- The estimated link clicks (optional) used in the calculation. Starts at 300 so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Cost per thousand reach (CPM)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost per engagement (CPE)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Engagement rate
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Estimated cost per click
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What's a good influencer CPM benchmark?
Nano and micro-influencers (1K-50K followers) typically run $10-25 CPM with strong engagement rates of 3-8%. Mid-tier (50K-500K) runs $15-35 CPM with engagement dropping to 2-4%. Mega-influencers and celebrities often exceed $40-80 CPM with sub-1-2% engagement, since audience attention doesn't scale linearly with follower count.
Should I prioritize CPM or CPE when choosing creators?
For brand awareness campaigns, CPM matters more since you're paying for reach. For anything closer to direct response — driving clicks, sign-ups, or sales — CPE and engagement rate are better predictors, since an engaged small audience often converts better than a large passive one.
Why do follower counts overstate real reach?
Follower counts include inactive accounts, bots, and people who followed years ago and never see the content in their feed due to algorithmic ranking. Actual story or post reach is often 10-30% of follower count for most creators, which is why the reach or impressions figure matters more than raw followers for CPM math.
How do I get a real engagement number instead of guessing?
Ask the creator for screenshotted analytics from a comparable recent post, including reach and engagement breakdown, not just follower count. Reputable creators and their agencies provide this routinely; reluctance to share it is a red flag.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Influencer CPM & CPE Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/influencer-cpm-cpe-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/influencer-cpm-cpe-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Influencer CPM & CPE Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Influencer CPM & CPE Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/influencer-cpm-cpe-calculator) (2026).