How to use the CAC by channel calculator
CAC is spend ÷ customers acquired. Calculating it per channel and lining the channels up in one table makes the efficient ones obvious. Enter up to four channels with a name, spend and customers acquired, and you get each channel's CAC plus an all-channels total, with the lowest and highest CAC channels called out.
A comparison only holds if every channel uses the same rule. If one channel counts media only while another includes agency fees and production, the ranking can flip. Keep the definition of an acquired customer consistent too: signup or first purchase, but not a mix.
The cheapest channel is not automatically the right answer. Some channels have little headroom and get more expensive as budget grows, and some bring customers with low LTV. A sensible CAC target depends on your industry and LTV, so this tool uses no outside average and compares only the channels you enter.
Frequently asked questions
Usually not. Channels differ in how far they scale, and CAC often rises as you spend more. Customer LTV also differs by source, so compare CAC together with LTV rather than on its own.
Media-only CAC and fully loaded CAC including agency fees, creative and staff time are very different numbers. For a fair comparison, apply the same rule to every channel.