How to use the cost per view (CPV) calculator
CPV is what one video ad view costs you. The formula is ad spend ÷ total views, where views is whatever your ad platform counts as a view. The tool also shows cost per 1,000 views so the figure lines up in scale with impression-based metrics.
The catch is that the definition of a view differs by platform. Some count a view after a few seconds of playback, others require a longer watch time or a full completion, and some treat a click or interaction as a view. That makes raw CPV comparisons across platforms unreliable. Check how each ad platform defines a view and only compare like with like. This calculator does not interpret the definition; it uses the view count you enter as-is.
The pricing unit differs from the CPC calculator: CPC buys a click, CPV buys a view. CPV is usually far lower, but the intent behind a view is correspondingly weaker. Enter an additional budget and the tool divides it by the CPV shown on screen to estimate the extra views it could buy.
Frequently asked questions
Not on its own. A loose view definition makes CPV cheap, so pair it with completion rate and downstream conversions before judging efficiency.
Dividing by impressions gives you a CPM-family metric. CPV uses only people who actually watched, so the denominator is smaller and the figure comes out much higher for the same spend.