ROAS Calculator
ROAS, or return on ad spend, measures how much revenue a campaign generates for every dollar of media invested. It is the most cited number in performance marketing because it ties spend directly to topline results, and it is the fastest read on whether a channel is pulling its weight. This free ROAS calculator returns your ROAS as both a multiple and a percentage in one step, and it requires no email.
Enter your numbers to see results.
Showing ROAS two ways is deliberate. A 3.2x multiple and a 320% return describe the same result, but operators and finance teams often prefer different framings, and the percentage view makes the comparison to cost more intuitive. Both come straight from your spend and the revenue attributed to it.
Use it to compare channels, evaluate a campaign against its target, or pressure-test a platform-reported number against what your blended results actually show.
How it works
ROAS equals revenue from ads divided by ad spend. The result is a multiple, so a value of 3.0 means three dollars of revenue for every dollar spent.
To express it as a percentage, multiply the multiple by 100. A 3.0x ROAS is a 300% return on ad spend, which is the same relationship stated in the language finance teams tend to use.
Worked example
Suppose a campaign spends $1,000 and drives $3,200 in revenue. Divide 3,200 by 1,000 for a ROAS of 3.2x.
Multiply 3.2 by 100 and the same result reads as a 320% return on ad spend. Each dollar of media returned three dollars and twenty cents in revenue.
What is a good ROAS?
ROAS tells you payback, not profit, so a good number depends on margin, lifetime value, and fixed costs rather than the metric in isolation. A 3.0x ROAS can be excellent on a high-margin product and a money-loser on a thin one. DTC brands with 60 to 80% gross margin often target a blended ROAS of 2.5 to 4x. Enterprise B2B with high LTV but long sales cycles can run profitably at 0.5 to 1.5x blended ROAS.
A high ROAS is not automatically a win. Platform-reported ROAS of 8x or 10x often signals that a campaign is restricted to your warmest, lowest-cost audiences and is leaving scale on the table. The brand could likely spend more, accept a lower ROAS, and grow contribution dollars. The right ceiling is set by your break-even ROAS, not by the highest number a channel can post.
Distinguish platform-reported ROAS from blended ROAS. Platform numbers count conversions each channel claims, which overlap and inflate after iOS privacy changes degraded attribution. Blended ROAS, total revenue divided by total ad spend, is harder to game and closer to the truth. Compare your blended figure to QRY's monthly paid media benchmarks to judge whether your return is healthy for your vertical and margin profile.
See QRY's monthly paid media benchmarks to compare your numbers against the portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good ROAS?
A good ROAS depends on margin, LTV, and payback window rather than the metric alone. DTC brands with 60 to 80% gross margin often target 2.5 to 4x blended ROAS. Enterprise B2B with high LTV and long sales cycles can be profitable at 0.5 to 1.5x. A 3x ROAS on a 10%-margin business may still lose money.
How do you calculate ROAS?
ROAS equals revenue from ads divided by ad spend. For example, $3,200 in revenue from $1,000 in spend is a 3.2x ROAS. Multiply by 100 to express it as a percentage, so 3.2x is a 320% return on ad spend.
What is the difference between ROAS, MER, and ROI?
ROAS is revenue divided by the ad spend attributed to it, usually at the campaign or channel level. MER is total revenue divided by total ad spend across all channels, a blended view. Marketing ROI is profit-based, measuring net return after all costs rather than gross revenue, so it is the more conservative number.
Can a high ROAS be a bad sign?
Yes. A very high ROAS often means a campaign is limited to your cheapest, warmest audiences and is under-spending. The brand could likely scale, accept a lower ROAS, and grow total contribution dollars. The goal is profitable scale, not the highest possible multiple.
What is the difference between platform-reported and blended ROAS?
Platform-reported ROAS uses the conversions each channel claims, which overlap and tend to overstate results after privacy changes weakened attribution. Blended ROAS is total revenue divided by total ad spend across all channels. Blended ROAS is harder to inflate and closer to true business performance.
Related calculators
Is your ROAS healthy for your margin?
Compare your blended return against QRY's managed portfolio with our monthly paid media benchmarks, sliced by channel and vertical.
See the benchmarks