TikTok Ads Benchmarks by Industry (2026)
TikTok buys attention cheaply and converts it slowly. The pattern below is consistent across verticals: higher click-through, lower cost per impression, and a conversion rate that sits under Meta unless the landing experience is built for the platform.
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TikTok Ads in 2026 average 0.8–1.4% CTR at $5.40–$8.40 CPM, with click-to-purchase conversion of roughly 0.7–1.7% — cheaper attention than Meta, but a lower conversion rate outside impulse-priced categories.
| Industry | Avg CTR | Median CPM | Conv. rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel & Fashion | 1.05% | $6.20 | 1.30% |
| Beauty & Skincare | 1.24% | $6.80 | 1.65% |
| Home & Furniture | 0.78% | $7.90 | 0.72% |
| Electronics & Gadgets | 0.92% | $7.10 | 0.88% |
| Food & Beverage | 1.38% | $5.40 | 1.55% |
| Health & Supplements | 0.96% | $8.40 | 1.42% |
| Pet Care | 1.18% | $6.00 | 1.35% |
| Sports & Outdoors | 0.88% | $6.60 | 0.95% |
| Jewelry & Accessories | 0.82% | $7.40 | 0.68% |
In-feed prospecting, 9:16 video. Conversion rate is click-to-purchase on the advertiser's own site.
Avg CTR by vertical
What the numbers mean
- 01TikTok CPMs run roughly 20–35% below Meta in the same category, so the cost per click is usually cheaper even where CTR is similar.
- 02Conversion rate is the constraint. Categories that convert well on TikTok are impulse-priced and visually demonstrable; furniture and jewellery struggle badly.
- 03Native-feeling creative outperforms repurposed Meta assets by a wide margin — the same product with a spoken hook and on-screen captions routinely doubles CTR.
- 04Attribution understates TikTok. Compare against a blended media-efficiency ratio, not the in-platform number alone.
Methodology
Aggregated from TikTok for Business published ranges, Varos and Databox practitioner data, and Xeli beta accounts. Prospecting only, in-feed video placements, excluding Spark Ads whitelisting from partner handles.
Why TikTok's numbers do not map onto Meta's
The two platforms buy different states of mind. Meta users are browsing with commercial intent close to the surface; TikTok users are being entertained and a purchase is an interruption. That difference shows up as cheaper impressions and healthy click-through combined with a weaker click-to-purchase rate. The right conclusion is not that TikTok converts badly, it is that TikTok needs a shorter distance between the hook and the checkout: a single-product landing page, the same creator and the same claim repeated above the fold, and a price the viewer can commit to without research.
Creative format decides the outcome more than targeting
TikTok's algorithm is unusually good at finding the audience once the creative earns watch time, which shifts the workload onto production. The consistent winners are 9:16, filmed vertically rather than cropped, with a spoken hook in the first two seconds, burned-in captions, a visible face, and a demonstration rather than a claim. Reformatted 4:5 Meta assets with letterboxing are the single most common cause of an underperforming TikTok account. Spark Ads running through a creator handle typically add a further lift in both CTR and conversion because the ad inherits social proof.
Measurement: expect in-platform under-reporting
TikTok's click-attributed conversions systematically undercount because a large share of its influence is view-through and cross-device. Practitioners commonly see in-platform ROAS reading 30–50% below what a holdout or media-efficiency-ratio view suggests. Set the evaluation method before you set the budget: run a geo or spend holdout for two to four weeks, or judge the channel on blended contribution while it scales. Killing TikTok on in-platform ROAS alone is the most frequent avoidable mistake in this channel.
Scaling pattern that works
Volume of concepts beats depth of optimisation here. Ship six to ten genuinely different creative concepts per month, keep the winners running until watch-through decays rather than until frequency does, and let a broad audience with the standard optimisation event do the targeting. Refresh cadence is faster than on Meta — most accounts see fatigue within two to four weeks on a winning concept, versus six or more on Meta.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good CTR on TikTok Ads?
0.8–1.4% is normal for in-feed prospecting in ecommerce, with food, beauty and pet care at the top of the range and considered purchases such as furniture and jewellery near 0.8%.
Is TikTok cheaper than Meta?
Per impression, usually yes — CPMs run roughly 20–35% lower in comparable categories. Per acquisition it depends on your category, because TikTok's click-to-purchase conversion rate is typically lower.
Why is my TikTok ROAS lower than Meta's?
Partly conversion rate, partly attribution. TikTok's click-attributed reporting undercounts view-through and cross-device purchases; most accounts see a 30–50% gap versus holdout-measured contribution.
Can I reuse my Meta creative on TikTok?
You can, and it will usually underperform. Native vertical footage with a spoken hook and captions consistently beats a resized 4:5 static or a letterboxed video by a wide margin.
Sources
- 01TikTok Ads performance benchmarks — TikTok for BusinessPlatform-published format and performance guidance.
- 02Paid social benchmarks — VarosAnonymised advertiser-reported CPM and ROAS distributions.
- 03TikTok Ads benchmark data — DataboxPractitioner-reported CTR and CPC medians.
- 04Creative best practices — TikTok Creative CenterFormat, length and hook guidance used for the creative section.