What ads actually cost, by channel
Pick your industry and compare the real cost per click and cost per lead across Google, Meta, and ChatGPT Ads. We show you where ChatGPT is genuinely cheaper, and where its edge is intent, not price.
Every industry, side by side
Google and Meta figures are published benchmarks. ChatGPT cost per click is 2026 pilot pricing, flat at about $4 a click across categories.
| Industry | Google CPC | Google cost/lead | Meta CPC | Meta cost/lead | ChatGPT CPC (pilot est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal & attorneys | $9.87 | $131.63 | $4.10 | $18.17 | $4.00 |
| Accounting, finance & insuranceWordStream "Finance & Insurance", used as a proxy for accounting, CPA, and advisory. | $3.39 | $74.44 | n/a | n/a | $4.00 |
| Dental | $8.00 | $72.97 | $9.78 | $76.71 | $4.00 |
| Medical & healthcare | $4.76 | $40.04 | $2.23 | $47.47 | $4.00 |
| Home & home improvement | $8.33 | $90.92 | $2.23 | $41.26 | $4.00 |
| HVAC, plumbing & local servicesWordStream "Personal Services", used as a proxy for HVAC and plumbing trades. | $7.17 | $54.60 | $2.08 | $30.57 | $4.00 |
| Real estate | $3.22 | $102.51 | $1.57 | $16.61 | $4.00 |
| B2B & business servicesMeta uses "Industrial & Commercial", the closest leads-objective B2B category. | $5.87 | $93.69 | $1.80 | $37.34 | $4.00 |
| Marketing & advertising agenciesWordStream "Business Services", used as a proxy for agencies. | $5.87 | $93.69 | $1.80 | $37.34 | $4.00 |
| Auto repair & service | $4.35 | $29.96 | n/a | n/a | $4.00 |
| Education & instruction | $4.81 | $77.48 | $1.65 | $28.22 | $4.00 |
| Beauty & personal care | $4.62 | $39.25 | $3.06 | $51.42 | $4.00 |
| Restaurants & food | $2.05 | $30.57 | $0.74 | $3.16 | $4.00 |
| Other / all industries (avg)WordStream all-industry averages. Use if your category is not listed. | $5.42 | $66.69 | $1.92 | $27.66 | $4.00 |
Why is ChatGPT cheaper than Google?
Google's click prices are bid up by years of competition, above $6 a click in most professional categories. ChatGPT is a new, lightly-contested auction, so a click costs about $4. The saving is real in expensive categories like legal and home services, and small or gone where Google is already cheap.
Why is ChatGPT dearer than Meta?
Meta clicks are cheap because they interrupt someone scrolling a feed, not searching. That traffic is low intent, so a cheap Meta lead often does not become a client. A ChatGPT click comes from a buyer actively asking who to hire, so it costs more but is closer to a decision.
Google & Meta: WordStream by LocaliQ, 2026 Google and 2025 Meta benchmarks (US). "n/a" means the platform does not publish that category.
ChatGPT Ads: OpenAI ads pilot, reported $3 to $5 per click. Pilot pricing moves fast.
Turn the benchmark into a plan
Book a call and we will scope a ChatGPT Ads test to your market and margins, then run it to cost per result.