{
    "name": "Customer Acquisition Cost Calculator",
    "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/customer-acquisition-cost-calculator",
    "markdown": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/customer-acquisition-cost-calculator.md",
    "category": "Marketing analytics",
    "description": "Work out CAC: total marketing and sales cost divided by the new customers won in the same period, plus a marketing-only CAC.",
    "summary": "Customer acquisition cost is everything you spent to win customers in a period, divided by the number of new customers you won in that same period.",
    "also_called": [
        "CAC calculator"
    ],
    "applies_to": "Worldwide",
    "last_updated": "2026-10-29",
    "computation": "Results are computed in the visitor’s browser on the HTML page. This API describes the calculator; it does not compute results.",
    "inputs": [
        {
            "name": "marketing_spend",
            "label": "Marketing spend",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "30000"
        },
        {
            "name": "sales_spend",
            "label": "Sales cost",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "20000",
            "optional": true
        },
        {
            "name": "other_costs",
            "label": "Other acquisition costs",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "",
            "optional": true
        },
        {
            "name": "new_customers",
            "label": "New customers acquired",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "250"
        },
        {
            "name": "currency",
            "label": "Currency",
            "type": "currency",
            "default": "USD"
        }
    ],
    "outputs": [
        {
            "key": "cac",
            "label": "Customer acquisition cost",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "total_cost",
            "label": "Total acquisition cost",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "marketing_cac",
            "label": "Marketing-only CAC",
            "format": "currency"
        }
    ],
    "formula": {
        "text": "CAC = (Marketing + Sales + Other acquisition costs) ÷ New customers;  Marketing-only CAC = Marketing ÷ New customers",
        "variables": {
            "Marketing, Sales, Other": "costs incurred in the period to win new customers",
            "New customers": "first-time paying customers acquired in the same period (the denominator)"
        }
    },
    "worked_example": {
        "inputs": {
            "marketing_spend": "30000",
            "sales_spend": "20000",
            "other_costs": "",
            "new_customers": "250",
            "currency": "USD"
        },
        "steps": [
            "Total cost = 30,000 + 20,000 = $50,000.",
            "CAC = 50,000 ÷ 250 = $200.",
            "Marketing-only CAC = 30,000 ÷ 250 = $120."
        ],
        "result": "Winning 250 customers for $50,000 of marketing and sales cost is a CAC of $200 each."
    },
    "interpretation": "Compare CAC with the gross profit a customer brings over their lifetime (see the LTV:CAC calculator). Always state whether your CAC includes sales costs: a marketing-only figure can look far cheaper than the fully loaded one.",
    "assumptions": [
        "Costs and new customers are measured over the same period.",
        "Existing customers who buy again are not counted as new customers."
    ],
    "limitations": [
        "Long sales cycles mean some customers won this period were paid for in earlier periods; use a lagged period if that matters."
    ],
    "rules": null,
    "faqs": [
        {
            "question": "What is the difference between CAC and CPA?",
            "answer": "CAC divides by new paying customers. CPA divides by any chosen conversion, such as a sign-up or a lead, so CPA is usually lower."
        },
        {
            "question": "What is blended CAC?",
            "answer": "CAC calculated over all new customers, including those from free channels such as organic search and referrals. Paid CAC divides paid spend by customers from paid channels only."
        }
    ],
    "sources": [],
    "related": [
        {
            "name": "LTV to CAC Ratio Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/ltv-cac-ratio-calculator"
        },
        {
            "name": "Customer Lifetime Value Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/customer-lifetime-value-calculator"
        },
        {
            "name": "Cost Per Acquisition Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/cost-per-acquisition-calculator"
        },
        {
            "name": "ROAS Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/roas-calculator"
        }
    ],
    "disclaimer": null,
    "publisher": "GM¹X CalcVerse"
}