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Written by MetricKit EditorialReviewed by MetricKit Editorial ReviewUpdated 2026-05-09

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CAC Calculator

Name: CAC Calculator
Author: MetricKit Editorial

Calculate Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) from total acquisition spend and new customers.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is the average cost to acquire one new paying customer. It is a core SaaS unit-economics metric used to evaluate channel efficiency and plan budgets.

The key is consistency: define what costs you include and what counts as a "new customer", then use the same definition across time and segments.

Prefer an explanation- Read the guide.

Need definitions- Browse the glossary.

CAC guide: formula, payback, fully-loaded CAC, and LTV:CAC Blended CAC vs paid CAC: when each is the right metric CAC Payback Period (Months to Recover CAC): definition, formula, benchmarks Fully-loaded CAC: formula, what to include, and how to use it

Sales + marketing spend

New customers acquired

ARPA per month (optional)

Gross margin (optional)

Target payback (months, optional)

Set 0 to disable target CAC guidance.

Tip: you can type commas (e.g., 10,000).

Example

Using the default inputs, the result is:

$500.00

Sales + marketing spend: $20,000
New customers acquired: 40
ARPA per month (optional): $200
Gross margin (optional): 80%
Target payback (months, optional): 12

How to calculate

Pick a time window (month/quarter) and a segment (channel, plan, geo).
Sum acquisition costs for that same window using a consistent definition (paid-only or fully-loaded).
Count net new paying customers acquired in the window (not leads).
Divide acquisition spend by new customers to get CAC.

Formula

CAC = Sales & Marketing Spend / New Customers

Spend and new customers are measured over the same time window.
New customers means net new paying customers (not leads or trials).
Use a consistent cost definition (paid-only vs fully-loaded).
Exclude retention costs unless you explicitly allocate them.

FAQ

Should I include salaries in CAC-

Many teams include the portion of sales/marketing salaries and tools attributable to acquisition; keep your definition consistent over time.

What's the difference between paid CAC and blended CAC-

Paid CAC uses only paid acquisition spend (ads). Blended CAC includes all acquisition costs (paid + sales + marketing + tools) divided by new customers.

Is CAC a good metric on its own-

Not by itself. Pair CAC with payback period and retention/LTV. A low CAC can still be bad if churn is high, and a high CAC can be fine if payback is fast and retention is strong.

What if my sales cycle is long-

Match costs and customers using a consistent rule (e.g., cohort-based CAC, or lag spend by your average sales cycle) so CAC isn't artificially high or low in a given month.