What's a Good CPM for Threads Ads in 2026?

A good CPM for Threads ads in 2026 runs $8 to $15 per 1,000 impressions, which is roughly 30% to 40% cheaper than the equivalent placement on Instagram Feed, where CPM typically runs $12 to $25 — a gap driven mainly by how new the ad inventory is and how little advertiser competition currently exists on the platform compared to Meta's more mature placements.

Threads vs. Instagram Feed, Side by Side

• Threads CPM range: $8-$15
• Instagram Feed CPM range: $12-$25
• Threads CPC range: $0.50-$1.20
• Instagram Feed CPC range: $0.80-$2.00
• Reported discount on Threads vs. Instagram Feed: 30-40% on CPM

Threads ads run inside Meta's existing ad infrastructure — the same Ads Manager, the same targeting and bidding system used for Facebook and Instagram — which is why direct comparisons to Instagram Feed placements are the most useful reference point rather than comparing Threads to an unrelated platform.

Why Threads Is Still Cheap Relative to the Rest of Meta's Inventory

Meta rolled Threads ads out globally to its full user base of 400 million-plus users on January 21, 2026, and inventory that new typically prices below Meta's established placements simply because fewer advertisers have started bidding on it yet. That's the same dynamic that made early Reels and Stories placements cheaper than Feed when Meta first opened them to ads — pricing tends to rise over time as advertiser demand catches up to available inventory, so the current 30-40% discount is more likely a temporary early-adopter window than a permanent structural advantage.

Creative Format Matters More on Threads Than CPM Does

Text-first creative outperforms polished visual ads on Threads, since the platform's conversational format rewards content that reads like a genuine post rather than an obvious ad. This matters for CPM specifically because Meta's delivery system factors engagement into how cheaply it can deliver impressions — creative that reads as native to Threads' text-heavy format is more likely to sustain the lower end of the $8-$15 range than a repurposed Instagram-style image ad dropped into the same placement.

What This Means for Budget Allocation

Given Threads' current pricing advantage over Instagram Feed, advertisers already running Meta campaigns have a reasonable case for testing Threads placements now, while the CPM gap is wide — the same placement will likely cost meaningfully more once Threads' advertiser base grows and competition for its 400 million-plus users pushes pricing closer to Instagram's range. Because Threads sits inside the same Ads Manager, adding it as a placement to an existing Meta campaign requires no new account setup or separate budget structure.

Bottom Line

Expect $8-$15 CPM on Threads today, a genuine 30-40% discount versus Instagram Feed's $12-$25 range, and treat that gap as a time-limited opportunity tied to how recently Meta opened the inventory rather than a permanent, structural characteristic of the platform that advertisers can count on indefinitely.

Sources: Postory, "Threads Ads in 2026: Availability, Specs, Costs, How to Run Them"; DigitalApplied, "Meta Threads Ads: Guide to Reaching 400M Users."