A Microsoft Ads lead cost $52 and a click $2.08 for the median account across 10 US businesses I run, March to September 2026. Against their own Google Ads, the median business paid 38% less per click and 14% less per lead.
- Clicks: 8 of the 10 businesses paid less per click on Microsoft than on Google.
- Leads: only 5 of the 10 paid less per lead, because Microsoft clicks converted 38% less often for the median business.
- Budget: the median account spent $297 a month on Microsoft.
- Copying Google: the 6 businesses that copied their Google campaigns paid $59 a lead overall, against $57 overall for all 10.
- Canada: none of these accounts bill in Canadian dollars, so there's still no Canadian Microsoft figure.
Published by Bytown: what Microsoft Ads (the platform formerly called Bing Ads) cost 10 US businesses, March to September 2026, and how each one compared with its own Google Ads.
Bytown runs Microsoft Ads and Google Ads for these businesses, and it's my company, so weigh my reading with that in mind. Bytown is not affiliated with Microsoft or Google.
How this was collected
The numbers were pulled from the connected Microsoft Ads and Google Ads accounts through Bytown on October 17, 2026. Client contracts cover anonymised benchmarking, and nothing here names a business, a city or an account.
Every account's rates come from its own summed counts: total spend divided by total clicks for cost per click (CPC), and total spend divided by total leads for cost per lead. The headline figures are medians across accounts, so 1 big spender can't describe everyone.
Here's the rule that matters most:
A figure only counts as a benchmark when at least 4 businesses sit behind it and none of them is more than half of the spend. Thinner rows still appear, as rounded early reads or single readings, because a dental practice deciding on Microsoft would rather see 2 real accounts than nothing. The methodology page has the full rule.
10 businesses run both Microsoft Ads and Google Ads. Against its own Google results, the median business paid 38% less per click (8 of 10 paid less) and 14% less per lead (5 of 10 paid less).
| Business (industry) | Currency | Months on both | CPC vs Google | Cost per lead vs Google |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | USD | 4 | −30% | −35% |
| Automotive | USD | 6 | +40% | +145% |
| B2B fintech | USD | 7 | −60% | −35% |
| B2B SaaS | USD | 5 | −45% | +5% |
| Dental | USD | 7 | +10% | +80% |
| Dental | USD | 4 | −15% | −35% |
| Engineering | USD | 5 | −40% | +245% |
| Engineering | USD | 4 | −45% | −65% |
| Insurance | USD | 4 | −35% | +50% |
| Landscaping | USD | 6 | −55% | −65% |
Campaigns copied from Google through Bytown: the 6 businesses that copied paid $59 per lead on Microsoft overall, against $57 across all 10.
| Industry | USD accts | USD CPC | USD cost per lead | Conversion rate (US + Canada) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 1 1 business | ≈$2.00 | ≈$35 | ≈6.0% |
| Automotive | 1 1 business | ≈$1.00 | ≈$25 | ≈4.0% |
| B2B fintech | 1 1 business | ≈$2.80 | ≈$160 | ≈1.5% |
| B2B SaaS | 1 1 business | ≈$1.70 | ≈$60 | ≈3.0% |
| Dental | 2 early read | $2.70–3.90 | $30–50 | 8.0–10.0% |
| Engineering | 2 early read | $1.30–2.00 | $40–175 | 1.0–3.0% |
| Insurance | 1 1 business | ≈$3.00 | ≈$75 | ≈4.0% |
| Landscaping | 1 1 business | ≈$2.10 | ≈$55 | ≈4.0% |
| All industries | 10 | $2.08 | $52 | 3.84% |
Rows with 4 or more businesses, none above half the spend, show the median. early read rows (2–3 businesses, or 1 business above half the spend) show the lowest-to-highest range, and 1 business rows show 1 reading; both are rounded and never quoted as a benchmark. Cost per lead counts leads, calls and bookings. How the tiers work.
Industry groups that reach benchmark size on their own:
| Industry group | Currency | Accounts | CPC | Cost per lead | Median monthly spend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | USD | 4 | $1.99 | $58 | $221 |
What the numbers say
Cheaper clicks are the rule. 8 of the 10 businesses paid less per click on Microsoft than on Google, and the median business paid 38% less. That matches what every Microsoft guide promises.
Cheaper leads are not. Only 5 of the 10 paid less per lead, and the median business paid 14% less.
The reason?
Conversion rate. For the median business, Microsoft clicks turned into leads 38% less often than Google clicks, which eats most of the cheaper click.
The total disagrees with the median. Weighted by spend instead of by business, Microsoft cost 104% more per lead than Google in these 10 businesses. Most of that comes from 1 automotive business that buys very cheap Google leads, which is why I lead with the median business: it's what a typical owner can expect.
Copying Google saves time, not money. Overall (total spend divided by total leads), the 6 businesses that copied their Google campaigns to Microsoft through Bytown paid $59 a lead, against $57 for all 10. Copying gets you live in minutes; the cost per lead comes from the keywords and the landing page, same as on Google.
How I'd use this
Test Microsoft beside Google, never instead of it. Move 15–20% of your Google budget across for 30 days and judge it on cost per lead and lead quality, not on cost per click.
Cheap clicks are the easy part to win. The question is whether your landing page converts Microsoft's searchers as well as Google's, and only your own test answers that.
Pick your industry in the calculator above for a starting range. If your row says early read or 1 business, treat it as what 1 to 3 real accounts paid, not as what your industry costs.
The full side-by-side, including when to skip Microsoft entirely, is in Microsoft Ads vs Google Ads. Setting it up takes a few minutes with how to connect Microsoft Ads.
Where this sample is thin
10 businesses in 8 industries is a small sample, and every one of them is in the US. No law firm, no med spa and no home-services trade other than landscaping runs Microsoft in this export.
Canada is the bigger gap. None of these Microsoft accounts bill in Canadian dollars, and no published 2025–2026 source has a Canadian Microsoft Advertising benchmark either.
New months get added as they close, with the sample restated each time. The open data for this page is in ad-platform-costs-2026-10.csv under CC BY 4.0.
Run Microsoft next to Google
Bytown connects Microsoft Ads beside Google, Meta, LinkedIn and ChatGPT Ads, copies your winning Google campaigns once on request, and stages every change for your yes. Flat monthly price, no % of your ad spend.
See pricingCopying campaigns between Google and Microsoft is on Max, which covers every platform.
FAQ
How much does a click cost on Microsoft Ads?
$2.08 for the median account across 10 US businesses Bytown runs, March to September 2026. Against their own Google Ads, the median business paid 38% less per click, and 8 of the 10 paid less.
How much does a lead cost on Microsoft Ads?
$52 for the median account in the same 10 businesses. Against their own Google Ads, the median business paid 14% less per lead, but only 5 of the 10 paid less, because Microsoft clicks converted less often.
Is Microsoft Ads cheaper than Google Ads?
Per click, usually: 8 of 10 businesses paid less on Microsoft. Per lead, it's a coin toss: 5 of 10 paid less. Test it with part of your Google budget for 30 days and compare cost per lead before you move more money.
How much should a small business spend on Microsoft Ads?
The median account in this sample spent $297 a month on Microsoft. I move 15–20% of a business's Google budget across for a 30-day test rather than adding new money.
Is there Microsoft Ads cost data for Canada?
Not yet. None of the Microsoft accounts in this export bill in Canadian dollars, and no published 2025–2026 source has a Canadian Microsoft Advertising benchmark.
Where do these numbers come from?
They were pulled from the connected Microsoft Ads and Google Ads accounts through Bytown on October 17, 2026, for 10 US businesses. Each account's rates come from its own summed counts, and a figure only counts as a benchmark with at least 4 businesses behind it and none above half of the spend.
Sources
- Bytown account data: 10 US businesses running Microsoft Ads and Google Ads, March–September 2026, pulled through Bytown on October 17, 2026. Open data: ad-platform-costs-2026-10.csv.
- Method and publication tiers: Bytown Benchmarks methodology.
- Canada: no Canadian Microsoft Advertising cost benchmark in published 2025–2026 sources, checked October 10, 2026.
- Test budget (15–20% of Google for 30 days): my own rule, from the accounts I run.
