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RPM vs eCPM: what is the difference?

Both RPM and eCPM are "per thousand" revenue metrics, and both measure monetisation efficiency. The difference is what they count as the unit — and that difference matters for understanding your Teads performance.

eCPM — earnings per 1,000 ad impressions​

eCPM measures how much you earn for every 1,000 ad impressions delivered. An impression is an individual ad delivery event. A single page view can generate multiple impressions if there are multiple ad slots on the page.

eCPM = (Total Earnings ÷ Total Impressions) × 1,000

RPM — earnings per 1,000 page views​

RPM measures how much you earn for every 1,000 page views — visits to a page, regardless of how many ad impressions those visits generated. RPM is the more useful metric when you want to understand the total revenue value of each visit to your site.

RPM = (Total Earnings ÷ Total Page Views) × 1,000

Example

Your page has 4 ad slots. One page view generates 4 impressions. If each impression has an eCPM of €0.50, that single page view generates 4 × (€0.50 ÷ 1,000) = €0.002. Multiply by 1,000 page views and your RPM is €2.00. The eCPM and RPM are both valid — they are measuring different things.

When to use each​

  • Use eCPM when comparing the pricing efficiency of specific ad products, domains, or time periods — it tells you how well individual impressions are being valued by buyers.
  • Use RPM when evaluating the overall revenue value of your traffic — how much each visitor to your site is worth across all monetisation products combined. This is particularly relevant for Teads, where the revenue model is driven by page-level activity.

See also: Understanding eCPM · Teads performance explained