Meta Ads Benchmarks for Supplement Brands 2026: CPA, ROAS and AOV (9 DTC Brands)
Median Meta CPA for supplement brands is $80.50 and median first-purchase ROAS is 0.90, on a median order value of $68.68, across 9 DTC supplement brands in the 12 months to 28 October 2026. Over the last 90 days CPA was $84.93 and ROAS 0.84. The middle half of brands paid $67.71 to $91.41 per purchase. Supplements pay the most per purchase of the four verticals shown and earn the lowest first-order ROAS. CTR, CPM, CPC and conversion rate are not reported: fewer than 8 brands had them. Source: MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition, read from MHI Media's warehouse of client Meta ad accounts on 29 October 2026, data settled to 28 October 2026.
Every figure here is a median across the Meta ad accounts of 9 DTC supplement brands, read from MHI Media's warehouse of client ad accounts on 29 October 2026 with data settled to 28 October 2026. Facebook and Instagram only. A brand is one client with all its Meta ad accounts added together, included in a window if it spent at least £3,000 (about $4,000) there with at least 30 purchases; 9 brands clear that bar over the 12 months from 29 October 2025 to 28 October 2026 and over the 90 days from 31 July to 28 October 2026. Cells show the median brand with the interquartile range (IQR, 25th to 75th percentile) in brackets, in USD at £1 = $1.3289 (multiply by 0.7525 for GBP). The vertical mapping and metric definitions follow the methodology on the benchmarks hub.
CPA, ROAS, spend and purchases run to 28 October 2026. CTR, CPM, CPC and conversion rate exist for 8 January to 7 September 2026 only, frequency to 3 August 2026 only and placement for 8 June to 13 July 2026 only, and every published cell needs 8 brands. Fewer than 8 supplement brands had any of those, so this page carries no click, impression, frequency, placement or funnel figures. ROAS is Meta-attributed first-purchase revenue divided by spend. The dataset does not see subscription renewals, repeat orders, blended or lifetime revenue, profit or other channels. The hub's supplements row runs to 21 October 2026; these figures run a week later and differ slightly.
To see where you sit, enter your vertical, CPA and ROAS in the Meta ads benchmark checker. To find your own floor, use the break-even ROAS calculator.
Supplements CPA, ROAS and AOV, 90 days and 12 months to 28 October 2026
Over the 12 months to 28 October 2026 the median supplement brand paid $80.50 per Meta purchase at a Meta-attributed first-purchase ROAS of 0.90, and $84.93 at 0.84 over the 90 days to the same date, on a median AOV of $68.68 and $70.75 (9 brands in both windows).
| Metric | 90 days: median (IQR) | 90 days: GBP | 90 days: spend-weighted | 12 months: median (IQR) | 12 months: GBP | 12 months: spend-weighted | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPA | $84.93 ($76.72 to $92.48) | £63.92 | $78.70 | $80.50 ($67.71 to $91.41) | £60.58 | withheld | 9 |
| ROAS (Meta-attributed first-purchase) | 0.84 (0.66 to 0.92) | 0.87 | 0.90 (0.69 to 0.92) | withheld | 9 | ||
| AOV (purchase value / purchases) | $70.75 ($60.20 to $84.89) | £53.24 | $68.59 | $68.68 ($56.09 to $84.36) | £51.69 | withheld | 9 |
| CTR (link), CPM, CPC (link), conversion rate | not reported (fewer than 8 brands) | not reported (fewer than 8 brands) | |||||
| Frequency (daily, campaign level) | n/a | not reported (fewer than 8 brands) |
Source: MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition (benchmark cuts, 29 October 2026).
I read the three rows together. A median first order of $68.68 bought with $80.50 of ads loses money before product cost, and the middle half of brands sits between 0.69 and 0.92 ROAS, so a first-order ROAS under 1 is normal for this vertical. What the warehouse cannot see is the second order, and for a subscription product the second order decides whether the first was worth buying. Against the other verticals on the benchmarks hub, supplements has the dearest purchase and the lowest ROAS, on an AOV in the $60 to $80 band of the AOV benchmarks page.
Monthly supplements CPA and ROAS, May to October 2026
The median supplement brand's Meta CPA rose from $76.11 in May 2026 to $92.34 in October 2026 (1 to 28 October) while median first-purchase ROAS fell from 0.81 to 0.74, across 8 to 10 qualifying brands a month.
| Month | Brands | CPA: median (IQR) | ROAS: median |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 8 | $76.11 ($64.78 to $105.09) | 0.81 |
| Jun 2026 | 8 | $81.72 ($70.10 to $93.59) | 0.82 |
| Jul 2026 | 8 | $74.59 ($68.69 to $130.92) | 0.85 |
| Aug 2026 | 8 | $79.05 ($76.55 to $103.54) | 0.90 |
| Sep 2026 | 9 | $89.56 ($80.78 to $93.15) | 0.76 |
| Oct 2026 (1 to 28) | 10 | $92.34 ($79.40 to $129.16) | 0.74 |
Source: MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition (benchmark cuts, 29 October 2026).
Membership changes month to month, so this is a trend across the supplement brands active each month and says nothing about any one brand. The direction matches the all-brand line on the hub: purchase cost up and first-order ROAS down into Q4, with ROAS peaking at 0.90 in August before the September drop. If your October CPA is above $92 you are past the median of the dearest month of the six. I would not treat October as final: it covers 28 days and late conversions will still land.
Prospecting vs retargeting for supplement brands
Over the 12 months to 28 October 2026, prospecting ad sets took 84% of supplement spend at a median CPA of $81.22 and first-purchase ROAS of 0.82 (9 brands), retargeting took 5% at $82.71 and 1.00 (8 brands), and the median brand put 4.0% of its classified spend into retargeting (IQR 2.1% to 8.4%, 8 brands).
| Audience | Share of supplement spend | n | CPA: median (IQR) | ROAS: median (IQR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prospecting | 84% | 9 | $81.22 ($70.43 to $128.09) | 0.82 (0.71 to 0.88) |
| Retargeting | 5% | 8 | $82.71 ($60.52 to $98.78) | 1.00 (0.69 to 1.15) |
| Retargeting share of each brand's classified spend | median 4.0% (IQR 2.1% to 8.4%) | 8 |
Source: MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition (benchmark cuts, 29 October 2026).
Retargeting here costs the same per purchase as prospecting, returns a touch more per dollar, and is a sliver of spend. In a vertical where the first order rarely pays, I would not expect warm audiences to rescue an account, and the 1.00 median says they do not. The 4.0% median share is above the all-brand median of 1.8% (67 brands, 12 months), so supplement brands already lean on retargeting more than most. The remaining spend, about a tenth, sits in ad sets created after the archive ended on 7 September 2026 and could not be classified. Audience set-up for this vertical is in Meta ads for supplement brands.
Video vs image ads for supplement brands
Over the 12 months to 28 October 2026, video ads took 33% of supplement spend at a median CPA of $74.10 and first-purchase ROAS of 0.83, image ads 30% at $80.35 and 0.83 (9 brands each); a further 36% of spend had no format metadata and is not reported.
| Format | Share of supplement spend | n | CPA: median (IQR) | ROAS: median (IQR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video | 33% | 9 | $74.10 ($68.23 to $121.09) | 0.83 (0.65 to 0.91) |
| Image | 30% | 9 | $80.35 ($69.08 to $105.60) | 0.83 (0.70 to 0.91) |
| Unknown (no format metadata) | 36% | not reported (fewer than 8 brands) | not reported (fewer than 8 brands) |
Source: MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition (benchmark cuts, 29 October 2026).
Format does little here. The two medians are $6.25 apart on CPA and level on ROAS, and the interquartile ranges overlap almost completely. On the all-brand format table image beats video on both ($58.66 against $63.15 CPA, 1.64 against 1.45 ROAS, 71 and 74 brands); in supplements that gap closes, which I put down to the offer and the claims doing more of the work than the container. The unknown third is mostly ads made since July 2026 that the feed cannot label, so recent creative is thin in both rows. I would test the claim ladder and the first-order offer before the format, which is what the supplement ad creative strategy post covers.
What this means for your account
Let your repeat rate decide whether Meta works for you: the tables say where you sit, and your subscription data says whether that is affordable.
- If your first-order ROAS is around 0.90 you are the median supplement brand (12 months to 28 October 2026, 9 brands); under 0.69 is the bottom quarter. In plain words, CAC is what you pay for a new customer ($80.50 at the median) and LTV is the gross profit that customer brings across every later order; the account works when LTV sits comfortably above CAC. Set your threshold with the break-even ROAS guide, repeat orders included.
- If your CPA is above $91.41, the 12-month 75th percentile, you are in the dearest quarter of a vertical whose monthly median moved from $76.11 in May to $92.34 in October. Budget Q4 at a CPA in the $90s.
- If you run no named retargeting, the median brand runs 4.0% of classified spend there at CPA parity and a 1.00 ROAS against 0.82 (8 and 9 brands). Test into the 2.1% to 8.4% band without expecting it to turn the account.
- If you are choosing between video and image, the data gives no reason to favour either. Put the testing budget into the offer, the first-order bundle and compliance-safe claims, the work our supplement brands Facebook ads team does; Meta ads for supplement brands covers the policy side.
- If your product sits closer to general wellness than to capsules and gummies, compare against the health and wellness benchmarks page and read Meta ads for wellness brands.
If you are comparing agencies, our guide to Meta ads agencies for DTC brands sets out the options and who each one suits, and our guide to DTC ad creative agencies does the same for creative partners.
FAQ
What is a good CPA for a supplement brand on Meta ads?
Across 9 DTC supplement brands, the median Meta CPA was $80.50 over the 12 months to 28 October 2026, middle half $67.71 to $91.41, and $84.93 over the 90 days to the same date. Under $67.71 is the cheapest quarter of the vertical. Whether that is good depends on margin and repeat rate, which this dataset does not measure.
What ROAS do supplement brands get on Facebook and Instagram ads?
The median Meta-attributed first-purchase ROAS across 9 DTC supplement brands was 0.90 over the 12 months to 28 October 2026, middle half 0.69 to 0.92, and 0.84 over the 90 days to the same date. That counts the first order only; subscription renewals and repeat orders sit outside the figure, and for most supplement brands that is where the return is.
Can a supplement brand make money on Meta ads with a ROAS under 1?
Yes, when repeat orders carry the first. Across 9 DTC supplement brands over the 12 months to 28 October 2026, the median AOV was $68.68 and the median CPA $80.50, so the typical first order returned less than it cost. The account pays when the gross profit a customer brings over later orders sits comfortably above that $80.50, which only your own subscription data can show.
Do video or image ads work better for supplement brands?
Neither, on this data. Across 9 DTC supplement brands over the 12 months to 28 October 2026, video ads had a median CPA of $74.10 and image ads $80.35, and both had a median first-purchase ROAS of 0.83 with overlapping interquartile ranges. Video took 33% of spend and image 30%; a further 36% had no format metadata and is not reported.
Sources
- MHI Meta Benchmarks, DTC, October 2026 edition, MHI Media; hub post with methodology, 22 October 2026
- MHI Media warehouse of client Meta ad accounts, benchmark cuts edition, read-only extract 29 October 2026, data settled to 28 October 2026