YouTube Shorts ad cost
$0.005 to $0.015 per view Veefly, YouTube Advertising Cost, 2026 against an in-stream average of $0.024 Store Growers, Google Ads Benchmarks, Q1 2026. Check the arithmetic: the Shorts midpoint ($0.010) runs at less than half the in-stream average.
Why the bands diverge
- Inventory glut. Shorts impressions grew faster than advertiser demand; auctions clear low when supply outruns budgets Veefly, YouTube Advertising Cost, 2026.
- Lighter view unit. Feed-native counting is not the in-stream 30-second commitment Google Ads Help, video ad views, 2026; you are buying a smaller slice of attention per unit.
- Demand lag. Media plans re-weight slower than user attention moves. Cheap windows close as planners catch up; this band gets re-verified quarterly for that reason.
Is cheap Shorts inventory worth it?
Per started view, obviously. Per completed view or per action, run the numbers first: a $0.010 Shorts view at low completion can cost more per completed view than a $0.024 in-stream view at high completion. The CPCV calculator settles it in ten seconds, and the split-test scenario works a full budget through both formats, including the blended-CPV trap.
YouTube Shorts CPV band $0.005-$0.015 (Veefly, 2026) vs in-stream avg $0.024 (Store Growers, Q1 2026)Solve a Shorts flight: the Shorts calculator. Against TikTok: Shorts vs TikTok.