TikTok comments vs ads: cost per 1,000 people

5 min read · Updated October 19, 2026

Paid attention is priced per 1,000 people, called CPM. Here is how comment marketing compares with the usual alternatives, using public benchmark ranges.

Typical costs per 1,000 people

• TikTok in-feed ads: a median CPM of about $8, with typical ranges of $3 to $10 or $6.50 to $10 depending on the source (TrendTrack).
• Meta (Instagram and Facebook) ads: usually $7 to $15 per 1,000 (TrendTrack).
• YouTube Shorts ads: about $5 (Hubfluence).
• Sponsored creator posts: often $4 to $16 or more per 1,000 views.

Where comments land

TopComment's package is $4,900 a month for 2,000 comments. At a planning estimate of 120 people per comment, that is about 240,000 people, or roughly $20 per 1,000. The estimate is built from published view and engagement averages and two assumptions of ours, so treat it as a guide, not a guarantee. On that basis comments cost more per 1,000 people than TikTok, Meta or YouTube Shorts ads, so if cheap impressions are the goal, buy ads.

What you pay for is different. Each comment is written for one video and read by someone who opened a thread about your category, which is why we price by comment (about $2.45 each) instead of by impression.

What the price does not capture

• Format. An ad interrupts. A comment is read by people who opened the thread.
• Trust. Young shoppers say they trust a regular person's recommendation more than a brand ad (YPulse).
• Clicks. A comment has no button. Its job is familiarity and curiosity: people search for the brand or open the profile.

When ads still win

If you need a link, a tracked click and a landing page, ads are the right tool. Comments work best next to ads, reaching the same audience at the moment they are asking questions.

See the packages and what each includes.

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