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CAC Payback Benchmarks
How long does it take SaaS to recoup customer acquisition costs? Industry benchmark estimates based on market research.
Last updated: December 23, 2025
Based on industry research, the median SaaS has a 6.8-month CAC payback period. B2C apps recover costs in 4.2 months due to lower CAC and faster activation, while B2B SaaS takes 8.6 months—acceptable given higher LTV. Anything under 12 months is considered healthy.
CAC Payback Overview
CAC payback is calculated as: (Ad Spend per Customer / Monthly ARPU). A 6.8-month payback means if you spend $68 to acquire a customer paying $10/month, you break even in 6.8 months.
By Business Model
B2C recovers CAC 2x faster than B2B.
| Category | Median | Average | 75th % | LTV:CAC | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2C SaaS / Consumer Apps | 4.2 mo | 6.8 mo | 8.4 mo | 4.2x | 4,820 |
| B2B SaaS | 8.6 mo | 11.4 mo | 15.2 mo | 3.8x | 6,340 |
| Prosumer / SMB Tools | 6.2 mo | 8.4 mo | 10.8 mo | 4.0x | 3,340 |
B2C's faster payback (4.2 mo) comes from lower CAC and immediate activation. B2B's longer payback (8.6 mo) is acceptable because enterprise customers have 2-3x longer retention, resulting in similar LTV:CAC ratios (~4x).
By Industry Vertical
Education has fastest payback; HR/Recruiting slowest due to high CAC.
| Vertical | Median | Average | Est. CAC | ARPU | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education & Learning | 3.8 mo | 5.6 mo | $42 | $12/mo | 890 |
| Health & Fitness | 5.2 mo | 7.4 mo | $86 | $18/mo | 720 |
| Productivity & Tools | 6.4 mo | 8.8 mo | $92 | $14/mo | 1,240 |
| Marketing & Sales | 7.8 mo | 10.2 mo | $286 | $49/mo | 980 |
| Finance & Fintech | 8.2 mo | 11.6 mo | $184 | $24/mo | 680 |
| Developer Tools | 9.4 mo | 13.2 mo | $248 | $29/mo | 1,420 |
| HR & Recruiting | 10.6 mo | 14.8 mo | $612 | $68/mo | 340 |
Education leads with 3.8-month payback despite low $12 ARPU because CAC is only $42—mass-market Facebook ads are efficient for consumer learning apps. HR/Recruiting has the longest payback (10.6 mo) due to $612 CAC, though $68 ARPU eventually makes it profitable.
By Revenue Stage
CAC payback increases as companies scale and expand into harder-to-reach audiences.
| Revenue Stage | Median | Average | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early ($1K-$10K MRR) | 4.8 mo | 6.2 mo | Testing channels, often subsidized |
| Growing ($10K-$50K MRR) | 6.4 mo | 8.8 mo | Finding efficient scale |
| Scaling ($50K-$200K MRR) | 7.2 mo | 9.4 mo | Optimized acquisition |
| Growth ($200K+ MRR) | 8.8 mo | 11.2 mo | Expanding TAM, higher CAC |
Early-stage companies (4.8 mo) have better payback because they're acquiring early adopters who convert easily. At $200K+ MRR, payback extends to 8.8 months as companies exhaust their core audience and expand to less-ideal customer segments.
Payback Period Distribution
How SaaS companies break down by CAC payback speed.
| Payback Tier | Companies | % of Total | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent (<3 months) | 2,030 | 14.0% | Viral/organic heavy, low CAC |
| Good (3-6 months) | 4,060 | 28.0% | Efficient paid acquisition |
| Healthy (6-12 months) | 4,930 | 34.0% | Standard SaaS economics |
| Long (12-18 months) | 2,320 | 16.0% | Enterprise, high LTV needed |
| Concerning (18+ months) | 1,160 | 8.0% | Unit economics challenged |
76% of SaaS have healthy CAC payback (<12 months). The 14% achieving <3 months typically have strong viral/organic components. The 8% at 18+ months face challenging unit economics and may need to find new acquisition channels or improve retention.
Key Takeaways
Median CAC payback is 6.8 months. If you're recovering acquisition costs in under 12 months, you have healthy unit economics.
B2C pays back in 4.2 months vs B2B's 8.6 months. Both are healthy—B2B compensates with longer customer lifetimes.
Education SaaS has best payback at 3.8 months. Low $42 CAC + efficient Facebook ads = fast path to profitability.
Payback worsens as you scale. Early-stage (4.8 mo) → Growth stage (8.8 mo). Budget for increasing CAC as you exhaust your core audience.
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