Compare your two quotes
Use this when you hold one flat quote and one percent-of-spend quote: enter your monthly ad spend to see which costs less.
Where our fee crosses a percent fee
The flat fee divided by the percent is the break-even spend: $4,000 divided by 20% is $20,000. Below it the percent quote costs less; above it the flat fee does.
| A percent quote of | One platform: $4,000 a month | Google + Meta: $6,000 a month |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $40,000 | $60,000 |
| 15% | $26,667 | $40,000 |
| 20% | $20,000 | $30,000 |
At our minimum, $4,000 is 267% of a $1,500 ad spend. Under $20,000 a month, a percent quote of 20% or lower with no base fee or minimum costs less than our $4,000. Both fees exclude ad spend and the one-time setup fee.
How it decides
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Flat quote | The monthly fee as typed, or our published fee: $4,000 for one platform or $6,000 for Google + Meta, with a setup fee of $1,000 or $2,000. See the pricing page. |
| Percent quote | The higher of the minimum and (base fee plus percent times ad spend). Base fee and minimum are 0 if left empty. |
| Rounding | Each monthly fee is rounded to whole dollars first. The cheaper quote is the one with the lower rounded monthly fee at your ad spend, and two quotes are equal when they round to the same dollars. A fee shows as a share of ad spend in whole percents from 10% up and with one decimal below 10%. |
| Break-even | (Flat fee minus base fee) divided by the percent, rounded to whole dollars. When the flat fee is at or below the percent quote's base fee or minimum, the tool says that quote never costs less. |
| Term total | Setup fee plus months times the monthly fee, for each quote. The lower total is the cheaper quote over the months you chose. |
| Valid input | Ad spend and a flat fee: above $0 and up to $1,000,000. Percent: above 0 and up to 100. Months: a whole number from 1 to 24. Base fee, minimum and setup fees: $0 or more and up to $1,000,000, or empty. The characters $, % and spaces are dropped, so "1 5" reads as 15. A comma counts only as a thousands separator, so "7,5" is rejected. Input outside these limits shows one message per field and no result. |
| Our minimum | A Montrelia quote at less than $1,500 a month of ad spend per platform ($3,000 for both) is below our minimum, and the tool says so instead of comparing. See who we are not for. |
What it cannot tell you
| Not in the fee | What to ask or check |
|---|---|
| What each quote includes | The deliverables and how often, in writing. Ours are on the Google Ads page. |
| Whether the fee pays for itself | Divide the monthly fee by your profit per job. The break-even jobs calculator does it. |
| Whether the ad spend is enough | A fee says nothing about it. See the ad budget checker and lead cost benchmarks. |
| Who holds the ad account | Ask for owner access in your name. See who owns your Google Ads account. |
| Who bills the ad spend | Ask whether Google and Meta bill you or the agency does. You pay the ad platforms directly. We manage the spend and never hold your money. |
Sources
Read on October 6, 2026. Each publisher sells the service, so these are price lists, not a market survey.
| Source | What the page lists | How to enter it | Date read |
|---|---|---|---|
| WebFX PPC pricingSells PPC management. | Lite: $750 a month for $100 to $5,000 of monthly ad spend. Pro: the higher of $975 or 15% of ad spend, for $5,000 to $30,000 of monthly ad spend. Enterprise: the higher of $4,500 or 12% of ad spend, from $30,001 of monthly ad spend. First month listed as Initial Optimization: $1,200 Lite, $2,250 Pro, $5,800 Enterprise. Page modified September 28, 2026. | Pro: percent 15, minimum 975. Its first month is listed at $2,250; ask whether that replaces or adds to the monthly fee. | October 6, 2026 |
| USA Marketing Pros, pay per clickSells Google Ads management. | A one-time $1,500 launch. Its FAQ says management is 20% of the first $3,000 of monthly ad spend plus 15% above that, or $300, whichever is greater, and gives $750 at $4,000 of ad spend. Its summary line says a flat 20% of monthly ad spend with a $300 minimum. Minimum ad spend $500. Month to month. | Setup 1,500. FAQ formula, from $3,000 of spend: base 150, percent 15 (20% of $3,000 is $600, and $600 minus 15% of $3,000 is $150). FAQ formula below $3,000, or the summary line at any spend: percent 20, minimum 300. The two readings differ above $3,000, so confirm in writing which applies. | October 6, 2026 |
| Third Marble Marketing, Google Ads pricesSells Google Ads management. | Growth plan, for $1,000 to $20,000 of monthly spend: the price graphic reads $499+5% (5% of the Google Ads click budget), while the page text says it starts at $499 a month. A one-time $399 onboarding fee. Month to month. | Base 499, percent 5, setup 399. Confirm in writing which price applies. | October 6, 2026 |
Questions people ask
What percent of ad spend do agencies charge?
WebFX, which sells PPC management, says management fees typically run 10% to 20% of ad spend, or about $1,000 to $3,000 a month, and usually fall as spend rises (read October 6, 2026). That is one seller's statement, not a survey. Ask whether a quoted percent is the whole fee or sits on top of a base fee.
Which fee model gives an agency a reason to raise my ad budget?
A percent fee does: it rises when your spend rises, so the agency earns more when you spend more. A flat fee stays the same when you raise or cut the budget. Neither measures results. Ask who can change the budget, and what the fee becomes if you cut it.
What does the $6,000 Google + Meta fee include?
Both platforms in one package: a weekly strategy call of 60 to 120 minutes, a short written summary every week before the call, a full report every month, and 4 Meta creatives a month made by us. One platform alone is $4,000 a month with a $1,500 minimum ad spend and a 3-month minimum. Ad spend and the one-time setup fee are extra.
Who holds the ad account under each model?
Under our plan you own Google Ads, Meta Business Manager and GA4. The fee model does not decide this, so check every quote: WebFX lists client admin or owner access to campaigns, while USA Marketing Pros says campaigns run in its own Google Ads account and stay there if you leave (both read October 6, 2026).
Last updated October 6, 2026