YouTube Creator Earnings Calculator

How this calculator works

We apply 2025 US watch-page CPM ranges by niche to estimate RPM and ad revenue. Then we add optional sponsorship and product income to show low/mid/high scenarios.

Why RPM differs from CPM

RPM accounts for ad fill, limited eligibility, and non-monetized views. We model RPM as 0.35–0.60 × CPM for long-form content to reflect realistic creator take-home ranges.

Use this to find your best revenue mix

This tool helps creators compare three revenue streams: YouTube ads (based on CPM/RPM), brand sponsorships, and their own products. The charts make it easy to see which lever has the biggest impact for your channel size. A key insight for many creators is that you don’t need millions of views to earn a living when you own a product with a healthy margin (even tiny purchase rates add up at scale).

Try adjusting your monthly views, sponsorship rate, and product price/purchase rate to see how the mix changes. If your audience is engaged and your product fits their needs, a small percentage of buyers can often outperform ad revenue alone.

What a healthy revenue mix often looks like

For most creators, it’s common to earn the least from YouTube ads (CPM/RPM), more from sponsorships and affiliate partnerships, and the most from your own product. Ads scale with views but pay modestly per thousand; sponsors and affiliates typically pay more per qualified audience; and an owned product lets you capture the most value per buyer.

Results still depend on niche, seasonality, US vs. global traffic, and product–market fit. But a useful rule of thumb is: ads < sponsorships/affiliates < your own product. Use the sliders to model how small changes in purchase rate or price can quickly outweigh ad-only strategies.