Understanding the lead cost comparison between aged leads, Facebook Ads, and Google Ads is fundamental for marketers and advertisers who want to maximize their return on ad spend in 2025. With digital marketing budgets under increasing pressure, selecting the right channel can make or break a company’s growth trajectory.
What Is a Lead?
A lead is an individual or business that has shown interest in your product or service, typically by providing contact information through a form, inquiry, or signup. Leads are the cornerstone of any customer acquisition strategy, and different marketing channels deliver leads with varying intent, volume, and price.
2025 Lead Cost Benchmarks
The costs to acquire leads are trending upward in the major digital marketing channels. Here are the latest benchmarks for 2025:
- Aged Leads: $1–$20 per lead (typically range)
- Facebook Ads: $27.66 average cost per lead (CPL), up 21% year over year
- Google Ads: $70.11 average CPL, with average cost-per-click (CPC) at $4.66
These numbers reflect a hyper-competitive market where finding the right balance between cost and quality is crucial for maximizing ROI.
Aged Leads Overview
Aged leads are contacts who expressed interest anywhere from 30 days to several months ago and have not yet converted. Lead providers collect and resell these names, often at a deep discount compared to “real-time” leads.
- Pricing Model: Most aged leads cost between $1 and $20 each, depending on recency, vertical, and filters applied.
- Strengths:
- Extremely low cost per lead
- Potential for high ROI if worked consistently and with the right follow-up strategy
- Suitable for budget-sensitive campaigns or businesses needing to scale outreach quickly
- Pitfalls:
- Generally lower intent and less engagement—leads may have already purchased elsewhere
- Requires persistent outreach and multi-touch contact strategies
For details on sourcing and working aged leads, see the Ultimate Guide to Aged Leads and Best Practices for Contacting and Converting Insurance Leads.
Facebook Ads Lead Costs in 2025
Facebook Ads remain a high-volume channel, especially for B2C and certain B2B verticals. However, costs have accelerated:
- Average CPL: $27.66 (all industries)
- Year-over-Year Trend: Up ~21% from 2024 figures
- Industry Breakdown:
- Legal: $72+
- Home Services: $55+
- E-Commerce: $27+
- Factors Driving Costs:
- Audience targeting complexity and competition
- Ad creative quality and relevance
- Use of lead gen forms directly within Facebook (tends to reduce CPL)
- Funnel depth (top-of-funnel is cheaper but less qualified)
Note: Facebook’s in-platform forms tend to generate more contacts but often at slightly lower intent compared to offsite conversions. Read about strategies to reduce Facebook CPL in Best Practices for Contacting and Converting Insurance Leads.
Google Ads Lead Costs in 2025
Google Ads attract users with high commercial intent—especially in search-based campaigns.
- Average CPL: $70.11
- Average CPC: $4.66
- Year-over-Year Trend: ~5% increase from 2024
- Industry Breakdown:
- Legal: $120+
- Finance: $90+
- Insurance: $75+
- Home Services: $60+
- Influencing Factors:
- Keyword competition (popular, high-buying keywords drive up costs)
- User’s search intent (bottom-of-funnel terms are more expensive but yield better-qualified leads)
- Ad quality score and landing page experience
- Geographic and device targeting
Google Ads deliver some of the highest-quality leads but at a premium. For optimization tactics, see How to Integrate Technology into Your Insurance Lead Management Process.
Lead Cost Comparison Table
| Source | 2025 Avg. CPL | Common Use Case | Key Strengths | Caveats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aged Leads | $1–$20 | Insurance, mortgage, B2C | Lowest cost, scalable | Lower intent, more follow-up |
| Facebook Ads | $27.66 | E-comm, B2C, education | Best for mass reach/volume | Rising CPL, targeting fatigue |
| Google Ads | $70.11 | Finance, SaaS, insurance | Highest intent, qualified | Most expensive, complex setup |
ROI, Lead Quality & Strategic Differences
It’s tempting to favor the lowest cost per lead, but lead quality—in terms of purchase intent and conversion potential—matters as much as price.
- Aged Leads: Deliver huge volume at minimal investment, but require volume-based outreach and persistent follow-up. Best for established sales processes or industries with broad targeting requirements.
- Facebook Ads: Balance of cost and quality. Effective for demand generation, but rising prices and increased competition require innovative creative and tight audience targeting.
- Google Ads: Top tier for high-intent verticals. Although CPL is highest, these leads are often closer to purchase, improving downstream ROI if your funnel is optimized.
Recommendations: How to Choose the Best Channel
- Budget-Conscious Campaigns: Start with aged leads to maximize outreach and test messaging.
- Need High Volume: Use Facebook Ads, but rigorously manage targeting and test creatives to keep costs down.
- Need High-Intent, Qualified Leads: Invest in Google Ads, especially for competitive B2B and verticals like legal, finance, or insurance.
Example Budget Splits:
- Insurance/Finance: 40% Aged Leads, 30% Facebook, 30% Google
- SaaS/Tech: 20% Aged Leads, 20% Facebook, 60% Google
- B2C E-Commerce: 20% Aged Leads (retargeting/upsell), 70% Facebook, 10% Google
Experiment, measure, and refine: lead channel mix should evolve with your campaign results and changes in cost or competition.
Related Reading
- Essential Guide to Understanding Different Types of Insurance Leads
- Best Practices for Contacting and Converting Insurance Leads
- How to Integrate Technology Into Your Insurance Lead Management Process
FAQ
FAQ
Google Ads costs more because users searching on Google display higher commercial intent and are typically further along in the buyer’s journey. Intense keyword competition (especially in lucrative verticals like legal or finance) drives prices up.
Yes. Aged leads can be highly cost-effective for real estate and insurance when matched with a disciplined follow-up and nurturing process. Many agencies report ROI improvements by layering aged leads into their acquisition mix, especially for inbound-heavy or telemarketing-driven sales models.
