> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upstackdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Account Created Cost: Ad Spend per New Account

> Calculate advertising cost per new account registration. Optimize your CAC for SaaS user acquisition.

<Tip>
  Account Created Cost measures how much you spend on advertising for each new account registration.
</Tip>

## Formula

<Info>
  **Account Created Cost** = **Ad Spend** ÷ **Account Created**
</Info>

### Formula Components

| Metric                                                                       | Definition                                         |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| [**Ad Spend**](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/blended-spend)         | Total advertising cost from connected ad platforms |
| [**Account Created**](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions/account-created) | Count of new account registrations                 |

| Metadata        |                         |
| --------------- | ----------------------- |
| **Type**        | Currency                |
| **Data Source** | [Upstack Pixel](/pixel) |
| **Aggregation** | Ratio                   |

***

## Example

You spent **\$5,000** on Google Ads in January and drove **250 account creations**.

| Metric               | Value   | Notes                    |
| -------------------- | ------- | ------------------------ |
| Ad Spend             | \$5,000 | Monthly advertising cost |
| Account Created      | 250     | New registrations        |
| Account Created Cost | \$20.00 | Cost per new account     |

***

## How It Works

This metric divides your total ad spend by the number of account creations to calculate your cost per acquisition (CPA) for new users. This is a key input for calculating customer acquisition cost (CAC) in SaaS businesses.

***

## When to Use

| Scenario            | Action                                              |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| CAC optimization    | Identify channels with lowest account creation cost |
| Budget allocation   | Shift spend toward efficient acquisition channels   |
| Funnel benchmarking | Compare signup costs across campaigns               |
| LTV/CAC analysis    | Balance acquisition cost against lifetime value     |

***

## Related Metrics

| Metric                                                                               | Relationship                        |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
| [Account Created](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions/account-created)             | The denominator in this calculation |
| [Account Created Value](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions/account-created-value) | Value attributed to new accounts    |
| [Trial Started Cost](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions/trial-started-cost)       | Cost per trial start                |

[See all Conversions metrics →](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions)