Amazon Ads Is Growing Faster Than Meta and Google in 2026

By Thisura, founder of Run1Ads · 2026-08-27 · Updated 2026-10-23

Quick answer

Amazon Ads is growing faster than Google in 2026 because more sellers are bidding for the same Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands placements, which pushes CPCs up. Sellers who win are actively managing bids, negative keywords and channel mix. For e-commerce brands that also run Meta ads, rising Amazon costs make it more important to know exactly how your Meta ROAS is holding up.

According to the industry analysis this post draws on, Amazon's ad business is on pace for $65 to $85 billion in revenue this year. The same analysis forecasts US ad revenue growth of 17.9% for Amazon, ahead of Google at 11.9% and behind Meta at 24.1%.

That would put Amazon solidly in third place among global ad platforms, and for the first time it is not a distant third.

Sellers feel this in their cost per click. The analysis puts the average at $1.12, up $0.15 year over year, with supplements and health CPCs at $1.30 to $2.50.

Why is Amazon Ads getting more expensive in 2026?

Ad inventory has not kept pace with advertiser demand. More sellers are bidding into the same Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands placements.

Amazon has also expanded ad formats across search and DSP, and unified reporting changes have pushed budget toward fewer, better-measured campaigns.

The result is higher average CPCs, concentrated most heavily in competitive categories like supplements, beauty and health. Sellers there are willing to absorb the cost per click to win the buy box.

What is driving Amazon's ad growth?

Amazon has spent recent years turning its ad stack into a real growth engine: DSP expansion, Sponsored TV and an unusually aggressive Ai push. That includes auto-assembled video ads and an ads agent that Amazon claims cuts CPMs by double digits for sellers who opt in.

None of that inventory expansion has kept pace with the number of sellers now treating Amazon as a primary acquisition channel. When more advertisers compete for the same auction slots, CPCs climb regardless of what the platform's Ai tools promise to save you.

Is this a short-term spike or a lasting shift?

For sellers, this is not a one-quarter blip. Amazon is no longer the cheap third option behind Google and Meta.

Budget that used to sit entirely in Meta or Google is migrating toward Amazon because purchase intent there converts at a premium, even at a higher CPC.

The sellers getting hurt are not the ones spending more. They are the ones who have not adjusted bidding strategy, negative keyword hygiene or catalog structure to match a pricier auction.

How do I protect ROAS as Amazon CPCs rise?

1. Review bids by category and lower them where cost per purchase no longer supports the spend.
2. Clean up negative keywords so budget stops flowing to irrelevant searches.
3. Tighten catalog structure so your strongest products get the most budget.
4. Compare ROAS across Amazon and your other channels before shifting the next dollar.
5. Recheck channel mix regularly instead of assuming built-in Ai tools will manage it for you.

Does Run1Ads help with Amazon ads?

Run1Ads focuses on Meta ads for e-commerce brands, so it does not cover Amazon campaigns. If Meta ads are part of your mix, it checks your ad account, Pixel and store every hour and tells you the one fix that matters today, ranked by buyers lost, so you have a clear read on Meta ROAS while marketplace CPCs climb.

Key facts

• The industry analysis behind this post puts Amazon's 2026 ad revenue on pace for $65 to $85 billion.
• The same analysis forecasts US ad revenue growth of 17.9% for Amazon, 11.9% for Google and 24.1% for Meta.
• It reports an average Amazon CPC of $1.12, up from $0.97.
• Amazon claims its ads agent cuts CPMs by double digits for sellers who opt in.
• Rising CPCs are driven by more sellers competing for the same placements.

FAQ

Why are my Amazon CPCs going up?

More sellers are bidding for the same ad placements, and inventory has not grown as fast as demand. Competitive categories like supplements and beauty feel it most.

Is Amazon Ads bigger than Meta ads?

No. Amazon is growing faster than Google in US ad revenue, but Meta is still growing faster than Amazon in the same forecast.

Should I move budget from Meta to Amazon?

Compare ROAS and cost per purchase across both channels first. Amazon converts high-intent shoppers, but higher CPCs mean it is no longer automatically the cheaper option.

Is there a tool that checks my Meta ads while I manage Amazon?

Yes. Run1Ads checks your Meta ad account, Pixel and store every hour and tells you the one fix that matters today. It advises only and never changes your campaigns unless you ask it for a paused draft.

Related reading

• Amazon Sponsored Products CPC Just Hit a Record Before Prime Day
• Why Is My Amazon ACoS So High?
• Amazon's Ads Agent: Should Sellers Turn It On?

Run1Ads is a live Meta ads consultant for e-commerce brands. It checks your ads, Pixel and store every hour and tells you the one fix that matters today. See the live demo or start free, no card needed.