# Demand Gen vs Performance Max

> Demand Gen runs your creative on YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Maps and Display. Performance Max covers all Google inventory, Search too. Differences and an example.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-12
- **Category**: Google
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-compare/demand-gen-vs-performance-max

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Demand Gen shows your creative on YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Maps and the Google Display Network, to people who may not be searching yet. Performance Max reaches all of Google's ad inventory from one campaign, including Search and Maps, and optimises for your conversion goals. Use Demand Gen to create interest with visuals. Use Performance Max to capture buyers across Google.

## Side by side

| | Demand Gen | Performance Max |
|---|---|---|
| Where ads show | YouTube, Discover, Gmail, Maps, Google Display Network | YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, Maps |
| Main job | Build demand with visual creative | Win conversions across all Google inventory |
| Channel choice | You can pick channels, such as YouTube Shorts only | One campaign across all inventory |
| Creative | Images, video, carousels, text, product feeds | Asset groups of images, text, logos and video |
| Audience | Lookalike segments, audience insights | Audience signals that guide the AI |
| Bidding and targets | Value-based and Maximize Clicks bidding | Optional ROAS or CPA target |
| Search control | Not a Search campaign | Search themes, brand exclusions, negative keywords |

This is from Google's help pages on [Demand Gen](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/13695777) and [Performance Max](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10724817), checked 2026-10-20.

## The differences that matter

1. **Where the shopper is.** Demand Gen meets people while they watch or scroll. Performance Max also meets people when they search.
2. **How much you steer.** Demand Gen lets you choose channels and run creative A/B experiments. Performance Max leaves placement to Google's AI. You steer with goals, asset groups, audience signals and exclusions.
3. **How you judge it.** Performance Max can be judged on conversions against a ROAS or CPA target. Demand Gen builds interest first, so look at new customers and branded search too.

Google says Performance Max offers asset-level, asset group and channel performance reporting, which helps you see what is working.

## A worked example

Say a sneaker brand has INR 3,00,000 a month for Google.

- **Performance Max:** 70%, which is INR 2,10,000, for people ready to buy.
- **Demand Gen:** 30%, which is INR 90,000, with short vertical video for people not searching yet.

After four weeks the made-up results are:

| | Spend | Purchases | Cost per purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Max | INR 2,10,000 | 280 | INR 750 |
| Demand Gen | INR 90,000 | 72 | INR 1,250 |

Demand Gen looks costlier. Before you cut it, check whether branded searches rose and how many buyers were new. Judge the pair together, not each on last click. See [ROAS](/glossary/roas) and [cost per acquisition](/glossary/cpa).

## Which to start with

- **Selling products with a clear conversion goal:** Performance Max.
- **New brand, strong video, little search demand:** Demand Gen.
- **Both:** run each with its own budget, so one does not swallow the other.

On Meta, the nearest idea is [Advantage+ sales campaigns](/glossary/advantage-plus-shopping-campaigns). For Meta against Google overall, see [Meta ads vs Google ads](/compare/meta-ads-vs-google-ads).

We make Marxx, which reads your Google Ads spend, campaigns and search terms through its connection, so you can compare what each campaign type is doing. See [what we offer performance teams](/for/performance).

## FAQ

### Can Demand Gen use a product feed?

Yes. Google lists product feeds among Demand Gen's creative inputs. With a Merchant Center feed you can add promotion assets on YouTube Shorts and in-stream.

### Does Performance Max include Search?

Yes. Google says it gives access to all Google Ads inventory, including Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail and Maps.

### Can I block my brand name in Performance Max?

Google lists brand exclusions and negative keywords as controls to prevent overlaps and block unwanted queries.

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