# YouTube ads vs Meta ads > YouTube ads reach people watching video. Meta ads reach people scrolling Facebook and Instagram. Formats and billing compared, with a CPV worked example. - **Author**: Marxx - **Published**: 2026-11-16 - **Category**: Channels - **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-compare/youtube-ads-vs-meta-ads --- YouTube ads reach people while they watch video. Meta ads reach people while they scroll Facebook and Instagram. Choose Meta when you want to test many creatives fast. Choose YouTube when your product needs a longer demo, or when people research by watching. ## Side by side | | YouTube ads | Meta ads | |---|---|---| | Where ads show | In and around YouTube videos, and between Shorts | Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network and Threads | | Main video formats | Skippable in-stream, non-skippable in-stream, bumper, in-feed, Shorts | Feed, Stories, Reels, in-stream | | Skipping | Skippable ads can be skipped after 5 seconds | Reels ads can be skipped | | Short formats | Bumper: up to 6 seconds, not skippable | Stories and Reels: full-screen vertical | | How you pay | CPV or per 1,000 impressions, by format and goal | Ad auction. See [CPM vs CPC](/compare/cpm-vs-cpc) | | Where you buy | Google Ads | Meta Ads Manager | Facts come from Google's [YouTube ad formats help page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2467968), its [video ad formats table](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2375464) and Meta's [Reels ad specs](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/video/instagram-reels) and [Threads ads help page](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/655859553779869), all checked 2026-10-20. ## The three differences that matter **1. What the viewer is doing.** On YouTube, people chose a video, and your ad plays before, during or beside it. On Meta, your ad appears between posts, Stories or Reels. A hook that works while someone scrolls may not hold on YouTube, and the reverse. **2. Formats.** YouTube's help page says non-skippable in-stream ads are 15 or 20 seconds, by region. Google Ads' formats table gives a wider range, so check the limit in Google Ads. Bumpers are up to 6 seconds (5 to 6 in Google Ads). Shorts ads sit between Shorts. Meta's Reels and Stories are vertical and full-screen. See [Reels vs Stories ads](/compare/reels-vs-stories-ads) and [how to make Reels ads](/guides/how-to-make-reels-ads). **3. Billing.** On a skippable YouTube in-stream ad under cost-per-view (CPV) bidding, you pay when a viewer watches 30 seconds, or the whole ad if it is shorter, or when they interact. Google says other bidding goals pay per impression. Someone who skips at 5 seconds costs you nothing under CPV. ## A worked example Say you run a skippable in-stream ad under CPV. - 10,000 people see it. - 1,200 watch 30 seconds or click. - Say your price is INR 4 a view. - You pay 1,200 x INR 4 = INR 4,800. The other 8,800 skipped early or left before 30 seconds, and cost nothing. Before the skip button appears, everyone sees your ad. Put your brand and your hook in those first 5 seconds. The figures are made up. Your CPV will differ. With Meta, the same INR 4,800 is spent through the auction, usually by impressions. At a CPM of INR 150 it buys about 32,000 impressions (4,800 / 150 x 1,000). These are not like-for-like numbers. A paid YouTube view is a person who stayed 30 seconds or clicked. A Meta impression is a view of any length. Compare cost per sale, not cost per view. ## When to use each - **Fast creative testing, conversions and retargeting:** Meta first. - **Product demos, tutorials and brand building:** YouTube. - **Both:** run Meta to learn which message works, then reuse it as YouTube video. For the Google side beyond YouTube, read [Demand Gen vs Performance Max](/compare/demand-gen-vs-performance-max). For the wider choice, read [Meta ads vs Google ads](/compare/meta-ads-vs-google-ads). ## Where Marxx fits Marxx reads your connected Meta ad account in full, and reads Google Ads spend, campaigns and search terms through its connection. It also tracks competitor ads on Meta and Google. See [competitor tracking](/features/competitor-tracking). We make Marxx, so weigh that. ## FAQ ### Is YouTube advertising cheaper than Meta? It depends on the format, the bid and your market. CPV and CPM are priced differently, so compare cost per sale. ### How long should a YouTube ad be? Skippable in-stream ads can be skipped after 5 seconds, and Google's table recommends under 3 minutes. YouTube's help page puts non-skippable in-stream ads at 15 or 20 seconds by region, and bumpers at up to 6 seconds. --- - [More Channels articles](https://marxx.ai/library-compare/category/channels) - [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-compare)