PPC Management Pricing: What B2B SaaS Teams Actually Pay

PPC management costs most companies between $1,500 and $10,000 a month as a flat fee, or 10% to 30% of ad spend when the agency charges a percentage. For a B2B SaaS team spending $10,000 to $50,000 a month on ads, that works out to a management fee of roughly $1,000 to $15,000 a month.

The range is wide because agencies price in different ways, and the model shapes what you get more than the number does.

How PPC management fees are structured

Most agencies use one of four models (some also bill hourly).

Flat monthly fee. You pay the same amount every month, no matter what you spend on ads. WhatConverts puts the typical flat retainer at $1,500 to $10,000 a month. It's predictable, and the agency has less reason to push your budget up.

Percentage of ad spend. The fee is a share of what you spend on the platforms. Published ranges run from 10% to 30% (WhatConverts) and 12% to 30% (Nutshell). HawkSEM gives 10% to 20% in its summary, and 15% to 30% (usually 20% and up) in its section on percentage pricing, citing CallRail. It's the model with the biggest built-in conflict.

Hybrid: minimum or percentage, whichever is greater. Big Leap, for example, published a $2,500 minimum per platform or a percentage of spend, plus a $1,500 setup fee (last updated 2023). You pay the floor while your budget is small, then the percentage once it grows. A related setup, a flat base fee plus a percentage of spend, is the one WhatConverts calls most common.

Performance-based. The agency is paid per lead or on revenue. HawkSEM lists demo requests and lead form submissions as typical triggers, and in B2B that often rewards lead volume rather than pipeline. If the agency gets paid per form fill, expect a lot of form fills.

Why percentage of spend is a bad fit for most B2B SaaS teams

A percentage fee pays the agency more when you spend more, whether or not the extra money is spent well.

In B2B SaaS, a lot of the best work makes spend smaller: cutting search terms that will never buy, excluding job seekers and students, fixing conversion tracking so Google stops optimizing toward junk leads. Under a percentage model, every dollar of waste the agency removes is a pay cut for them.

The fee also climbs without the work changing. Managing a $50,000 account well takes more judgment than a $10,000 one, but rarely five times the hours.

PPC management pricing by monthly ad spend

Here is what each model costs at common B2B SaaS budgets. The percentage columns are simple math on the published ranges above, before any minimums.

Management fees only, ad spend not included. Flat retainers typically run $1,500 to $10,000 a month. Ranges from WhatConverts and Nutshell, checked October 2026.

At low spend, percentage pricing looks cheap, which is why many agencies add a minimum. At $100,000 a month, a 20% to 30% fee runs $20,000 to $30,000, two to three times the top of the flat range, for an account that rarely takes twice the work.

Freelancers can be cheaper, though Nutshell notes their rates can be similar to an agency's. A freelancer can work for one small search account, but rarely covers tracking, CRM reporting and a second channel.

What's included at each price point

Compare fees only alongside scope. When you look at quotes, check who does the work and what they own. The ranges below are what we typically see in B2B SaaS quotes, not published benchmarks.

Under $2,500 a month. Usually a freelancer or a junior-led agency package. Expect campaign upkeep, bid and budget changes, and a platform report. Tracking fixes, landing pages and CRM work are often extra or missing.

$2,500 to $5,000 a month. The range where one channel can be run properly by an experienced person. This should include campaign builds, ongoing search-term and negative keyword work, ad testing, conversion tracking oversight, and a monthly review with someone who actually works in the account.

$5,000 to $10,000 a month. Two or more channels, typically Google Ads plus LinkedIn Ads for B2B. On top of the above, look for one measurement plan across channels, budget planning between them, and reporting tied to pipeline in your CRM rather than platform clicks.

Over $10,000 a month. All channels, full attribution, and more frequent strategy time. At this level you should have direct access to the most senior person on the account.

Whatever the price, the basics for B2B SaaS are the same. Someone should be reviewing search terms every month, conversions should flow back from your CRM (here's how we set up offline conversions), and you should be able to see cost per opportunity, not only cost per lead.

Red flags in agency pricing

• A percentage fee with no cap. Ask what happens to the fee if you double spend. If the work doesn't double, the fee shouldn't either.
• Long contracts before any results. Six- and twelve-month lock-ins protect the agency. Month-to-month terms let you leave if the results don't come.
• A senior person in the pitch and a junior person in the account. Ask who will log in each week, and ask to meet them before you sign.
• Reporting that stops at leads or clicks. WhatConverts cites one agency's audit of an account reporting $45 per lead where only about 3% of leads became customers, a true cost past $1,500 per deal. If the agency can't connect spend to pipeline, you can't judge whether the fee is worth it.
• Setup fees with no deliverable. A setup fee is fair when it buys a tracking audit and a rebuild. Ask what you get for it.
• You don't own the ad account. The account, the data and the history should stay with you if you leave.

How to compare PPC management quotes

1. Convert every quote to a monthly dollar figure at your real budget. "15% of spend" means nothing until you multiply it. Run it at today's budget and at the budget you plan to reach in a year.
2. List the channels and the work included. Search terms, tracking, landing pages, creative, CRM reporting. Missing items are future add-ons.
3. Ask who does the work. Name, seniority, and how many other accounts that person runs.
4. Ask what the report shows. You want spend, pipeline and cost per opportunity in one view.
5. Check the exit terms. Notice period, account ownership, and whether you keep the tracking setup.

If you're comparing agencies too, our list of the best Google Ads agencies for B2B covers who each one fits and what each publishes about pricing.

How Tilt Metrics prices PPC management

We charge for the scope, not a percentage of your ad budget. Our pricing is published on our site:

Tilt Metrics pricing as published on tiltmetrics.com, October 2026.

Tracking work is separate when it's needed: a measurement plan, conversion setup and QA is $1,850 as a project or an extra $750 a month.

The same senior person runs your account every month, and reporting ties spend to pipeline in your CRM. Because the fee isn't a share of your spend, cutting waste never cuts our fee.

If you're not sure what scope you need, get a free account review. A senior operator goes through your account, shows you what is capping results, and walks you through the fixes live.

FAQ

How much does PPC management cost per month?

Most agencies charge $1,500 to $10,000 a month as a flat fee, or 10% to 30% of ad spend. For B2B SaaS teams spending $10,000 to $50,000 a month on ads, expect about $1,000 to $15,000 a month depending on the pricing model. That's the fee only. For the ad spend itself, see our breakdown of the cost of Google Ads for B2B SaaS.

Is pay per click management pricing different for B2B?

The pricing models are the same, but the scope is usually bigger. B2B accounts need CRM-connected conversion tracking, tighter search-term control and often LinkedIn Ads, so cheap packages built for local or ecommerce accounts tend to leave out the work that matters most.

What percentage of ad spend do PPC agencies charge?

Usually 10% to 30%, often with a monthly minimum. Whatever the rate, the dollar fee grows with your budget.

Do PPC agencies charge a setup fee?

Many do. Big Leap, for example, listed a one-time setup fee of $1,500 alongside its monthly retainer (2023). A setup fee is reasonable when it pays for a tracking audit and a campaign rebuild.

Should I pay a flat fee or a percentage of ad spend?

For most B2B SaaS teams, a flat fee tied to scope is the better deal. It keeps the agency focused on pipeline rather than spend, and your costs stay predictable as the budget grows.