2026 Benchmarks
Marketing Budget Benchmarks by Stage
By Michael Bloom, Editor · Updated October 17, 2026 · 7 min read
Quick Answer
Companies spent an average of 7.8% of revenue on marketing in 2026 (Gartner, $1B+ companies) and 9.0% across a broader mix of U.S. companies (The CMO Survey). Private B2B SaaS companies spend a median 8% of ARR (SaaS Capital). Early-stage companies spend a larger share: plan on a fixed budget before product-market fit, then roughly 12-20% of revenue at Series A, 9-14% at Series B, and 7-11% at Series C and beyond.
Planning Ranges by Stage
| Stage | Revenue | Marketing budget | Typical monthly | Marketing leadership | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-seed and Seed | Under $1M | Fixed budget, not % of revenue | $5K-$30K/mo all-in | Founder-led, plus freelancers or a fractional CMO for 4-8 hrs/wk | Find one or two channels that work; learn CAC and conversion before scaling. |
| Series A | $1M-$5M | 12-20% of revenue | $10K-$80K/mo | Fractional CMO plus 1-3 hires | Turn the working channel into a repeatable engine; add measurement and a second channel. |
| Series B | $5M-$25M | 9-14% of revenue | $40K-$290K/mo | VP Marketing or full-time CMO; fractional CMO as bridge | Scale channels, build product marketing and brand, specialize the team. |
| Series C and scale-up | $25M-$100M | 7-11% of revenue | $150K-$900K/mo | Full-time CMO with directors per function | Efficiency at scale, brand investment, new segments and geographies. |
| Enterprise | $1B+ | ~7.8% of revenue (Gartner) | Varies | CMO with full org | Portfolio allocation across brand, demand, and technology. |
Stage ranges are RankedCMO planning guidance for venture-backed companies, informed by the published benchmarks below. Bootstrapped and PE-backed companies typically spend less; companies racing a funded competitor often spend more.
Published 2026 Benchmarks
7.8% of company revenue
Up from 7.7% in 2025. Sample: 401 senior marketers at companies with $1B+ revenue in the U.S. and Europe.
The CMO Survey (January 2026)
9.0% of company revenue
Broader mix of U.S. companies, including smaller firms, which tend to spend a higher share of revenue.
SaaS Capital 2026 spending benchmarks
8% of ARR on marketing (median)
Private B2B SaaS companies, 1,000+ respondents. Separate median of 15% of ARR on sales.
Benchmarkit
~14% of revenue under $5M ARR, ~4% above $150M ARR
Marketing spend as a share of revenue falls as SaaS companies scale. VC-backed companies spend more on combined sales and marketing (about 47% of revenue) than PE-backed (about 33%).
Setting the Budget: Revenue Percent vs. Unit Economics
A percent of revenue is a sanity check, not a plan. The budget that actually holds up is built from the bottom: how many new customers or pipeline dollars you need, what each costs to acquire, and how fast that cost pays back. B2B SaaS companies typically plan against pipeline coverage and CAC payback (commonly 12-24 months). DTC brands plan against first-order or 90-day contribution margin and payback (commonly under 6 months for consumables, under 12 months for subscription brands with strong retention).
Then split the total across three buckets: people (team, contractors, fractional leadership), programs (paid media, content, events, agencies), and technology. Early-stage companies often over-invest in people relative to programs; a fractional CMO plus agencies or freelancers keeps more of the budget in programs until a channel is proven.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a startup spend on marketing?▾
Before product-market fit, set a fixed monthly budget ($5K-$30K all-in at seed) rather than a percent of revenue, and spend it learning which channels work. After product-market fit, typical planning ranges are 12-20% of revenue at Series A, 9-14% at Series B, and 7-11% at Series C and beyond. For reference, the 2026 benchmarks are 7.8% of revenue at large companies (Gartner), 9.0% across a broad mix of U.S. companies (The CMO Survey), and a median 8% of ARR for private B2B SaaS (SaaS Capital).
What percent of revenue should go to marketing?▾
Across companies, the 2026 averages land between 7.8% (Gartner, $1B+ revenue companies) and 9.0% (The CMO Survey). Smaller and faster-growing companies spend a higher share: Benchmarkit data shows SaaS marketing spend around 14% of revenue under $5M ARR falling to about 4% above $150M ARR. Your right number depends on growth targets, gross margin, and how fast acquisition pays back.
How should a DTC brand set its marketing budget?▾
Work backward from unit economics rather than a revenue percentage. Multiply the new customers you need by your target customer acquisition cost, then check that CAC pays back inside your limit, commonly under 6 months for consumables and under 12 months for subscription brands with strong retention. Growth-stage DTC brands often spend 15-30% of revenue on marketing because paid acquisition is the main growth channel, but that only works while contribution margin and payback hold up.
Does the marketing budget include salaries?▾
In most benchmarks, yes. Marketing budget usually includes people (salaries, contractors, fractional leaders), programs (paid media, events, content, agencies), and technology (martech and data). When comparing to a benchmark, check whether it reports total marketing budget or program spend only, because the difference is large.
Where does a fractional CMO fit in the budget?▾
A fractional CMO typically costs $5,000-$15,000 per month, compared with $325,000-$650,000 in annual total compensation for a full-time CMO. At seed and Series A that difference usually funds one or two execution hires or a meaningful paid media test. See the fractional CMO cost guide for stage and industry ranges.
How much of the marketing budget goes to AI?▾
Gartner's 2026 CMO Spend Survey found CMOs allocate an average of 15.3% of marketing budgets to AI, though only about 30% of organizations say they are ready to scale AI capabilities.
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