Acquisition · Advertising profit
ROAS vs POAS: revenue or profit?
ROAS measures revenue attributed to advertising. POAS places ad spend against profit.
- Updated
- July 23, 2026
- Reading time
- 6 min
Short answer
Short answer
ROAS divides attributed revenue by ad spend. POAS divides the selected attributable profit by that spend. They are complementary but answer different questions.
Key points
- High ROAS does not guarantee positive margin.
- POAS depends on complete cost data.
- State the attribution model before comparing.
Two formulas, two views
ROAS compares attributed revenue with budget but ignores product economics.
POAS adds margin. Campaigns with the same ROAS can have different outcomes.
- ROAS = attributed revenue ÷ ad spend.
- POAS = attributable profit ÷ ad spend.
- State the model and attribution window.
Choose the metric for the decision
Use ROAS to read media revenue; add POAS and break-even for margin decisions.
Before cutting a campaign, inspect direct sales, missing signals and conversion delay.
- Media view: ROAS and attributed revenue.
- Economic view: POAS, margin and break-even.
- Final decision: combine coverage and profit.
Sources and method
External definitions link to primary sources. Statements about Scaliente reflect behavior verified in the product.
From theory to your numbers
Compare acquisition and profit
Ads Insights brings spend, attributed revenue, ROAS, margin and profit into one view.
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