Reddit Ads Minimum Spend: What Budget Do You Need in 2026?

Planning to advertise on Reddit but unsure how much you need to invest? Understanding Reddit's minimum spend requirements is essential before launching your first campaign. This guide breaks down Reddit's official minimums, practical budget recommendations by campaign objective, and strategies for getting results even with limited funds.

Reddit's Official Minimum Requirements

Reddit offers one of the most accessible entry points among major advertising platforms. Here's what you need to know about the official minimums:

Standard Campaign Minimums

For traditional Reddit Ads campaigns, the platform requires:

• Daily budget minimum: $5 per day
• No lifetime budget minimum for standard campaigns
• No setup fees or platform fees

This $5 daily minimum makes Reddit significantly more accessible than platforms like LinkedIn, where effective campaigns typically require $50+ per day.

Max Campaign Minimums (2026)

Reddit's new Max Campaigns (launched January 2026) have different requirements:

• Daily budget minimum: $20 per day
• Lifetime budget minimum: $620

Max Campaigns use AI-powered optimization and have shown 17% lower cost per action and 27% more conversions compared to standard campaigns in beta testing. The higher minimum reflects the need for sufficient data to power the automated optimization.

Practical Minimum for Results

While Reddit technically allows $5/day campaigns, there's a difference between the platform minimum and what you actually need to generate meaningful results.

The Learning Phase Reality

Every advertising platform needs data to optimize. With Reddit Ads:

• Minimum for testing: $5-$10/day can work for initial creative and audience testing
• Minimum for optimization: $50+/day recommended for campaigns to exit the learning phase and gather meaningful data
• Ideal starting budget: $50-$150/day for 7 days to exit learning faster and make data-driven decisions

Why $5/Day Often Falls Short

At $5/day, your campaigns will:

• Take longer to gather statistically significant data
• Struggle to reach multiple subreddits effectively
• Have limited ability to test different creatives
• Generate fewer conversions, making optimization difficult

That said, $5/day can work if you're:

• Testing a single, highly targeted subreddit
• Running awareness campaigns where conversions aren't the primary goal
• Operating in a very low-competition niche

Budget by Campaign Objective

Your minimum budget should vary based on what you're trying to achieve. Here's a practical breakdown:

Brand Awareness Campaigns

Practical minimum: $10-$25/day

Brand awareness campaigns optimize for impressions (CPM), which means you can achieve reach with smaller budgets. Reddit's average CPM ranges from $0.50 to $15.00 depending on targeting, making awareness campaigns budget-friendly.

Traffic Campaigns

Practical minimum: $25-$50/day

Traffic campaigns optimize for clicks (CPC). With Reddit's average CPC of $0.20-$4.00, a $25/day budget can generate 6-125 clicks depending on your targeting and creative quality.

Conversion Campaigns

Practical minimum: $50-$100/day

Conversion campaigns need sufficient volume to:

• Exit the learning phase (typically requires 50+ conversions per week)
• Provide meaningful data for optimization
• Account for the longer attribution windows common in B2B

Reddit recommends maintaining stable campaigns for 14 days following creation or major edits for proper model calibration.

Video View Campaigns

Practical minimum: $10-$30/day

Video campaigns can be cost-effective on Reddit, with cost per video view often under $0.10. This makes video an excellent option for brands with limited budgets.

Small Budget Strategies

Working with a tight budget? Here's how to maximize your Reddit advertising impact:

1. Start with Laser-Focused Targeting

Instead of broad targeting, identify 2-3 highly relevant subreddits where your audience actively engages. Subreddit targeting often delivers:

• Lower CPCs due to higher relevance
• Better engagement from genuinely interested users
• More actionable data for optimization

2. Use a Single Ad Group Approach

At budgets under $50/day, keep your campaign structure simple:

• One campaign
• One ad group
• 2-3 creative variations maximum

This concentrates your budget and helps you gather meaningful data faster.

3. Test Before Scaling

Use your initial budget for hypothesis testing:

• Week 1: Test 2-3 different ad creatives at $10/day
• Week 2: Double down on winners at $20-30/day
• Week 3+: Scale what works to $50+/day

4. Optimize for Lower-Funnel Events First

If conversions are your goal but budget is limited, consider optimizing for mid-funnel actions first:

• Add to cart
• Form starts
• Key page views

These events occur more frequently, giving the algorithm more data to learn from.

5. Time Your Campaigns Strategically

Reddit engagement varies by day and time. For small budgets:

• Focus ad delivery during peak engagement hours (evenings and weekends for most B2C, business hours for B2B)
• Pause campaigns during low-engagement periods to preserve budget

Reddit Budget vs. Other Platforms

How does Reddit's minimum spend compare to alternatives?

Platform	Minimum Daily Budget	Recommended Daily Budget	Average CPC
Reddit Ads	$5	$50+	$0.20-$4.00
Google Ads	$1	$10-$20+	$1-$2 (Search), $0.50-$1 (Display)
Facebook/Instagram	$1	$5-$10+	$0.50-$2.00
LinkedIn Ads	$10	$50+	$8-$10+
TikTok Ads	$20 (campaign), $1 (ad group)	$50+	$0.50-$2.00

Reddit's combination of low minimums and competitive CPCs makes it particularly attractive for:

• Small businesses testing paid social
• Startups with limited marketing budgets
• Brands targeting niche audiences

For B2B advertisers especially, Reddit offers significantly lower CPCs ($0.50-$2.00) compared to LinkedIn's $8-$10+ for similar professional audiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the absolute minimum I can spend on Reddit Ads?

Reddit's official minimum is $5 per day for standard campaigns. For Max Campaigns (the new AI-optimized format), the minimum is $20 per day or $620 for lifetime budgets.

Is $5/day enough for Reddit Ads to work?

While $5/day meets Reddit's minimum, most advertisers find that $50+/day delivers better results. At $5/day, you'll gather data slowly and may struggle to exit the learning phase. That said, $5/day can work for highly targeted subreddit campaigns or brand awareness objectives.

How much should I budget for my first Reddit Ads test?

For a meaningful first test, budget $50-$100/day for at least 7-14 days. This provides enough data to evaluate performance and optimize. A total test budget of $350-$1,400 gives you actionable insights.

Do Reddit Ads have any hidden fees?

No. Reddit doesn't charge setup fees, platform fees, or account management fees for self-serve advertising. You only pay for the ad delivery based on your chosen pricing model (CPM, CPC, or CPV).

What's the best bidding strategy for small budgets?

For small budgets, start with automatic bidding to let Reddit's algorithm optimize delivery. Once you have conversion data (50+ events), you can switch to target CPA bidding for more control.

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Key Takeaways

• Reddit's official minimum is $5/day for standard campaigns, $20/day for Max Campaigns
• $50+/day is recommended for meaningful optimization and results
• Campaign objective matters: awareness campaigns work at lower budgets than conversion campaigns
• Small budget strategies include focused subreddit targeting, simple campaign structures, and strategic timing
• Reddit offers competitive CPCs ($0.20-$4.00) compared to other platforms, making it budget-friendly

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