A Facebook ads agency costs most small businesses between £300 and £1,500 a month in the UK and between $500 and $1,500 a month in the US, going by guides published in 2026. That is the fee for the people. What you pay Meta for the ads is a separate bill on top. Whether the fee is worth it depends almost entirely on how large it is next to your ad budget.
What do agencies and freelancers charge in 2026?#
| Who | Published fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UK agency | £300 to £1,500 a month, or 10% to 20% of ad spend | Whito, September 2026 |
| UK agency | Most retainers £1,000 a month, up to £10,000 for the largest clients | The Social Shepherd, March 2026 |
| One UK agency's own price | £2,500 a month for ad budgets under £20,000 a month, then 10% of ad spend | The Social Shepherd, March 2026 |
| UK freelance paid social specialist | £335 a day on average | YunoJuno contractor rates, 2025 data |
| US freelancer or small agency | $500 to $1,500 a month for basic management | Clicks Geek, April 2026 |
| US mid-range agency | $1,500 to $4,000 a month | Clicks Geek, April 2026 |
| One large US agency's own price | $975 a month or 15% of ad spend, whichever is greater, with $1,975 in the first month | WebFX, 2026 |
The guides do not state the data behind their ranges. The two agencies' own prices are facts about those two firms. Treat the rest as what agencies say agencies charge.
The three ways an agency prices#
- A flat monthly retainer. The same fee whatever you spend on ads. Common for small accounts.
- A percentage of ad spend. Whito gives 10% to 20% in the UK. Clicks Geek gives 15% to 20% in the US, falling on larger budgets: its example is 20% on $2,000 a month and 12% on $20,000.
- A base fee plus a percentage. Clicks Geek's example is $1,500 a month plus 10% of ad spend above $5,000.
Ask about two more costs. The Social Shepherd says a setup fee is common, usually a flat amount on the first invoice. WebFX's published plan charges $1,975 in the first month against $975 after. And ask about the contract. Clicks Geek warns about contracts that lock you in for 6 to 12 months and suggests looking for a 30 to 60 day cancellation clause.
What share of your money goes on the fee?#
This is the sum that matters for a small business. The fee column uses the low and middle of the published UK range.
| Monthly ad budget | Fee | Total you pay | Share that is fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| £300 | £300 | £600 | 50% |
| £500 | £500 | £1,000 | 50% |
| £1,000 | £500 | £1,500 | 33% |
| £1,000 | £1,000 | £2,000 | 50% |
| £3,000 | £1,000 | £4,000 | 25% |
| £10,000 | £1,500 | £11,500 | 13% |
The same arithmetic holds in dollars. At WebFX's published minimum of $975 a month, an ad budget of $1,000 means half of what you pay goes on the fee, and at $5,000 it is 16%.
Whito puts it in one sentence: if you spend less than £500 a month on ads, an agency fee of £500 means you pay more for management than for ads. The Social Shepherd, an agency itself, suggests that new businesses plan to spend at least £3,000 a month on ads before they hire one.
So the published advice gives a rough rule.
- Under about £500 or $500 a month of ads. A retainer is hard to justify. Do it yourself, or use a tool that costs little.
- £500 to about £3,000. A freelancer for a few days, or a tool, fits better than a full retainer.
- Above about £3,000. A fee of £1,000 is a quarter of the total or less, and a good agency can earn it.
What does the fee buy?#
A person who is responsible for the plan. That usually covers the setup, the targeting, the weekly changes and a report. Often it also covers writing the ads. Photos and video are sometimes included and sometimes extra, so ask.
It does not buy the ad budget, and it does not buy answering your enquiries. Nobody can sell you a guaranteed result either.
Before you sign, ask three things.
- Whose ad account will the ads run in? It should be your own, with the agency added as a partner. If they run ads from their account, you lose the history when you leave.
- Who pays Meta? Usually you, on your own card. Confirm it.
- What is the notice period? And what is handed over at the end.
What does a freelancer cost by the day?#
YunoJuno, a UK marketplace for contractors, lists an average day rate of £335 for a paid social specialist in its 2025 figures. A freelancer who spends two days setting up and one day a month looking after the account would cost about £670 at the start and £335 a month after, at that rate. The split into days is our example, not YunoJuno's. For a budget between £500 and £3,000 this is often the better fit.
The alternatives to paying a person#
- Do it yourself. No fee, and a few hours a week. The path is in How to run Facebook ads without an agency.
- Meta's own automation. Free, and for many small budgets enough. See Madder or Meta's own tools.
- An AI tool. Published prices run from about $30 to $350 a month. The list is in Which AI ads tool fits a small business?.
The three routes side by side, with who decides what, are in Agency, DIY or an AI agent.
Where Madder fits#
Madder is an AI agent that runs Facebook and Instagram ads for a small business with no marketer and no agency. It does the part of an agency's work that is setup and routine. It reads your page, drafts the campaign, builds ads from photos you upload, creates the campaign in your own Meta ad account once you approve, and can check it every day.
It is not an agency. It does not make your photos, and nobody at Madder answers for your results. It works with Meta only and aims a campaign at a whole country, not a town. It is free during early access. It will be paid later and the price is not set, so we cannot tell you yet how it will compare with the fees above. See What Madder costs.
Questions people ask#
How much does a Facebook ads agency cost per month in the UK?
Guides published in 2026 put it at £300 to £1,500 a month (Whito), with most retainers at about £1,000 and prices up to £10,000 for the largest clients (The Social Shepherd). Percentage fees are 10% to 20% of ad spend. The ad budget is on top.
How much does Facebook ads management cost in the US?
An April 2026 guide puts basic management by a freelancer or a small agency at $500 to $1,500 a month and a fuller service at $1,500 to $4,000. One large agency, WebFX, publishes $975 a month or 15% of ad spend, whichever is greater.
Is a Facebook ads agency worth it for a small business?
It depends on the ad budget. Below about £500 a month the fee is as large as the ads. One UK agency suggests hiring from about £3,000 a month of ad spend, where a £1,000 fee is a quarter of the total.
What percentage of ad spend do agencies charge?
Published figures for 2026 run from 10% to 20%, with lower percentages on larger budgets. Many agencies set a minimum monthly fee as well.
Do I pay the agency for the ads too?
Usually not. You pay Meta for the ads from your own ad account and pay the agency its fee separately. Confirm it in the contract.