23 Sep How to Set Your Meta Ads Budget: Daily vs. Lifetime Explained
How to Set Your Meta Ads Budget: Daily vs. Lifetime Explained
One of the most common questions advertisers ask is: “How should I set my Meta ads budget?”
Should you choose a daily budget or a lifetime budget? The answer depends on your goals, campaign structure, and how much control you want over adjustments.
In this guide, I’ll break down the difference between the two options, the pros and cons of each, and when to use them — so you can maximize your ad performance without wasting budget.
Daily Budget vs. Lifetime Budget: What’s the Difference?
Daily Budget
A daily budget is the average amount you’re willing to spend each day.
- Example: If you set $20/day, Meta Ads Manager will try to spend close to that daily.
- It gives you flexibility to increase or decrease your spend whenever you see fit.
Lifetime Budget
A lifetime budget is the total amount you want to spend over a fixed period.
- Example: $100 over 10 days = Meta will spread spending across those 10 days.
- It allows ad scheduling (e.g., only running ads Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.).
When to Use Daily Budget
Daily budget is often the better choice if:
- You want flexibility to scale quickly when performance looks good.
- You prefer simple adjustments without recalculating totals.
- You want to avoid interrupting Meta’s learning phase when changing spend.
For example: If your campaign performs well after 3 days, you can easily increase your daily spend from $20 to $30 without disrupting performance.
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When to Use Lifetime Budget
Lifetime budget is useful if:
- You want full control over ad scheduling (e.g., only weekdays, specific hours).
- Your campaign has a fixed duration (event promotions, product launches).
- You don’t plan to change the budget frequently.
Warning: Changing a lifetime budget midway (e.g., extending 10 days to 20) can reset the learning phase and hurt performance. Use this option carefully.
Which Budget Type Should You Choose?
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Feature | Daily Budget | Lifetime Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility to scale | High | Low |
| Best for testing | Yes | No |
| Ad scheduling | No | Yes |
| Risk of disruption | Low | High |
| Use case | Ongoing campaigns | Fixed-duration promos |
Recommendation: If you’re testing campaigns, scaling, or running always-on ads — go with daily budget.
If you’re running a limited-time promo with strict timing, lifetime budget makes sense.
Final Thoughts
Choosing between daily and lifetime budgets in Meta Ads isn’t just a technical setting — it affects how your campaigns learn, optimize, and scale.
- Daily budget = flexibility, easier scaling, better for long-term campaigns.
- Lifetime budget = control over timing, better for fixed promotions.
If you’re unsure which option fits your business, start with daily budget to keep things simple and adaptable.
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