Facebook or Google advertising: which one when, with prices from 98 quotes
Google when people are already searching for the service; Facebook and Instagram when the product is sold with a photo and people are not searching yet. Our management costs 250-2 500 € based on 98 of our quotes, while the platform budget is separate.
For companies choosing where to advertise and wanting to know what brings customers, not clicks.
Владислав БарковManaging Director· Updated Google when people are already searching for your service using specific terms and there is a page to send them to: the ad appears at the moment of the search and you pay per click. Facebook and Instagram when the product is sold with a photo or video, people do not yet know they are looking for it, or you have a store and customers you want to bring back: the ad is shown based on interests and behaviour, and you pay for impressions. Our management costs €250-€2,500, across 98 of our quotes as of 14 August 2026, for either one, while the platform budget is separate and entirely yours.
We run both for clients, so we do not sell one against the other. Below is a comparison by six criteria, the budget facts from the platforms themselves, when we would not run advertising at all, and which works for which clients.
Facebook and Instagram
Shows the ad to people who are not yet searching for the service, based on interests, age, area and behaviour. It wins when the product is sold with a photo and video, and when you bring back people who have already visited the site.
Google Ads
Shows the ad to people who are currently searching for the service. It wins for services people search for using specific terms, and when there is a page for that exact service.
Comparison by criteria
| Criterion | Facebook and Instagram | Google Ads | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sees the ad | People based on their interests, age, area and behaviour | People who are currently searching for the service, using keywords | Google for active searches |
| What makes the difference | The image, video and offer; the text comes second | The keywords, ad copy and the page the ad leads to | Different skills and different materials |
| How you pay | A daily or total budget of your choice; Meta recommends at least 5 US$ per day and may spend up to 75 % above the daily budget on a particular day | A budget entirely of your choice, with charges per click, not exceeding the monthly limit | Both: the budget is yours |
| Bringing visitors back | Ads shown to people who have already visited the website or made purchases, featuring the products they viewed | Ads for visitors across the Google network | Facebook and Instagram for an online store |
| Enquiries without a website | An enquiry form within the ad itself, with a name and phone number that you receive immediately | There must be a page for the ad to lead to | Facebook for a company without a page for the service |
| What is measured | Enquiries and sales attributed to the ad, with a pixel on the website and a connection to the server | Calls and forms by campaign and keyword | By enquiries and sales, not cost per click |
Ready-made products our clients weigh up
The facts come from each product's public page, read on the date next to the link. A figure we could not read there is not included on the page.
| Product | What it is and how you pay | Who it is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook and Instagram (Meta) | The advertising is launched through Meta with a daily or total budget of your choice. On its own page, Meta recommends starting with at least 5 US$ per day and running the campaign for more than six days, while the daily budget is an average amount that can be exceeded by up to 75 % on a particular day. | A product that sells through an image, a store with returning customers, or a company that wants enquiries through a form in the ad without having a page for it. | Meta for business, advertising budget as of 14 October 2026 |
| Google Ads | The ad is shown when people search. According to Google's help centre, the budget is entirely yours, can be changed whenever you decide, and you will not be charged more than the monthly limit. | A service that people search for using specific terms, with a page for it and a phone that someone answers. | Google Ads help, budget and billing as of 14 October 2026 |
When we would not run advertising at all
When there is nothing to show: no product photos, no service page, no clear price or offer, the advertising spends the budget on clicks that do not turn into calls. When no one is available to respond to enquiries the same day: the Facebook form brings a name and phone number, and an enquiry answered three days later is a paid contact with no result. When the product margin is lower than the cost of one enquiry: we calculate this before launch using the client's figures, and if the numbers do not work, we say so.
Both platforms can suspend an advertising account for breaking their rules. That is why the page and profile must be genuine, with a company and address, and why we keep the accounts in the client's name, not ours.
What we do for our clients
For Akbari Perfume, an online store for niche perfumes, we have been running Facebook and Instagram advertising since October 2025: the ad shows the perfume with a photo to people based on their interests and brings back those who viewed a product without buying. We report on sales against spend, using the store's pixel and a server connection, so the sale is tracked even when the browser hides it.
For Dobrite Hamali, a removals service in Sofia, the advertising runs on Google: nobody decides to move because they saw a Facebook ad, but everyone who is moving searches for “hamali Sofia” at a specific time. There, the advertising runs only on Google, with a website that calculates the price and tracks calls.
For Vida Luxe, an aesthetic clinic, the work on Facebook and Instagram starts with the posts before the advertising: a service chosen visually is sold with photos and video, and advertising built around them is the next step, not the first.
How to compare the cost
Not by cost per click. A Facebook click is cheaper because the person was not searching for anything; a Google click is more expensive because they were searching for exactly that. The figure that matters is the cost of one enquiry or one sale: the monthly budget plus management, €250-€2,500 with us, divided by the enquiries someone actually received and processed.
The two platforms also work together: Google captures people who are searching, while Facebook and Instagram bring site visitors back and show the product to people who are not searching yet. For a store, this is the usual sequence; for a service people search for, Google comes first.
Real systems and solutions you can open
Niche perfume store: over 70 creatives, campaigns by season and fragrance, server-side tracking and revenue-based reporting rather than click-based reporting, since October 2025.
Aesthetic clinic: a service chosen visually, with posts that the advertising builds on.
A service people search for: the advertising runs on Google, while the website calculates the price and tracks calls.
Facebook and Instagram if:
- your product is sold with a photo or video
- people do not yet know they need the service
- you have an online store and customers to bring back
- you want enquiries through a form, without a service page
Google Ads, if:
- people are already searching for your service using specific terms
- you have a clear service and a page for it
- the service is urgent: tyre changes, removals, locksmith services
Next step
Considering “Facebook and Instagram advertising”? Describe what you need.
You describe the project, we come back with questions and a price range, then a demo and a written proposal.
Frequently asked questions
Which one brings in more customers?
It depends on the service. A service people search for brings customers from Google; a product sold with a photo brings them from Facebook and Instagram. Compare them by enquiries and sales, not by cost per click, which is always lower on Facebook.
Can they work together?
Yes. Google captures people who are searching, while Facebook and Instagram bring site visitors back and show the product to people who are not searching yet. For a store, this is the usual sequence.
How much does Facebook advertising cost?
Two figures: the budget paid to Meta, which is yours, and our management fee, €250-€2,500 according to our quotes, depending on the number of campaigns and assets. We state both before launch and report on enquiries and sales.
What budget do I need to get started?
Meta recommends at least 5 US$ per day and more than six days, according to its own page. In practice, the budget is calculated from the cost of one enquiry that you want to test: the first month is for data, the second for a decision.
Do I need a website to advertise on Facebook?
Not necessarily. The form in the ad itself collects a name and phone number, which you receive immediately by email or in your system. For product sales, however, you need a store, because without a pixel and server connection, the sale cannot be tracked.
Why is a Facebook click cheaper?
Because the person was not searching for anything: the ad interrupted them. A Google click is more expensive because it comes from a search for that exact service. That is why we compare by enquiries, not clicks.
