Paid Search vs Paid Social
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — paid search compared with paid social.
Last revised
Both sit under Paid Media, and clients regularly ask which of the two they actually want. The short answer is below; the rest of this page is how to tell, what each costs, and the cases where a project needs both.
What each one is
- Paid Search Search advertising on Google and Microsoft Ads, from keywords and bidding to ad copy and landing pages, managed for cost per sale.
- Paid Social Advertising on Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok and other social platforms, with creative testing and targeting managed for cost per result.
The numbers
| Paid Search | Paid Social | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | From $2,400.00 per month | From $2,400.00 per month |
| Services underneath | 5 | 4 |
How to decide
Go with Paid Search when
- The job is specifically bid strategy & budget planning, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically Google ads management, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically landing page experience, which sits under this one
Go with Paid Social when
- The job is specifically creative testing & refresh, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically LinkedIn ads management, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically meta ads management, which sits under this one
When a project wants both
Worth knowing: More often than the question implies — the same job frequently touches both, and one team covers them, so moving between them is a conversation rather than a second supplier. If you are not sure which your files need, that is what the free trial is for. The process is the same either way: whichever you pick, the work runs through the same stages and is checked against the same bar. Paid Media sets that out.
Questions we get on this specific choice
Is one of them cheaper?
They start at the same rate, so the choice is about what the job needs rather than about budget. Complexity moves both.
Which is faster?
Much the same, and volume moves the number far more than the choice between these two does.
Can you tell me which one my files need?
Yes, free. Send two or three real files — that judgment is part of the trial rather than something quoted separately.
Can I switch after we start?
Yes. If the files say the other one is the right answer, we re-quote before doing the work rather than after.
Where to go from here
- Paid Search — what it is, in full, with its own pricing
- Paid Social — the same for the alternative
- Paid Media pricing — both rates side by side with the US market ranges
- Try it free — a free expert review of one funnel, and we will tell you which of the two your files need
- Get a quote if the scope is already clear
- Every rate we publish, on one page
