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Reddit Ads budget calculator for Steam games

Check clicks, possible wishlists, break-even cost, and sales needed before running a small Reddit Ads test.

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Updated 26 June 2026

Free estimator

Indie game ad economics calculator

Check the paid-traffic maths against your actual game price before you spend. If the numbers are ugly, keep the campaign small and treat it as research.

Steam attribution is imperfect. This is a commercial sanity check, not a promise of wishlists or sales.

Estimated clicks

300

Possible wishlists

36

Est. cost / wishlist

£1.67

Net per sale

£10.49

Break-even wishlist

£1.57

Sales to pay back

6

Borderline learning test

This can still be worth running, but the goal should be finding a winning angle before scaling. At this price, you need about 40 wishlists at the assumed conversion rate to recoup £60.

Starter split

Put about £24 into broad learning, £21 behind the clearest early winner, and keep £15 back. If cost per wishlist stays above break-even, stop scaling and change the angle or Steam page.

Turn this into a Reddit test

Planning

Use the calculator to design a readable test

A useful first budget is not about pretending paid traffic will instantly print money. For low-price indie games, the first campaign often buys learning: which player promise gets clicks, which Steam page claims hold up, and whether the numbers are even close enough to test again.

  • Compare estimated cost per wishlist against the likely value of a wishlist.
  • Split budget by campaign angle rather than by random ad variants.
  • Keep a reserve for the strongest early signal.
  • Use UTM links so Steam traffic can be grouped by angle.
  • If the economics are bad, cap spend and improve the Steam page before scaling.

FAQ

Questions this page should answer

What budget should I test first?
Use an amount you can afford to learn from. For many indie games, a small controlled test is more useful than waiting until launch week and spending everything at once.
What CPC should I enter?
Use your own Reddit Ads data if you have it. If not, enter a cautious planning estimate, then update it once your first campaign has real clicks.
Can this predict Steam wishlists?
No. It estimates a planning range from budget, CPC, and a click-to-wishlist assumption. Steam attribution is imperfect, so use the result as a test design aid.
Why does the calculator include game price?
Because many indie games sell at low to mid price points. A wishlist that costs more than its likely net value can still teach you something, but it should not be treated as profitable acquisition.
How should I split the first budget?
Start with multiple angles, keep a reserve, and move budget only after one angle has a cleaner CTR and Steam traffic signal than the others.

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