ChatGPT Ads UK: We’re Testing Them Against Meta Ads for 30 Days
Last updated: 27 August 2026
ChatGPT ads are now live in the UK.
So naturally, we’ve started spending money on them.
Not loads. We’re not completely reckless.
We’ve launched a 30-day test for Hussell Up using:
£150 on ChatGPT Ads
£350 on Meta Ads
Same business. Same offer. Same goal.
We want to find out which platform produces better leads.
If any.
That’s the glamorous reality of paid advertising.
What are ChatGPT Ads?
ChatGPT Ads are paid placements shown within ChatGPT.
OpenAI has launched a self-serve Ads Manager Beta where businesses can create campaigns, set budgets, run ads and track performance including impressions, clicks, spend, CPC, CPM and conversions.
The UK is now one of the countries where Ads Manager is available.
The important bit, though, is where the advert appears.
Unlike a Meta ad that catches someone while they’re scrolling Instagram or Facebook, a ChatGPT ad can appear while someone is actively researching or discussing something relevant to your business.
That’s what got my attention.
How are ChatGPT Ads different to Meta Ads?
Meta advertising is largely interruption-based.
Someone might be watching Reels, looking at photos or checking Facebook and your advert appears in front of them.
That can work incredibly well.
But ChatGPT has the potential to catch someone at a different stage.
Imagine someone is already asking:
“How do I get more leads for my construction business?”
“Should I outsource my social media?”
“What should I spend on advertising?”
They’re already thinking about the problem.
You’re not trying to make them care about it.
That difference in intent is what we’re interested in testing.
OpenAI currently lets advertisers choose campaign objectives including CPM, CPC and conversion-optimised CPC campaigns.
Conversion campaigns can optimise towards actions that happen after someone clicks an advert.
Our ChatGPT Ads test
We launched our first Hussell Up ChatGPT campaign on 27 August 2026.
Here’s the setup.
| ChatGPT Ads | Meta Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Test period | 30 days | 30 days |
| Budget | £150 | £350 |
| Business | Hussell Up | Hussell Up |
| Goal | Generate leads | Generate leads |
We’re deliberately starting small.
I don’t want to spend £1,000 proving something doesn’t work when £150 can tell us enough to decide whether it deserves more attention.
Our first ChatGPT Ads results
Within the first day, our campaign had generated:
7,888 impressions
49 clicks
£1.75 average cost per click
That’s encouraging.
But it also doesn’t mean much yet.
Clicks are easy to get excited about when you work in marketing.
Customers are slightly more useful.
So we’ve also installed the OpenAI Pixel on our website and set up a lead conversion event.
That means we can track whether someone clicks our ChatGPT ad and then actually submits an enquiry.
OpenAI’s conversion measurement can attribute actions such as lead submissions, registrations and purchases back to eligible ad clicks when the relevant tracking is installed.
That’s the number I’m interested in next.
How much do ChatGPT Ads cost?
There isn’t one fixed cost for ChatGPT advertising.
The amount you pay depends on the campaign objective, bidding, audience, delivery and how people interact with the ads.
In our first Hussell Up test, the average CPC on day one was £1.75.
Whether that’s cheap or expensive depends entirely on what happens afterwards.
If we spend £20 and get a good lead, brilliant.
If we spend £20 and get 12 people who click around for 30 seconds and disappear, less brilliant.
That’s why cost per lead will matter far more to us than cost per click.
Are ChatGPT Ads better than Meta Ads?
We don’t know yet.
And I’d be wary of anyone confidently telling you they do.
ChatGPT Ads are still in beta and OpenAI says the platform, delivery systems, ad formats and optimisation tools will continue changing as it develops.
That’s exactly why we’re running both platforms at the same time.
Over the next 30 days we’ll compare:
cost per click
number of enquiries
cost per lead
quality of those leads
booked conversations
actual customers
One platform might produce cheaper clicks.
Another might produce fewer clicks but much better enquiries.
The winner is the one that produces business.
Could ChatGPT Ads be a big opportunity for businesses?
Potentially.
It’s far too early to call ChatGPT Ads the next Meta or Google Ads.
But early advertising platforms are always interesting.
Businesses that understood Google Ads early had a big advantage.
The same happened with Facebook and Instagram advertising.
When a new paid channel opens, there can be a period where competition is lower and the businesses prepared to test it learn faster than everyone else.
ChatGPT Ads could be one of those opportunities.
Possibly one of the biggest new paid advertising opportunities we’ve seen since Meta.
Or it could be massively overhyped.
Give me 30 days and I’ll tell you which.
Are ChatGPT Ads worth testing for small businesses?
Right now, I think they’re worth watching and testing carefully, rather than throwing a huge budget at.
The platform is still developing.
There isn’t years of benchmark data.
And most businesses won’t yet know what a “good” ChatGPT Ads campaign looks like.
That can be a downside.
It can also be the opportunity.
We’re using our own business as the test first.
If the leads are good, we’ll put more money into it.
If the numbers continue to make sense, we’ll start looking at how ChatGPT Ads could sit alongside Meta advertising for Hussell Up clients too.
If it’s rubbish, at least we’ve spent our own £150 finding that out first.
ChatGPT Ads FAQ
Are ChatGPT Ads available in the UK?
Yes. OpenAI Ads Manager is currently available to advertisers in the United Kingdom.
Can you track leads from ChatGPT Ads?
Yes. OpenAI supports conversion measurement through its JavaScript Pixel and Conversions API. Advertisers can track actions including lead submissions after someone clicks an eligible ad.
What can you measure in ChatGPT Ads Manager?
OpenAI currently reports impressions, clicks, spend, CTR, average CPC, average CPM and conversions when conversion measurement has been configured.
What campaign types are available?
ChatGPT Ads Manager currently supports CPM, CPC and conversion-optimised CPC objectives.
How much are we spending on ChatGPT Ads?
For this first Hussell Up test, we’ve capped the ChatGPT campaign at £150 over 30 days and are comparing it with £350 of Meta spend.
Are ChatGPT Ads better than Meta Ads?
Too early to say.
That’s the entire point of this test.
We’ll update this article as the campaign runs and share what happens after 7, 14 and 30 days.
What about content days?
Not every business is ready for full social media management straight away.
That is where content days can work really well.
A content day gives you a lower-risk way to see what professional social content can look like for your business.
You get proper creative direction, planned shots, stronger visuals and content that can be used across your social media, website, email marketing and wider brand.
For some businesses, a content day is the first step.
It allows you to see the quality, test the content and understand what is possible before committing to ongoing management.
For others, content days are part of a wider monthly package because fresh, high-quality content is what keeps the account moving.
Follow our 30-day ChatGPT Ads test
I’ll keep updating this page with the actual results as they come in.
Not just impressions and clicks.
I want to know whether ChatGPT Ads produce proper enquiries, what those leads cost and whether they’re any better than the ones we get through Meta.
If you want the results without having to keep checking back, join the Hussell Up email list.
I’ll share what we find and whether I think ChatGPT Ads are actually worth your attention.
