Most search ad budgets end up in one of two accounts, Google Ads or Microsoft Advertising, and we run both for clients from our Van Nuys office. Google’s reach is not in question. The part people skip is who uses Microsoft: its own Search Data page says 41% of its US search users have a household income in the top 25%.
Key Takeaways
- Google Ads wins on reach and formats. Its Ads home page lists Search, YouTube, Google Play, Discover, Gmail and the Display Network as places an ad can run.
- Fewer advertisers bid on Microsoft and clicks there often come cheaper, but we found no CPC comparison from either company, so test it in your own account.
- Microsoft ads show on Bing, Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia; its users skew affluent and college-educated, and 54% of the US ones are under 45.
- Only Microsoft targets by LinkedIn profile (company, industry, job function), and its Import tools copy campaigns over from Google Ads, Meta Ads and Pinterest Ads.
- For most advertisers we see, run both: prove the keywords and ad copy on Google first, then import the winners into Microsoft and reset the bids there.
Below are audience, cost and features side by side, with the vendor page behind each claim, so you can see where each platform loses as well as wins.
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads, called Google AdWords before the rename, sells space on the most used search engine in the world and on YouTube, Gmail and Discover. For most businesses it is the first ad account they open, and the one where a sloppy setup costs most, since its auctions are the busiest.
Key Strengths of Google Ads:
- Unmatched Reach: The “Where do Google Ads show up?” answer on ads.google.com lists six places, from Search and YouTube to Gmail.
- Diverse Ad Formats: One account runs Search, Display, YouTube, Demand Gen and Shopping campaigns, so a store can test a product video in the same place it buys keyword clicks.
- Advanced Tools & AI: Its help center calls Smart Bidding “auction-time bidding”; of its AI-driven tools, Performance Max covers all inventory in one campaign.
What is Microsoft Advertising?
Microsoft Advertising was called Bing Ads until its rename, and Bing is still the search engine at the center of it. Its Search ads page says ads also run on partner sites such as Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo and Ecosia. The audience is smaller than Google’s and has a different income and education profile.
Key Strengths of Microsoft Advertising:
- Lower Costs: A keyword like “water heater repair” usually has fewer bidders on Bing than on Google, and the cost per click (CPC) tends to be lower as a result.
- Higher-Quality Audience: Microsoft says 56% of the US users in its B2B segment make business decisions and 30% are senior decision makers, per the Search Data page on its site.
- Better Ad Positions: With fewer rivals in the auction, a modest bid can still reach the top spots on Bing, and the same ads can run on partners such as CBS and Forbes.
Head-to-Head Comparison: Google vs. Microsoft
Reach, audience, click cost and targeting decide where the money should go.
Market Share and Reach
Google has the larger audience by a wide margin, and Microsoft does not pretend otherwise: the Search Data page on its own site, quoting Comscore for June 2026, puts Microsoft at 39% of US desktop searches, about 10 billion a month, and leaves phones out of the table entirely.
Audience Demographics
There is no useful profile of a Google user, since nearly everyone searches there. Microsoft does publish one, and it cuts against the usual line that Bing is for retirees: of its US search users 54% are under 45, while 49% have a college degree and 41% sit in the top quarter of household income. The pitch is money and education, not age.
Cost-Per-Click (CPC) and Competition
Click prices depend on how many advertisers want the same keyword, and Google has more of them for most keywords, so a term like “emergency plumber” usually costs less per click on Bing. Neither company publishes a side-by-side CPC table that we could find, so run the same keywords in both accounts for three or four weeks and compare. For more on budget allocation, read our guide on optimizing your ad spend.
Click-Through Rate (CTR) and Conversion Rates
You will often read that Bing ads get a higher click-through rate (CTR), and with fewer ads on the page that is plausible, but we have not seen Microsoft or Google publish a figure for it. Conversion rate depends far more on your offer and landing page than on the engine.
Platform Features and Targeting
Google tends to ship AI features first and rename them later; in June 2026 “Maximize conversions with a Target CPA” became plain “Target CPA” in Google Ads. Microsoft has caught up on Performance Max and has one targeting option Google can’t match, LinkedIn profile targeting by company, industry or job function, which its Audience targeting page calls unique to Microsoft. Either way, targeting starts with solid understanding keyword research.
Key Differences at a Glance
The table sums it up; the demographics row follows Microsoft’s own figures rather than its reputation.
| Feature | Google Ads | Microsoft Advertising |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Network | Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, Partner Sites | Bing, Yahoo, AOL, DuckDuckGo, Partner Sites |
| Audience Reach | Largest global reach | Smaller, but significant and distinct reach |
| Typical Demographics | Broad, covers all age groups | Affluent, college-educated, B2B-heavy |
| Average CPC | Higher | Lower |
| Competition | Very High | Moderate to Low |
| Key Advantage | Maximum volume and reach | Less competition, LinkedIn targeting |
Conclusion: Which Platform Should You Use?
For most businesses we’d run both, and it is easier to say where each one is the wrong choice. Microsoft is wrong as your only channel if you need volume: the Comscore desktop figures on its own page still put about 61% of US desktop searches elsewhere, and it gives no mobile share. Google is the wrong home for your last bit of budget if you sell to affluent professionals and competitors have already priced your keywords out of reach. That money tends to go further on Bing.
Expert Tip: Launch on Google Ads first and give it enough weeks to show which keywords and headlines bring leads. Then use Microsoft’s Google Import, which lets you change bids and budgets as it copies, and add LinkedIn company or industry targeting where it fits.
Running both only pays when conversions on each are counted the same way, which for us means GA4 plus server-side tracking. If you want help running both, see our PPC campaign management services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Advertising cheaper than Google Ads?
Usually, and the reason is the auction: fewer advertisers bid on the Microsoft Advertising Network, so the same keyword tends to clear at a lower cost per click than it does on Google, and a top position costs less to hold. We have looked for a CPC comparison published by Microsoft or Google and not found one, so the lower price is something to check in your own account over a few weeks.
Should I run ads on both Google and Microsoft?
We run both for most advertisers, because Microsoft’s Search Data page puts its share of US desktop searches at about 39% (Comscore, June 2026), and that is a lot of searchers to leave out. Our order is Google Ads first, to find the keywords and ad copy that bring leads, then Microsoft Advertising, imported from those campaigns. Microsoft alone makes sense mainly when budget is tight and buyers are affluent professionals.
Can I import my Google Ads campaigns into Microsoft Advertising?
Yes. The Import tools page on about.ads.microsoft.com says campaigns can come over from Google Ads, Meta Ads and Pinterest Ads, with separate Google Import guides for Performance Max, Shopping campaigns and Merchant Center feeds. You can bring everything or pick campaigns, and adjust bids and budgets during the import. We still check bids and negative keywords a week later, since Bing auctions price differently from Google’s.
Who should not use Microsoft Advertising?
If you need the largest possible number of searchers from one channel, Microsoft on its own will fall short. Its own Comscore figures are desktop-only and still leave about 61% of US desktop searches with other engines. The usual objection, that its users are too old, holds up less well: the Search Data page says 54% of its US search users are under 45. We treat it as a second channel next to Google Ads.
Which platform is better for B2B advertising?
Microsoft usually has the edge for B2B. In the US B2B segment on its Search Data page, 56% of users are business decision makers and 30% are senior decision makers, and LinkedIn profile targeting by company, industry and job function is only available on Microsoft. Google Ads still earns a place in a B2B plan for volume, and for the YouTube and Gmail placements that Microsoft does not sell.
Do ads get higher click-through rates on Microsoft Advertising?
Advertisers often report that they do, which would fit an auction with fewer ads competing for the top of the page, but we have not found a figure from Microsoft or Google that settles it, and conversion rates swing by industry. What we do instead is put the same GA4 conversion tracking on both accounts, run them for a month, and compare click-through rate and cost per lead side by side before moving budget.