# LinkedIn Max Delivery vs Cost Cap vs Manual Bidding: Direct Comparison with Performance Data > Side-by-side comparison of all three LinkedIn bidding strategies for ABM, with expert recommendations for each campaign type. Author: Emilia Korczynska Published: 2026-02-27 Updated: 2026-03-08 Categories: Budgeting Source: https://zenabm.com/blog/linkedin-max-delivery-vs-cost-cap-vs-manual-bidding --- ![LinkedIn Max Delivery vs Cost Cap vs Manual Bidding cover for the ZenABM bidding strategy comparison](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/LinkedIn-Max-Delivery-vs-Cost-Cap-vs-Manual-Bidding.png) LinkedIn gives you three bidding strategies – maximum delivery, cost cap, and manual bidding – and the difference between them can mean paying $2 per click or $20 for the same audience. Most advertisers default to maximum delivery because LinkedIn makes it the default option. That is usually a mistake, especially for ABM campaigns. Over the past 2+ years, I’ve used LinkedIn ads testing all three strategies. In this guide, I will give you a direct side-by-side comparison of maximum delivery, cost cap, and manual bidding, complete with pros/cons, performance data from [ZenABM’s 2026 ABM Benchmarks Report](/blog/linkedin-abm-performance-benchmarks-report-2026), and a decision tree to help you choose the right one. Plus expert commentary from a former LinkedIn employee who knows exactly how the auction system works. ## Key Takeaways – LinkedIn Max Delivery vs Cost Cap vs Manual Bidding: - **Manual CPC bidding is the best strategy for ABM** – a former LinkedIn employee says “it basically covers most cases.” - **Maximum delivery is LinkedIn’s default because it maximizes their revenue,** not yours. Always change it. - **Cost cap is the least-used strategy** and even LinkedIn insiders do not recommend it. - **Start manual bids at 30% below [LinkedIn’s](/blog/linkedin-campaign-objectives) suggested range** and adjust based on delivery data over 2-3 days. - **Manual bidding delivers lower CPMs** (typically $65-85 vs $90-120+ for maximum delivery) for [ABM audiences](/blog/abm-for-hard-to-reach-audiences). - **Increasing budget on maximum delivery** often just increases your CPM without reaching more people. - **Test alternative strategies with 5-10% of budget** before scaling. ![How to choose Linkedin bidding strategy](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/Gemini_Generated_Image_hjhfiahjhfiahjhf.png) ## How LinkedIn’s Auction Works (Quick Primer) Before comparing strategies, here is how LinkedIn determines which ads win the auction. LinkedIn uses a second-price auction where your position is determined by: **Ad Rank = Bid x Ad Relevance Score** You pay just enough to beat the next highest bidder, not your full bid. Your ad relevance score is based on predicted CTR, engagement signals, and post-click performance. This means two things: 1. A better ad can win auctions at lower bids. 2. Your bidding strategy determines how much control you have over what you pay in each auction. With that foundation, let me compare all three strategies. ## Side-by-Side Comparison: All Three LinkedIn Bidding Strategies | Feature | Maximum Delivery | Cost Cap | Manual Bidding (CPC) | | **How it works** | [LinkedIn sets bids automatically to spend](/blog/account-scoring-from-linkedin-ad-data) your full budget | You set an average cost target; LinkedIn adjusts bids around it | You set the maximum bid per click | | **Cost control** | None – LinkedIn decides | Medium – average target, individual bids vary | Full – you set the ceiling | | **Budget utilization** | Highest – LinkedIn spends your full budget | Medium – may underspend if cap is too low | Varies – depends on bid competitiveness | | **CPC predictability** | Unpredictable – can spike | Somewhat predictable on average | Predictable – never exceeds your bid | | **Audience reach** | Broadest – reaches everyone it can | Medium | Narrower – prioritizes high-engagement subset | | **LinkedIn’s default** | Yes (this is what LinkedIn prefers you use) | No | No (LinkedIn hides this option) | | **Best for ABM** | Rarely | Rarely | Almost always | ## Maximum Delivery: What It Is and Why Most Experts Avoid It ![Slide on CPM calculation showing LinkedIn Campaign Manager set to Manual Bidding and Impressions goal](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/CPM-calculation-linkedin-ads-max-herzeg-1.png) Maximum delivery is LinkedIn’s default bidding strategy. When you create a new campaign, this is what LinkedIn selects for you. It gives LinkedIn full control over your bids, and the algorithm’s goal is simple: spend your entire daily budget as fast as possible while trying to maximize “results” (however [LinkedIn defines results for your objective](/blog/linkedin-campaign-objectives)). > *“Maximum delivery… most people don’t like it, myself included. It’s most likely costing you more money than manual bidding. It optimizes according to LinkedIn for maximum ad delivery within your budget, but you will always be charged for impressions.”* – Max Herzeg, former LinkedIn employee ### Pros of maximum delivery - **Zero setup effort.** No bid to calculate or manage. - **Full budget utilization.** LinkedIn will spend your entire daily budget. - **Maximum reach.** Reaches the broadest portion of your audience. - **Good for speed.** If you need impressions quickly (e.g., event promotion), it delivers fast. ### Cons of maximum delivery - **No cost control.** LinkedIn may overpay for impressions to exhaust your budget. - **Higher CPMs.** Typically costs more per thousand impressions than manual bidding. - **Unpredictable CPCs.** Your cost per click can vary wildly day to day. - [Budget waste risk. LinkedIn](/blog/linkedin-ads-mistakes) prioritizes spending over efficiency. [Gabriel Ehrlich from Remotion](/blog/linkedin-thought-leader-ads-expert-qa-gabriel-ehrlich) highlights the specific danger for ABM: > *If you just doubled [budget], and your CPM went up because of that, then that’s a problem. Maybe you had maximum delivery as your bidding strategy, and if you do that and just add budget, there’s a very decent chance that LinkedIn will waste your budget.”* –= Gabriel Ehrlich, Remotion For ABM campaigns where you are targeting a specific account list and [every dollar needs](/blog/linkedin-ads-benchmarks) to count, maximum delivery’s “spend everything” approach is usually the wrong choice. ## Cost Cap: The Middle Ground No One Uses Cost cap bidding sits between maximum delivery and manual bidding. You set an average cost target (e.g., “I want to pay an average of $10 per click”), and LinkedIn adjusts individual bids to try to hit that average. Some clicks may cost $15, others $5 — as long as the average stays near your cap. > *“No one ever talks about [cost cap]. I don’t recommend it personally.”* – Max Herzeg ### Pros of cost cap - **Average cost control.** You set a target, and LinkedIn aims for it. - **Less management than manual.** You do not need to monitor individual bids. - **Better than maximum delivery** if you want some cost predictability without full manual control. ### Cons of cost cap - **Individual costs vary widely.** Your cap is an average – individual clicks can cost 2-3x your target. - **Delivery can stall.** If your cap is too low, LinkedIn may stop serving your ads entirely. - **Limited adoption.** Few advertisers use it, meaning limited community knowledge and best practices. - **Less precision than manual.** You cannot control the maximum you pay per individual click. - **Not recommended by experts.** Even a former LinkedIn employee says to stick with manual bidding. ### How cost cap works in practice When you set a cost cap, LinkedIn’s algorithm evaluates each auction opportunity. It bids higher for users it predicts are more likely to convert and lower for less likely users. Over time, it tries to balance these high and low bids to maintain your average target. The problem for ABM is that your audience is small and specific. LinkedIn’s algorithm has limited data to predict which users in your [target account list](/blog/clay-for-target-account-list-building-abm) are most likely to convert. Without enough data, the algorithm makes suboptimal decisions – sometimes overpaying, sometimes under-delivering. ## Manual Bidding (CPC): The Clear Winner for ABM Manual CPC bidding gives you full control. You set the maximum amount you are willing to pay per click. LinkedIn enters auctions on your behalf up to that amount, and because of the second-price auction, you typically pay less than your max bid. > *Manual bidding basically covers most cases. It’s so good that LinkedIn actually hides it from you.”* – Max Herzeg, co-founder of Kamrat & former LinkedIn employee I pretty much only use manual CPC bidding. LinkedIn’s algorithm then optimizes for audiences that are more high-intent and more likely to actually engage and click. ### Pros of manual bidding - **Full cost control.** You never pay more than your bid per click. - **Predictable CPCs.** Your cost per click stays within bounds you set. - **Audience quality signal.** LinkedIn prioritizes showing your [ads to people most likely to click](/faq/linkedin-ad-clicks-into-crm-for-abm), which means higher-intent prospects. - **Lower actual CPCs.** Second-price auction means you usually pay well below your max bid. - **Best for [ABM.](/)** Control + quality signals = efficient spend on target accounts. ### Cons of manual bidding - **Requires active management.** You need to set and adjust bids based on delivery data. - **May under-deliver.** If your bid is too low, your ads will not reach your full audience. - **Narrower reach at low bids.** Manual bidding prioritizes a subset of your audience – those most likely to click. This means higher frequency but lower penetration. - **Learning curve.** You need to understand benchmarks and auction dynamics to bid effectively. ### How to set your manual bid Max Herzeg’s approach: > *What I would always do is 30% below the recommendation of the range.”* – Max Herzeg, former LinkedIn employee Start 30% below LinkedIn’s suggested range, wait 2-3 days, and adjust based on delivery. If your spend is below 80% of your daily budget, increase by 10-15%. If you are hitting your budget, hold steady and focus on optimizing creative. For reference, here are the median CPCs by ad format from [ZenABM’s benchmarks](/blog/linkedin-ads-benchmarks): - Thought Leader Ads: $2.29 CPC - Single Image: $13.23 CPC - Carousel: $13.30 CPC - Video: $15.61 CPC ## Performance Comparison: Real Data Based on data from ZenABM’s 2026 ABM Benchmarks Report and the experiences shared during the ABM Bootcamp, here is how the three strategies compare in practice: | Metric | Maximum Delivery | Cost Cap | Manual CPC | | **Typical CPM** | $90-120+ | $75-95 | $65-85 | | **CPC Consistency** | High variance day-to-day | Moderate variance | Low variance | | **Budget Utilization** | 95-100% of daily budget | 70-90% (can stall) | 60-95% (depends on bid) | | [**Audience Penetration**](/blog/linkedin-audience-penetration) | Highest | Medium | Lower (but higher quality) | | **Setup Difficulty** | Easy (default) | Moderate | Moderate (requires benchmarks) | The median CPM [across ABM campaigns](/blog/automate-linkedin-ad-reporting) is $78. Maximum delivery campaigns tend to run above this median, while well-optimized manual bidding campaigns run at or below it. The difference compounds over months – a 20% CPM premium from maximum delivery costs you thousands in wasted spend. ## Decision Tree: Which Bidding Strategy Should You Use? Here is a decision tree to help you choose: **Step 1: Are you [running ABM campaigns](/blog/what-is-zenabm) with a target account list?** - Yes –> Use manual CPC bidding (in 90% of cases) - No –> Consider maximum delivery for broad awareness campaigns **Step 2: How large is your audience?** - Under 500 companies –> Manual CPC, bid at the low end of LinkedIn’s suggested range - 500-2,000 companies –> Manual CPC, start 30% below suggested range - Over 2,000 companies –> Manual CPC, start 30% below suggested range (more room to bid low) **Step 3: What is your campaign objective?** - Website visits –> Manual CPC (always) - Lead generation –> Manual CPC, bid for clicks not leads - Engagement –> Manual CPC - Brand awareness with TLAs –> Manual CPC or maximum delivery (acceptable exception) - Video views –> Manual CPC or maximum delivery **Step 4: How hands-on can you be?** - Can check campaigns 2-3x per week –> Manual CPC (optimal) - Can only check monthly –> Manual CPC with a slightly higher bid to ensure delivery - Cannot manage at all –> Cost cap as a compromise (but not recommended) **Step 5: Is speed critical?** - Need maximum impressions in 1-2 weeks (event, time-sensitive) –> Maximum delivery is acceptable - Ongoing campaign –> Manual CPC (always) ## Common Mistakes When Choosing a Bidding Strategy ### 1. Leaving maximum delivery as the default This is the most common and most costly mistake. LinkedIn sets maximum delivery as the default because it maximizes their [revenue](/faq/linkedin-ad-revenue-attribution), not yours. Always actively switch to manual bidding when creating a new campaign. ### 2. Setting cost cap too low and getting no delivery If you choose cost cap and set it too aggressively, LinkedIn will simply stop serving your ads. Unlike manual bidding, where low bids still reach a subset of your audience, cost cap can completely stall delivery. There is no gradual degradation – it either works or it does not. ### 3. Using maximum delivery and increasing budget Gabriel Ehrlich’s warning bears repeating: if you are on maximum delivery and you increase your budget, LinkedIn will often just increase your CPM rather than reaching more people. You spend more but get proportionally less. Always check whether a budget increase translates to proportional reach increase. ### 4. Not using manual bidding because it seems complex Manual bidding is simpler than it appears. Set your bid at 30% below the suggested range, check delivery after 2-3 days, and adjust by 10-15% if needed. That is it. The setup takes 5 minutes and saves you significant budget over time. ### 5. Enabling “bid adjustments for high-value clicks” If you select manual bidding but leave this option checked, LinkedIn can override your bid. This defeats the purpose of manual bidding. Always uncheck this setting. ## Budget Considerations for Each Strategy Veronika Vebere shared a useful framework for [budget allocation during the ZenABM](/free-tools/abm-budget-calculator) ABM Bootcamp: > *“I like to start with 5-10% of the total marketing budget. That should be allocated to experiments.”* – Veronika Vebere, fractional CMO/Growth Lead, founder of Inbound House If you want to test whether cost cap or maximum delivery might outperform manual bidding for your specific situation, allocate 5-10% of your [ABM budget](/blog/how-to-estimate-how-much-budget-you-will-need-for-your-abm-campaigns) to the test. [Run the alternative strategy](/blog/abm-without-expensive-tools) alongside your manual bidding campaign for 2-3 weeks and compare results. Use this formula to estimate your budget needs: Audience size x Reachable % x CPM x Frequency goal = monthly budget. This formula works regardless of bidding strategy, but your actual CPM will be lower with manual bidding, meaning the same budget stretches further. Veronika also sets clear ROAS expectations: “Going after a 3 to 4 times return on ad spend would be conservative.” With manual bidding keeping your CPMs in check, hitting that 3-4x ROAS target becomes much more achievable than with maximum delivery’s inflated costs. ![LinkedIn post by Ali Yildirim showing the math: a $100 daily budget split across 4 ads at $25 each](https://cdn.zenabm.com/media/Ali-Yildrim-Estimating-LinkedIn-Ads-Budget-post-with-basic-maths-1.png) ## When to Use Each Strategy: Final Recommendations **Use manual CPC bidding when:** - Running [ABM campaigns with a target account](/blog/abm-strategy-types) list - You want predictable, controlled costs - Your audience is under 10,000 people - You are using website visits or lead generation objectives - You can check campaigns 2-3 times per week **Consider maximum delivery when:** - Running a time-sensitive campaign (1-2 weeks) where speed matters more than efficiency - Running brand awareness with [Thought Leader Ads](/blog/linkedin-thought-leader-ads-for-abm) - You have no time to manage bids at all (but consider whether LinkedIn ads are the right channel if you cannot manage them) **Consider cost cap when:** - You want some cost control but genuinely cannot manage manual bids - You are testing it with 5-10% of your budget as an experiment - You accept the risk of delivery stalling if your cap is too aggressive ## FAQs ### What is the difference between maximum delivery and manual bidding on LinkedIn? Maximum delivery lets LinkedIn set your bids automatically to spend your full budget. Manual bidding lets you set the maximum you will pay per click. Maximum delivery prioritizes spending your budget; manual bidding prioritizes cost control. For ABM, manual bidding almost always delivers better results at lower costs. ### Is LinkedIn cost cap bidding worth using? For most ABM campaigns, no. Cost cap sits between maximum delivery and manual bidding in terms of control, but it lacks the precision of manual bidding and the data/adoption of maximum delivery. Max Herzeg, a former LinkedIn employee, says: “I don’t recommend it personally. Stick to manual bidding.” ### Why does LinkedIn default to maximum delivery? Because maximum delivery spends your full budget, which maximizes [LinkedIn’s ad revenue](/blog/linkedin-ad-revenue-attribution-software). LinkedIn has financial incentives to keep you on automated bidding. Manual bidding gives you control that can result in lower spend – which is better for you but [generates less revenue for LinkedIn](/blog/best-abm-tools-linkedin-advertising). ### Can I switch bidding strategies mid-campaign? Yes, you can change your bidding strategy on an existing campaign. However, give any new strategy 2-3 days to stabilize before evaluating results. Switching frequently creates noise that makes optimization impossible. If you want to compare strategies, run parallel campaigns with different bidding approaches. ### How much cheaper is manual bidding compared to maximum delivery? Based on [ABM campaign data](/blog/linkedin-ads-analytics-abm), manual bidding typically delivers CPMs in the $65-85 range, while maximum delivery runs $90-120+. That is roughly a 20-40% cost premium for maximum delivery. Over a $5,000/month campaign, that is $1,000-2,000 in wasted spend per month. ### What happens if my manual bid is too low? LinkedIn will still serve your ads, but to a smaller subset of your audience – the people most likely to click. This means higher frequency with fewer people. For ABM, this can actually be an advantage at the awareness stage, as you build frequency with your most engaged prospects first. If delivery is too low, increase your bid by 10-15% every 2-3 days.