Daily vs Lifetime Budgets
Before you launch, you pick how Meta spends your money over time. It's a small choice with a couple of surprising details, most importantly, that a “daily budget” isn't the hard cap most beginners assume.
A daily budget is an average Meta spends per day and suits always-on campaigns, while a lifetime budget spreads a total across set dates and is the only way to schedule ad hours. A daily budget is not a hard cap; the account spending limit is.
01Daily budget
A daily budget is the average amount you want Meta to spend per day. On a high-opportunity day Meta may spend a bit more (up to roughly 25% over), and on a quiet day a bit less — but it evens out across the week. It's the simplest option and ideal for always-on campaigns that run indefinitely.
Set ₹500/day and you might see ₹620 on a busy day. That's normal — it balances out. If you need an absolute ceiling on total spend, that's the account spending limit from Lesson 2.2, not the daily budget.
02Lifetime budget
A lifetime budget is the total you want spent across the campaign's whole run. You set a start and end date, and Meta paces the money across that window — spending more when opportunities are good and easing off when they aren't. It's best for fixed-duration promotions (a Diwali sale, a one-week offer).
The one feature only a lifetime budget gives you is ad scheduling (dayparting) — running ads only on certain days or hours. If you only want ads live during business hours when you can answer enquiries, you need a lifetime budget.
03Which should you choose?
| Choose… | When… |
|---|---|
| Daily budget | You're running ongoing, always-on campaigns and want simplicity. |
| Lifetime budget | You have a fixed-date promotion, or you need to schedule specific hours/days. |
This budget sits either at the campaign level (Advantage+ Campaign Budget — next lesson) or at the ad set level. Either way, the daily-vs-lifetime logic above is the same.
For your first campaigns, use a daily budget. It's simpler, keeps spend steady while you learn, and you can switch to lifetime later if you need scheduling or run a fixed promo. And size it against the learning phase from Lesson 1.5.
- Daily budget = average per day (flexes ~25%), best for always-on campaigns.
- It's an average, not a hard cap — use the account spending limit for a true ceiling.
- Lifetime budget = total across set dates, and the only way to schedule hours/days.
- Start with daily; switch to lifetime for fixed promos or dayparting.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between daily and lifetime budgets?
A daily budget is an average per day (it can flex up to about 25%), best for ongoing campaigns. A lifetime budget is a total across a start and end date, paced by Meta.
Is my daily budget a hard limit?
No. It is an average, so a busy day may spend more and a slow day less. For an absolute ceiling, use the account spending limit instead.
How do I schedule ads to run only at certain hours?
You need a lifetime budget, which unlocks ad scheduling (dayparting). A daily budget cannot restrict specific hours or days.
Return to the Meta Ads course hub for the full curriculum.