See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Across all countries, cost per app install (CPI) for the Arts industry ran well below the global benchmark for most of 2025, punctuated by a single April surge that briefly pushed Arts above market. Outside that spike, the series moved in a tight, low-cost band and then climbed steadily into early Q4. Volatility was concentrated in just two months; the rest of the year showed a calm, incremental rise.
This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Arts across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
Arts CPI started 2025 at $2.67 in January and ended at $3.90 in October—up 46% over the period. The year’s low was March at $1.34, followed by a sharp April high of $15.47. Excluding April’s anomaly, Arts CPI averaged $3.05; including it, the Jan–Oct average lands at $4.29.
Month to month, the pattern tells a clear arc:
Volatility averaged 3.26 points per month across the period, but that figure is skewed by April’s surge and May’s reset. Removing those two moves, typical month‑over‑month volatility was about 0.43 points, underscoring how contained Arts CPI was for most of the year.
The global benchmark (all industries, all countries) averaged $13.65 from January to October, rising from $7.07 in January to $16.43 in October (+132%), with a June peak of $23.76 and elevated costs persisting through Q3.
Q1 was subdued for Arts (average $2.32), bottoming in March. Q2 was defined by the April spike; the quarter averaged $7.31 purely because of that outlier. From late Q2 into Q3, CPI settled into a low, stable band ($3.04–$3.72) before lifting to $3.90 in October. The rhythm suggests a calm core from May onward with a gentle, cumulative climb into early Q4.
In contrast, the global benchmark followed familiar seasonal pressure: higher costs through Q2 and Q3, peaking mid‑year and staying elevated into October, then easing into year‑end (with November at $14.57 and December at $9.32).
Against the global Facebook Ads benchmarks, Arts CPI was structurally lower. From January to October, Arts averaged $4.29 versus the $13.65 global benchmark—about 69% lower. In nine of ten months, Arts trailed the market by 62–87%. The gap briefly inverted in April, when Arts CPI ran 15% above the benchmark ($15.47 vs. $13.51). The widest deficit appeared in June (−87%; $3.20 vs. $23.76).
Trend shape also differed. The global series climbed steadily (+132% Jan to Oct) with large mid‑year swings (average monthly move of 4.79 points). Arts showed a single, dramatic April detour but was otherwise markedly steadier, with typical monthly changes near 0.43 points and a gradual lift from mid‑year into October.
In short, Facebook Ads cost-per-app-install benchmarks for the Arts industry across all countries point to consistently lower, more stable country-specific ad costs than the broader market—aside from a singular April surge. Understanding CPI trends within industry ad performance, alongside broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance, helps contextualize how Arts app-install costs compare to global patterns.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Arts industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
Improve your Facebook ad performance
• Instant performance insights – See which ads, audiences, and creatives drive results.
• Data-driven creative decisions – Spot patterns to improve ROAS.
• Effortless reporting – No spreadsheets, just clear insights.
All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
iOS CPIs often range from $2 to $5 or more. Android is usually cheaper, between $1 and $3. Your CPI will depend on geo, creative, and optimization goal.
Some regions like the US, UK, and Canada have higher competition and stricter privacy regulations, which drive up costs. Countries with lower purchasing power typically have cheaper CPIs.
Short videos showing app benefits, UGC-style content, and localized messaging tend to perform best. Clear CTAs and fast-paced visuals help lower your CPI.
Optimizing for installs gets volume, but optimizing for actions like signups or purchases brings higher quality users. It depends on your goals and how much post-install behavior matters.
Align your creative with the app experience, avoid misleading ads, and exclude users who already installed. You can also test lookalike audiences based on high-quality users, not just all installers.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
Average cost per click benchmarks across industries
Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
See how much it costs to get users to install an app