Compare mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
Australia’s Cost Per App Install (CPI) showed a stop‑start year compared with the global benchmark: a sharp early lift, several months of lower‑mid range installs costs, and a steady climb into mid‑single digits by June 2026. 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 All industries in Australia compared to the global benchmark.
Australia started the period at a low CPI of $3.48 in July 2025, jumped to a local peak of $16.70 in August, then dipped back into the $4–$10 range for most of the year before finishing at $10.75 in June 2026. The 12‑month median in Australia averaged roughly $8.37. The low point was $3.48 (July 2025); the high point was $16.70 (August 2025). Month‑to‑month movement averaged an absolute change of about $3.18 — meaningful swings but less dramatic than the global benchmark.
By contrast, the global baseline (same 12‑month window) averaged about $15.58, with a high of $30.13 in February 2026 and a low around $9.36 in December 2025. The global series carried a sharper swing pattern (average monthly absolute change ≈ $5.10), driven by a pronounced February spike and other two‑way moves.
The Australian series reads like a short, intense summer blip followed by a more stabilized autumn and winter. The August 2025 spike stands out as an isolated lift: CPI rose nearly fivefold from July to August, then declined in September and held in the mid‑single digits through December. Early Q1 showed modest increases again, with CPI drifting from about $6.40 in December to $8.63 in January and then climbing to a steady $9.7–$10.7 band by spring and early summer.
On the global side, seasonality included a sharp February peak — a notable deviation from the otherwise elevated autumn and spring months — and a December trough in the baseline. Performance typically softens through Q4 as competition rises, with engagement rebounding in early Q1; these rhythms are visible in the global benchmark and only partially echoed in Australia.
Australia’s CPI averaged about 46% below the global benchmark over the period. Month‑by‑month the gap varied: Australia trailed global medians by roughly 27% at the narrowest (June 2026) and by about 74% at the widest (February 2026). The exception was August 2025, when Australia’s CPI exceeded the global level by about 34% — a local above‑market spike amid an otherwise below‑average year. Overall, Australia was generally below average and less volatile in absolute dollar swings than the global baseline, which experienced larger punctuated moves (including a late outlier in the baseline: a $96.91 reading in July 2026 outside the 12‑month comparison window).
This data‑driven narrative on Cost Per App Install benchmarks for All industries in Australia sits alongside Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance in the broader set of country‑specific ad costs and industry ad performance benchmarks — useful context for comparing Australia’s CPI trajectory to global patterns.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Facebook advertising costs vary by industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objective. Ad costs vary across industries because of competition, audience demographics, and conversion value. For campaigns targeting Australia, advertisers typically have good engagement rates despite moderate costs. Campaign objectives affect costs because Facebook optimizes delivery for different goals. The data shows median values across multiple campaigns. Results can vary with ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
A small share of campaigns has extremely high CPI values. Those outliers can inflate an average. The median is the midpoint across campaigns, so it better represents a typical result.
The data shows industry median benchmarks. Costs can vary with targeting, creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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The dataset includes over $3B in Facebook ad spend from thousands of ad accounts that use Superads to analyze and improve campaigns. Every data point is anonymized and aggregated. It does not expose an individual advertiser.
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Late December (Christmas and Boxing Day), Early December (Cyber Monday), January (Back-to-school), May (Mother's Day)
Ad costs may rise around Easter, Anzac Day, and Christmas. Earlier scheduling and larger budgets may help. Retailers can plan promotions around back-to-school and Mother's Day.
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 that show app benefits, UGC-style content, and localized messaging tend to perform best. Clear CTAs and fast-paced visuals can lower CPI.
Optimizing for installs increases volume. Optimizing for actions such as signups or purchases brings higher-quality users. Choose based on your goals and the importance of post-install behavior.
Align creative with the app experience, avoid misleading ads, and exclude people who already installed. Test lookalike audiences based on high-quality users rather than all installers.
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