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
Canada’s app install market in 2025 moved to its own rhythm: higher priced, more volatile, and punctuated by sharp peaks. Median Cost per App Install (CPI) across all industries in Canada averaged $32.20 for the year—about 2.4x the global benchmark of $13.37. Big surges in February, June, August, and November framed the story, with an unusual trough in October before a brisk rebound. 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 Canada compared to the global benchmark.
The year opened modestly at $11.10 in January and closed at $13.13 in December, a small +18% lift end to end. But the path between those points was anything but linear. Canada’s CPI spiked to $43.14 in February, then climbed again through spring to $36.06 in April and $29.15 in May before surging to the annual high of $88.76 in June—roughly a +700% jump from January. After retreating to $14.61 in July, CPI popped again to $47.35 in August, eased to $33.11 in September, then hit the year’s low in October at $9.64. A swift rebound followed in November ($37.95), before another cooldown in December ($13.13).
By contrast, global CPI ranged from $7.07 (January) to $23.76 (June), averaging $13.37 with far steadier month-to-month shifts (average absolute change: $4.57).
The Canadian pattern featured two pronounced crests: a spring-to-early-summer lift culminating in June, and a late-summer pulse in August. October marked a sharp trough, followed by a November rebound and a softer December. In quarterly terms, Canada’s CPI averaged $25.54 in Q1, accelerated to $51.32 in Q2, cooled to $31.69 in Q3, and finished at $20.24 in Q4. The rhythm contrasts with the smoother global cadence, where CPI rose into June, held near mid-teens in late Q3 and early Q4, and eased into December.
Canada sat above market nearly all year. Monthly gaps versus the global median were widest in June (+274%) and February (+271%), with additional premiums in August (+196%) and November (+160%). The narrowest spread appeared in July (+36% vs. global), and October was the lone month below the global level (−41%). On average, Canada’s CPI was about 141% higher than the global benchmark, and notably more volatile: a $79 range for Canada (from $9.64 to $88.76) versus a $17 range globally.
Viewed through Facebook Ads benchmarks, Canada’s country-specific ad costs for app installs in 2025 were consistently above the global median and marked by sharp swings. Understanding Cost per App Install trends for all industries in Canada—set against global app install benchmarks—helps advertisers evaluate pricing dynamics, volatility, and seasonality relative to broader market patterns.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. For campaigns targeting Canada, advertisers should consider local market factors and user behavior. 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.
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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.
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Late November (Black Friday and Cyber Monday), December (holiday shopping, Boxing Day), Back-to-school (August-September), Mother's Day (May)
CPM might increase during Canada Day, Labour Day, and Thanksgiving. Black Friday and Cyber Monday see heightened e‑commerce bidding. December holiday period may spike ad costs. Back-to-school and Mother's Day drive retail competition. Provincial holidays might alter weekday inventory availability.
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