See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
November 2024 - November 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Across all industries in Canada, cost per app install (CPI) ran well above the global benchmark, defined by sharp surges in December 2024 and June 2025 and an unexpected slide in Q4 2025. The year opened and closed at comparatively low levels, but the middle months told a story of aggressive swings and premium country-specific ad costs. 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.
Canada’s CPI began at 14.0 CAD in November 2024 and ended lower at 9.4 CAD in November 2025, a 33% decline end-to-start. In between, the market swung from a low of 9.4 CAD (November 2025) to a high of 89.7 CAD (June 2025), an 80-point range. The average over the period was 33.5 CAD in Canada versus 15.9 CAD globally—about 110% higher.
Two spikes shaped the year: December 2024 at 49.9 CAD and June 2025 at 89.7 CAD. Elevated levels also appeared in February (46.7 CAD), April (37.8 CAD), August (48.7 CAD), and September (41.7 CAD). Softer months punctuated these peaks—January (11.3 CAD), July (19.9 CAD), October (13.5 CAD), and November (9.4 CAD).
Volatility stood out. Canada’s average absolute month-to-month move was 29.6 CAD—roughly 4.7 times the global swing of 6.3 CAD—highlighting a choppier path than the global CPI trend. Despite the low finish, Canada posted above-market costs in 10 of 13 months.
The pattern around holidays and mid-year was pronounced. November 2024 was comparatively quiet before a December surge. Early 2025 oscillated: a January trough gave way to a February spike, with spring staying elevated and culminating in a June apex. July cooled, then late summer into early fall brought renewed pressure in August and September. Q4 2025 defied typical seasonal tightening: October and November fell to the year’s lowest readings, even as global levels remained elevated relative to early 2025.
Globally, CPI was steadier: a modest first half (average ~14.0) lifted into the second half (average ~18.5 for July–November), consistent with the familiar Q3–Q4 competition narrative. Canada’s rhythm diverged—hotter mid-year, then a marked softening into late Q4.
Compared to Facebook Ads benchmarks worldwide, Canada operated at a premium for most of the period. The gap varied widely: at its widest, Canada was nearly 4x higher than global CPI in December 2024 (+296%); at its narrowest, Canada sat about 20% below global in November 2024. Canada outpaced the market in December, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September, then slipped below global in October and November 2025. Over the full window, Canada’s CPI averaged 33.5 CAD versus the global 15.9 CAD, even as both series ended the period slightly below where they started (Canada −33%, global −2%).
Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install across all industries in Canada reveals a premium, highly volatile market with mid-year surges and an atypically soft Q4 finish. These CPI trends offer a clear baseline for country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance when comparing Canada to the global benchmark.
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