Compare mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
Big-picture: the Cost Per App Install (CPI) series for Consulting — across All countries available — shows a mostly moderate baseline through 2025 with two pronounced disruptions in early 2026 and a dramatic spike in July 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 Consulting in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
Across 13 months (Jul 2025–Jul 2026) the baseline CPI averaged about $21.8 per install, with a median of roughly $14.9 — a clear sign that the mean is pulled upward by large spikes. The series began at $9.95 in July 2025, drifted into the mid-teens through fall, hit a trough of $9.36 in December 2025, then jumped to $30.13 in February 2026. After a partial retreat into spring (around $14–$19), the series exploded to a year-high $96.91 in July 2026 — roughly a 9.7x increase from the July 2025 starting point and a ~557% month-over-month lift from June to July 2026. Aside from that July outlier, the next-largest peak was February 2026 at ~$30.13.
Volatility is notable: average absolute month-to-month movement was about $11.5, but that figure is skewed by the July 2026 surge. Excluding July’s jump, average monthly absolute change falls to about $5.1. Measured as percent moves, the average absolute month-over-month swing was roughly 77% including the July spike and about 33% when excluding it — underscoring how two discrete shocks (Feb and Jul 2026) drive most dispersion.
Seasonal rhythm is visible. Late summer into early fall 2025 saw a steady climb from roughly $10 to mid-teens; Q4 softened, reaching the year’s low in December 2025. Early 2026 produced a sharp spike in February, then a retracement through March–May, where CPIs sat in the low-to-mid teens again. The most anomalous movement is July 2026, which breaks any seasonal expectation and stands apart as an extreme outlier.
This cadence—softer late Q4 followed by an early-year jump and then a volatile spring—creates a stop-start feel across the 12-month run, with headline risk concentrated in two months rather than a persistent upward trend.
Because this dataset is presented as the global baseline for Consulting across All countries available, the series effectively is the global benchmark in this view. The pattern shows periods “below average” (sub-$15 CPIs through parts of 2025 and spring 2026) punctuated by months that sit well above the typical range (Feb and Jul 2026). On balance the mean is elevated relative to the median, indicating the global CPI distribution is right-skewed by episodic spikes. In volatility terms, the global benchmark here swings from modest month-to-month moves into explosive increases during outlier months.
Understanding Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install benchmarks for Consulting in All countries available clarifies how CPI trends, CPC trends, CPM analysis, and country-specific ad costs can behave when industry ad performance is punctuated by large, infrequent shocks in the global dataset.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Facebook advertising costs vary by industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objective. In the Consulting industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs through regional competition and user engagement. 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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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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