Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Design

Introduction

The headline story in the data is a year that began soft, stabilized through mid-year, and then accelerated sharply into late Q4. Cost per app install (CPI) on Facebook Ads averaged about $17.90 across the period, with a clear trough in January 2025 and a dramatic surge in November 2025. Mid-year featured a distinct June step-up and a quick July reset before costs firmed into early Q4. Volatility was material, with average month-to-month movement near $7.88 and a standout single-month jump of $27.52 in November.

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 Design across all available countries compared to the global benchmark.

Section 1: The story in the data

The period opens at $15.98 in November 2024 and closes at $48.15 in November 2025—up roughly 201% year over year. The low came in January 2025 at $7.22, while the high landed in November 2025 at $48.15. Across the 13 months, CPI averaged $17.90; excluding the November spike, the average was closer to $15.37, underscoring how outsized the late-Q4 move was.

Month by month, the rhythm is clear:

• November to December 2024 slipped to $11.88 (−$4.10).
• January 2025 marked the trough at $7.22 (−$4.67 vs. December).
• A rebound followed in February ($12.87, +78% vs. January), with March easing to $9.17 and April returning to the mid-teens at $14.53.
• May softened to $11.90 before June jumped to $26.89 (+126% month over month)—the first major inflection.
• July retraced to $12.23 (−46%), then costs climbed steadily: $19.13 in August, $22.06 in September, and $20.63 in October.
• November broke out to $48.15—up 133% from October and more than double the period average.

Volatility averaged $7.88 in absolute month-to-month terms, with a median monthly shift near $5.02. The largest swing occurred from October to November (+$27.52), while the mid-year whipsaw (June surge, July retreat) also stood out.

Section 2: Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality shows through clearly. Performance costs softened through early Q1 (January trough), regained ground into spring, and then spiked pre-summer in June—often a period when auction intensity and spend patterns can lift prices. A mid-summer pullback in July gave way to a firmer stretch from late Q3 into early Q4, culminating in a pronounced November rise as late-season competition typically intensifies. In aggregate terms, H2 2025 averaged $24.44 versus $13.76 in H1—about 78% higher—highlighting the stronger back-half environment.

Section 3: Country vs. Global

Because this cut reflects all available countries, the Design series aligns closely with the global benchmark in both direction and timing. The same structural beats appear—an early Q1 low, a June step-change, a July reset, and a sharp November surge. Relative to the full-period global average ($17.90), the market spent eight of thirteen months below average (November 2024 through May 2025 and July 2025) and five months above average (June and August through November 2025). The gap tightened through late summer before widening again in November, when CPI reached $48.15—well above prevailing market levels.

Closing

Within broader Facebook Ads benchmarks, this CPI trendline for the Design industry across all countries shows a clear Q1 softness, a mid-year inflection, and a late-Q4 peak. Understanding cost per app install benchmarks for the Design industry across all countries helps contextualize country-specific ad costs and compare industry ad performance to global patterns.