Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for E-commerce

Introduction

E-commerce app install costs spent most of the year running below the global benchmark, then converged by Q4—with one extraordinary spike in May that reshaped the annual average. Across all countries, the cost per app install (CPI) for E-commerce opened at $6.03 in January, surged to a $47.25 peak in May, and closed at $10.40 in December. Outside of that May outlier, the year reads as a steady climb off low Q1 levels, a mid-year elevation, and a gradual Q4 easing that mirrored broader market rhythm.

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 E-commerce in all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Across 2025, E-commerce CPI averaged $14.54 globally, ranging from a low of $6.03 in January to a high of $47.25 in May. The year began muted—$6.03 in January and $6.07 in February—then lifted to $6.64 in March and $9.56 in April before the May breakout. After that spike, costs retraced to $13.25 in June, held in a mid-teens corridor through Q3 ($9.58–$18.37), and softened into Q4, ending at $10.40 in December. From start to finish, CPI rose 73%, though that steep increase is tempered by the unusually low early-year base.

Volatility tells the same story. Average month-to-month movement was $8.70—nearly twice the global benchmark’s $4.46—driven largely by the April-to-May jump (+$37.69) and the May-to-June correction (−$34.00). Excluding those two moves, average monthly fluctuation cools to $2.66, indicating a more predictable cadence for most of the year.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The seasonal rhythm was clear. Q1 was the trough for E-commerce app install costs, averaging $6.24 across all countries. Q2 was the pivot: April stepped up to $9.56 and May spiked to $47.25 before normalizing to $13.25 in June. Q3 held elevated but not extreme levels (average $15.08), with August ($18.37) and September ($17.29) as the local highs. Q4 eased steadily—$15.71 in October to $14.31 in November to $10.40 in December—closing near long-run norms. Notably, eight of the 12 months landed between $9 and $18, reinforcing how singular the May outlier was.

The baseline market showed a related arc: a firmer Q1 ($9.22 average), a stronger Q2 highlighted by June’s $23.76, a steady Q3 around the mid-teens, and a Q4 fade from $16.39 in October to $10.43 in December.

Country vs. Global

Compared to the global all-industry benchmark, E-commerce CPI across all countries averaged 8% higher for the year ($14.54 vs. $13.43). That premium is almost entirely explained by May. Without May, E-commerce would have averaged $11.56—about 14% below the global benchmark.

On a monthly basis, E-commerce was cheaper than the global benchmark in nine of 12 months. The gap was widest in February (−48% vs. global) and narrowest in December (−0.3%, essentially even). E-commerce ran above the market in August (+18%) and September (+7%), and dramatically above in May (+283%). Over the year, the E-commerce series climbed more (+73% from January to December) and was more volatile (average monthly swing $8.70) than the global benchmark (+47% and $4.46), though outside of May it was actually calmer than global norms.

Closing

Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install show that E-commerce across all countries tracked below the global market most months, punctuated by a singular May surge and a late-year reversion to parity. Understanding CPI trends for E-commerce app campaigns in all countries helps marketers assess industry ad performance and compare country-specific ad costs against global CPM analysis and CTR performance baselines.