Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for E-commerce

Introduction

E-commerce app-install costs across all countries moved through the year in two distinct acts: a dramatic holiday spike followed by largely low-to-mid teens pricing punctuated by one spring surge. Compared to the global, all‑industry benchmark, E-commerce was cheaper in most months but far more volatile, with outsized peaks in November 2024 and May 2025 breaking an otherwise steady run. 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

• Starting from an extreme high, E-commerce cost per app install (CPI) landed at 144.50 in November 2024, reset to 11.00 in December, and closed October 2025 at 10.25 — a 93% decline from the opening peak.
• The low came in January at 6.03, with single-digit to low‑teens CPIs holding through April before a sudden lift to 47.25 in May. From June to October, CPI ranged between 9.58 and 18.37.
• Across the 12 months, E-commerce CPI averaged 24.93. Excluding the November shock, the average was 14.06. The global all‑industry benchmark averaged 15.10.
• Key movements:
• Nov → Dec: −92% reset (144.50 to 10.999)
• Jan → Apr: gradual rebuild from 6.03 to 9.56
• Apr → May: sharp spike (+394%) to 47.25
• May → Jun: normalization (−72%) to 13.25
• Jun → Oct: relatively contained swings, with a late‑summer uptick (18.37 in August) easing to 10.25 by October
• Volatility: average absolute month‑over‑month change was 21.3 points including November. Removing the November reset, monthly level volatility averaged 10.1 points, versus 6.2 for the global benchmark. In percentage terms, E-commerce averaged a 73% absolute MoM swing from December onward, compared with 46% globally.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Holiday demand created an outsized November spike, followed by a December reset consistent with typical post‑peak relief. Q1 showed the year’s trough (January at 6.03) and a gradual firming into early Q2. A discrete May surge disrupted that rhythm, after which costs normalized in June and moved within a tighter band through Q3. Late summer brought a modest lift (August at 18.37), while early Q4 (October at 10.25) softened again relative to late Q3 levels. The pattern reflects an elevated Q4 entry point, a low-cost Q1 base, and intermittent spring/summer pressure rather than a continuous climb.

Country vs. Global

Against the global, all‑industry benchmark, E-commerce was below market in most months:

• Cheaper by 15–53% in January, February, March, April, June, July, September, and October.
• Near parity in December (−3%) and August (+1%).
• Above market during two spikes: November (+813% vs. the 15.83 baseline) and May (+301% vs. 11.77).

The global benchmark followed a different cadence, peaking mid‑year (June at 27.90) and remaining elevated into late Q3 (August–September at 18.24–23.31), while E-commerce stayed low in those same months. The gap was narrowest in August (parity) and widest in November.

Closing

Taken together, these Facebook Ads benchmarks show E-commerce cost-per-app-install trends across all countries as generally below the global average but marked by sharper spikes and heavier month‑to‑month swings. Understanding CPI trends for E-commerce across all countries helps contextualize country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance against global patterns.