Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for E-commerce

Introduction

E-commerce app install costs across all countries told a dramatic story this year: a late-2024 surge, a swift reset in Q1, and a choppy mid-year punctuated by a single outsized spike. Compared to the global all-industry benchmark, E-commerce mostly ran cheaper month to month, but two standout surges—November 2024 and May 2025—drove unusually high volatility. 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 available compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

The period opened with an extraordinary high: cost per app install (CPI) hit 144.50 in November 2024, then reset to 11.00 in December (−92%) and slid to the year’s low at 6.03 in January 2025. From there, CPI stayed subdued through March (6.64), lifted into April (9.56), and spiked in May (47.25) before normalizing in June (13.25). Late summer brought a brief upswing—18.37 in August—then CPI cooled into October, ending at 10.25.

Across the 12-month window, E-commerce CPI averaged 24.93, though that is skewed by November’s outlier. The median offers a clearer “typical” level at 10.63, with most months sitting between 6.0 and 18.4. Monthly volatility averaged 21.3 points in absolute moves, driven by the November reset and the May spike; excluding November’s shock, average swings were closer to 10.1.

The global benchmark (all industries, all countries) was steadier: average CPI of 15.81 with a low of 7.22 in January and a high of 27.90 in June. Volatility averaged 6.54 points monthly, far milder than E-commerce.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality is clear. Q4 opened hot for E-commerce: November towered over the period, aligned with retail-heavy promotions that typically elevate Facebook Ads benchmarks. December normalized quickly, and Q1 was the softest stretch of the year (January–March hovering near 6–7). Momentum returned in April, followed by an outsized May surge and an immediate June correction. Late summer showed a small rebound in August before easing toward October. The rhythm contrasts with the global baseline, which moved methodically from a Q1 low to a mid-year peak, then drifted off into Q4.

Country vs. Global

Relative to the global benchmark, E-commerce CPI was below market in most months—typically 8% to 53% lower. Notable exceptions: November 2024 ran 724% above the global level, and May 2025 was 292% higher. The gap was narrowest in August (about 8% below the global CPI) and widest on the downside in February and October (roughly 50–53% below). While the global series rose into June and ended the period about 18% above November levels, E-commerce’s path was choppier—falling sharply after November, peaking abruptly in May, and finishing October near December’s starting point (−7% from December to October).

Closing

In short, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install in E-commerce across all countries show a market that is usually more affordable than the global all-industry average, punctuated by rare but severe spikes. For performance marketers monitoring CPI trends, CPM analysis, CTR performance, and country-specific ad costs, these industry ad performance patterns underscore how E-commerce app install costs compare to global norms over the past year.