See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
July 2025 - July 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Entertainment app install costs ran consistently above the global benchmark across the 13-month window, and the market finished the period with a dramatic surge. 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 Entertainment in All countries compared to the global benchmark.
In plain terms: median Cost Per App Install (CPI) for Entertainment averaged around $54, roughly 3.5× the global median (~$15.6). The series shows a midsummer dip, a Q4 softening, an early‑year rebound and then an outsized spike in June 2026 — a month that turned already-elevated costs into a new high.
The Entertainment CPI started at $47.35 in June 2025 and closed at $105.91 in June 2026 — a net increase of about +124%. The monthly median values ranged from a low of $33.92 in August 2025 to a peak of $105.91 in June 2026. Across the period the Entertainment mean CPI was roughly $54.0; the global baseline mean was roughly $15.6.
Month-to-month movement shows notable swings: the largest single drop was July→August 2025 (−35%), and the largest jump was May→June 2026 (+109%). Volatility measured as average absolute monthly change was about 11.6 CPI points for Entertainment, versus ~5.5 points for the global baseline — roughly double the baseline volatility.
Entertainment remained above the benchmark every month. Relative gaps varied: the narrowest gap occurred in February 2026 (Entertainment ≈ $48.76 vs global ≈ $30.13 — about 1.62×), while the widest gap was June 2026 (≈8.9× the global CPI). In percent terms, Entertainment costs were roughly +158% above baseline at their closest and nearly +794% above at their widest.
Seasonal rhythm is visible. A summer trough shows in August 2025 (low of $33.9), followed by higher late‑Q3 and Q4 levels (September–October around $49–$54), then a Q4 → December softening (December ≈ $44.04). Early 2026 re-acceleration appears through January–April ($50–$61), and the cycle culminates in the sharp June 2026 spike. The global baseline also had its own cadence — a pronounced baseline uplift in February 2026 — which narrowed the gap that month.
Across All countries, Entertainment CPI consistently ran above the global benchmark. The overall picture: a more expensive, more volatile category. The global trend slipped modestly over the year (start ~$18.36 → end ~$11.85, about −36%), while Entertainment rose strongly (+124%). Entertainment’s volatility and the extreme June 2026 spike produced a widening gap late in the series, moving from roughly 2.6× the baseline in June 2025 to nearly 9× in June 2026.
Understanding Cost Per App Install benchmarks for Entertainment in All countries — and how they compare to Facebook Ads benchmarks and broader CPC trends, CPM analysis and CTR performance — helps contextualize why industry ad performance and country-specific ad costs can diverge markedly from global averages.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Entertainment industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
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 showing app benefits, UGC-style content, and localized messaging tend to perform best. Clear CTAs and fast-paced visuals help lower your CPI.
Optimizing for installs gets volume, but optimizing for actions like signups or purchases brings higher quality users. It depends on your goals and how much post-install behavior matters.
Align your creative with the app experience, avoid misleading ads, and exclude users who already installed. You can also test lookalike audiences based on high-quality users, not just all installers.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
Average cost per click benchmarks across industries
Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
See how much it costs to get users to install an app