Compare mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
Big-picture: Entertainment app-install costs ran well above the market this year, with a steady mid-year baseline and a dramatic spike at the end of the series. 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.
COST_PER_APP_INSTALL for Entertainment began at $52.3 in July 2025 and finished at $133.5 in June 2026 — a 155% rise from start to finish. Across the 12-month window the Entertainment median was about $57.4, ranging from a low of $33.9 in August 2025 to a peak of $133.5 in June 2026. By contrast the global baseline averaged roughly $15.6 over the same months.
Month-to-month movement tells a textured story: an early dip into late summer (July → August −35%), a rebound into the mid‑50s across autumn and early spring, incremental rises through April–May (peaking around $61 in April), and then an outsized jump in June (+130% versus May). Excluding that June surge, the series held in a tighter band ($34–$61) with a typical monthly swing near 16%; including June, average monthly absolute change rises to about 26%, signaling higher volatility driven by the year‑end spike.
Seasonally, Entertainment app-install costs softened over the late-summer lull and then stabilized across Q4 and Q1, with December showing a modest dip to $44.0 before rebounding into January–March (mid‑$40s to mid‑$50s). April and May showed gradual lift into the high‑50s to low‑60s, which is consistent with higher mid‑year demand pressure observed in some verticals. June 2026 is a standout month — an abrupt elevation to $133.5 that departs from the prior rhythm and drives most of the year’s volatility.
These patterns sit alongside familiar ad calendar effects: softer pockets in late summer and specific Q4 softness in December, followed by a Q1 rebound and mid‑year competition that can push costs higher. In this Entertainment series the June spike represents an atypical peak rather than the seasonal climax.
Relative to the global benchmark, Entertainment app-install costs were consistently above market. The Entertainment median was roughly 3.7x the global median across the year. The narrowest gap occurred in February 2026, when Entertainment costs were about 1.6x the global median; the widest gap came in June 2026, when Entertainment was over 9x the global benchmark. On a monthly basis the multiple ranged from ~1.6x to ~9.0x, illustrating persistent premium pricing for Entertainment installs and a more volatile profile versus the baseline.
Across keyword lenses — Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends, CPM analysis and CTR performance contexts — this dataset highlights a cost dimension where industry ad performance and country-specific ad costs diverge meaningfully from the aggregate market.
Understanding cost-per-app-install benchmarks for Entertainment across All countries clarifies how industry ad performance compares to broader Facebook Ads benchmarks and the global baseline for country-specific ad costs.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Facebook advertising costs vary by industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objective. In the Entertainment industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs through regional competition and user engagement. Campaign objectives affect costs because Facebook optimizes delivery for different goals. The data shows median values across multiple campaigns. Results can vary with ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
A small share of campaigns has extremely high CPI values. Those outliers can inflate an average. The median is the midpoint across campaigns, so it better represents a typical result.
The data shows industry median benchmarks. Costs can vary with targeting, creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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The dataset includes over $3B in Facebook ad spend from thousands of ad accounts that use Superads to analyze and improve campaigns. Every data point is anonymized and aggregated. It does not expose an individual advertiser.
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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 that show app benefits, UGC-style content, and localized messaging tend to perform best. Clear CTAs and fast-paced visuals can lower CPI.
Optimizing for installs increases volume. Optimizing for actions such as signups or purchases brings higher-quality users. Choose based on your goals and the importance of post-install behavior.
Align creative with the app experience, avoid misleading ads, and exclude people who already installed. Test lookalike audiences based on high-quality users rather than all installers.
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