See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
February 2025 - February 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Global Finance app marketers faced a far pricier year for installs than the market at large. Across all countries, the median Facebook Ads cost per app install (CPI) in Finance averaged $25.48 from January 2025 through January 2026, sharply above the global, all‑industry benchmark at $13.58. The year told a story of soft openings, a mid‑year slip, and then an explosive Q4 surge that pushed costs to their highest levels before moderating in January 2026. Volatility was a defining trait: Finance swung more than three times as hard month to month as the market overall.
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 Finance across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
Finance CPI started at $6.22 in January 2025 and ended at $19.41 in January 2026, rising more than threefold over the period. The average landed at $25.48, with a low in January ($6.22) and an extreme high in November ($80.06). The path wasn’t linear:
Volatility was pronounced. The average month‑to‑month swing in Finance CPI was $14.9, with the largest jump from October to November (+$38.3) and the steepest pullback from December to January (−$39.1). By contrast, the global benchmark moved a far steadier $4.5 on average per month.
Seasonality was unmistakable. Finance CPI was modest in Q1 (averaging $12.32), dipped again into late summer (August low at $9.53), and then accelerated into Q4. The holiday stretch averaged $60.11—more than quadruple the January–September run rate ($14.61). This pattern aligns with heavier competition late in the year, where install costs typically rise faster than engagement metrics, especially in high‑value categories like Finance.
The cadence within the year also showed a classic “spring spike, summer lull, holiday surge” rhythm. April’s breakout and the June–August softness set up a sharp Q4 escalation, with November and December accounting for the annual peaks and the widest premiums over the market baseline.
Across the full period, Finance CPI ran about 88% above the global, all‑industry benchmark ($25.48 vs. $13.58). The gap was not constant:
Trendwise, the benchmark rose from $7.10 in January 2025 to $15.39 in January 2026 (+117%), steadily but without extreme spikes. Finance climbed more unevenly—soft start, mid‑year dip, and a dramatic Q4 surge—ending higher than it began but well off the holiday peaks. Overall, Finance was more volatile (3.3x the monthly swing) and substantially pricier through most of the year, with 9 of 13 months above the global level.
Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install in the Finance industry across all countries highlights a year defined by subdued starts, summer softness, and a pronounced Q4 surge. This CPI trendline, paired with broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance context, helps quantify country‑agnostic ad costs for Finance and compare them to global patterns.
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 Finance industry, Facebook ad costs can be typically higher due to high competition and valuable conversions. 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.
Improve your Facebook ad performance
• Instant performance insights – See which ads, audiences, and creatives drive results.
• Data-driven creative decisions – Spot patterns to improve ROAS.
• Effortless reporting – No spreadsheets, just clear insights.
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