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
The headline: Finance app install costs in this aggregated, multi-country sample ran hotter and far choppier than the global baseline over the last 13 months. 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 in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
Overall the Finance cost-per-app-install (CPI) series began low in mid‑2025, punctuated by several sharp spikes through late 2025 and spring 2026. The series finishes the period roughly three times higher than where it started, with pronounced month-to-month swings and several standout high-cost months.
Finance CPI in All countries averaged about $20.46 per install across the 13-month window (June 2025–June 2026). Values ranged from a low of $8.52 in August 2025 to a peak of $39.85 in December 2025. The series started at $10.93 (June 2025) and ended at $37.45 (June 2026) — an increase of roughly 243% from start to finish.
By comparison, the baseline (global) CPI averaged about $15.55 over the same months, with its own peak of $30.13 in February 2026 and a low near $9.34 in December 2025. Finance costs were on average ~32% higher than the global benchmark, but that gap varied widely month to month.
Volatility was a defining feature: the standard deviation for Finance CPI was approximately $11.23 (about 55% of the mean), while the global baseline showed a standard deviation near $5.31 (about 34% of its mean). Month‑to‑month absolute moves in Finance CPI averaged roughly 53% — illustrating frequent, large directional shifts.
A few calendar patterns appear. Early summer 2025 (June–August) showed relatively low CPIs, with a trough in August ($8.52). Costs then climbed into autumn and accelerated sharply into late Q4, peaking in December at $39.85. January 2026 pulled back to ~$11.17, but volatility resumed: a notable local surge in April 2026 ($37.59) and sustained elevated levels through June 2026 ($37.45). The baseline sequence followed a different rhythm, with its largest single-month increase in February 2026.
Month-level moves included a 72% jump from November to December 2025 for Finance CPIs and a dramatic 168% rise from March to April 2026. Equally dramatic reversals occurred (e.g., December 2025 to January 2026 fell ~72%), creating a pattern of sharp spikes and steep rebounds.
Relative to the global benchmark, Finance in All countries was sometimes below and sometimes far above market levels. The narrowest gap occurred in October 2025 (Finance ~6% below baseline). The widest departures were December 2025 (+327% above baseline), June 2026 (+216%), and April 2026 (+95%). In other months Finance trailed the global CPI by 15–40% (for example, June 2025 and February 2026).
In short: Finance CPI averaged higher than the baseline (+~32%), and displayed roughly twice the volatility (SD $11.2 vs $5.3). Peaks in Finance costs clustered in late Q4 2025 and spring 2026, whereas the global benchmark’s largest single spike landed in February 2026.
Understanding these Finance cost-per-app-install swings against Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends and CPM analysis helps clarify industry ad performance and the rhythm of country-specific ad costs across All countries available.
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.
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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