Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Finance

Introduction

Finance app install costs spent most of the year tracking below the global benchmark, then spiked dramatically at the start of Q4. Across all countries, Cost per App Install (CPI) in Finance opened low in late 2024, rose through mid‑2025 with a few sharp swings, met the market in September, and then surged to an extreme outlier in October. By contrast, the global benchmark climbed in Q2 and Q3 with a pronounced June peak but stayed comparatively contained. 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.

The story in the data

From November 2024 to October 2025, Finance CPI averaged $26.38 across all countries; excluding October’s spike, the average sat at $11.90. The series began at $5.50 in November 2024, dipped to its low of $5.03 in January 2025, then climbed to $23.33 in September before a jump to $185.70 in October, the clear high. The pre‑October range was $5.03–$23.33, indicating a relatively tight band until the late‑year shock. Month‑over‑month absolute changes averaged $18.75, but only $4.39 when October is removed—generally steadier than the headline figure suggests.

Key monthly beats: a lift from January’s trough to $13.58 in February, a small step back in March before resuming upward momentum in April ($15.90) and May ($17.60). June broke trend with a retreat to $11.46, followed by a mild July rebound ($11.59) and an August soft patch ($7.53). September delivered the pre‑October high at $23.33 and near parity with the market, before October’s exceptional surge.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, Finance CPI across all countries mirrored many platform patterns—soft in late Q4 and early Q1, then firming into Q2. Quarter averages show a clear staircase: Q4 2024 at $6.16, Q1 2025 at $10.39, Q2 at $14.99, and Q3 at $14.15. June was a counter‑move, bucking the Q2 build with a pullback, and August showed another dip before a September rebound. October stands apart as a structural break from the year’s rhythm.

By comparison, the global benchmark was lowest in Q1 (average $9.49), then climbed in Q2 ($17.42) and held elevated levels in Q3 ($18.08), with a noticeable June spike to $27.90 and firmness in September ($23.31) and October ($19.14).

Country vs. Global

For most of the period, Finance CPI ran below the all‑industry global benchmark. The gap was wide in November (−65%) and December (−40%), narrowed in January (−29%), flipped above market from February to May (+8% to +49%), then fell well below in June (−59%) and August (−59%). September was the narrowest gap—essentially even with the market (23.33 vs. 23.31). October was the widest divergence, with Finance CPI 9.7x the global level (+870%).

On average, Finance was meaningfully cheaper than the market before October (−21% vs. the $15.10 global average). Including October’s jump, Finance ends the period as more expensive overall (+75% vs. the same global average). Volatility was also different: the global benchmark’s average monthly swing was 6.23, while Finance sat at 4.39 through September but 18.75 when October is included—steadier than global for most of the year, then sharply more volatile at the end.

Closing

Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install in Finance across all countries show a year that was largely below the global market until a dramatic October surge reset the headline average. Understanding CPI trends in Finance, alongside the broader CPM analysis and CTR performance context that shape country‑specific ad costs, helps situate industry ad performance against global patterns.