See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
The finance category across all countries ran materially above the global benchmark for cost per app install (CPI) in 2025, and it did so with far sharper swings. The year opened soft, stabilized mid-year, then accelerated into a dramatic Q4 surge that pushed CPIs to their highest levels of the year before easing slightly in December. Compared with the steadier, lower-cost global pattern, Finance showed a wider range, bigger month-to-month moves, and a decisive late-year breakout.
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 $6.05 in January and closed the year at $56.28 in December—an +831% climb end to end. The median monthly average for Finance was $26.36, nearly double the global all-industry average of $13.37. The high came in November at $82.04, while the low was January’s $6.05, setting a full-year range of $76. The global series, by contrast, ranged a much tighter $16.68 (from $7.07 in January to a $23.76 peak in June).
Key monthly movements defined the year. Finance rose from $15.75 in March to $29.69 in April, then retrenched into a mid-year band near $10–$15 through September. The inflection arrived in Q4: October jumped to $45.42 (roughly 3x September), November surged again to $82.04 (+81% month over month), then December cooled to $56.28 (−31% from November) but still closed far above the yearly mean. Average absolute monthly movement was $13.14 for Finance versus $4.57 globally, underscoring Finance’s greater volatility.
Seasonality showed a clear rhythm for Finance across all countries. Q1 averaged $12.27, reflecting relatively softer early-year costs. Q2 lifted to $19.30, followed by a tempered Q3 at $12.97. The year’s shape ultimately hinged on Q4, which averaged $61.24—by far the most expensive stretch. The global benchmark exhibited a different cadence: a mid-year high in June ($23.76) and a comparatively steady Q4 that averaged $13.44, closer to the global annual norm.
Within that arc, Finance’s notable pockets were April’s spike ($29.69), a mid-year trough near August ($10.15), and the Q4 breakout (October–November). The global baseline’s sharpest swing came with a June-to-July reset (about −55%), after which costs remained relatively contained.
Across all countries, Finance CPI averaged 97% above the global all-industry benchmark in 2025. The Finance trendline rose +831% from January to December, while the global line grew a modest +32% over the same span. The gap shifted through the year: Finance was 15% below global in January and roughly on par by September (6% below), but it accelerated decisively in Q4—about 177% above in October, 463% above in November, and roughly 6x the global level in December. Finance ran above the global benchmark in 8 of 12 months, with the narrowest spread in September and the widest in December.
Taken together, these Facebook Ads benchmarks show that cost-per-app-install for the Finance industry across all countries was both higher and more volatile than the global all-industry pattern, with a pronounced Q4 surge defining the year’s outcome. Understanding CPI trends and country-specific ad costs within Finance—set against the global baseline—helps contextualize industry ad performance and broader Facebook Ads benchmark dynamics across all countries.
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