Compare mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
Gaming cost-per-app-install (CPI) for All countries available tracked generally below the global benchmark across this 13‑month window, but the narrative is one of punctuated spikes and deep troughs rather than steady drift. The Gaming series averaged roughly $19.0 per install versus a baseline average of about $21.8, yet Gaming showed far larger relative swings month-to-month and a more jagged cadence of peaks in August 2025 and mid‑2026. 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 Gaming in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
The Gaming CPI started at $13.34 in July 2025 and finished at $95.93 in July 2026 — a roughly 620% rise from start to finish. Across the period the Gaming median was $18.99; values ranged from a low of $4.44 (December 2025) to a high of $95.93 (July 2026). The global baseline began lower at $9.95 and ended slightly higher at $96.91, averaging $21.83 and ranging from $9.36 to $96.91.
Key movements: Gaming jumped to a local peak near $29.0 in August 2025, then eased back into a December trough under $4.5. A quieter Q1 2026 followed with sub‑$8 CPIs (January–May), before CPI climbed again to ~$27 in June and exploded to ~$96 in July 2026. Month-to-month absolute changes in Gaming averaged about $11.6 — comparable to the baseline’s average monthly movement (~$11.5) — but Gaming’s intra‑period range (roughly 21.6x trough-to-peak) was about double the baseline’s (~10.4x).
The series shows a softer late‑year pocket (December 2025) where CPI hit its nadir, then a muted early Q1 where installs were relatively inexpensive for Gaming. By late spring the market warmed: June 2026 showed a pronounced uptick and July 2026 produced the large industry-wide spike that also appears in the baseline. August 2025 stands out as an early spike, suggesting episodic bursts of competition or bidding pressure. Overall rhythm: low late‑year/early‑year CPI, punctuated by mid‑year surges and a dramatic end‑point spike in July 2026.
Across the 13 months Gaming in All countries available trailed the global benchmark in ten of thirteen months. Gaming exceeded the baseline only in July 2025, August 2025 and June 2026. The most extreme divergence occurred in February 2026 when the baseline was ~$30.13 while Gaming was ~$5.40 — a roughly 5.6x gap. By July 2026 the gap narrowed to near parity (Gaming ~95.93 vs baseline ~96.91, within ~1%), underscoring synchronized market pressure at that terminal point. Overall, Gaming sat slightly below average across the period but exhibited higher episodic amplitude.
Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost-per-app-install in Gaming across All countries available gives a clear read on seasonality, spikes, and how industry ad performance maps against global CPM and CPC trends and broader country-specific ad costs.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Facebook advertising costs vary by industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objective. In the Gaming 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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