Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Gaming

Introduction

Gaming app install costs ran well below the market for most of the year, then surged mid‑2025 in a sharp, short‑lived spike that briefly pushed prices above the global benchmark. Across all countries, median cost per app install (CPI) for Gaming averaged $7.45 versus a $15.10 global all‑industry benchmark—about half the market rate—yet August delivered a dramatic high before costs cooled again into October. Month‑to‑month movements were generally steadier than the broader market, with a few outsized swings that defined the narrative.

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 compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

The period opened at $1.10 in November 2024 and closed at $7.68 in October 2025, a steep overall lift driven by a summer run‑up. The year’s low came in January at $0.82; the high arrived in August at $28.82. CPI traced a clear arc:

• Early trough: $1.63 in December dipping to $0.82 in January, then a modest rebound to $2.84 in February and $1.99 in March.
• Step‑change in Q2: $6.61 in April, $6.48 in May, and $7.52 in June.
• Peak in Q3: $10.88 in July and a spike to $28.82 in August, followed by a correction to $13.00 in September and $7.68 in October.

On average, month‑to‑month absolute moves were $4.77 for Gaming versus $6.23 in the global benchmark, indicating slightly lower ongoing volatility despite a wider overall range ($0.82–$28.82 for Gaming vs. $7.13–$27.90 globally). Notable inflection points included April’s step up from March (+$4.62), July’s acceleration (+$3.36), the August surge (+165% month over month), and a rapid September retracement (−55%).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, costs were lean through late Q4 2024 into Q1 2025 (averaging roughly $1.9 in Q1). Q2 marked a structural shift into mid‑ to high‑single digits, and Q3 delivered the year’s most expensive period (averaging about $17.6), anchored by the August spike. Early Q4 2025 cooled to the high single digits. By contrast, the global benchmark showed a typical pattern: a January trough (~$7.13), a pronounced June high (~$27.90), and sustained elevated levels through late Q3 and into October.

Country vs. Global

Relative to Facebook Ads benchmarks across all industries, Gaming’s CPI across all countries was consistently below market until midsummer. On average, Gaming ran 51% cheaper than the global benchmark ($7.45 vs. $15.10). The gap was widest in November 2024 (−93% vs. global) and January 2025 (−88%), narrowed to near parity in July (−14%), and flipped to a premium in August (+58% above global). The spread then reset in September (−44%) and October (−60%). Over the full window, the global benchmark increased about 21% from November to October, while Gaming’s CPI rose far more sharply (+597%) due to the mid‑year spike.

Closing

In sum, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install show Gaming across all countries averaging roughly half of global costs, punctuated by a singular August high and a quick normalization into fall. Understanding CPI trends and country‑specific ad costs for Gaming helps teams contextualize industry ad performance against global CPM analysis and CTR performance patterns, and compare app‑install pricing to broader CPC trends worldwide.