See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
November 2024 - November 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Gaming’s cost per app install (CPI) across all countries charted a dramatic climb over the last 13 months: unusually low through early 2025, then accelerating into two breakout stretches that briefly ran above the market in August and again in November. Compared to the global Facebook Ads benchmarks for CPI, Gaming stayed discounted most of the year, but with sharper late-year surges and wider month-to-month swings. November closed at a new high, capping a year defined by a low base, mid-year build, and pronounced Q3–Q4 spikes.
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 across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
From November 2024 to November 2025, Gaming CPI averaged $9.44, well below the $15.91 global average. It started at $1.10 in November 2024, dipped to the low of $0.82 in January, and ended at the high of $33.20 in November 2025. Notable waypoints: $6.61 in April as costs began to build, $10.88 in July, a sharp spike to $28.63 in August, a reset to $13.00 in September, and $8.00 in October before the November surge.
Month-over-month volatility for Gaming averaged a $6.41 absolute change, slightly above the global baseline’s $6.29, reflecting choppier motion. The largest jumps were August (+$17.75 vs July) and November (+$25.20 vs October). The full-year range was wide—$0.82 to $33.20—versus the global range of $7.22 to $27.90.
Seasonality was pronounced. Gaming CPI was soft through Q1 2025 (averaging $1.89), rose in Q2 ($6.87), and stepped up again in Q3 ($17.50) as August spiked, then reached its most elevated level in Q4 2025 (October–November averaged $20.60). In contrast, Q4 2024 remained subdued (November–December averaged $1.36), highlighting how much momentum pivoted year over year.
This rhythm broadly aligns with common platform patterns: a Q1 trough, mid-year elevation, and intensified competition late in the year. The baseline also reflected that shape, with a January low ($7.22), a June peak ($27.90), and elevated levels through late Q3 and Q4.
On average, Gaming CPI across all countries ran about 41% below the global benchmark ($9.44 vs $15.91). It tracked below market in most months—94% below in November 2024, 88% below in January, 73% below in June, and 61% below in October. The gap narrowed materially in July (11% below), flipped to 44% above the market in August ($28.63 vs $19.88), and widened further to 93% above in November 2025 ($33.20 vs $17.18). Overall, Gaming was more volatile than the benchmark by a small margin, but with more dramatic late-year pushes.
At its narrowest difference, Gaming was just 11% under global levels (July). At its widest, it lagged by 94% (November 2024), and at its strongest, it outpaced the market by 93% (November 2025). The global trend rose steadily (+16% from January to October), while Gaming’s path was steeper and more punctuated by spikes.
Seen through Facebook Ads benchmarks, cost-per-app-install for the Gaming industry across all countries averaged lower than the global market but featured pronounced late-year surges, particularly in August and November. This CPI view, alongside CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance, helps contextualize country-specific ad costs within broader industry ad performance patterns for Gaming worldwide.
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 Gaming industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. 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:
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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