Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Hardware and Networking

Introduction

Global Facebook Ads cost per app install (CPI) moved through a dramatic arc across the last 13 months: a sharp Q1 trough, a mid‑year spike, and a late‑summer plateau that cooled into November. The market’s CPI averaged $15.91, with the year beginning at $17.55 in November 2024 and landing almost flat at $17.18 by November 2025 (−2% year over year). Volatility was a defining feature, with the single largest surge in June and the fastest pullback one month later. 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 Hardware and Networking across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

Note: a distinct Hardware and Networking series across all countries was not available in this window. The global benchmark therefore serves as the directional frame for evaluating segment-level CPI dynamics.

The story in the data

The market opened at $17.55 in November 2024, slid to $12.61 in December (−28% MoM), and reached the low of the period in January at $7.22. February rebounded to $12.87 (+78% vs. January), before a March dip to $9.17. Momentum turned in April ($14.74) and May ($12.05) before the standout peak: June spiked to $27.90, the highest CPI of the year (+132% vs. May). July snapped back to $12.24 (−56% vs. June), with an elevated late summer and early fall—August at $19.88, September at $22.72, October at $20.72—cooling to $17.18 in November 2025.

Across the period, CPI averaged $15.91, with a median month of $14.74 and a high‑to‑low spread of nearly 3.9x ($27.90 vs. $7.22). Month‑to‑month volatility averaged about $6.29, or roughly 40% of the period’s mean—evidence of notably choppy pricing rather than a smooth seasonal curve.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, the pattern showed a familiar Q1 softness, punctuated by a January trough and a February rebound. Q2 was uneven, culminating in an outsized June spike, after which the market settled into a higher band through late summer and early fall. Q3 averaged $18.28—comparable to Q2’s $18.23 but achieved with fewer extreme swings—before easing into Q4, where October and November settled back toward the annual mean. In practical terms, CPI intensity clustered mid‑year (June–September), with shoulder months oscillating more widely.

Country vs. Global

Because the selected scope is “across all countries,” the Hardware and Networking view aligns to the global footprint. A separate, segment‑specific CPI curve for Hardware and Networking was not captured in this cut, so relative gaps to the overall market cannot be quantified here. As a directional proxy, the global benchmark sets expectations near a $15.9 median CPI, with late‑summer elevations around $20–$23 and a pronounced June apex at $27.9. The trough near $7.2 in January illustrates how deeply CPIs can compress before mid‑year competition lifts country‑specific ad costs.

Closing

In sum, Facebook Ads cost per app install benchmarks show a volatile but intelligible arc across all countries, with CPI lows in Q1, a dramatic June high, and sustained elevation through early fall. While a discrete Hardware and Networking series is not available in this window, these market‑level Facebook Ads benchmarks provide a clear frame for interpreting CPI rhythms and industry ad performance across all countries.