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
Global cost per app install (CPI) moved through a clear trough-then-surge pattern over the last 12 months, with a soft open in early Q1, a sharp spike in June, and an elevated back half of the year. Volatility was meaningful, punctuated by double-digit month-to-month swings around mid-year and a late-year run rate that held well above the annual average. Within Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPI sits alongside CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance as a central signal of country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance. 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 IT Services & Outsourcing across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
Across November 2024 to October 2025, global CPI averaged about $15.10 per install, starting at $15.83 in November and ending at $19.14 in October, a 21% lift over the period. The year’s low arrived in January at $7.13, while the high hit in June at $27.90 — a spread of $20.77 (nearly 3x), underscoring a wide trading range.
Month-to-month movement was active: the average absolute change was roughly $6.23, with the largest upswing from May to June (+$16.13) and the sharpest pullback from June to July (−$15.21). Five of twelve months sat above the annual average (November, June, August, September, October), clustering late in the window. The June peak ran 85% above the annual mean, while January trailed it by 53%.
Momentum turned visibly after the Q1 trough. February rebounded to $12.52 before easing in March ($8.83). A steady lift through April–May set up the June spike, after which CPI retreated but remained structurally higher than early-year levels: August clocked $18.24, September climbed again to $23.31, and October cooled to $19.14 — still 27% above the yearly average.
Seasonality aligned with familiar social ads rhythms. Performance costs eased into a Q1 trough (January–March averaged $9.49), then accelerated through Q2 on rising competition and conversion intent, culminating in the June high (Q2 averaged $17.42). The back half stayed elevated: Q3 averaged $18.08 with a late push into September, and the early Q4 read (October) remained high versus the annual baseline. Late-year months (August–October) averaged about $20.23, roughly a third higher than the full-year mean.
Because this view aggregates all countries and serves as the global benchmark, the IT Services & Outsourcing series here tracks one-to-one with the overall market. There is no gap to the benchmark: levels, trend shape, and volatility are identical throughout the period. In other words, any comparison between “all countries” and “global” resolves to parity by definition.
In sum, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install show a low in January, a decisive June peak, and a higher-cost finish into October. Understanding CPI dynamics for IT Services & Outsourcing across all countries — in context with CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance — helps quantify how industry ad performance aligns with global patterns.
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 IT Services & Outsourcing 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:
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