See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
The Marketing & Advertising industry’s cost per app install (CPI) moved through Q4 with a dramatic rise-and-fall profile, running consistently below the global benchmark but with sharper month-to-month swings. September opened at a remarkably low level before October’s spike, followed by a steady cool-down into December. 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 the Marketing & Advertising industry across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
Across September–December 2025, CPI for Marketing & Advertising averaged $8.30 per install, starting at $2.68 in September and ending at $6.10 in December. The period’s high came in October at $13.73, with November easing to $10.70 before December settled lower. The spread between the low and high was wide—about $11—underscoring a choppy quarter.
The monthly rhythm was pronounced: CPI surged +412% from September to October (2.68 to 13.73), then declined −22% into November and −43% into December. On average, monthly volatility measured a $6.23 swing, a brisker pace than the global benchmark for the same months.
By comparison, the global benchmark averaged $14.39 per install over September–December, with a smoother path: $16.17 in September, $16.39 in October, $14.57 in November, and $10.43 in December. Average monthly change was a milder $2.06, pointing to steadier conditions market-wide.
The September trough in Marketing & Advertising marked a soft entry to Q4, followed by an October spike that aligned with typical tightening as competition intensifies. November moderated but remained elevated versus September, and December cooled more decisively—consistent with year-end shifts where costs often ease after peak bidding pressure. In the broader market, seasonality was evident earlier in the year as well: the global CPI peaked in June at $23.76 for 2025, then gradually trended down into December, framing Q4 as elevated but not the annual high.
Marketing & Advertising CPI ran below the global level in every observed month of Q4:
The gap narrowed sharply from September’s deep discount to October’s closer alignment, then widened again through year-end. Overall, Marketing & Advertising averaged 42% below the global CPI across the period, but with roughly three times the monthly volatility, signaling a more reactive, campaign-sensitive segment within the Facebook Ads benchmarks.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost per app install benchmarks for the Marketing & Advertising industry across all countries highlights a quarter marked by a dramatic October lift and a two-month cooldown, consistently below the global baseline. These CPI trends, set against broader CPM analysis and CTR performance context, offer a clear view of industry ad performance and country-specific ad costs in a global aggregate frame.
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 Marketing & Advertising 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