Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Marketing & Advertising

Introduction

Across all countries, Cost per App Install (CPI) for the Marketing & Advertising industry ran well below the global Facebook Ads benchmarks, then surged into early Q4. The category started September 2025 at a very low $2.68 and leapt to $13.73 in October — a sharp rebound that narrowed a wide gap versus the market. By contrast, the global baseline eased slightly from September to October, before historically spiking deeper into Q4. Volatility was concentrated in a single jump for Marketing & Advertising, while the global pattern showed steadier month-to-month shifts with a dramatic November peak.

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 Marketing & Advertising across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

• The Marketing & Advertising CPI moved from $2.68 in September to $13.73 in October, a month-over-month lift of $11.05 (+412%).
• Over these two months, the category averaged $8.20, with a range of $11.05 between its low (September) and high (October). The single-step month-to-month swing was sizable, indicating concentrated volatility.
• Against the same months, the global CPI measured $22.06 in September and $20.63 in October. That means the category sat 88% below global levels in September and 33% below in October, a narrowing gap of 55 percentage points in one month.
• Using absolute monthly movements as a simple volatility proxy, the category’s September-to-October change (+$11.05) was larger than the global market’s average monthly move over the past year (about +$7.9), showing a choppier adjustment in this short window.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The global CPI series shows a familiar seasonal curve: a Q1 trough ($7.22 in January 2025), intermittent mid-year lifts (notably $26.89 in June), and a pronounced Q4 escalation that culminates at $48.15 in November — the annual high. September and October sit on the ramp into peak-season costs, with October often stable to slightly elevated before the November surge. The Marketing & Advertising category’s path aligns partially with this rhythm: a soft September followed by a strong October lift, though still below broader market levels.

Country vs. Global

• Relative positioning: In September, Marketing & Advertising CPI across all countries was far below the global benchmark (−88%). By October, the shortfall narrowed to −33%.
• Two-month averages: The category’s $8.20 average for Sep–Oct trailed the global average for those months ($21.34) by roughly 62%.
• Trend character: While the global market edged down modestly from September to October (−6.5%), the category surged (+412%), compressing the gap. Over the broader period (Nov 2024–Nov 2025), the global average stood near $17.9, with the steepest monthly jump in November (+$27.5), underscoring Q4 cost pressure typical in CPM analysis and visible alongside CPC trends.

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost per App Install in the Marketing & Advertising industry across all countries reveals a low-cost September, a sharp October rebound, and a persistent discount to global CPI levels. These country-aggregated, industry-specific ad performance trends help contextualize CPI alongside broader CPC trends and CPM analysis, grounding expectations against the global benchmark for Marketing & Advertising across all countries.