Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Marketplaces

Introduction

Marketplaces apps spent the year paying materially more per install than the broader market, and they did it with far sharper swings. Across all countries, cost per app install (CPAI) for Marketplaces averaged 52.9, nearly four times the global benchmark, with a dramatic March spike and a May trough that defined the year’s cadence. After a soft midyear, costs lifted again in October and December, closing the year slightly below January but still well above average. 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 Marketplaces across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

The year opened high at 72.23 in January, slid to 48.60 in February (−33%), then surged to the annual peak in March at 105.28. From there, CPAI fell steeply through April and bottomed in May at 23.49 — a 78% drop from the March high — before rebounding in June to 51.87. Q3 remained softer, with July at 42.80, August at 26.26, and a mild lift to 38.90 in September. Q4 re-tightened: October jumped to 71.61, November cooled to 40.06, and December ended at 64.62. Net, December finished 10% below January.

Across the year, Marketplaces CPAI averaged 52.9, ranging from 23.49 (May) to 105.28 (March). Only four months (January, March, October, December) sat above the annual average, underscoring a high-low year concentrated around two elevated windows. Volatility was pronounced: the average month-to-month swing was 28.9, indicating choppier movement than a typical category trendline.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The year’s rhythm broke into distinct phases:

• Q1 was the most expensive quarter, averaging 75.4, punctuated by March’s peak.
• Q2 and Q3 were the softest periods, averaging 41.5 and 36.0 respectively, with the May low anchoring the trough.
• Q4 re-accelerated to 58.8 on the back of October and December, with a brief November cool-off.

This pattern diverges from broader market tendencies where costs often intensify midyear and in early Q4. Here, March created an early-year crest, midyear softened materially, and Q4 showed renewed pressure without a clean month-to-month build.

Country vs. Global

Against the global benchmark, Marketplaces ran persistently above market. The global average CPAI across 2025 was 13.43 versus 52.9 for Marketplaces — about 3.9x higher (+294%). Every month cleared the global level:

• Narrowest gap: August, 26.26 vs. 15.61 (about 68% above).
• Widest gap: March, 105.28 vs. 8.92 (about 11.8x, or 1,080% above).
• Early-year and October–December typically ranged 4x–12x above global.

The trajectories also differed. The global series rose modestly into midyear and ended December about 47% above January. Marketplaces was more volatile and ended December 10% below January. Volatility further underscored the contrast: average monthly swings were 28.9 for Marketplaces versus 4.46 globally — roughly 6.5x more volatile.

Closing

Taken together, these Facebook Ads benchmarks highlight a year where cost per app install for the Marketplaces industry across all countries ran far above the global average and moved in sharper waves, with a March peak, a May low, and renewed Q4 pressure. Understanding cost per app install benchmarks for Marketplaces across all countries — alongside related CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance — helps contextualize country-specific ad costs against global patterns.