Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Marketplaces

Introduction

Marketplaces apps faced a markedly higher cost per app install on Facebook Ads across all countries in 2025, running about four times the global, all-industry benchmark and swinging far more sharply month to month. The year opened elevated, plunged into a spring/summer trough, then rebounded into Q4—with a standout spike in March and a late-year lift in October and December. Volatility was the defining trait: big surges, abrupt pullbacks, and a premium over the global benchmark that narrowed in late summer before widening again.

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 in all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

• Marketplaces CPI averaged 52.9 for the year, versus 13.4 globally—roughly +296% above the global Facebook Ads benchmark.
• The year started at 72.2 in January and ended at 63.7 in December, an 11.8% decline from start to finish.
• High: 105.3 in March. Low: 23.5 in May. The spread was wide (81.8), with the March peak 4.5x the May low.
• Monthly moves were pronounced. Average absolute month‑over‑month change was 28.9, far above the global benchmark’s 4.6. Notable swings included:
• February to March: +117% (48.6 to 105.3)
• March to April: −53% (105.3 to 49.1)
• April to May: −52% (49.1 to 23.5)
• September to October: +86% (38.9 to 72.2)

Across the year, the premium vs. global narrowed at times but never disappeared. Even at its most compressed in August, Marketplaces CPI was still 1.6x the global median; at its widest in March, the gap reached 11.8x.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The rhythm was clear:

• Q1 ran hot. The quarter averaged 75.4, buoyed by January strength and the March spike.
• Q2 cooled to 41.5, led by the May low point.
• Q3 softened further to 36.0, with July–August near the floor.
• Q4 rebounded to 58.7, with October and December elevated and a mid‑quarter dip in November.

This pattern—summer softness and a late‑year lift—aligns with typical auction dynamics observed in CPM analysis and broader Facebook Ads benchmarks, where competition often intensifies into Q4.

Country vs. Global

Relative to the global, all‑industry benchmark:

• Marketplaces CPI averaged about 4x higher (52.9 vs. 13.4).
• The monthly premium ranged from 1.6x (August) to 11.8x (March).
• The global trend was steadier and mildly upward, rising 32% from January (7.07) to December (9.32). Marketplaces was choppier, finishing 12% below January despite a Q4 rebound.
• Volatility diverged meaningfully: Marketplaces’ average monthly swing (28.9) was roughly 6x the global baseline (4.6).
• By quarter, the premium was largest in Q1 (8.2x) and narrowed in Q2–Q3 (2.5x), before widening again in Q4 (4.4x).

Closing

Taken together, Facebook Ads benchmarks show that cost per app install for Marketplaces across all countries in 2025 was consistently above market and notably more volatile, with a strong Q1, a mid‑year trough, and a Q4 rebound. Understanding cost-per-install trends for Marketplaces in all countries helps marketers interpret country-specific ad costs, compare industry ad performance to the global pattern, and contextualize CPI alongside CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance.