Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Media

Introduction

Across all countries, Media app-install costs told a dramatic story: a few towering spikes punctuated an otherwise modest market, diverging sharply from the steadier global benchmark. January opened with an extreme surge, costs collapsed in February, then rebounded in March–April before easing into July. Compared to the global median pattern, which climbed into midyear and cooled in December, the Media category was markedly more volatile with outsized highs and intermittent troughs. 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 Media industry across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

For Media across all countries, Cost Per App Install (CPI) opened at 411.04 in January 2025, fell -98% to 7.17 in February, then surged to 154.56 in March (+2,056% month-over-month) and held high at 149.18 in April (−3% vs. March) before easing to the year’s low at 6.96 in July. Across observed months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Jul), the average CPI was 145.78, with a median of 149.18—underscoring how a handful of elevated months set the level. The high was January’s 411.04; the low was July’s 6.96.

Volatility was exceptionally high. The average absolute swing between observed data points was about 175, and the coefficient of variation was roughly 101%—around five times the baseline’s variability across the same months. The narrative is one of sharp lift, abrupt decline, dramatic rebound, and a soft landing into midyear.

On the global benchmark, CPI followed a more familiar arc: from 7.10 in January to a June peak of 23.76, then mid-teens in late Q3–Q4 before a December dip to 10.43 and a January 2026 rebound to 15.39. The 2025 global average was about 13.43.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, the global series rose steadily through H1 (+235% from January to June), moderated in Q3, then softened into December before a January bounce—consistent with typical auction competition and holiday dynamics. The Media category across all countries showed a different rhythm where data is available: elevated CPI clustered in March–April, with troughs in February and July. The visible cadence suggests a pronounced Q1 spike and a midyear cooldown, though the intensity of the spikes stands out more than any smooth seasonal progression.

Country vs. Global

Against the global benchmark, Media’s CPI swung between deep discounts and extreme premiums:

• January: +5,700% above market (411.04 vs. 7.10)
• February: 38% below market (7.17 vs. 11.63)
• March: +1,633% (154.56 vs. 8.92)
• April: +1,005% (149.18 vs. 13.51)
• July: 35% below market (6.96 vs. 10.77)

Across those months, Media averaged 145.78 versus the global 10.38—about 14x higher, driven by the spikes. Even excluding January, Media averaged roughly 79.47, still about 7x above the comparable global average (11.21). The narrowest gap appeared in July (−35% vs. global); the widest was January’s outsized premium.

Closing

Within Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPI for the Media industry across all countries showed a uniquely spiky profile relative to the global trend—brief bursts far above market interspersed with below-benchmark months. While CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance often frame paid social conversations, this cost per app install view provides a clear read on country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance for Media across all countries.