Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks

Introduction

The global story for Cost Per App Install (CPAI) on Facebook Ads over the past 13 months is one of pronounced seasonality and rising intensity into year‑end. Median CPAI fell to a deep trough in January 2025 before climbing through mid‑year, spiking in June, and then accelerating to the highest level of the period in November 2025. Volatility was a defining feature: month‑to‑month swings averaged about $7 and roughly 50% in percentage terms, with standout surges in mid‑year and late Q4. 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 all industries across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

Section 1: The story in the data

Across all industries globally, median CPAI averaged about $17.09 from November 2024 through November 2025, ranging from a low of $7.22 in January 2025 to a high of $38.09 in November 2025. The period began at $15.98 in November 2024 and ended at $38.09 one year later, a year‑over‑year lift of roughly 138%. The total range—about $31—underscores how much app‑install costs moved during the year.

Key beats in the timeline:

• December 2024 eased to $11.88 (−26% vs. November), followed by the cycle’s low in January ($7.22, −39% vs. December).
• February rebounded to $12.87 (+78%), then dipped in March to $9.17 (−29%).
• April climbed to $14.53 (+59%), before a softer May at $11.90 (−18%).
• June spiked to $26.89 (+126% vs. May), the first major inflection.
• July reset to $12.16 (−55%), then a steady build: August $19.37 (+59%), September $21.87 (+13%), October $20.27 (−7%).
• November 2025 surged to $38.09 (+88% vs. October), the period’s peak and more than double the annual average.

On average, absolute month‑to‑month movement was about $7.08 (roughly 50% in percentage terms), highlighting a choppy but directional rise from mid‑year to Q4.

Section 2: Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality is visible and pronounced. Performance typically softens through early Q1: January posted the lowest median CPAI of $7.22, with February’s rebound and March’s pullback forming a classic early‑year rhythm. Q2 introduced the first strong push, culminating in June’s spike to $26.89. Q3 settled into an elevated plateau—August through October clustered between $19 and $22—before late Q4 competition intensified and November reached $38.09. Taken together, H2 2025 averaged about $22.35, roughly 62% higher than H1’s $13.76.

Section 3: Country vs. Global

Because this view aggregates all industries and all countries, the selected series is the global benchmark. There is no gap between “market” and “baseline”—they are identical at every point. What stands out instead is the shape of the global line itself: a low in January, a sharp June inflection, and a decisive late‑year surge. The global trend rose meaningfully from start to finish, with choppier intervals around March, May, and July and the widest single‑month expansions in June (+126%) and November (+88%).

Closing

This readout provides Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost Per App Install across all industries worldwide, outlining how app‑install costs oscillated through Q1 softness, a mid‑year spike, and a Q4 peak. While CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance offer broader context for industry ad performance and country‑specific ad costs, the median CPAI itself averaged $17.09, bottomed at $7.22 in January, and peaked at $38.09 in November—capturing the global pattern that advertisers can use to compare against their own Facebook app‑install benchmarks across all countries and all industries.