Compare mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
The headline: Retail Cost Per App Install (CPI) across all countries available ran well above the global baseline for most of the 13‑month window, but it was also far more volatile — punctuated by dramatic spikes and sudden 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 Retail in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
Retail CPIs averaged about $61.5 per install over the period (July 2025–July 2026), versus a global baseline average of roughly $21.8 — roughly 182% higher on average. The Retail series started at $68.50 in July 2025, dipped and rebounded repeatedly, and finished at a peak of $116.15 in July 2026 (a ~70% lift from the start). The high was $116.15 (July 2026); the low was $9.10 (May 2026). Monthly behavior was extreme: the series swung from $103.63 in April 2026 down to $9.10 in May 2026 (a ~91% drop), then climbed back to $68.08 in June 2026 (+~648% versus May).
Baseline figures were steadier by comparison: the global benchmark rose from $9.95 (July 2025) to $96.91 (July 2026), averaging $21.8, with its own late‑period spike but generally smaller month‑to‑month moves outside that jump.
Volatility was a defining feature. Retail’s average absolute month‑to‑month percent change was about 133%, versus roughly 77% for the baseline — a signal that Retail CPI moved with larger, less predictable swings.
There isn’t a smooth seasonal curve; instead the Retail cadence looks episodic. The second half of 2025 alternated between lifts and declines (e.g., July → August decline → September lift → October decline). Early 2026 produced a pronounced lift: January → April showed a steady climb (roughly $69 → $103), followed by the sharp May trough. The spring run‑up and May collapse create a sawtooth pattern rather than a classic Q4 peak/Q1 trough rhythm. The year closed on two strong summer months, culminating in the July 2026 spike.
The baseline shows a similar late‑period spike (July 2026) but otherwise behaves like a lower‑magnitude oscillation with the largest single baseline move in February → March and the pronounced July spike.
Viewed month by month, Retail CPI was typically above the global benchmark: in most months Retail costs were 2–6× higher than the baseline (for example, July 2025 ~589% above baseline; March 2026 ~468% above). There were exceptions: May 2026 saw Retail CPI about 37% below the global baseline (Retail $9.10 vs baseline $14.41). At its narrowest gap Retail was only ~20% above the baseline (July 2026); at its widest it ran near 589% above the baseline (July 2025). Overall, Retail proved more volatile and generally above market averages for Cost Per App Install across the dataset.
Understanding Cost Per App Install benchmarks for Retail across all countries available — and how those figures compare to global baselines — provides a clear read on industry ad cost volatility and monthly momentum. This view of Retail CPI, juxtaposed with broader Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance, highlights the scale and irregularity of country‑specific ad costs and industry ad performance across the period.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Facebook advertising costs vary by industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objective. In the Retail industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs through regional competition and user engagement. Campaign objectives affect costs because Facebook optimizes delivery for different goals. The data shows median values across multiple campaigns. Results can vary with ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
A small share of campaigns has extremely high CPI values. Those outliers can inflate an average. The median is the midpoint across campaigns, so it better represents a typical result.
The data shows industry median benchmarks. Costs can vary with targeting, creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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The dataset includes over $3B in Facebook ad spend from thousands of ad accounts that use Superads to analyze and improve campaigns. Every data point is anonymized and aggregated. It does not expose an individual advertiser.
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iOS CPIs often range from $2 to $5 or more. Android is usually cheaper, between $1 and $3. Your CPI will depend on geo, creative, and optimization goal.
Some regions like the US, UK, and Canada have higher competition and stricter privacy regulations, which drive up costs. Countries with lower purchasing power typically have cheaper CPIs.
Short videos that show app benefits, UGC-style content, and localized messaging tend to perform best. Clear CTAs and fast-paced visuals can lower CPI.
Optimizing for installs increases volume. Optimizing for actions such as signups or purchases brings higher-quality users. Choose based on your goals and the importance of post-install behavior.
Align creative with the app experience, avoid misleading ads, and exclude people who already installed. Test lookalike audiences based on high-quality users rather than all installers.
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