Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Software Development

Introduction

Across all countries, Software Development advertisers saw consistently lower Cost Per App Install than the broader market — cheap by comparison, yet not without turbulence. The year opened at $3.97 in January and closed at $2.00 in December, nearly halving over twelve months. A sharp mid‑year lift to $6.02 in June quickly gave way to a July trough at $1.15, after which costs settled into a tight $1.33–$2.33 band through year‑end. Against the global, all‑industry baseline — which averaged $13.37 and peaked at $23.76 in June — Software Development’s median CPI averaged just $2.39, roughly 82% below market.

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 Software Development across all countries compared to the global benchmark.

Section 1: The story in the data

Software Development CPI started at $3.97 in January and ended at $2.00 in December (−50% over the year), averaging $2.39. The high came in June at $6.02; the low followed in July at $1.15, a swing of $4.87 month to month — the sharpest correction of the year. Five months landed below $1.70 (April, July, August, October, November), and most of the back half clustered between $1.33 and $2.33.

Month‑to‑month volatility averaged $1.35, or about 57% of the series’ mean — modest in absolute dollars, but lively relative to its low base. The quietest point was October to November, with just a $0.06 move ($1.40 to $1.33). By contrast, the global benchmark shifted by an average of $4.57 per month (34% of its mean), punctuated by large mid‑year jumps.

Section 2: Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality showed a familiar mid‑year lift: CPI fell from January through April ($3.97 → $1.43), then surged into June’s high ($6.02) before a sharp July reset ($1.15). From August onward, the rhythm stabilized at low levels, with a mild climb into December ($2.00). Quarterly averages underscore the arc: Q1 at $3.02, Q2 at $3.24 (inflated by June), Q3 at $1.72, and Q4 at $1.58.

The global benchmark followed a similar calendar contour but at much higher levels: Q1 averaged $9.21, Q2 $16.53 (with June at $23.76), Q3 $14.31, and Q4 $13.44. Notably, while the market remained elevated after June, Software Development costs compressed more quickly and stayed subdued through Q4.

Section 3: Country vs. Global

Relative to the all‑industry global benchmark, Software Development CPI stayed below market every month — substantially so. The narrowest gap appeared in January, when Software Development ran 44% cheaper ($3.97 vs. $7.07). The gap widened through the year, reaching its largest in October at 92% below market ($1.40 vs. $16.43). In most months, Software Development CPI ran 75%–91% under the global level. While the market as a whole rose 32% from January to December ($7.07 → $9.32), Software Development declined by roughly half, reflecting a choppier but ultimately deflationary path.

In summary, Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost Per App Install show Software Development running far below all‑industry costs across all countries, with a brief mid‑year spike, a swift correction, and sustained low levels into Q4. Understanding CPI trends and country‑agnostic app install costs for the Software Development industry helps contextualize performance against global patterns and complements broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance benchmarks.