See how your app install costs compare. Explore mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform
June 2025 - June 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Software Development’s cost-per-app-install (CPI) trend in All countries available tells a compact story: lower-than-global costs with choppy month-to-month swings and a late uptick into spring. 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 in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
Across the 12-month window from June 2025 to May 2026, the Software Development CPI averaged about $5.33 per install, starting at $7.62 in June 2025 and finishing at $9.36 in May 2026 — a net rise of roughly 23%. The series hit its low in July 2025 at $1.70 and its high in May 2026 at $9.36. Monthly movement was pronounced: the largest single-month fall came June→July (−78%), while notable rebounds occurred July→August and again February→March/April. Volatility, measured as average absolute month-to-month change, was roughly $1.76 — about one-third of the mean CPI for this cohort.
Rhythm in the data shows a soft mid-year trough and a ramp into spring. July was an outlier trough ($1.70), followed by a steady recovery through October and a low single-digit plateau across November–January. February through May showed renewed upward momentum, with consecutive months above $7 from February onward and a peak in May. These moves align with a pattern of a shallow mid-year lull, winter stasis, then a spring lift, producing a double wave rather than a single seasonal peak.
Compared to the global baseline, Software Development installs in All countries available ran materially lower throughout the year. The global benchmark averaged about $15.86 over the same months, meaning the selected market’s CPI was roughly 66% below the global average. The gap varied: the narrowest differential was in May (selected $9.36 vs global $14.39 — ~35% below), while the widest was in July (selected $1.70 vs global $9.95 — ~83% below). The baseline series was far more volatile (average monthly absolute change ≈ $5.82) driven by a large global spike in February; by contrast, the Software Development cohort showed steadier, smaller swings but finished closer to the mid-highs.
Understanding Cost per App Install benchmarks, Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends, CPM analysis and CTR performance context for industry ad performance and country-specific ad costs in Software Development in All countries available provides a grounded view of how install economics diverged from global patterns over this 12‑month period.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Software Development industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
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 showing app benefits, UGC-style content, and localized messaging tend to perform best. Clear CTAs and fast-paced visuals help lower your CPI.
Optimizing for installs gets volume, but optimizing for actions like signups or purchases brings higher quality users. It depends on your goals and how much post-install behavior matters.
Align your creative with the app experience, avoid misleading ads, and exclude users who already installed. You can also test lookalike audiences based on high-quality users, not just all installers.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
Average cost per click benchmarks across industries
Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
See how much it costs to get users to install an app