Compare mobile acquisition cost benchmarks by industry, region, and platform.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
Big-picture: costs per app install moved from a modest baseline into a period of sharp spikes, leaving a lopsided annual profile. 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 Venture Capital & Investment in All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
For Venture Capital & Investment (All countries), cost‑per‑app‑install (CPI) began the window at about $9.95 in July 2025 and finished at a striking $96.91 in July 2026 — an increase of roughly 875% from start to finish. Across the 13 monthly observations the mean CPI was about $21.8 while the median was roughly $14.9, indicating a right‑skewed distribution driven by extreme months.
The series’ low point landed in December 2025 at $9.36. Notable highs include February 2026 at $30.13 and the extreme July 2026 spike to $96.91. Month‑to‑month moves were uneven: typical monthly increases in the early run averaged 20–30%, a dramatic +135% jump from January to February 2026, then a −45% retracement into March. The final jump from June to July 2026 was the largest single move (+~556%). These outliers lift the arithmetic mean well above mid‑year medians.
While the dataset focuses on cost‑per‑app‑install, marketers often read these CPI shifts alongside Facebook Ads benchmarks such as CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance to contextualize spend and engagement across industry ad performance and country-specific ad costs.
Rhythm and seasonality show a few clear beats. Late Q3 into Q4 saw moderate CPI growth then a December trough (the year’s low). Early Q1 produced a rebound that culminated in February’s unusually high CPI, followed by a reset in March. Spring and early summer (April–June) settled into mid‑teens (around $14–$19), suggesting a period of relative steadiness before the July 2026 anomaly.
The pattern suggests recurring softness around December and elevated competition or pricing pressure in late winter (February) and, in this window, an exceptional distortion the following July. These monthly swings delivered a high apparent volatility: average absolute month‑to‑month movement was about 77% when including the July outlier; excluding that single extreme month, average monthly swings were nearer 33%.
Because this series represents Venture Capital & Investment across All countries available, it functions as the overall benchmark for this industry‑metric pair in the dataset. That makes direct “above vs. below global” comparisons redundant here, but the internal contrast is telling: median CPI (~$14.9) sat well below the mean (~$21.8), underlining how singular spikes (Feb and July 2026) pulled the average upward and increased variance relative to the steady mid‑year months.
Understanding cost‑per‑app‑install benchmarks for Venture Capital & Investment across All countries available provides a clear picture of expense volatility and seasonal rhythm within broader Facebook Ads benchmarks, and complements CPC trends, CPM analysis, CTR performance, and other country‑specific ad costs used to interpret industry ad performance.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Facebook advertising costs vary by industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objective. In the Venture Capital & Investment 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.
Analyze Facebook ad performance
See which ads, audiences, and creatives drive results.
Spot creative patterns that affect ROAS.
Create reports without spreadsheets.
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.
The dataset updates as new ad data is available.
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.
Compare cost benchmarks for Facebook advertising metrics.
Cost per click benchmarks across industries
Cost per thousand impressions across markets
Click-through rate benchmarks for Facebook Ads
Cost per lead benchmarks across markets
Cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
App install cost benchmarks