Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks for Venture Capital & Investment

Introduction

Global app‑install costs swung widely across 2025, setting a choppy backdrop for the Venture Capital & Investment category. Costs started low in January, surged into mid‑year, then cooled into December. June marked the peak, followed by a sharp correction in July and a steadier late‑summer plateau. Overall, the year traced a soft Q1, a pronounced Q2 spike, and a moderate Q4 comedown. 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 across all available countries compared to the global benchmark.

Section 1: The story in the data

The global median Cost Per App Install (CPI) opened at $7.07 in January and closed at $9.32 in December, a net increase of 32%. The annual average was $13.37, with a midpoint (median of monthly medians) near $12.92. The year’s low came in January ($7.07), while the high arrived in June ($23.76) — roughly 3.4x the January level. The spread from low to high spanned $16.69.

Month by month, movements were sizeable. February jumped 64% month‑over‑month to $11.63, before easing to $8.91 in March (−23%). April rebounded to $13.51 (+52%), and May softened to $12.32 (−9%). The sharpest swing was May to June: costs nearly doubled to $23.76 (+93%). July then reset to $10.77 (−55%), the steepest single‑month decline. Late summer and early fall stabilized at elevated levels — August $15.99, September $16.16, October $16.43 — a tight $0.44 band. November dipped to $14.57 (−11%), and December fell further to $9.32 (−36%). On average, absolute month‑over‑month movement was about $4.57 per install — roughly one‑third of the annual average — underscoring meaningful volatility.

Section 2: Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The rhythm followed a familiar arc. Q1 was the softest quarter (average ~$9.20), characterized by lower CPIs and intermittent lifts. Q2 rose sharply (average ~$16.53), culminating in the June high. Q3 moderated yet remained above the annual average (average ~$14.31), with August through October showing the year’s calmest stretch. Q4 eased again (average ~$13.44), with a notable December drop returning CPIs closer to early‑year territory. Performance typically softens through Q4 as competition rises, with engagement rebounding in early Q1; 2025’s pattern fits that broader cadence, punctuated by an outsized mid‑year spike.

Section 3: Country vs. Global

Because this view aggregates all available countries, the selected scope aligns with the global benchmark; gaps to “global” are effectively zero. In practical terms, the Venture Capital & Investment category across all countries can anchor expectations around a $13–14 global median CPI for 2025, with the possibility of mid‑20s spikes (June) and single‑digit troughs (January, December). The smoothest period arrived August–October at roughly $16, while the sharpest whipsaw spanned June to July (−55%).

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads app‑install cost benchmarks for the Venture Capital & Investment industry across all countries helps marketers evaluate CPI trends, volatility, and seasonal patterns against global norms. This CPI analysis provides a directional reference point for industry ad performance and country‑specific ad costs within a global context.