Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
January 2025 - January 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
For Software Development advertisers in India, 2025 cost-per-click (CPC) moved through two distinct acts: an early-year climb into a February spike, followed by a progressive decline that turned into a steep Q4 compression. Across the same window, the global benchmark held steady and even surged in November, underscoring how country-specific ad costs in India diverged from broader Facebook Ads benchmarks. 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 India compared to the global benchmark.
CPC in India for Software Development averaged 0.47 across the observed months, ranging from a high of 1.24 in February to a low of 0.008 in December. The year opened at 0.21 in January, surged to 1.24 in February, then eased into a midyear band between 0.56 and 0.73 (May–July). Momentum broke in August (0.16), and by November and December CPC nearly flatlined at 0.018 and 0.008 respectively. From the February peak to December’s low, CPC fell 99%, and from January to December it declined 96%.
Volatility was pronounced. Average month-over-month swing measured 0.30 points, about five times the global benchmark’s 0.06. Range tells the same story: India’s 2025 spread spanned roughly 1.23 points (1.24 to 0.008), versus a tighter global range of 0.26 (1.32 to 1.05). Despite the extreme Q4 troughs, the median CPC in India was 0.52, close to the midyear equilibrium and slightly above the full-period average, reflecting the weight of late-year lows.
Seasonality split the year. Q1 averaged 0.64 with a sharp February spike; Q2 held steady around 0.68, typical of stable CPC trends. The rhythm shifted in Q3: July held at 0.56, but August dropped 71% month over month to 0.16. Readings for September and October were not observed; when the series resumed, Q4 averaged just 0.013 across November and December—an unusually soft finish compared to the broader market pattern where CPCs tend to firm as competition rises.
Against the global benchmark (1.13 average CPC in 2025), India ran significantly below market, at 0.47 on average—58% lower. India sat above global levels only once, in February (+10% vs. 1.13). In most months it trailed materially: 36–57% below in March–June, 49% below in July, and 86% below in August. The late-year gap widened dramatically as global CPCs peaked in November (1.32) and India fell to 0.018 (−99% vs. global); December remained similarly compressed (−99% vs. 1.05). Globally, CPCs were steady in H2 (+0.5% vs. H1), while India’s H2 average (0.19) was 71% below its H1 average (0.66), highlighting a diverging trajectory and greater volatility in India’s Software Development segment.
Overall, Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for Software Development in India show a year defined by a February spike, midyear stability, and an unusually soft Q4, consistently below the global baseline and markedly more volatile. Understanding CPC trends and country-specific ad costs in India helps contextualize industry ad performance and compare local CPC patterns to global Facebook Ads benchmarks.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Software Development industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting India, advertisers should consider local market factors and user behavior. 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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October (Diwali), Late November (Black Friday/Cyber Monday), December (Christmas), July–August (Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi)
CPMs might spike significantly during Diwali, especially in electronics, apparel, jewellery, and gifts. Black Friday/Cyber Monday and December could drive elevated ad competition. State-specific festivals might see regional campaign spikes. Bank closures during holidays may push online shopping to cluster in end-of-week periods.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
The truth is that varies, so play with our tool to get some benchmarks that are relevant to you. CPC values are highly dependent on the region, industry and campaign objective. The US is one of the most expensive markets.
Several factors affect CPC: your audience targeting, competition in your industry, ad relevance score, and creative performance. If your ad isn't getting engagement or relevance is low, CPC tends to spike.
CPC spikes usually happen because of increased competition in your target audience, seasonal trends (like holidays), poor ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check if your audience targeting has become too narrow or if your creative is showing fatigue.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference between platforms. Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop. How many times do check Instagram on your phone and how often do you open it in your computer? There's simply much more mobile inventory. Tip: segment your performance data by placement to understand where your clicks are coming from. Spoiler: it's likely all mobile.
For most businesses, optimizing for conversions will deliver much better ROI than focusing purely on CPC. A low CPC is meaningless if those clicks don't convert. However, if you're running awareness campaigns or some kind content promotion, CPC optimization might potentially make sense, although most experts have switched to conversion optimization by now.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.
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