Benchmarks
Mobile app CPI benchmarks 2026: by platform, channel and vertical
6 min read
Cost per install, or CPI, is the price you pay for one new user from paid media. It is the first number every app team asks about and the one most often quoted without context.
This page collects the 2026 benchmarks by platform, channel and vertical from the largest published datasets, and explains why your number will differ.
What is the average CPI in 2026?
Headline averages vary by source because they measure different markets. Tier-one data puts iOS at 5.84 dollars in the first quarter of 2026, up 19 percent year on year, and Android at 1.92 dollars, up 8 percent.
Worldwide blended figures are lower, at roughly 2.24 dollars on iOS and 1.12 dollars on Android, because they include cheaper regions. Western Europe sits in between at about 3.40 and 1.85 dollars.
Use the range that matches where you buy. A US-only subscription app should plan on the tier-one numbers.
CPI by vertical (tier-one markets)
Ranges below come from Admiral Media's analysis of more than 500 million euros in managed spend across 150 brands, published April 2026.
Gaming CPI rose about 30 percent year on year, and European gaming CPI rose 47 percent, so treat the top of each range as the realistic 2026 figure.
CPI by channel
Why a cheap install can be expensive
A 0.50 dollar TikTok install that churns in two days costs more than a 3 dollar Apple Search Ads install that subscribes in a week. CPI only matters next to retention and revenue.
Industry averages sit near 24 percent day-one retention, 12 percent day-seven and 5 percent day-thirty. Finance and marketplace apps retain best, hypercasual games worst.
What moves CPI the most?
Creative. Meta estimates creative explains 60 to 80 percent of the variance in cost per action, more than bidding, targeting or placement combined.
Accounts shipping fewer than five new concepts a month see costs drift up 15 to 30 percent per quarter. Accounts shipping 40 or more reduce costs 20 to 40 percent per quarter. That is the gap Viralway is built to close, by turning one brief into a batch of test-ready clips in a day.
Within creative, UGC ads are the format that moves CPI most for apps. inBeat reports Booksy cutting cost per acquisition 92 percent and Yubo cutting it 25 percent after switching to creator-style video, and AppsFlyer's data has tutorial and app review UGC driving 45 percent more installs per thousand impressions than testimonials. The cheapest way to get that volume is a UGC ad tool for the test batch, then a booked creator for the winner.
Key takeaways
- Tier-one iOS CPI is about 5.84 dollars in 2026, Android about 1.92 dollars.
- TikTok is cheapest when the audience fits, Apple Search Ads retains best, Google is the cheapest of the big networks.
- Finance and mid-core games cost the most per install, hypercasual and marketplaces the least.
- Judge CPI next to day-seven retention, never alone.
- Creative volume is the biggest lever you control.
Ready to put this into practice?
Send Viralway a brief and get platform-ready clips for Meta, TikTok and YouTube the same day.
Common questions
- Why is iOS CPI so much higher than Android?
- iOS users spend more, so advertisers bid more. App Tracking Transparency also made iOS targeting less precise, which raised the cost of finding the right user.
- What is a good CPI for a subscription app?
- One that pays back within your target window. A common target is 15 to 30 percent day-seven ROAS and 70 to 110 percent by day ninety.
- How often are these benchmarks updated?
- We refresh this page every quarter as the source datasets update. The date at the top reflects the last revision.
