Mobile App User Acquisition Cost Benchmarks by Category
The average cost per install for a mobile app in 2026 ranges from under $1 to over $26, depending on the app category, platform, and region. Finance and sports apps command the highest CPIs, while casual gaming and music apps remain among the cheapest to acquire users for. Below is a detailed breakdown of current benchmarks with named sources.
Overall CPI by Platform
The platform split remains significant in 2026:
- iOS average CPI: $4.70 (Business of Apps)
- Android average CPI: $3.70 (Business of Apps)
iOS consistently costs more due to higher user lifetime values and greater advertiser competition for iOS users. According to AppsFlyer, global app marketing spend on user acquisition reached $78 billion in 2025, up 13% year-over-year, with iOS surging 35% while Android remained flat (AppsFlyer).
CPI by App Category
These benchmarks represent median or average costs reported across major ad networks and measurement platforms in 2025-2026.
High-CPI Categories
- Sports: $26.81 -- The highest CPI of any category, driven by intense competition during major sporting seasons and high user LTV from betting and fantasy sports apps (Business of Apps).
- Games (overall): $12.28 -- This average spans all game genres from hyper-casual to midcore. The range within gaming is enormous (Business of Apps).
- Finance: $8.23 -- Banking, investing, and fintech apps pay premium CPIs because each acquired user can generate substantial recurring revenue (Business of Apps via AppTweak).
- Shopping: $6.20 -- Retail and e-commerce apps compete heavily during Q4, pushing annual averages up (Business of Apps).
Mid-CPI Categories
- Health and Fitness: $4.30-$5.50 -- Fitness apps with subscription models justify higher acquisition costs through recurring revenue. Personalized plan apps trend toward the higher end (Business of Apps, AdAction).
- Education: $4.70 -- EdTech apps, particularly language learning and professional development, maintain steady demand (Business of Apps).
- Travel: $4.20 -- Seasonal variation is significant, with CPIs spiking during holiday booking periods (Business of Apps).
- Food and Delivery: $3.80-$4.50 -- Delivery apps face high churn, keeping acquisition costs elevated relative to retention (AdAction).
Low-CPI Categories
- Productivity: $3.13 -- Utility-oriented apps benefit from organic search traffic, reducing paid CPI pressure (Business of Apps).
- Utilities: $2.90 -- Simple utility apps have broad appeal and lower competition (Business of Apps).
- Music: $2.11 -- Streaming and music apps maintain low CPIs but face high churn challenges (Business of Apps).
- Casual Games: $1.50-$3.00 -- Hyper-casual and casual games remain the cheapest category to acquire users for, though monetization per user is also lower (Business of Apps, Mapendo).
Gaming Sub-Category Breakdown
Gaming deserves its own breakdown because of the extreme range within the category:
- Casual (iOS): $1.41 -- Low barrier to entry and broad audiences (Statista).
- Casual (Android): $0.14 -- Dramatically cheaper on Android due to volume (Statista).
- Midcore (iOS): $4.50-$8.00 -- Strategy, RPG, and simulation games with deeper engagement loops (MAF).
- Hardcore (iOS): $8.00-$15.00+ -- Competitive multiplayer and AAA-quality mobile games (MAF).
- Gaming CPI overall jumped 30% in 2026 according to Adjust's mobile app report (Adjust via PPC Land).
CPI by Region
Geography has a dramatic effect on acquisition costs:
- North America: $2.50-$5.00 -- The most expensive region for user acquisition, reflecting high purchasing power and intense competition (AdAction).
- EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa): $2.00-$4.00 -- Western Europe trends toward the high end; MENA and Africa are considerably cheaper (AdAction).
- APAC (Asia Pacific): $1.50-$3.00 -- Enormous user bases in India and Southeast Asia bring averages down, though Japan and South Korea are premium markets (AdAction).
- Latin America: $0.50-$2.00 -- The most cost-effective region for volume-based acquisition campaigns (AdAction).
CPI by Ad Platform
Where you buy installs also matters:
- Facebook/Meta Ads: $2.00-$5.50 CPI (AdAction 2026)
- Google Ads (UAC): $1.50-$4.50 CPI (AdAction 2026)
- TikTok Ads: $1.75-$4.00 CPI (AdAction 2026)
- Apple Search Ads: Median cost-per-tap of $2.05 for Shopping, varies widely by category (AppTweak 2025)
The CPI-to-LTV Equation
Raw CPI numbers only tell half the story. What matters is how CPI compares to customer lifetime value. A $26.81 CPI for a sports app is justified if the average user generates $100+ in revenue over their lifetime. A $0.14 CPI for an Android casual game is not economical if the average user generates $0.05.
This is where affiliate marketing changes the calculation. With a performance-based affiliate model, you pay commissions only when a referred user actually makes a purchase or subscribes. There is no wasted spend on installs that never convert. If your app uses a subscription model, a revenue-share commission structure means you only pay when you earn.
For context, the average mobile subscription ARPU is $8.41 (RevenueCat State of Subscription Apps 2026), meaning even a 20-30% revenue share commission on a subscription leaves substantial margin compared to a $4-8 CPI where the user may never subscribe at all.
Trends Affecting 2026 CPI
Several factors are pushing CPIs in different directions:
Upward pressure:
- Increased competition from AI-powered apps flooding the market (monthly subscription app launches grew from 2,000 to 14,700+ between January 2022 and January 2026, per RevenueCat).
- Consolidation of ad spend on fewer, larger platforms.
- Seasonal spikes during Q4 and major cultural events.
Downward pressure:
- New ad formats like playable ads and rewarded installs improving conversion rates.
- Regional expansion strategies targeting lower-CPI markets.
- Performance-based models (including affiliate marketing) shifting spend away from pure CPI campaigns.
Key Takeaway
User acquisition costs vary by an order of magnitude across categories, platforms, and regions. The most effective approach for most app developers is not to chase the lowest CPI but to optimize the ratio between acquisition cost and lifetime value. Performance-based channels like affiliate marketing eliminate the risk of paying for installs that never monetize, making them an increasingly attractive complement to traditional paid UA campaigns.
All figures in this post are sourced from named industry reports and analytics platforms. Where ranges are provided, they reflect variation across ad networks, seasons, and sub-segments within the category.