Compare App Store paid search performance by intent, app category, match type, and post-install quality. Tap-through rate, cost per tap, CPI, install conversion rate, activation rate, and trial-start quality.
Apple Search Ads benchmarks for tap-through rate, cost per tap, conversion rate, CPI, and trial-start quality across App Store acquisition campaigns.
| Context | Median | Top Quartile | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand terms | 14.2% TTR | 22.0% TTR | Capturing existing App Store demand efficiently |
| Category terms | 5.8% TTR | 9.4% TTR | Finding new users with high intent |
| Competitor terms | 3.6% TTR | 6.1% TTR | Testing conquesting without overpaying for weak-fit installs |
| Discovery campaigns | $4.90 CPI | $2.70 CPI | Scaling beyond exact high-intent terms |
The factors that most often explain why a result lands above or below the range.
| Driver |
|---|
| Keyword intent and whether the searcher is already looking for your app category |
| App Store product-page conversion rate, screenshots, reviews, and ratings |
| Match type structure across brand, category, competitor, and discovery campaigns |
| Post-install activation quality after the paid search install |
The Benchmarketing 4-Band Method. The Benchmarketing 4-Band Method reads every marketing metric against four percentile bands — P25 (bottom quartile), median, P75 (top quartile), and elite (top ~10%) — for a specific industry and channel, instead of a single cross-industry average. Averages blend brand and non-brand campaigns, $500/month and $500,000/month accounts, and unrelated industries into a number almost nobody actually has.
Where the numbers come from. The figures on this page come from the Benchmarketing benchmark dataset — thousands of curated benchmark observations across channels, industries, and US metro areas. Every statistic traces to a named source: WordStream Google Ads Benchmarks (2024), Meta Business Insights (2024), HubSpot Email Marketing Report (2024), Unbounce Conversion Benchmark Report (2024), Databox Marketing Benchmark Report (2024), AdLiftr Snapchat Ads Cost Benchmarks (2026), Ad Badger Amazon Advertising Benchmarks (2026). Benchmarketing does not publish anonymous "studies show" figures.
The Benchmarketing position. Beating the cross-industry average is a vanity milestone, not a target. Compare your number to the P25–P75 band for your specific industry and channel; if you are above average but below your industry's P75, you are leaving performance on the table.
Use the median range as the baseline, then compare against the top-quartile range once the campaign, audience, offer, and conversion event are similar enough to be meaningful.
Start with the benchmark focus, segment by intent and audience quality, then use the drivers and recommendations on this page to diagnose why performance is above or below the range.