App-install benchmarks matter for mobile products, subscription apps, and app-led acquisition programs where install volume must be separated from activation quality. Install rate, CPI, activation rate, and day-7 retention.
Use these labeled KPIs together instead of judging app install performance from one headline number. Conversion-sensitive metrics update when you change the conversion type above.
| Metric | Median | Top Quartile | What It Tells You |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTR | 2.4% | 4.1% | Creative and message-to-audience fit |
| CPC | $2.80 | $1.65 | Click acquisition efficiency |
| CVR | 3.4% | 6.2% | Landing-page and offer effectiveness |
| CPA | $82 | $45 | Cost to generate the selected conversion |
| CPM | $12.40 | $7.80 | Auction pressure and reach efficiency |
| ROAS | 3.1x | 5.2x | Revenue efficiency where purchase value is tracked |
Install rate, CPI, activation rate, and day-7 retention.
| Conversion Type | Average | Median | Top Quartile | Bottom Quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Install | 22% | 18% | 31% | 9% |
The factors that most often explain why a result lands above or below the range.
| Factor |
|---|
| App-store trust signals and creative fit |
| Platform and device mix |
| Activation speed after install |
App-install benchmarks matter for mobile products, subscription apps, and app-led acquisition programs where install volume must be separated from activation quality.
App-install benchmarks should never stop at CPI because install quality, activation, and retention determine whether acquisition is actually efficient.
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.
Strong performance comes from efficient installs that also activate and retain, not just cheap CPI.
Because low-cost installs can hide very weak business value.