App-install objective benchmarks matter for mobile acquisition programs where the first win is an install, but the real business value still depends on activation and retention. Install rate, CPI, activation rate, and retained-user efficiency.
Use these labeled KPIs together instead of judging app installs 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 retained-user efficiency. Benchmarks should be interpreted with contextual commentary, not as standalone averages.
| Objective | Average | Median | Top Quartile | Bottom Quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Installs | 20% | 16.8% | 29% | 8.6% |
These are the main drivers that typically explain why the same headline metric changes across channels, industries, and conversion contexts.
| Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| App-store trust and creative relevance | Changes how install rate, cpi, activation rate, and retained-user efficiency. |
| Platform mix and audience quality | Changes how install rate, cpi, activation rate, and retained-user efficiency. |
| First-session activation experience | Changes how install rate, cpi, activation rate, and retained-user efficiency. |
App-install objective benchmarks matter for mobile acquisition programs where the first win is an install, but the real business value still depends on activation and retention.
App-install objectives should be judged with activation and retention context so cheap installs do not hide weak user quality.
App-install objectives should be judged with activation and retention context so cheap installs do not hide weak user quality.
App-install objectives should be judged with activation and retention context so cheap installs do not hide weak user quality.
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), Benchmarketing Platform Data (2023–2024). 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 CPI, install rate, activation, and day-7 or day-30 quality together so the benchmark reflects meaningful growth.
They look efficient while still producing weak growth if activation and retention are poor after the install event.