Mobile Game User Acquisition & CPI Statistics (2026): 35+ Data Points on Install Costs and CPM

North American cost per install hit about $1.68 in 2025, up 31% in a single year, while Europe jumped 47% to $0.53 (Adjust, Gaming App Insights 2026). Impression prices climbed too: average CPM across all genres rose 20% to $4.34 (Adjust, 2026). The squeeze comes from a shrinking install pool — downloads have fallen 6–7% annually since 2021 (Sensor Tower, 2026). We aggregated data from Adjust, Sensor Tower, and GameAnalytics, plus dozens of other primary sources to compile this report. In 2026, buying users is a game of margins, and the cheap-traffic era is over.

Key Takeaways

• North America CPI reached ~$1.68 in 2025, up 31% (Adjust, 2026).
• Europe CPI rose 47% to ~$0.53; LATAM up 40% to ~$0.14 (Adjust, 2026).
• Average CPM grew 20% to $4.34 across all genres (Adjust, 2026).
• North America CPM is ~$15.98, the most expensive region (Adjust, 2026).
• Casino and slots carry the highest CPMs, above $12 (Adjust, 2026).
• Hyper-casual CPI ~$0.30; casual/puzzle ~$1.50; idle ~$1.20 (GameAnalytics, 2026).
• Ad partners per app fell from 6 to 5.3 as teams consolidate (Adjust, 2026).
• 92.5% of IAP revenue comes from the top 1% of publishers (Sensor Tower, 2026).

Free browser distribution sidesteps CPI entirely — players reach games like Knife Rain on Genzopia with no install cost.

Cost Per Install: Up Everywhere

CPI rose in every major region in 2025. The absolute numbers vary wildly, but the direction is uniform — acquiring a player has never been more expensive.

Outlier: Europe's 47% CPI jump was the steepest of any major region (Adjust, 2026). Ad-friendly hyper-casual games like Bottle flip still need volume to offset costs.

CPI by Genre

Genre defines the entire UA math. Hyper-casual buys installs for cents; puzzle and idle pay dollars because their players are worth far more over time.

Higher CPI demands higher retention to pay back. See how that plays out in our player retention statistics.

CPM and Impression Costs

Impression prices rose alongside installs. North America commands a huge premium, and casino verticals sit at the top of the CPM table.

Outlier: North America's ~$15.98 CPM dwarfs every other region (Adjust, 2026). The ad-side economics connect to our in-game advertising statistics.

Strategy Shift: Fewer Channels, Better Users

Rising costs forced discipline. Studios cut experimental channels and concentrate spend where lifetime value is highest, favoring quality over raw volume.

Concentration is brutal: the top 1% of publishers take nearly all revenue (Sensor Tower, 2026). Skill browser games like Color Tunnel grow through organic reach instead. See the broader market in our mobile gaming statistics.

User Acquisition & CPI by the Numbers: Summary Table

Methodology and Sources

We prioritized methodology-backed analytics sources, cross-referenced CPI and CPM figures across Adjust, Sensor Tower, and GameAnalytics, and used 2025–2026 data throughout. Costs vary by campaign, geo, and platform, so figures are directional benchmarks. Every stat is attributed inline to its source.

• Adjust — Gaming App Insights Report 2026
• Sensor Tower — State of Gaming 2026
• GameAnalytics — Genre CPI and retention benchmarks

Last updated: July 2026.

We update this page quarterly with the latest data.