What's the Average Cost Per Install for Google App Campaigns (UAC) in 2026?

Google App Campaigns (formerly Universal App Campaigns, or UAC) average $2.65 to $4.00 per install overall in 2026, but that blended figure hides a wide split by operating system — roughly $5.84 per install on iOS versus $1.92 on Android.

The OS Split Is the Most Important Number Here

• iOS installs via Google App Campaigns: around $5.84 per install as of early 2026, up roughly 19% year-over-year
• Android installs via Google App Campaigns: around $1.92 per install, holding at roughly a third of the iOS cost
• Blended average across both platforms: $2.65 to $4.00, which is the figure most advertisers quote but is only meaningful for an app running iOS and Android campaigns in similar proportions to the overall market

An app running iOS-only campaigns should expect costs well above the blended average, and an Android-only advertiser should expect to land well below it — quoting the $2.65-$4.00 blended range for either platform in isolation sets the wrong expectation.

Why iOS Costs Roughly Triple Android

iOS's higher CPI reflects both a smaller available inventory following platform privacy changes and generally higher-value, higher-intent iOS users that advertisers are willing to pay more to reach. Android's larger global install base and lower per-user competition keeps its CPI structurally lower across nearly every category tracked.

Category Matters Almost as Much as OS

• iOS gaming apps: average around $2.80 globally, rising to roughly $4.20 in the US specifically
• iOS non-gaming apps: average around $3.12 globally
• Android gaming apps: average around $0.95 globally
• Android non-gaming apps: average around $1.40 globally

Gaming and non-gaming apps pull from different competitive pools and different monetization models, which is part of why a single flat "app CPI" figure without a category and OS breakdown is close to meaningless for budget planning.

Region Shifts the Number Further Still

North America runs roughly $2.50 to $5.00 per install, EMEA $2.00 to $4.00, APAC $1.50 to $3.00, and Latin America $0.50 to $2.00 — close to a 10x spread between the cheapest and most expensive region tracked. An advertiser running a global App Campaign without regional budget splits risks having spend pulled disproportionately toward whichever region is cheapest, rather than the region that actually converts best for that specific app.

One Lever That Reliably Lowers CPI

Apps supplying 10 or more creative assets per ad group see up to 15% lower cost-per-install compared to campaigns running the platform's minimum asset count, since Google's App Campaign algorithm has more creative combinations to test and optimize delivery around.

Bottom Line

Plan around the $2.65-$4.00 blended CPI range only as a starting reference — then adjust hard for OS (iOS runs roughly 3x Android), category, and region before setting an actual budget, and supply at least 10 creative assets per ad group to give the algorithm room to find the cheaper-performing combinations.

Sources: ApsteQ, "App User Acquisition Cost 2026: $3.91 Avg CPI, $0.80 to $20+"; Business of Apps, "Cost per Install (CPI) Rates".