CPI calculator (cost per install)
Cost per install (CPI) is your ad spend divided by installs - in 2026, mobile CPIs commonly run from about $1 to $6 depending on platform and category. Enter your numbers below to get your CPI and see how it compares to the estimate for your category.
Enter spend and installs to see your CPI.
The estimated benchmark for this category and platform.
2026 cost per install benchmarks by category
Estimated CPI by category, iOS and Android. These are estimates - your real CPI depends on geo, targeting, and creative. Updated July 2026.
Why organic TikTok often beats paid installs
Paid installs stop the moment the budget does. Every one is rented: turn off the spend and the installs go with it. An outlier organic TikTok works the other way - it can reach hundreds of thousands of people at near-zero marginal cost, and it keeps pulling installs for weeks after you post it.
That is the whole Handler thesis. Instead of paying a rising CPI for every install, you find the TikToks already breaking out in your niche, dupe what works, and let organic reach do the acquisition. Browse real scored examples in the outlier TikTok library.
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FAQ
What is a good cost per install (CPI)?
It depends on your category and platform. In 2026 mobile CPIs commonly run from about $1 to $6, with Finance and Health apps at the high end and Entertainment and Shopping lower. A CPI is good when it sits below your category estimate and below the revenue each install brings back.
How do I lower my CPI?
Tighter audience targeting, better creative, and stronger store-listing conversion all pull CPI down. The biggest lever, though, is mixing in organic: installs that come from an outlier TikTok cost close to nothing, so they drag your blended cost per install down for free.
Why is iOS CPI higher than Android?
iOS inventory is scarcer and skews toward higher-value users, so advertisers bid it up. Across almost every category the iOS estimate runs meaningfully above Android, which is why the calculator lets you compare against each platform separately.
Is a lower CPI always better?
Not on its own. A cheap install that never becomes a paying user is worse than a pricier install that converts. Read CPI next to what an install is worth to you - pair this with the install revenue calculator to see the full picture.
Can organic TikTok lower my blended CPI?
Yes, and it is the whole idea behind Handler. Every install that comes from organic reach is an install you did not pay for, so it lowers the average cost across all your installs. One breakout post can carry weeks of installs at near-zero marginal cost.
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Handler finds the TikToks already blowing up for apps like yours.
Stop guessing. Handler surfaces the outlier posts in your niche, scores them, and hands you a shoot-ready kit to dupe the winners. Start with 6 free recommendations for your app.
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