A performance-based pricing model for mobile user acquisition campaigns where advertisers pay only when users install their app.
Cost Per Install (CPI) is a pricing model commonly used in mobile user acquisition campaigns. In this model, an advertiser pays a publisher or partner each time a user clicks on an app offer and successfully installs the application.
The payment is triggered only after the installation is completed, making CPI a performance-based advertising model focused on app growth.
In a CPI campaign, advertisers promote their app through ads placed by publishers. When a user clicks on the ad and proceeds to install the app, the advertiser is charged a predefined cost per install.
This model ensures that advertisers pay only for confirmed installs rather than impressions or clicks alone.
Cost Per Install is one of the most popular models in mobile advertising because it directly supports app acquisition goals. Advertisers benefit from clear and measurable results tied specifically to app installs.
Some key reasons for its popularity include:
Precise tracking of which campaigns and publishers generate actual app installs, allowing for accurate performance measurement and optimization.
Advertisers know exactly how much they pay for each new user, making budgeting and forecasting more reliable and transparent.
Strong alignment with app growth objectives, focusing resources directly on acquiring new users rather than intermediate metrics.
Unlike click-based (CPC) or impression-based (CPM) models, CPI focuses solely on installs. This makes it especially effective for advertisers whose primary goal is to increase their app's user base rather than immediate engagement or revenue.
CPI campaigns are widely used by app developers, game studios, and mobile brands launching new apps or expanding into new markets. Because installs are a critical first step in the user lifecycle, CPI remains a foundational model in mobile advertising.
Cost Per Install (CPI) is a performance-driven advertising model that charges advertisers only when a user installs their app. Its simplicity, transparency, and focus on measurable results make it one of the most widely adopted models in mobile user acquisition.
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