CPI Calculator (Cost Per Install)

What is CPI?

Cost Per Install (CPI) is a pricing model used in mobile advertising where advertisers pay each time a user installs their app as a direct result of an ad. It’s a straightforward metric for measuring the cost of user acquisition for mobile applications.

How to Calculate CPI

The formula for calculating Cost Per Install is simple:

For example, if you spent $1,000 on an app install campaign and generated 500 new installs, your CPI would be $2.00 ($1,000 / 500 installs).

Why is CPI Important?

CPI is the primary metric for mobile user acquisition (UA) managers for several reasons:

• Measures UA Efficiency: It provides a clear and direct measure of how much it costs to acquire a new user for your app.
• Informs Budgeting: Knowing your average CPI allows you to accurately budget for growth. If you want 10,000 new users and your CPI is $2.00, you know you need a budget of $20,000.
• Optimizes Ad Channels: By comparing the CPI across different ad networks (e.g., Facebook Ads, Google App Campaigns, Apple Search Ads), you can allocate your budget to the most cost-effective channels.
• Balances Cost and Quality: A low CPI is great, but it must be evaluated alongside the lifetime value (LTV) of the users acquired. The goal is to find channels that deliver high-LTV users at an acceptable CPI.