A March 2026 synthesis of published mobile app growth benchmarks covering CPI, trial-to-paid conversion, retention, LTV signals, and creative refresh cadence.
Synthesis of published third-party benchmarks; not proprietary Sharply Labs client cohort data. This report was compiled in March 2026. Its figures are planning references, not performance promises or Sharply Labs client results.
Published benchmarks show average worldwide CPI of $2.24 on iOS and $1.12 on Android. RevenueCat reports a 6.2% median trial-start rate and 12.11% median download-to-paid conversion for hard-paywall apps versus 2.18% for freemium apps. Every comparison must retain its geography, OS, statistic type, source year, category, and monetization model.
The supplied North America iOS channel table reports average CPI of $2.45 for TikTok, $2.88 for Apple Search Ads, $3.10 for Google App Campaigns, and $3.85 for Meta. This is a secondary compilation path citing Liftoff and AppsFlyer, not a universal global benchmark.
Adjust reports cross-category average retention of 25.3% on Day 1, 11.4% on Day 7, and 5.7% on Day 30. No single public blended D30/D90 ROAS claimed; use MMP cohort data. Secondary D7 ROAS ranges included in HTML for planning only.
Only figures in the owner-supplied benchmark dataset are used as machine-readable metrics. Medians remain medians, averages remain averages, and ranges remain ranges. Primary report links are used where supplied; compiler paths are labeled secondary. The attached app-store-revenue value remains in the data but is not a headline because its definition and report vintage need reconciliation with Sensor Tower's published 2025 IAP figure.
This report is not proprietary Sharply Labs client cohort data, does not describe a proprietary methodology or customer result, and does not provide a universal blended D30 or D90 ROAS benchmark. North America iOS channel averages should not be applied to global Android campaigns without adjustment. Secondary compilers can round or lag primary reports.
Mobile app teams can compare their own MMP and store cohorts with these public reference points, review the Sharply Labs mobile apps growth playbook, or book a 15-minute growth audit. No performance outcome is promised.