Apple Ads Search Results Benchmarks Report 2026
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The following section provides a detailed, granular analysis of the App Store landscape.
The tap-through rate (TTR) measures the percentage of times App Store users tap on an ad compared to its total impressions.
The TTR has generally increased over time, though it has fluctuated. Notable peaks occurred in Q2 & Q3 2023 (10.2%), indicating strong ad performance during that period. While 2024 showed a slight decline compared to the previous year, 2025 showed a positive trend, though overall averages remained lower.
TTR fluctuations occur at both category and individual app levels due to several interconnected factors that evolve quarterly. Category-level factors include:
– Seasonal User Behavior: Holiday periods, back-to-school, and fitness resolutions significantly impact search intent and engagement across categories.
– Competitive Landscape Shifts: New major app launches or category exits can dramatically alter TTR benchmarks as user expectations and creative standards evolve.
– Market Saturation & Fatigue: As categories mature, average TTRs tend to decline due to increased competition and ad fatigue across the entire vertical.
Successful TTR management requires a proactive, multi-layered approach that addresses each volatility source with specific tactical responses. Here’s a quick action guide:
– Seasonal User Behavior: Introduce custom product pages 4-6 weeks before seasonal peaks with themed screenshots and seasonal keywords and align app titles/subtitles with seasonal search intent (e.g., “New Year fitness goals” messaging in January).
– Competitive Landscape Shifts: Monitor competitor campaigns and use custom product pages to highlight unique features that competitors lack.
– Market Saturation & Fatigue: Implement A/B testing cycles every 30-45 days to combat ad fatigue and maintain user interest.
Let’s review the average TTR for Apple Ads search results campaigns across the top 15 app categories in 2025 and compare it with the previous period (2024).
In 2025, we observed a significant shift in user engagement, with the overall average tap-through rate (TTR) dropping from 11.40% in 2024 to 9.7% in 2025.
The top categories for tap-through rate are:
Lower-performing categories include:
Comparing the TTRs across the categories year to year reveals the following changes:
Let’s take a closer look at the categories that experienced the biggest TTR changes, including those that fell off the 2025 top 15 ranking:
Conversion rate (CR) in Apple Ads is the number of app downloads divided by the total number of ad taps. Compared across categories, it doesn’t show “weak” or “strong” values, as they reflect user journeys within each category.
Categories with high average indicate strong product-market fit, where users have clear intent and apps effectively address specific needs. High CR suggests users are finding apps through relevant, high-intent keywords rather than broad discovery terms. High CR often correlates with established brand recognition and presence within a category. A low average CR may indicate saturated categories with many similar options, increasing discovery time.
The graph below shows how the average conversion rate in Apple Ads search results campaigns has changed quarter over quarter over the past few years.
While the early history of data aggregation showed promising results from a steadily growing advertiser base, 2021 saw a rapid improvement in average CR. We believe that one of the factors behind it was the platform’s transition to a more precise, first-party attribution framework (AdServices), which enabled more comprehensive and accurate attribution reporting while upholding user privacy standards. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown also had an impact on overall user engagement and intent, an event that contributed to the overall evolution of the mobile market.
In 2025, Apple Ads remain one of the best-performing channels, as the average conversion rate showed a positive upward trend, a likely sign of increased proficiency with this user acquisition channel and improved app store optimization (ASO) techniques.
Ultimately, the high CR can be attributed to both advertisers and the App Store, which consistently work to provide more opportunities for engagement, such as custom product pages and deep links.
Let’s examine the average conversion rate for the top 15 app categories in 2025 and compare it with the 2024 rankings.
Conversion Rate (CR) benchmarks reveal a slight overall decrease in engagement, with the average CR for the top 15 categories falling from 67.20% in 2024 to 66.2% in 2025.
The top categories for conversion rate demonstrate a highly effective transition from ad tap to download:
The categories with the lowest conversion rates include:
Comparing the CRs across the categories that appeared in both lists reveals mixed dynamics:
Category-level conversion rate shifts reflect fundamental market dynamics and user behavior patterns that vary dramatically across app verticals. Volatile categories like Gaming and Social typically experience rapid fluctuations due to trend-driven user acquisition, seasonal events, and intense competitive bidding wars that constantly reshape traffic quality. Meanwhile, stable categories like Utilities and Business maintain consistent conversion rates because they serve predictable, need-based demand with less emotional decision-making.
When average CR increases across a category, it signals market maturation—apps are investing in better creative optimization, custom product pages, and user experience improvements that collectively raise the conversion bar. Conversely, CR drops often indicate market saturation, increased competition driving down traffic quality, or external factors like iOS updates affecting user behavior.
The volatility itself stems from category-specific factors: Entertainment apps face algorithm-driven discovery patterns, Finance apps deal with regulatory changes affecting user trust, while Health apps experience seasonal wellness trends. Understanding your category’s natural volatility helps set realistic benchmarks and prevents overreacting to normal market fluctuations versus genuine performance issues requiring immediate optimization.
Average conversion rate drops for Social Networking apps likely stem from a combination of market saturation, increased competition, and shifting user behavior patterns. The social media landscape became increasingly fragmented as users grew more selective about new platform adoption, particularly following privacy concerns and ‘app fatigue’ from managing multiple social accounts.
Additionally, 2025 saw major established platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Discord) aggressively defending their market share through enhanced Apple Ads spending and Custom Product Page optimization, making it harder for newer or smaller social apps to achieve strong conversion rates.
Composition Shifts: The top 15 categories ranked relatively consistently, with 14 of the 15 appearing in both years.
Let’s take a closer look at the categories that experienced the biggest CR changes, including those outside the top 15 ranking:
The cost per tap (CPT) in Apple Ads is the total ad spend divided by the total number of taps. Below, you’ll discover how the average CPT in Apple Ads for search results campaigns has changed over recent years.
In Apple Ads, cost per tap (CPT) reflects what advertisers are willing to pay to achieve their business goals, and in the vast majority of cases, it’s justified by the platform’s ability to connect them with highly valuable, engaged users.
There are instances when advertisers are willing to sacrifice profitability for rapid expansion, leading to sudden spikes in the metric’s value, but these typically aren’t sustained for long. In short, increasing the cost per tap signals market dynamics that support growth, such as demand for new features (e.g., AI) or genres (e.g., sports betting).
In this context, the upward trend in CPT in 2025 may be driven by the rapid expansion of AI apps and the technology itself, impacting many app categories and offering personalized experiences for Travel app or Education app users.
Average Cost per Tap (CPT) showed an overall upward trend, signaling that advertisers were proactively increasing their bids due to a wide range of factors, including market and competition growth. This is visible in categories like Sports, where a significant CPT rise in 2025 was accompanied by an increase in its Conversion Rate (CR), validating the higher spend as a response to a valuable acquisition opportunity.
The categories with the lowest CPT, suggesting lower competition or advertiser spending, include:
Comparing the CPTs across the categories present in both lists reveals mixed dynamics:
Below are the categories that saw the most significant changes in terms of CPT, including those outside the top 15 ranking:
We’ve also examined seasonal CPT fluctuations in 2025 across the five most popular app categories:
The Finance category was relatively stable during the year, with CPT peaking in July ($6.91) and August ($6.80). Its lowest point was in March (close to $5.20).
Productivity apps maintained a stable CPT during the first half of the year (around $1.10 to $1.50), then saw a marked increase in the final quarter, peaking at $3.14 in December. This surge likely reflects rising demand for organizational tools ahead of the new year.
The Games category remained consistently affordable and stable, with CPT hovering between around $1.30 and $1.80 throughout the year, indicating steady advertiser demand and minimal fluctuation.
Sports had a significant peak in September at $20.21 and secondary peaks in February ($16.90) and December ($16.53). Despite dipping to its lowest CPT in July ($10.17), it remained the most expensive category throughout the year.
The knowledge base confirms that seasonal events drive significant surges in search volume for specific, intent-driven keywords and that seasonal trends significantly affect user behavior and demand for certain app categories.
Several predictable seasonal and industry factors likely contributed to the February CPT spikes for Sports apps:
– Super Bowl LIX (February 9, 2025): The biggest annual sports advertising event drives massive competition for sports-related keywords, pushing CPTs up across all sports apps as advertisers vie for user attention during peak engagement periods.
– Fitness Resolution Peak: Post-New Year fitness resolutions reach their peak engagement in February, causing sports and fitness apps to compete aggressively for workout and training-related keywords.
Likely September 2025 spike drivers:
– NFL Season Launch: September marks the beginning of the NFL regular season, the most valuable sports property in the US, creating intense competition among sports apps for football-related keywords
– Back-to-School Sports: High school and college sports seasons begin, driving demand for sports tracking, team management, and fan engagement apps
– Fantasy Football Draft Season: The most popular fantasy sports period creates massive competition for fantasy-related keywords, significantly inflating CPTs
– European Football Season Start: Major European leagues resume after summer break, increasing competition for soccer/football keywords globally
As visible in the benchmarks for countries and regions described in the next chapter, seasonal changes can be attributed to the impactful presence of the North American market, where advertisers frequently leverage important holidays or trends for successful campaigns. Consequently, events and trends from that market may have had an influence on the figures presented here. Additionally, many may be celebrated or enjoyed worldwide.
Utilities had the lowest and most stable CPT, ranging from around $0.80 to $1.00 for the entire year. The low, steady cost makes it an attractive category for advertisers seeking budget-friendly acquisition strategies.
Cost per acquisition indicates the average cost of acquiring an install. It’s calculated by dividing the total spend by the number of installs from an ad within a specific time period.
The graph below illustrates how the average CPA in search results ads on the App Store has changed quarter-over-quarter over the past few years:
Similar to CPT, CPA reflects how much advertisers are willing to pay to acquire a user. Seasonality is a key factor in determining fluctuations in metrics throughout the year, as particular holidays or times of year can significantly and positively impact engagement and, consequently, user value.
Let’s examine the CPA for the top 15 app categories.
Cost per Acquisition (CPA) shows a clear overall increase in advertiser spending, with the average CPA for the top 15 categories rising significantly from $2.90 in 2024 to $3.76 in 2025.
The categories with the highest CPA, which indicate the most competitive and expensive users to acquire, are:
The categories with the lowest CPA, representing more budget-friendly acquisition opportunities, include:
Comparing the CPAs across the categories present in both lists reveals significant price escalations:
Below are the categories that saw the most significant changes in terms of CPA, including those outside the top 15 ranking in 2025:
We’ve also examined seasonal CPA fluctuations in 2025 across the five most popular app categories:
Sports saw major fluctuations throughout 2025, reaching its highest cost at $28.20 in September and its lowest at $13.67 in July. Secondary peaks were also observed in February, October, and December. This high volatility suggests that advertisers should closely time their ad spend to align with high-traffic events.
Finance maintained consistently high CPA costs, with its highest point in January at $15.82. The cost remained elevated in the summer months, reaching $15.13 in July and $15.28 in August, before closing the year at its lowest point, $11.02 in December. The consistently high CPA reflects the high value advertisers place on users in this vertical.
Productivity apps maintained a relatively stable CPA during the first half of the year (ranging from around $1.90 to $2.50), then saw a marked increase in the final quarter, peaking at $5.33 in December. This surge likely reflects rising demand for organizational tools ahead of the new year.
Games remained a cost-effective category, with CPA ranging between around $2.20 and $2.90 throughout the year. The CPA showed slight upward movement but remained relatively stable, even during the high season, indicating steady advertiser demand and minimal fluctuation compared to high-volatility categories.
Utilities had the lowest and most stable CPA, staying between around $1.20 and $1.50 for the entire year. The low and steady cost makes it the most affordable category for advertisers looking for budget-friendly acquisition strategies.
The following graph demonstrates the trends in CPT and CPA over the entire year of 2025:
Both CPT and CPA saw an increase in the latter half of the year, with a major peak in September.
Costs were relatively consistent through the first half of the year, with both metrics reaching their lowest point in April (CPT at $1.51, CPA at $2.42).
A gradual increase began in August, culminating in a significant spike in September, when CPT crossed $2.00, and CPA peaked at close to $3.20. This spike likely reflects high-demand advertising activity.
Costs remained elevated through the end of the year, with CPT stabilizing at around $1.90 and CPA stabilizing at $2.90 in November and December.
The strong seasonality in both CPT and CPA underscores the need for advertisers to adjust bidding strategies to account for demand peaks. September is the most expensive period, while April offers the most cost-effective window for acquisition.
A well-optimized App Store listing can maintain low CPA despite rising CPT costs, while poor creative assets can inflate CPA even with competitive tap costs. From our observed data, newer campaigns often show more volatile performance, while campaigns with sustained conversion volume tend to demonstrate more stable performance trends over time.
Smart marketers focus on the conversion rate buffer effect: high-intent keywords that closely align with user search intent often deliver more efficient CPT and stronger conversion performance. Conversely, broad discovery campaigns may show inverse-correlation patterns, where lower CPT keywords drive higher CPA due to reduced user intent.
The practical implication? Monitor both metrics independently. Use CPT for auction competitiveness and budget control, while tracking CPA for true acquisition efficiency. The strongest campaigns optimize the entire funnel—from keyword relevance to post-tap conversion—rather than focusing solely on either metric in isolation.
