Apple Ads Search Results Benchmarks Report 2025

SplitMetrics’ 2025 Apple Ads Search Results Benchmarks Report, covering performance data from January to December 2024, offers a deep analytical dive into how search results campaigns fared across categories, regions, and timeframes. SplitMetrics, a global software company and certified Apple Ads Partner, used data from its Acquire platform to compile this extensive review. The report serves as a strategic tool for mobile user acquisition (UA) teams and developers, enabling them to gauge category performance, assess market trends, and benchmark their app campaigns against industry norms.

Apple Ads Search Results Benchmarks Report 2025

The report analyzes over 3.1 million unique keywords, 4.4 billion ad impressions, 395.4 million taps, and 253.1 million downloads, offering a robust sample for deriving actionable insights. It excludes categories like Developer Tools and any developers who restricted their data from being included. Metrics were calculated using established formulas such as CR = downloads / taps, TTR = taps / impressions, and CPA = spend / downloads, to ensure consistency and transparency in reporting.

In terms of overall performance, Apple Ads search results campaigns demonstrated impressive strength, particularly in terms of user intent and post-click behavior. The average Tap-Through Rate (TTR) for 2024 stood at 11.4%, up from 10.22% in the second half of 2023. The Conversion Rate (CR) reached a new high of 67.2%, rising from 65.37% the year prior, confirming that nearly seven in ten users who tap on an ad proceed with an install. This speaks to the effectiveness of search ads in reaching high-intent users. Despite this, costs rose across the board, with Cost per Tap (CPT) averaging $2.50—up from $1.59 in 2023, and Cost per Acquisition (CPA) climbing to $2.90 from $2.58, signaling intensified competition among advertisers.

The top-performing categories in terms of TTR were Reference apps at 19.7%, Entertainment at 15.2%, and Music at 11.9%. These categories highlight areas of high user engagement, especially where content and utility merge. Reference apps, in particular, showed substantial gains due to the integration of AI features that drive keyword performance and engagement. However, some categories experienced sharp drops; for instance, Sports and Entertainment, once leaders in TTR, saw significant declines, although they retained high CRs. Sports apps, despite a lower TTR, maintained a CR of 72.4%, while Entertainment apps led all categories with a CR of 74.8%. This indicates that while users were less likely to tap ads in these categories, those who did were more likely to convert, pointing to an evolution in user behavior where intent outweighs curiosity.

SplitMetrics search results ads TTR by category

In terms of CPA and CPT, the most competitive and expensive categories were Sports and Finance. Sports apps saw their CPT balloon from $2.43 in 2023 to $10.20 in 2024, driven by global sporting events and surging advertiser demand. Their CPA also rose sharply, hitting $14.10 compared to $3.73 in the previous year. Finance followed a similar trend, with a CPT of $6.40 and a CPA of $12.70. These costs suggest that while these categories yield high-quality users with strong lifetime value, the price of entry is substantial. Meanwhile, categories like Productivity, Utilities, and Games maintained far more stable and affordable acquisition costs, making them ideal for budget-conscious campaigns. Games, for instance, had a CPA of $2.00 and a CPT hovering around $1.00–$1.20 throughout the year.

The report’s seasonal analysis showed March and November as the most expensive months for acquisition, due to spikes related to tax season and holiday marketing campaigns. Conversely, August emerged as the most cost-efficient month, offering advertisers an optimal window to scale user acquisition with lower CPT and CPA. In March, both CPT and CPA peaked at $1.62 and $2.47 respectively, before dipping to their lowest in August at $1.29 and $2.00. These fluctuations underline the importance of seasonal campaign planning and strategic budget allocation to maximize ROI.

Geographically, North America remains the most expensive region across all metrics. The average CPT reached up to $2.70 by year-end, with CPA rising to $4.40 in November. Canada was particularly costly, with a year-end CPT of $3.90 and CPA soaring to $6.10. The United States followed closely, maintaining a slightly smoother growth curve but still finishing the year at a CPA of $4.20. These numbers reflect the intense competition in mature markets where high-value users attract higher bids.

Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) present a balanced alternative. Germany and France demonstrated both strong engagement and manageable costs, making them attractive to advertisers seeking reach without overextending budgets. The United Kingdom, while becoming more expensive (reaching $3.00 CPT and $4.10 CPA in December), also offered high CRs, such as 68.28%, the highest among all countries. France maintained more stable acquisition costs, staying under $3.00 for most of the year.

Asia-Pacific (APAC) offered some of the most stable and cost-effective opportunities, with average CPA around $1.30 and minimal seasonal volatility. Japan and India, however, lagged in performance, with lower TTR and CR, suggesting a need for improved localization and targeting to better align with user expectations in those markets. Japan had a particularly low CR at 52.10%, while India’s TTR was the lowest among top markets at just 5.80%.

Latin America (LATAM) stood out as the most budget-friendly region. Brazil led in TTR, with users showing the highest ad engagement globally. The region’s CPT and CPA remained remarkably low, ranging between $0.40–$0.60 and $0.50–$0.80 respectively. The recent expansion of Apple Ads to LATAM markets in April 2024 likely contributed to this trend, as low saturation and advertiser curiosity drove performance without excessive cost. Mexico also performed well, with a TTR of 11.41% and the second-lowest CPA.

SplitMetrics search results ads CPA by categry

Throughout 2024, the cost of acquisition consistently increased across the board. The report details how CPA evolved throughout the year, peaking in high-advertising months and stabilizing during quieter periods. For example, Sports apps showed the most volatility, with CPA spiking to $18.80 in March and $17.50 in September during major sporting events, then dropping to $9.40 in August. Finance followed a similar seasonal trend, peaking in tax season and Q4. On the other hand, Productivity and Utility apps offered more predictable and stable acquisition costs, rarely breaching the $2.00 CPA mark.

SplitMetrics’ report also emphasizes the strategic benefits of data-driven campaign optimization. By benchmarking against industry averages, advertisers can identify performance gaps, prioritize spend, and refine creatives. SplitMetrics encourages advertisers to track not only installs but also in-app events to ensure user quality, using integrations with mobile measurement partners (MMPs) to evaluate deeper conversion metrics.

SplitMetrics search results ads CR by category

Ultimately, this extensive data-driven benchmark report reveals a complex and evolving Apple Ads ecosystem. User behavior is shifting, with fewer taps but stronger intent behind those taps, particularly in content-heavy categories like Entertainment and Food & Drink. Advertisers must navigate rising costs by doubling down on localization, creative relevance, and strategic bid management. LATAM and APAC offer cost-efficient scaling potential, while North America and parts of Europe remain premium markets where deeper pockets and precision targeting are essential.

To act on this information effectively, advertisers should benchmark their campaigns against the industry data to uncover inefficiencies and new growth opportunities. Adjusting spend seasonally is critical, with increased bidding during high-intent months and budget-conscious scaling in cost-effective windows like August. Localization of creatives, especially through custom product pages tailored for markets like India and Japan, can significantly boost CR in underperforming regions. By aligning strategies with these benchmarks and deploying intelligent bid optimizations, marketers can scale user acquisition efficiently and stay competitive in the evolving Apple Ads landscape.