1. CPM, CPI, CPC
What’s the
difference?
Mobile ad spend models
explained

2. What are CPI, CPC and CPM?
• CPI: Cost-per-install
• CPC: Cost-per-click
• CPM: Cost-per-mille
(“mille” = 1000 impressions)

3. Cost-Per-Install

4. Pros of paying for installs
Low cost and low risk:
Don’t spend money on users
that don’t convert to installs.

5. Cons of paying for installs
Limited control over traffic:
Non-transparent networks will funnel low-quality
traffic to CPI campaigns.
Limited user behavior tracking:
Hard to analyze why a user clicked but didn’t
convert further down the funnel.
Ad optimization is low priority:
Good creatives aren’t worth the effort for CPI.

6. Cost-Per-Click

7. Pros of paying for clicks
More insightful than CPI:
Easier to analyze why users do or do not click
your ad.
Can be cheaper than
CPI:
Once you understand
user behavior, optimize
for max conversions.

8. Cons of paying for clicks
Optimization required:
CPC is more expensive
than CPI if you don’t
have the tools to
maximize conversions.

9. Cost-Per-Mille

10. Pros of paying for impressions
Goes well with rich media and video:
Animations, video, and dynamic interactive ads
encourage a higher level of visual engagement.
Control over ads:
Good for when brand awareness is more important
than performance.
Customized data:
Use the interactivity of rich media ads to analyze
user sentiment.

11. Cons of paying for impressions
Beware low quality
impressions:
Non-transparent networks
may stick you with the
worst traffic.
Get total transparency now"

12. Read more about the
differences on AppFlood’s
blog:
“CPM,CPC,CPI, what's the
difference between these
mobile advertising models?”

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