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Break-even CPI, revenue per install and LTV per install

Which unit-economics number to bid against in app ads (revenue vs LTV per install), Steve's thresholds ($3 CPI for Apple Ads, $3 LTV/install for Meta) and how to use them.

Updated 2026-10-23·3 sources·user-acquisitionunit-economicscpiltvroas

Break-even CPI, revenue per install and LTV per install

TL;DR

  • Know your break-even cost per install before bidding — it’s the CPA goal in Apple Ads and the yardstick for Meta.1
  • Bootstrapped? Use revenue per install (RPI) — you can’t wait for LTV to mature. Better-funded teams can use LTV per install.1
  • Apple Ads heuristic: if the app can’t survive a ~$3 CPI, it may not be a business for paid ads.2
  • Meta heuristic: need at least $3 LTV per install, measured around month 11.3
  • Improve the number via paywall conversion rates and pricing — see the monetization cluster.4

Details

Definitions. RPI = revenue collected ÷ installs over a window; LTV per install = projected lifetime revenue ÷ installs. Steve looks at LTV at roughly month 11; for some of his apps month-1 and month-11 LTV are nearly identical.3

Where to find it. RevenueCat, or whatever paywall/subscription tool you use (Adapty, Superwall).5 RevenueCat can also act as an attribution source for Apple Ads (acquisition → by campaign) when connected properly.4

Steve’s numbers (2026):

  • His sleep-sound app: ~$5–6 RPI; Apple Ads clients break even around $3 CPI, so he sets CPA goals ~$3.50.2
  • A client whose MaxCon CPI drifted from $3 to $3.50 went ROAS-negative — showing how thin the margin is.6
  • For Meta, installs are expensive and optimizing for cheap installs ($1–2) attracts people who don’t pay; you need high LTV/install to afford trial-optimized campaigns.3

How to use it.

  1. Compute RPI (or LTV/install) per channel/country.
  2. Set Apple Ads CPA goal / max bids at or slightly below it.
  3. If CPI > break-even, lower bids or fix monetization before scaling spend.

Disagreements / caveats

  • Steve credits his friend “Henry” with the same $3 floor for Meta but notes Henry would argue for higher.3
  • Pull channels (Apple Ads/ASO) monetize better than Meta, so a channel-blended RPI overstates what Meta users are worth.7

See also

Footnotes

  1. Copy Our $85,000/Month Apple Ads Strategy @ 07:20 — Steve P. Young ↩ ↩2

  2. Copy Our $85,000/Month Apple Ads Strategy @ 09:06 — Steve P. Young ↩ ↩2

  3. Before You Spend $1 on Meta Ads, Watch This @ 06:37 — Steve P. Young ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. Are You Ignoring These RevenueCat Features? (Stop Losing Money) @ 06:31 — Steve P. Young ↩ ↩2

  5. Before You Spend $1 on Meta Ads, Watch This @ 08:30 — Steve P. Young ↩

  6. Copy Our $85,000/Month Apple Ads Strategy @ 07:20 — Steve P. Young ↩

  7. Before You Spend $1 on Meta Ads, Watch This @ 05:48 — Steve P. Young ↩