Global finance app installs rise 27% as usage surges in 2025

Users also spent more time per session, averaging 6.59 minutes.

Finance app usage continued to climb globally in 2024 and into 2025, with double-digit growth in installs and user engagement, according to a report from mobile measurement and fraud prevention firm Adjust.

Global finance app installs rose 27% YoY in 2024, whilst user sessions grew 24%. That trend held into the third quarter of 2025, with 11% more installs and 16% more sessions compared to the same period last year.

LATAM recorded the strongest growth in the first half of 2025, with installs up 59% and sessions up 70%, followed by Europe at +35% and +42%, respectively.

Whilst APAC and North America saw slight declines in install volume, both regions posted solid session growth (+35% and +15%, respectively).

In terms of subvertical performance, payment apps accounted for 58% of all sessions but only 42% of installs, suggesting strong engagement. Banking apps, meanwhile, made up 48% of installs.

Users also spent more time per session, averaging 6.59 minutes. Stock trading apps saw the highest engagement at 12.06 minutes per session, followed closely by crypto apps at 11.93 minutes. Overall, day-one retention dipped slightly to 12.5%, but banking apps reached 20.6%.

The report noted a more favorable cost environment for user acquisition. Cost-per-install fell from $1.51 to $1.13, and install-per-mille rose from 2.46 to 2.76 in H1 2025. Cost-per-click dropped to $0.19, and cost-per-mille to $2.76.

Finance apps are increasingly leaning on paid channels. The global paid-to-organic install ratio rose to 1.16, up from 0.79 in 2023. LATAM had the highest paid skew at 3.77, with several APAC markets also showing elevated levels.

Channel strategies broadened as well. Apps partnered with an average of six ad or media partners, up from 5.7.

Stock trading apps led with 12.8 partners on average, whilst payment apps averaged 11.8. U.K. and Ireland showed the highest partner diversity, averaging 10.1 partners per app.

At the country level, France posted standout growth in H1 2025 with installs up 76% and sessions up 146%. Mexico and Vietnam also led, with Mexico at +63% installs and +74% sessions, and Vietnam at +113% and +55%, respectively.