Facebook vs TikTok vs Apple Search Ads: Which Should You Run First?

Most apps can't afford to test every channel at once. Budget constraints, creative resources, and team capacity force a choice: which platform gets your first dollar?

The conventional wisdom is to "test everything and see what works." But meaningful tests require $5,000-$10,000 per channel over 30 days. For most apps, that means choosing one, maybe two channels to start.

Here's how to pick the right one.

The Three Major Platforms

Facebook Ads (Meta)

What it includes: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Audience Network

Strengths:

• Broadest demographic reach (nearly every age group and geography)
• Advanced targeting options (interests, behaviors, lookalikes)
• Robust retargeting capabilities
• Mature optimization algorithms

Weaknesses:

• Rising CPMs as the platform matures
• Post-ATT attribution limitations on iOS
• Creative fatigue happens faster than newer platforms
• Highly competitive in most verticals

Best for:

• Apps with broad audience appeal
• Strong creative production capabilities
• Retargeting and remarketing strategies
• Apps targeting users 25+ years old

TikTok Ads

What it includes: TikTok, TopBuzz, BuzzVideo

Strengths:

• Lower CPMs and CPCs than Facebook in most verticals
• High engagement rates, especially with younger audiences
• Less saturated than Facebook, creating opportunity
• Full-screen, immersive ad format drives attention
• Better net new customer ROAS (NCROAS) than Facebook in many tests

Weaknesses:

• Younger demographic skew (65% of users under 30)
• Requires native video creative (UGC-style performs best)
• Less mature targeting compared to Facebook
• Smaller overall reach than Meta platforms

Best for:

• Apps targeting Gen Z and younger millennials
• Entertainment, social, lifestyle, and gaming apps
• Brands comfortable with UGC-style creative
• Apps with viral or shareable features

Apple Search Ads (ASA)

What it includes: Search results ads in the iOS App Store

Strengths:

• Highest intent users (actively searching for apps in your category)
• Higher conversion rates due to search intent
• No creative assets required (uses your app store listing)
• Smaller minimum budgets ($3,000-$5,000 for meaningful tests)
• Hasn't struggled post-ATT like other platforms
• Market share tripled since 2020

Weaknesses:

• iOS only (no Android reach)
• Limited scale compared to social platforms
• Higher CPIs than social channels in competitive categories
• Less control over creative messaging

Best for:

• Apps with strong app store listings
• High-intent categories (productivity, utilities, finance)
• Limited creative resources
• iOS-first apps or iOS-only launches
• Apps with high LTV that can support higher CPIs

The Decision Framework

Factor 1: App Category

Different categories perform better on different platforms.

Apple Search Ads excels for:

• Productivity and utility apps
• Finance and banking apps
• Health and fitness apps
• Business and professional tools
• Education apps

Why: Users searching for these categories have clear intent and specific needs. They're researching solutions, not browsing for entertainment.

TikTok excels for:

• Entertainment and streaming apps
• Social and communication apps
• Gaming (especially casual and hyper-casual)
• Lifestyle and beauty apps
• Food and recipe apps

Why: TikTok users engage with content for entertainment. Apps that fit naturally into this context perform well.

Facebook works for:

• Most categories with broad appeal
• E-commerce and shopping apps
• Travel and booking apps
• Dating and relationship apps
• News and content apps

Why: Facebook's broad reach and diverse user base make it effective for apps without narrow demographic targeting.

Factor 2: Target Audience Demographics

TikTok demographic:

• 65% of users under 30 years old
• Strong Gen Z presence (18-24)
• Increasingly popular with older millennials (25-34)

Facebook demographic:

• Largest user base in 25-54 age range
• Strong presence across all age groups
• Higher concentration of users 35+ compared to TikTok

Apple Search Ads demographic:

• Mirrors overall iOS user base
• Typically higher income and education levels
• Skews slightly older and more professional

Decision rule:

If your target audience is primarily under 25, start with TikTok. If over 35, start with Facebook. If you need high-intent users across demographics, start with Apple Search Ads.

Factor 3: Creative Resources

Apple Search Ads:

• Requires no creative assets
• Uses your existing app store page
• Only need optimized screenshots and preview video

Facebook:

• Works with static images, video, or carousel formats
• Can start with simple assets and iterate
• Performance improves significantly with video

TikTok:

• Requires native vertical video (9:16)
• UGC-style content performs best
• Professional, polished ads often underperform

Decision rule:

If you have limited creative resources or budget, start with Apple Search Ads. If you have video capabilities, Facebook gives you flexibility. If you can produce authentic, native-style content, TikTok offers upside.

Factor 4: Budget Constraints

Minimum recommended test budgets:

• Apple Search Ads: $3,000-$5,000 over 30 days
• Facebook Ads: $5,000-$10,000 over 30 days
• TikTok Ads: $5,000-$10,000 over 30 days

Why the difference:

Apple Search Ads requires lower volume to evaluate performance because intent is higher and conversion data comes faster. Social platforms need more volume to complete learning phases and test creative variations.

Decision rule:

If your total test budget is under $10,000, start with Apple Search Ads. If you have $15,000+, you can test two channels simultaneously.

Factor 5: Attribution and Measurement Post-ATT

Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework affects each platform differently.

Apple Search Ads:

• Full attribution visibility (owned by Apple)
• No attribution degradation post-ATT
• Most reliable performance data

Facebook:

• Attribution relies on SKAdNetwork for iOS
• Delayed, aggregated conversion data
• Requires modeled attribution for optimization

TikTok:

• Similar SKAdNetwork constraints as Facebook
• Smaller data set means longer optimization cycles
• Attribution accuracy improving but still limited

Decision rule:

If you're iOS-focused and want the clearest attribution, Apple Search Ads provides the most reliable data. For Android or cross-platform, attribution challenges are more evenly distributed.

Factor 6: Competitive Saturation

Category saturation varies by platform:

Facebook:

• Highly competitive in e-commerce, gaming, finance
• CPMs have risen 30-50% in many categories since 2020
• Requires strong creative and targeting to compete

TikTok:

• Less saturated overall but growing quickly
• Gaming and entertainment categories are competitive
• Opportunity in underexplored verticals (B2B, finance, productivity)

Apple Search Ads:

• Competition concentrated in top keywords
• Long-tail keywords often underpriced
• Category-specific saturation (high in gaming, lower in niche utilities)

Decision rule:

If your category is saturated on Facebook, test TikTok or Apple Search Ads first to find less competitive inventory.

Recommended Starting Strategies

Strategy 1: Limited Budget, Limited Creative (Under $10,000)

Start with: Apple Search Ads

Why:

• Requires smallest budget for meaningful test
• No creative assets needed
• High-intent users convert better
• Fast feedback on app store listing performance

Timeline:

• Week 1-2: Set up campaigns targeting brand and category keywords
• Week 3-4: Expand to competitor and discovery keywords
• Week 5+: Optimize bids and evaluate scale potential

Budget allocation:

• $3,000-$5,000 over 30 days
• 50% to brand/category keywords
• 30% to competitor keywords
• 20% to discovery keywords

Strategy 2: Strong Creative Resources, Broad Audience (Budget $15,000+)

Start with: Facebook Ads + Apple Search Ads

Why:

• Facebook provides scale and reach
• Apple Search Ads captures high-intent traffic
• Running both helps you compare performance
• Sufficient budget to test both properly

Timeline:

• Week 1-2: Launch both platforms with initial creative
• Week 3-4: Optimize based on early performance
• Week 5+: Scale winners, kill losers

Budget allocation:

• $10,000 to Facebook (test 3-5 creative concepts)
• $5,000 to Apple Search Ads (test keyword categories)

Strategy 3: Younger Audience, Video Creative (Budget $10,000+)

Start with: TikTok Ads

Why:

• Platform alignment with young audience
• Less saturated than Facebook
• Lower CPMs create more test volume
• Viral potential can accelerate growth

Timeline:

• Week 1: Launch with 3-5 UGC-style videos
• Week 2-3: Identify winning concepts, iterate
• Week 4+: Scale top performers, test new concepts

Budget allocation:

• $7,000-$10,000 over 30 days
• Test 3-5 creative concepts with $1,500-$2,000 each

Strategy 4: High LTV, Professional Audience (Budget $10,000+)

Start with: Apple Search Ads + Facebook (retargeting focus)

Why:

• High-intent users from Apple Search Ads
• Facebook retargeting converts app store visitors who didn't install
• Combined funnel improves overall conversion

Timeline:

• Week 1-2: Launch Apple Search Ads to drive app store traffic
• Week 2+: Set up Facebook retargeting for app store visitors
• Week 4+: Expand Facebook to cold prospecting if retargeting works

Budget allocation:

• $6,000 to Apple Search Ads
• $4,000 to Facebook (primarily retargeting)

Platform Comparison Summary

Factor	Apple Search Ads	Facebook Ads	TikTok Ads
Minimum Budget	$3,000-$5,000	$5,000-$10,000	$5,000-$10,000
Creative Required	None (uses ASO)	Static or video	Native vertical video
User Intent	High (searching)	Medium (browsing)	Low (entertaining)
Typical CPI	$2-$8	$1.50-$5	$1-$4
User Quality	High	Medium-High	Medium
Scale Potential	Limited	Very High	High
Best Audience	All ages, high intent	25-54, broad	18-34, entertainment
Attribution (iOS)	Excellent	Limited (SKAdNetwork)	Limited (SKAdNetwork)
Learning Curve	Low	Medium	Medium-High

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Testing All Three Platforms with Insufficient Budget

Running $2,000 tests across three platforms gives you noise, not insights.

The fix: Commit sufficient budget to one platform first. Validate it works, then expand.

Mistake 2: Choosing Based on Lowest CPI

TikTok might deliver $1.50 CPIs while Apple Search Ads costs $5. But if Apple Search Ads users have 3x higher LTV, the unit economics favor Apple Search Ads.

The fix: Optimize for LTV:CAC ratio, not CPI.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Creative-Channel Fit

Using the same polished brand video across Facebook and TikTok typically fails on TikTok. The platform rewards native, UGC-style content.

The fix: Tailor creative to platform norms and user expectations.

Mistake 4: Starting with the Hardest Channel

If you have no video creative experience, starting with TikTok creates unnecessary friction.

The fix: Start with the channel that aligns with your current capabilities, then expand as you build resources.

The Multi-Channel Endgame

Eventually, most successful apps run all three platforms (and more). But the path matters.

Typical expansion sequence:

1. Validate one channel (Apple Search Ads or Facebook)
2. Optimize to profitability (LTV:CAC above 3:1)
3. Add second channel (usually Facebook if you started with ASA, or ASA if you started with Facebook)
4. Scale both channels until you hit diminishing returns
5. Add TikTok or other platforms to find new audience sources

This staged approach lets you learn channel mechanics, build creative capabilities, and prove unit economics before spreading resources thin.

FAQs

Which UA channel has the lowest CPI?

TikTok generally offers lower CPMs and CPCs compared to Facebook, while Apple Search Ads often delivers higher CPIs but better user quality due to high intent. The "cheapest" channel depends on whether you optimize for volume or lifetime value.

Should I start with Apple Search Ads or Facebook Ads?

Start with Apple Search Ads if you have limited creative resources and want to test high-intent users. It requires no creative assets and smaller budgets ($3,000-$5,000). Start with Facebook if you have strong creative and want broader reach and targeting flexibility.

Can I run multiple UA channels at the same time?

Yes, but only if you have sufficient budget ($15,000-$30,000 total) to test each channel properly. Running underfunded tests across multiple channels gives you noise instead of insights.

How long does it take to know if a channel works?

Plan for 30 days minimum. Week 1-2 is setup and learning. Week 3-4 provides initial performance data. By week 4-6, you'll have enough cohort data to evaluate retention and LTV.

What if all three channels fail?

If you've properly tested channels with sufficient budget and none work, the issue is likely product-market fit, not channel selection. Fix retention and monetization before resuming paid acquisition.

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Start with the channel that aligns with your strengths, validate that it works, then expand from a position of knowledge and confidence.