Android vs iOS App Development: Which One Should You Prioritise?

Do you have a great app idea but don’t know which one to prioritise between Android and iOS app development?

This question is currently in the minds of most startup or small-to-medium business entrepreneurs and developers.

With a mobile app, you can expand your customer reach and increase sales through user conversions.

So, which platform should you prioritise, iOS or Android app development?

In this article, we’ll help direct you to the right decision by comparing the two in terms of market share, features, and development environments.

Android vs iOS: The Market Share

The global market for mobile operating systems is currently dominated by iOS and Android app development.

Android has a 72.2% share of the global mobile operating system market, whereas iOS remains significant with 27.1%.

In other words, if you target both iOS and Android app development, you can market your product to 99.3% of the mobile user base—nearly all smartphone users!

Android itself is directed toward a more general audience.

Seeing Android app development trends, the mobile operating system is more popular in countries like India, Brazil, and Indonesia.

On the other hand, in terms of monetization, iOS users are willing to spend more.

In-app purchases or apps tend to have higher sales in the iOS environment.

This is because iOS is destined for premium market segments, such as the United States and Western Europe.

Android vs iOS Development: Programming Languages

The programming language you select is critical to your app’s performance and user experience, impacting the number of your daily active users (DAU).

Both Android and iOS have main development languages, but which one wins?

For starters, these are the two most commonly used Android app development tools:

• Kotlin: This cross-platform language has been increasingly popular due to its modernity, concise syntax, and Java interoperation. Furthermore, Google officially named Kotlin the #1 language for new Android projects.
• Java: The language that has been the core of most Android features, thanks to its reliability and robust libraries.

Now, what about iOS?

Here are its most frequently used programming languages:

• Objective-C: Although this language is old, many professional app developers still use it for iOS development. It is beginner-friendly and has dynamic binding and reflection capabilities.
• Swift: Introduced by Apple in 2014, Swift is the primary language for iOS development. It features modern syntax, increased safety, and performance improvements compared to Objective-C.

Android vs iOS: Development Environment

The development environments of Android and iOS differ largely.

Android, for instance, has Android Studio as its official Integrated Development Environment (IDE).

Based on the IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio provides comprehensive tools for debugging, code editing, optimizing performance, and testing.

With Android Studio, you can create apps that adhere to various Android devices and screen sizes.

As for iOS, its official IDE is XCode, which offers all the tools for coding, testing, and debugging.

XCode is smoothly integrated with Apple’s platform and ecosystem, enabling developers to utilise the powerful features available in iOS.

Each environment has its own strengths, but the versatility of Android Studio and the seamless integration that XCode offers eventually make developing for both iOS and Android a good choice.

Android vs iOS App Development: Complexity

The complexity of app development between Android vs iOS can be evaluated through their device fragmentation and OS versions.

In Android, device fragmentation refers to the process of continuously testing and optimizing an app until it matches the requirements of all types of Android devices in the market.

This way, Android app developers have more freedom for app customization while still adding a touch of exclusivity.

What about iOS?

Development and testing are more consistent in its environment and take less time as the market has limited OS versions.

However, Apple has strict guidelines and many checklists to follow.

While this can improve your app’s final output, it can also postpone your time to market.

Android vs iOS App Development: Cost and Return on Investment (ROI)

This category is perhaps the biggest concern for most business owners.

Generally, Android development costs are much lower than iOS, as many affordable developers and tools are available for this software.

iOS development costs are generally higher because Apple requires expensive Mac-based hardware and strict guidelines.

Although Android apps are less costly to develop, do they return a higher investment?

As discussed, Android users have lower buying power, whereas Apple users are more enthusiastic about making in-app purchases.

Still, this does not mean you cannot increase your Android app’s marketability, especially when millions of users worldwide can potentially use your product.

For instance, mobile games on Android attribute 42% of their earnings to in-app mobile purchases.

The gaming app Mobile Legends, for instance, encourages users to purchase in-game skins or diamond passes to enhance their gaming experience.

So, if you’d like customers to make in-app purchases, do in-app marketing and make customers see the real value of your premium packages or subscriptions.

Android vs iOS App Development: Security

When it comes to app development, security is a crucial issue for both developers and users alike.

From our point of view, here are important aspects to note:

• Android is open-source. This permits infinite customizations but at the cost of higher vulnerability. Although Google consistently releases updates and patches, developers must be vigilant.
• iOS has a closed ecosystem to safeguard its applications. Before your app goes live, there is a long and thorough review process. Plus, all your app’s new features are controlled with constant updates.
• Apple excels in user privacy and data protection, which can benefit developers with deep-seated security concerns.