Both Android and iOS platforms are extremely popular in mobile app development. Each has its pros and cons, as well as distinctive features that cause a significant difference in approaches to building mobile applications. This post will compare the key aspects of Android vs iOS development and help you learn the essentials of both platforms.
In 2022, the mobile app development market has reached new heights. In the third quarter, the number of Android apps reached 3.55 million. The number of apps available for iOS was also impressive: 1,64 million. Android vs iOS development has become one of the most discussable issues for business owners and developers. Each of those two platforms has its pros and cons, giving business owners a hard time choosing the most suitable one.
What kind of app to develop to be in trend in the upcoming years? For a thriving enterprise, it is necessary to be present on all possible platforms, as their users may use both Android and iOS. Moreover, the same user may switch the platform, and it’s essential to offer them the same level of service regardless of what device they use.
Therefore, even if you have never worked on iOS app development or Android app development services, you need to comprehend the basic principles of developing Android and iOS apps.
In this post, we will provide you with a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of programming and compare the essential elements of Android vs iOS app development. Moreover, we will tell you more about the industry in general and share the most essential aspects that will help you decide which platform is the best fit for your business.
iOS and Android Apps: Market Share
The world of mobile apps is mainly divided into iOS and Android users — these two stores own approximately 98% of the global app market. While iOS claims more than 27% of the global market, Android accounts for over 71%, giving it a huge advantage in reaching wider audiences.
Despite this, iOS is not to be discarded. This platform is popular in Europe and the US, and lots of users admit its great visual appeal and bug-free experience. So, if you think developing apps for Android is the best option, you might want to finish this article first.
Pros and Cons of iOS Development
In 2021, iOS held over 15% of the international smartphone demand. Android is leading, though: its market share is about 73%. These are two major platforms, and if you want to capture all clients, you need to create an app for iOS despite the fact that this platform has a lower market share.
No matter what platform you choose, it’s vital to understand why it is good for development and what may cause some problems. This knowledge will help you understand how to reduce costs, avoid risks, and create an application that delivers the best experience.
When it comes to iOS development, here we want to highlight certain pros and cons you are to consider.
Pros of iOS Development
To start, let’s enumerate and clarify the most important iOS advantages.
- Great performance
When creating an app, it’s always important to remember its performance. The technologies used for iOS development allow the creation of a high-performance product that is fast and easy to use.
- iOS apps work in one ecosystem
iOS apps have one key trace that makes them attractive for developers. There’s no need to create apps for all iOS devices, like phones or tablets. When creating an iOS app, the whole ecosystem is taken into consideration; therefore, an app can be downloaded and installed on different devices that support this platform.
- Enhanced UI/UX
When comparing iOS development vs Android development, UI/UX won’t be the first thing that comes to mind. Nevertheless, Apple insists on following certain guidelines regarding the style of the app. As a result, you will not have a chance to create poorly designed apps: the guidelines will help you create a beautiful and effective product.
Cons of iOS Development
Yet, iOS development is not perfect. Some disadvantages may become a problem even for senior-level developers while catering ios app development services.
- Environment requirements are rather tough
If you are planning to create a native app, you must use special software, like Xcode. The problem is that this software can be used only on the Mac platform. Therefore, you need to buy at least one Apple device in order to create an app for iOS.
- Release requirements are also rigid
We have already mentioned design guidelines, but Apple has more different guidelines to follow. If you’ve created an app but never obeyed the rules and regulations, your app is more likely not to be released fast. Moreover, if Apple considers your app irrelevant, you won’t be able to release it on AppStore as well.
- Problems with customization
Many developers have noticed that iOS has certain restrictions on customization. It means that you will need to work more on integrating third-party software to develop a feature that you need.
Pros and Cons of Android Development
Comparing iOS vs Android development, Android also has some elements that you may like or not. Nonetheless, if you know how to deal with the problems, the advantages become even more prominent.
Pros of Android Development
Let’s start with the pros: the main advantages of Android development that make it so popular.
- Flexible environment
In the battle of iOS programmer vs. Android programmer, the latest one will be the champion when it comes to the flexibility of the environment. For Android, there are no issues with hardware compatibility. As a rule, Android apps are developed with Java, and major platforms keep this language.
- Knowledge base
Everything you need to know about Android app development can be found on Google. Being the product of this giant, Android has a huge number of materials for development available for free.
- The simplified app review process
The difference between iOS and Android development also lies in the release process. When you release an iOS app, be ready that it won’t be compatible with Apple rules and regulations. Everything is easier with Android apps. The release process won’t take much time.
- Android apps work in one ecosystem as well
Like with iOS apps, you don’t need to create separate Android apps for different platform versions or different devices.
Cons of Android Development
Some disadvantages may ruin the whole experience of Android development.
- Complicated testing
As the app is developed for different platforms, there’s no chance a developer can omit all the bugs. Regardless, quality assurance is a time- and effort-consuming process, making it one of the biggest drawbacks of Android app development.
- Higher costs
Is iOS development easier than Android? The answer is no. The second one is more time-consuming, and it will cost you more to hire dedicated Android developers. Because of the complicated testing, the costs may also rise.
- Security issues
Obviously, all developers implement as many security protocols as it is possible. However, it isn’t easy to keep every byte of the information under control with an open-source platform. Cyberattacks happen, and in some cases, problems with the security of user information may appear.
iOS vs. Android Development Comparison
Now when we know all the pros and cons of iOS and Android development, it’s time to compare the basic information you need to know before starting to work on the app. You can analyze all the points personally, even if you have no technical education.
Target Audience
The first point to compare Android app development vs iOS app development is the target audience. Before you start the development, it’s important to understand how the behavior and consumption patterns of Android and iOS users differ.
Users have already gotten used to certain button placement, navigation, and names of the actions. For example, the navigation gestures are different for Android and iOS, and when developing an app, you are to take them into consideration.
User Location
Another point that you need to consider when creating an app is your region. For example, if your target audience is from India, it’s better to focus on Android app development, as the market share of iOS is quite low there. However, for the European countries and the U.S., the difference in market share is insignificant; therefore, it’s critical to create apps for both platforms.
Revenue
Don’t be confused with the number; although Android is the market leader, iOS users have a higher LTV. While Android users prefer to use the content for free, iOS users are willing to pay more for apps and make in-app purchases. Take this into consideration when working on the expected revenue from the app.
Post-launch Maintenance
Both iOS and Android users do not regularly update their devices. It means that they keep running outdated versions of the platforms. However, as a developer, you need to keep this in mind and make sure your software won’t cause unexpected bugs even in the old versions of platforms.
Android market is more fragmented than iOS; thus, you will put more effort into maintaining Android apps.
Development Budget
As iOS apps are built with special programming languages that were developed for the iOS platform exclusively, this helps to cut costs on the development. Standardization of features may limit the development possibilities, but at the same time, it helps to write bug-free code.
On the other side, Android is using open-source Java for development. The possibilities to create different features are wider, but at the same time, there is a bigger space for malfunctions and bugs. Thus, the development of Android apps requires QA and bug fixing, as well as development costs.
Programming Languages
Comparing Android app development vs iOS app development, remember that they use different programming languages. We have previously mentioned that Android apps are regularly written in Java. Swift is the major programming language for iOS.
Development Complexity
A simple iOS app with a standard set of features can easily be created even by a middle Swift developer. Nonetheless, some issues may occur when adding something that is not included in the standard list of Swift options. A developer needs to integrate third-party services to cover all the business needs.
Android development is more flexible, as Java allows you to create everything you require.
Picking the Right IDE (Integrated Development Environment)
An integrated development environment is a special app that allows developers efficiently work on their software. Usually, an IDE provides a basic set of add-ons like a source code editor, a debugger, and build automation tools. So, as you see, this is quite an important element of mobile app development.
Picking the right IDE for your platform will save plenty of time and cost. For iOS development, XCode is arguably the best option, while Android app developers should opt for Visual Studio or CppDroid. If you can’t decide on the best option, you can always reach out to an outsourcing company for a consultation or even hire a dedicated team that will pick the most suitable IDE for your project.
Navigation Bar Placement
We have already mentioned that iOS and Android users have different behavior patterns. It can be exemplified by the navigation bars. In iOS apps, the navigation bar is always centered, while in Android devices, it’s always on the left of the screen.
Monetization and Return on Investment
iOS and Android apps are also different when it comes to ROI. According to the latest research, the average retention rate for iOS apps is 5%, while Android has only 3.6%.
Android vs iOS development: which one should you learn?
If you want to master mobile app development — whether for fun, education, or business — you have to realize iOS and Android target different audiences and have different development requirements. Digging deeper into the matter, we’ve selected five aspects you should consider while choosing your future app’s platform.
Developer Salary and App Revenue
It’s true that iOS developers have higher salary than their Android counterparts. However, the difference isn’t that big. Due to recent research, the highest iOS developer salary in the US by the end of 2022 reached $115,000/year. By comparison, the highest rate for an Android developer was $113,000/year. Keep in mind this is an average salary in the US, and the rates may differ in Europe or Asia, for example.
Moreover, despite the fact that Android has a larger market share, iOS apps bring more revenue in App Store. According to Sensor Tower, the global consumer spending in mobile apps and games has reached $21 billion for iOS, while the revenue for Android applications in Google Play Market only got as high as $10,4 billion. So, developing iOS apps can be quite profitable for companies publishing their apps in Apple Store.
Ease of Development
iOS apps require less time for development and are cheaper to build and maintain. However, if we talk about developer resources, Android’s toolkits seem more convenient to get to know and set up. For instance, Android developers can enjoy Google’s Jetpack and SDK development kits, together with multiple resources for coders and layouts for professionals of all levels.
At the same time, Apple offers SwiftUI Design tools, an API, and Storyboards in XCode for developers to work on their apps. Considering that iOS coding is easier, fewer tools can only mean less time and effort required for creating mobile apps.
Programming Languages
Developing iOS and Android apps is also different in terms of picking a programming language. iOS developers build apps on Apple’s native language, Swift, while Android apps are usually based on Java or Kotlin. So, if you have experience with any of these, the choice will be easy.
However, if you decide to work on cross-platform development, it is a different story. To make your apps work on both Android and iOS, React Native or Unity are your best options.
User Segmentation
Although iOS apps provide more revenue than Android apps, the market share of the latter is way higher. If you want to target wider audiences, especially in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, you should definitely develop for Google Play Market. Another advantage of Android apps is that they’re cheaper and, hence, more accessible.
Publishing Matters
Finally, publishing. Due to countless rules and regulations, it’s much harder to publish iOS apps. Moreover, this may take a significant amount of time to get your app reviewed. At the same time, this will mean your app will go public without bugs that can drastically worsen users’ experience.
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So, what type of app do you ought for your business? It seems that both. In order to create an effective app with all the functions you need, it’s better to work with a team of dedicated experts who can help you with any request. Fireart is just what you require!
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Conclusion
iOS and Android development have their pros and cons. Yet, for a modern business, it’s important to be present on both platforms to attract as many clients as possible.
iOS and Android have a lot of contrasts, and it’s crucial to keep them in mind at the development stage.
Even the navigation bar position can ruin the experience of your users; thus, it’s always better to hire professionals who know all the peculiarities of app creation.
Don’t hesitate to write us if you want to build your own project or if you have any questions. Fireart is here to help you!
