iOS vs. Android App Development: What is the Difference?

Introduction

If you’re a mobile app developer, chances are you’ve heard the phrase “iOS vs. Android” thrown around the industry quite often. However, this can be confusing and overwhelming if you’re new to the game or simply unfamiliar with how it all works. To clear up some of those questions (and set your mind at ease), we’re going to go over everything that makes these two operating systems different—from design to development cost and more.

Operating system: Android vs. iOS

Android is an open-source operating system that has overtaken the mobile market. It is available for any device and comes pre-installed on many smartphones and tablets. iOS, on the other hand, is a partially open-source system. As a result, it only runs on Apple devices like iPhones and iPads.

Android maintained its position as the most popular operating system in 2022, controlling the mobile OS market with a close to 71.8 percent share, while iOS accounted for around 27.6 percent of the mobile operating system market.

Nevertheless, despite whichever you use, both have pros and cons, so it ultimately depends on your preferences when choosing an operating system for your app development needs.

Programming languages

iOS and Android apps are developed using a variety of programming languages. Swift’s programming language is used to develop an iOS app, while Android primarily uses Kotlin. Here’s how they compare:

• Swift was introduced in 2014 as an alternative to Objective-C, which was heavily criticized for its verbosity and complexity. It’s the default language for developing iOS apps, so Apple developers use it across the world.
• Kotlin was released in 2016 as an alternative to Java for Android app development. It supports many popular Java frameworks, such as Spring Boot, making it easy for developers who previously worked with Java to make the switch without learning anything new from scratch.

Design

With the design, you’ll find that iOS apps are simpler and more user-friendly. Android apps are more complex and customizable.

The designs of iOS apps follow a strict design language that uses much white space. The colors in most iOS apps tend to be lighter shades of gray or blue, much like the colors used for Apple products themselves. This makes it easier for users to navigate through their phones because they can quickly identify where they are in the app’s interface.

Android is less consistent in its design across various apps due to its open-source nature: there is more than one way for designers to make something look good! Each app has its unique style and design elements depending on what kind of software it was created for—and even then, each developer might decide how best to implement those styles within their product.

App Store approval

iOS has a more stringent app review process than Android. If your app gets rejected, it’s usually for a good reason (and you should fix the problem). This is why Apple users tend to have fewer security issues with their devices compared to Android users. 

Development time

The development time is also different for each platform. iOS apps are predominantly created using Swift, the programming language for iOS devices. When it comes to native mobile app development for products like the iPhone or iPad, Swift generally requires less coding work, which means cutting costs in terms of time and money.

Also, Apple devices have standardized screens, while Android devices have a wide variety of screen sizes. You need to work more on interface design and case-by-case programming to ensure compatibility and functionality across devices.

Development cost

How much does it cost to develop an app for each platform?

The cost of developing an app depends mainly on the operating system. The development of iOS apps is more expensive than that of Android apps due in part to the higher hourly wages for developers and the programming complexity. On the other hand, Android requires more testing because there are so many different devices on which the app must work well.

The cost of developing an app for Apple systems is slightly higher than for Android. However, the difference is small enough that it will not influence your decision significantly.

Also, keep in mind that while developing an Android app is less expensive than an iOS app, long-term maintenance costs are higher.

Conclusion

It’s important to remember that both platforms have their benefits and drawbacks. While Android apps are cheaper to develop they require more maintenance over time. On the other hand, iOS apps are easier to maintain because fewer devices are running on Apple’s operating system than with Android.

Moreover, while more apps are downloaded for Android devices, revenue from iOS app sales is significantly higher. Last year, total revenue in the Apple Store was many times higher than in Google Play. This includes revenue from app sales and the sale of additional services via in-app purchases.

Generally, it is good to have a presence on both platforms. However, if finances are limited at first, we understand why someone might want to start with just one of the platforms.

At Agilistry, we conduct free evaluations of businesses to determine which operating system would work best for each client. We can develop an app that works with any system and provide our clients with the most effective solutions.