Android vs iOS Development: Which Platform to Choose for Your Mobile App in 2021

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IdeaSoft.io

10 min readMay 5, 2021

According to Statista, the number of mobile users worldwide is projected to reach 7.41 billion by 2024. In the wake of this popularity, the number of mobile apps is growing steadily. If you decided to build your mobile application, you are probably faced with the question of choosing the right platform. iOS or Android: where to start? In this article, you will find all the answers that will help you decide which platform to choose for your mobile app.

Android and iOS market share

When it comes to market share, Android is the absolute winner. This operating system held an 87% share of the global market back in 2019, according to Statista. In other words, Android is the world’s most used operating system. Developed with Google support, Android is open-source which largely explains its popularity around the world. It provides developers with flexible tools for creating feature-rich applications. Users, in turn, get free access to a huge number of cloud services developed by Google. The widespread use of Android is also triggered by the fact that this operating system is perfect for budget devices, as well as more expensive ones, regardless of their type. It can be smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and other portable devices.

*Share of global smartphone shipments by operating system*

However, IDC predicts a decline in the share of Android smartphones due to the launch of new 5G iOS devices and iPhone SE (2020), which received positive reviews at the time of Covid-19 restrictions. Apple’s launch and promotion strategy in the face of the pandemic helped the vendor achieve good results. For example, such features of the iPhone SE (2020) as favorable price, online ordering, phone support, no-contact delivery, a good camera made it ideally meet the new needs of users during lockdowns. According to IDC forecasts, iOS volumes are expected to grow at a five-year CAGR of 1.2% with shipments of 1.3 billion in 2024. Of course, iOS is still far from the level of Android adoption, but these forecasts look promising.

Read How to choose a tech stack for a digital banking app

It’s good to know the mobile market trends, but, in fact, these numbers are not decisive when you are looking for an answer to the question of which platform to choose for mobile app development. The thing you really need to pay attention to is where your target audience is. Hence, first, decide on the geography of your app distribution, since different platforms dominate in different regions. StatCounter statistics show that iOS holds over 60% of the market in Japan and over 50% of the market in the United States. In Canada, the situation is 50–50. And Android is more prevalent in the UK, Germany, China, and many other countries.

*Source: DeviceAtlas — Usage share of operating systems*

Apple has very little presence in the smart device market in Europe, however, we advise you to study statistics on the use of operating systems for each separate region you intend to work with. For example, in the UK, iOS has more than 40% share, so I guess you wouldn’t want to lose that many potential users.

Now let’s take a closer look at each operating system, both from the user’s side and from the side of mobile development.

Pros and Cons of Android App Development

Android was first released back in 2008. It’s built on the Linux kernel. The platform provides developers with Android SDK, which is a free ready-made toolkit for building mobile apps. This is one of the things that makes it easy to create Android products. The Android SDK has great functionality and allows mobile developers to run testing and debugging of source codes, evaluate the operation of an app with different versions of Android OS, and much more.

Tech stack for Android development: The main programming languages for developing Android applications are Java and Kotlin. Java is one of the most widely used technologies in the world, but yet not that easy to develop. So, in 2019, Google announced that Kotlin is now the language of choice for Android app developers. This programming language streamlines the development process and provides safer, and cleaner code.

Read also Native or Cross-platform App Development: What to Choose

Advantages of Android app development:

Open-source. Android is available to a wider range of developers because it’s an open platform. It’s much easier to implement various features for Android since there are many restrictions in iOS. Therefore, as the app creator, you have more freedom to bring your ideas to life and provide your users with an exceptional user experience.
Design. Google provides developers with design guidelines to help them create a simple and effective user interface following the best visual and navigation patterns. As a rule, the elements described in these guidelines are already implemented in the form of code, so it won’t be difficult for a developer or UX/UI designer to meet the requirements.
Testing. Android has great built-in application testing tools. Plus it allows you to extend your test capabilities by integrating different test frameworks such as Mockito, Espresso, UI Automator. This results in a faster and more thorough process of identifying and fixing bugs.
Publishing. Finally, once you have finished developing the app, it wouldn’t take much of your time to publish it on Google Play. All you need to do is compile your app into an APK file, upload it to Google Play, and soon, usually within a few hours, your app goes live.

Disadvantages of Android app development:

Fragmentation. Unlike iOS applications, which are created for a specific list of devices, with Android you never know for sure on which screens your appl will be displayed. Each distributor can customize the OS by adding features that are not available in the original version of Android. Not everyone installs new versions of Android. As a result, this all contributes to a huge number of combinations of smartphones that developers need to take into account when building apps. Google is trying hard to fix this, but Android is still the most fragmented OS.
Development time. Fragmentation affects the duration of development, which subsequently affects the cost. Testing takes a lot of time, even with the built-in Android SDK tools. Also, a lot depends on the choice of the programming language. Java implies a lot of code, so developers will need more time.
Development cost. This is controversial, but many experts claim that Android development is more expensive. This is due to the length and complexity of application testing. However, I am sure that a lot depends on the complexity of the project, the number of features, and the chosen tech stack.

Pros and Cons of iOS App Development

As you know, iOS was created by Apple to develop its own products. This operating system was first released in 2007. Apple also provides developers with the iOS Software Development Kit (SDK). However, unlike Android applications that can be created on any device, to develop iOS apps, you need a Mac computer running the latest version of Xcode. This is a special development environment for both Mac and iOS apps.

Tech stack for iOS development: When it comes to iOS development Objective-C and Swift come into play. Swift is preferred by most mobile development teams because it is more dynamic, provides better performance, and more advanced functionality. Even Apple itself claims that Swift is 2.6 times faster than Objective-C. We used Swift to build the Famer app, for example.

Advantages of iOS app development:

Performance. iOS is a closed Apple platform, so inside you will find efficient hardware and software integration. This results in good application performance and stability. Comparing Android and iOS, most agree that Apple’s applications are more productive.
Development process. Developing an iOS app takes less time due to the lack of fragmentation. All Apple devices can be counted, and most of them use the same latest iOS version. Consequently, mobile developers don’t need to invest time and effort to create versions of the app for different screen sizes and resolutions.
Design. Apple has very strict rules for creating app designs. On the one hand, it contributes to the complexity of customizing iOS applications. But on the other hand, following these design guidelines make apps work great and deliver the highest level of user experience.
Security. iOS apps are better protected from emerging security threats thanks to the fast release of updates. Apple takes security seriously. Touch ID, FaceID, data encryption are all designed to secure user data. Also, in December 2020, Apple obliged all apps hosted in the App Store to inform users what data an app collects and for what purposes. This gives users more control over their personal data and contributes to brand loyalty.

Disadvantages of iOS app development:

Customization. iOS provides strict guidelines for applications hosted in App Stores. So strict that customizing apps becomes a challenging task for developers. It will be really difficult for you to stand out from the competition by staying within the guidelines.
Publishing. Publishing an app in the App Store is not as easy as that of Android apps. In fact, there is no guarantee that your app will be accepted and added to the App Store at all. The review usually takes a few days. Your app must meet all the App Store requirements to get approval for publication.
Only for iOS devices. When creating an iOS application, you should keep in mind that you are cutting the distribution coverage of your app significantly. However, there are nuances here as well. According to Business of Apps, iOS users are more solvent and are usually willing to pay more for apps.

What is the best platform to build your app?

Now that we know the pros and cons of developing mobile apps for different platforms, it’s time to decide which platform to build your app for. I think you won’t be surprised if I say that there is no definite answer. It all depends on your business goals and capabilities. Here are the main criteria to consider when choosing a mobile development platform.

Geography

First of all, you need to think about your target audience. Who are the potential users of your application? Where do they live? As you remember, the percentage of iOS and Android is different in different regions. Plus, according to various studies, iOS users tend to show higher engagement rates and in-app purchases, and the largest number of app downloads belongs to Android. So, combine data on the popularity of platforms in the regions with your business goals to determine which platform to choose for your mobile app.

Development time

It’s hard to say which app to develop faster. Android fragmentation dramatically delays the development process. Score one for the iOS. However, Apple’s strict guidelines can also increase development time. If you find an experienced development team that knows all the features of development and the further publication of iOS apps in the App Store, then you can probably achieve project timeline optimization.

Cost

The scope and complexity of the project determine the cost of developing a mobile app. There is no much difference in how much an Android or iOS app will cost you. Of course, if Android development takes longer, it makes the process of creating an app more expensive. However, if you limit the number of Android devices and target certain OS versions, the development cost will be relatively equal.

App monetization

The next question is whether you plan to monetize your app. It is well known that iOS makes more revenue. According to research firm Sensor Tower, in 2020 App Store mobile app revenue reached $72.3 billion, while Google Play earned $38.6 billion. However, both iOS and Android are great for different monetization strategies. In iOS apps, the subscription and in-app purchases strategy work best, while Android performs well with an ad-based model. So, it’s up to you.

So, which platform to choose for your mobile app?

To be honest, it’s impossible to say for sure which platform is better, Android or iOS. So, the best option is to create an app for both platforms if you plan to distribute your app widely. It can be native or cross-platform development. This step allows you not to miss out on any possible market. However, if you have a well-determined target audience and know exactly its geography and preferences, make your choice based on the data. Here are some tips for choosing a platform for mobile development:

Сhoose iOS development if:

Your target audience lives in the USA, Canada, Australia, or Western Europe.
You plan to get revenue from paid apps.
You want to speed up the time to market and don’t want to waste time and money adapting your app to a large number of different devices.
Protecting your users’ data is your priority.

Choose Android development if:

Your target audience lives in Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin, and South America.
You want to reach as many users around the world as possible.
You are planning to use a monetization strategy related to in-app advertising.
You need more freedom to implement unique features for your application.

You can also start with one platform that best fits your needs, and later develop an app for a different platform.

IdeaSoft experience

If you still have doubts about which platform to choose for a mobile app, feel free to contact us. IdeaSoft has been a reliable digital transformation partner for startups and enterprises around the world for over 5 years. Our mobile development services include iOS and Android app development, as well as UX/UI design for mobile apps. The company entered the TOP Mobile App Developers 2020 according to Upvotes.co. IdeaSoft’s developers will help you choose the best platform for your app and bring all your ideas to life.