iOS vs Android: Which Platform to Develop On?

The mobile app development industry is constantly growing at a rapid rate, as it has done for years by now. New faces are always entering the industry, and the first question a lot of app development newbies ask is “Should I develop on Android or iOS?”

The two mobile giants both have their pros and cons when it comes to developing on their platforms. Depending on your ultimate goals, you may find that one operating system is far more advantageous for you than the other. You may even find that neither option is ideal for you, or both are!

Let’s discuss and compare the pros and cons of each operating system in terms of app development, so that you can reach an informed decision on which OS to develop on.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Android for App Development

Here are some of the pros of Android OS for developers:

  • Android is the world’s most widely-adopted mobile operating system with over 2 billion users worldwide. This means you have a larger pool of potential users.
  • There is a simpler acceptance barrier/app review with Android, therefore, it is quicker and simpler to get your mobile app live. This is especially helpful if you’re launching your app in it’s MVP (minimum viable product) stage.
  • Top-level Android development software can be downloaded and used on various operating systems, including Mac OS, Windows and Linux.
  • Android Apps are developed using Java. This is great as Java is a cross-platform programming language that is considered to be a comparatively easy language to learn for beginner developers.

Here are some of the cons of Android OS for developers:

  • The adoption of Android updates by its users is rather slow, and with so many previous Android versions available, there is a lot of fragmentation with Android’s OS. This means extra consideration must be taken when developing for Android, to ensure that your app will function across the various versions still widely in use.
  • Another fragmentation issue with Android regards device hardware. Because many various manufacturers use the Android OS on their devices, you must consider the hardware capabilities/limitations for a much larger range of devices.
  • Due to the open-source nature of Android OS, security is more of a concern for developers on the platform. Malware and hacks are common on the OS, and despite Google being quick with security update releases, users aren’t so quick to download them. Ultimately, developers must pay extra consideration to the security of their applications on this platform.
  • If you’re looking to monetize your application(s), it would help to be aware of the numerous studies showing that Android users typically spend much less money on applications than iOS users. This is inclusive of both in-app purchases and paid app downloads.

What Are the Pros and Cons of iOS for App Development

Here are some of the pros of iOS for developers:

  • You know what devices you’re developing for. iOS, of course is run exclusively on Apple’s line of devices, this is great for developers as it makes optimising for hardware capabilities and limitations much easier.
  • iOS provides a strong shield against malware and hacks, meaning that you don’t have to worry too much when it comes to security concerns when developing on iOS.
  • If you’re monetizing your iOS app, it’s good to know that iOS users are by far the readiest to part with their cash.

Here are some of the cons of iOS for developers:

  • iOS only has 19% of market share, as opposed to Android’s 75%. This means the potential audience for an iOS app is significantly smaller than that of an Android application.
  • The publishing process of an iOS application is far more stringent and complicated than on Android, meaning you may have to develop your app much further on iOS before go-live than you would on Android OS.

In Conclusion – Should You Choose iOS or Android?

Now that you know the pros and cons of developing across the two major players in mobile OS, hopefully you’ll find it easier to reach your decision.

Due to the market share of iOS and Android being so similar here in the UK, a good general rule would be to develop on iOS if you want good monetization options for your app.

If you’re not monetizing your application, it would make sense to choose Android. This is because of the ease of developing on Java, as well as the ease of publishing on Google’s Play Store.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to personal preference and your individual requirements, therefore you may even choose both platforms.

Get in Touch with Appoly for Mobile App Development Services

If you’re in need of mobile application development services, Appoly are here to help. We also offer consultation for when you need to get your idea(s) off the ground.

Our team are always happy to discuss potential projects and provide help and support where necessary. No project is too big nor too small to discuss with our experts.

You can contact us via email, phone or our contact page.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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