iOS and Android are the two most prevalent and widely used operating systems. As both these platforms capture 87% of the market share.
However, naming platforms other than these two isn’t possible for many as they aren’t very popular.
Question: Can you name any two mobile OSs other than Android and iOS?
If Not! Let us help you with that!
Symbian and Windows phone OS are the other two operating systems but are disesteemed by the users.
You might be wondering that as the absolute market leader (iOS and Android) both share identical development processes and costs.
But unfortunately, they don’t! From terms of design to marketing strategy to the development cost, everything is dissimilar.
So which one is the better option for you?
Jumping to a conclusion without comprehensive research regarding cost and other factors can put you in a catastrophic situation.
So read the blog till the end as we are about to compare Android vs iOS development costs.
Read Our Blog Here: Everything You Need To Know About Mobile App Development Cost
Differences In Development
Let’s first discuss iOS vs android development from the technical standpoint.
Both these platforms follow different programming languages, frameworks, and testing criteria.
So, make sure to learn the differences in depth to choose the perfect platform to launch your app.
Programming Languages
Android app development uses Java and Kotlin as the programming language.
Contrastingly, iOS App development considers Swift and Objective-C as the official language.
Wondering which one is the fastest and easiest language?
Since Swift is easy to learn and an open-source programming language. Developing an iOS application is considerable faster.
Cost Comparison: Swift and Objective-C developers charge 15% more than java developers.
Development Environment
Both IOS and Android app development utilize two different Integrated Development Environments.
Android App Development: To develop apps for android, developers use Google’s officially launched and supported tool Android Studio. The widely used features include build automation, dependency management, and customizable build configurations.
iOS App Development: To create apps for Apple and Mac, consider Apple-supported Integrated Development Environment Xcode. You’ll have access to features like productive coding, multiplatform, SwiftUI, and Swift package.
Cost Comparison: Both Android studio and Xcode are free to download and use.
System-Specific Design Differences
At this particular point, we can strongly assert that iOS app development is relatively easy. And we have strong evidence to prove our point.
The navigation and architecture organization of iOS apps are straightforward and for android, it’s a bit complex.
Android: Development team can’t start the work directly. First, they have to segment the app into fragments and activities. Designing a multiple-screen app is a challenge for developers. As they have to handle tons of activities at once.
iOS: The view controller is what makes iOS better than Android development. Page view, tab, split view controllers, and many more are used in app development. This feature helps to accelerate the development process and mitigate risk.
Cost Comparison: Due to a large number of screens and devices it takes a strenuous effort from developers to make an android app.
Complexity
Android is far behind iOS in terms of development simplicity. During Android app development developers face numerous hurdles due to device segmentation.
Each year Apple releases a very less number of devices compared to android. That means not many screen changes and alterations.
Whereas things are totally opposite in Android, countless screens make things demanding and time-consuming.
iOS vs Android App Development. Which Platform to Start First?
Once you’ve learned the difference between ios development vs android development from a technical perspective. It might have become very simple for you to choose the better platform.
However, you shouldn’t overlook other factors like market share, income, gender, and many more.
In terms of availability and market share, Android has dethroned iOS. As of the year 2022, Android captures the majority of the market share with 71.54%. On the other hand, iOS ranks second with 27.81%.
Location-wise, iOS takes the lead in the US with 57.02% followed by Android with 42.6%. In Europe, 67.21% of users prefer Android, and only 31.83% are on iOS.
When comparing ages, income, and education we get to know that iOS users are mainly high-salaried individuals and have higher education. Thus, they spend more on apps and in-app purchases.
Read More: iPhone owners spend more, have higher incomes than Android users
Android Development vs iOS Development Pros and Cons
Android App Development Pros
- High ROI with Lower Costs
- Widely available Android SDK
- Faster Deployment- quick development cycle (not more than a few hours)
- Target Multiple Platforms – apps can function on platforms like Symbian and Ubuntu
- Enhanced Security- protection against malware and viruses
- Open-source platform
Android app development cons
- Scalability issues- inconsistent UI
- Google play store search engine problem- Algorithm prefers to rank free apps over paid ones.
- Copyright issues- due to superficially testing, copyrights are often violated.
- Lack of security- due to open source android apps are often on verge of security threats.
- Device fragmentation
- High cost- testing can be costly and time taking due to the fragmentation
iOS App Development Pros
- Impressive revenue and high ROI- Users have high purchasing power
- Impossible to breach security standards- high-end security measures
- Fewer updates- Apple rarely announces updated version
- Tech freak users- Millennials and Generation Z prefer apple products
- Swift development process
iOS App Development Cons
- Time-consuming app release- The review process is draconian even a tiny issue can reject your app approval
- Customization– Restraint policies can limit app customization
- macOS x is a closed source that can’t be applied to another operating system
Cost Of Android App Development vs iOS App Development
A general voice among developers is that Android app development is less expensive than iOS development. Let’s find out if the opinion is right or wrong.
First, discuss the three factors that influence the cost of app development.
Hourly Rates
The per-hour rate of Swift and objective-C is 15-20% more than Java anywhere in the world. That means Android app development is less expensive.
Winner: Android
Time Spent
As a developer, you invest most of your time in design, development, and testing. Let’s catch on to which platform needs more time to finish.
Design
Both iOS and Android app development take almost equal time to design. That means the situation is quite balanced here.
Winner: Both
Development
Coding in java is a bit demanding compared to Swift and Objective-C.
Fragmentation is another issue with Android. Thousands of devices use Android and most of those have different screen sizes and OS versions. By looking at the facts, iOS has an upper hand here.
Winner: iOS
Testing
Fragmentation makes the testing process on Android long-winded. Countless devices that used Android resulted in more time spent on testing. iOS has the trump hand here too.
Winner:iOS
Compliance
Publishing your app on the Apple app store is a frustrating process. As Apple app store conducts a rigorous set of rules to publish the app. If your app fails to comply with any of the terms your app will be removed. On the other side, the Google play store gives more freedom to publish the app. So we can say that Android dominates this stage.
Winner: Android
Cost Comparison of Software Needed For Android vs. iOS App Development
Cost Of Software For iOS App Development
AppCode
One of the most amazing intelligent integrated development environments (IDE) was built by designed by JetBeans.
It does not just support Objective-C, and Swift but also web technologies like JavaScript, HTML, XML, CSS, and more.
AppCode supports developers in multiple ways such as streamlining and automating routine tasks, reducing time and effort by automating coding, and discovering and adjusting bugs.
Pricing
Business and organizations: $199 /1st year
Individual customers: $89 /1st year
CodeRunner
Code runner is an excellent tool for iOS app development. It supports more than 25+ languages and is extremely lightweight.
Following are the amazing features of CodeRunner.
- Advanced Code Completion
- 25+ Language Support
- Live code checking
- Debugging with Breakpoints
- First-Class Text Editor
Pricing
Personal License: $19.99
BuildFire
If you’re looking to develop interactive and high-performing iOS mobile apps with limited coding then this tool is got exclusively for you.
This tool had gained amazing popularity among nonprogrammers who wants to develop IOS mobile app in no time.
Features
- Version Control
- Graphical User Interface
- Mobile Development
- Debugging
- Code Assistance
- Access Control
Pricing:
Growth: $159/mo
Business: $200/mo
Enterprise: $424/mo
Flutter
Google officially built and supported an open-source UI software development kit to make engaging, high-speed, and cross-platform application.
Features
- Hot reload
- Rich Widget Library
- Cross-platform development
- Google Firebase Support
Pricing: Free
Cost Of Software For Android App Development
Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
This tool work as a bridge or communication line that lets you interact with the computer that the developers use with the android devices.
Features
- Installing and debugging apps
- Copying files back and forth
- Accessing Unix shell to run commands
Price: Free
Eclipse
Before the introdution of Android studio Eclipes was the widely used platform to develop android mobile apps.
However, after the Android studio was introduced developers dont prefer eclipse anymore.
Still it can be a great tool to develop android app as still many developers are uning it.
Pricing: Free
Fabric
Google purchased fabric from twitter in jan 2017. Fabric was used to develop multiple renowned apps like Twitter, Uber and Spotify.
Fabric provides various kits for developers to use during testing as well as kits for marketing and advertising.
Pricing: $6,000/mo