Android vs IOS: Which Mobile Platform is Best For App Development?

By Manish Patel | Monday, December 30, 2019 04:26 PM | 4 min read | 100

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We know that Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS both are operating systems that primarily use mobile technology. According to the survey by Hootsuite, more than 4 billion are active mobile users. So, this market can’t ignore it anymore. If you still don’t have a mobile app for your business, then it’s high time for you to get one. iOS and Android are the two best-operating systems from which you can start developing a mobile app.

Have you already made your mind to build an application?

That’s super great! But which mobile platform is best for app development? Android or iOS?

Don’t be confused in choosing the platform and don’t rely on personal preferences. It would help if you thought of the business and parameters which matter the most. Below we have gathered some data related to Android vs iOS Development and have compared these two operating systems to help you out in choosing the best mobile platform.

Android vs iPhone App Development 2020 – Market Shared Data

Android vs iPhone 2020 — Source: https://www.britwise.com/blog

As per market share, we can say that Android has been leading since 2017. Google Playstore has reached 28 billion in the year 2018 and over 20 billion app downloads through Google play. The average revenue of Android vs iOS is very close. Say in the year 2018, $1.99 revenue was generated through gaming apps for iOS and $1.56 for Android. For shopping apps, $19.64 is spent on iOS compared to Android, which is $11.49. Whereas, in travel, iOS generated $32.29 and $20.47 from Android OS.

Let’s look at the technical aspects of Android vs. iOS

	iOS	Android
Development Complexity	iOS comes with lesser complexity as it comes with few varieties such as iPhone, iPad, and iPod.	Android fragment into varieties of devices, tablets, and smartphones, which differ in screen size, ratio, and OS.
Development Time	Less complexity, lesser the time it takes to develop.	Higher complexity takes a longer time to build and ultimately makes 30-40% slower than iOS.
Development Cost	In iOS, the apps developed using Xcode, which works only on MAC. But investing in shopping for Mac can increase the value of development significantly.	Android needs a better value as it takes longer development time. Also, Android apps use on a regular laptop.
Programming Language	iOS needs objective C or Swift for Native development.	Android uses Java and Kotlin.
Publishing Process	No doubt, apple comes with style; it has a lengthy and strict approval method. Updates take a longer time and will demand approval.	Android is comparatively simpler on Google play store. The process is quite simple and takes very little time compared to iOS.

Android vs iPhone Development 2020 – Difference and Comparison

	Android	iOS
Initial Release	23^rd September 2008	29 July 2007
Source	Open-Source	Closed but with open-source components
Developer	Google	Apple Inc.
Latest Update	Android Pie	iOS 12
Available Language	100+ Language	34 Language
Voice Command	Google Assistant	Siri
Speed	Have faster download speed	iOS is much faster than Android

Android vs iOS – Pros and Cons

	Android	iOS
Social Media Integration	Posting updates is not as easy as on iOS.	It is easy to post updates and share them on social networks.
Data Security	Data Privacy is an issue on Android devices as the controls are not as strict as iOS.	iOS is a more secure platform and comes with better control
Customization	You can get millions of apps for free on Android and is easy to customize.	In iOS customization, it is not easy to make changes compared with Android.
Chance of Malware	Android allows the installation of third-party apps which can harm data and increase the chances of malware.	In iOS, the chances of malware decreases.

What should be the business goals and revenue to build a business app for iOS or Android?

It is the first thought that comes in mind even before deciding to build a business app. It generally depends on five factors, such as who is your audience, the project timeline, desired app features, app maintenance budget, and revenue goal. But if you’re goal is to create an application for both platforms, then it might be quite expensive. Instead, build an app for a platform user is looking for, and when your first version is successful and well-established, you can move on with another platform.

Top 5 Factors to consider:

Audience: Talking about the audience, iOS has 40% more users than Android. Several Women tend to use the iPhone. It comes with a higher share of the 18-24 years old market. Apple users possess higher degrees, and their leads are in Europe, Australia, and North America.
TimeLine: iPhone apps are faster, cheaper, and easier to develop, but ultimately it takes 30-40% of the development time than Android. One key reason to develop in iOS is due to its code where Android apps come with extended code and are written in Java language. Whereas, users write iOS code in Swift language.
Desired Features: As Android comes open-source, it offers more flexibility compared to iOS. Moreover, you can customize your application by adding features and functions your audience is seeking. On the other side, iOS is more secure and have a closed nature, so more audience is attracted to them.
Budget for maintaining application: You need to spend more time developing Android Apps to ensure compatibility with the platform and avoid bugs for users. Android users prolonged to adopt a new OS. The study found that Andriod users are running OS that is two years old, whereas iOS users are more likely to update its OS.
Revenue Goal: If you have an app monetization goal, then Android will pay less for apps than iOS. But they offer free apps using in-app ads. While moving on to iOS, it generates twice as much as total revenue as Google Play despite half downloads.

Take Away

Frankly speaking, Android wins the category as it has millions of fans around the world and an excellent reason to use this operating system. As time passes, OS will be offering a smoother user experience with giving a more visually designed interface. But the fact will remain the same that Apple’s software will be king of both platforms as it gives you the advantage of a reduced time to market compared to Android. So, it’s your call to choose between iOS App Development and android app development platforms.