Your First Application: Differences Between iOS and Android App Development

If you are thinking about building a mobile app, then considering what platform to start with could be the first thing on your mind. What are the differences between iOS and Android app development? And how will the choice of the platform impact the success of your solution?

While your ultimate goal can involve launching the mobile app for two platforms, it might be risky and expensive to deliver iOS and Android apps at the same time. Before talking about the key factors that influence the choice of OS, let’s take a look at the market details that also help come to a decision.

If your company’s strategy is to reach the global mobile market, then take into account the following numbers from StatCounter. Android remains the dominant operating system on the worldwide level, holding a share of around 74.26% and leaving iOS with 25.39%.

Source: StatCounter Global Stats – OS Market Share

However, when it comes to the statistics by region, the situation looks a bit different. For example, you should probably deliver the iOS app first while aiming for the US market.

Here are the details for various world parts:

• North America: iOS – 54.5%; Android – 45.2%
• South America: iOS – 15.5%; Android – 84.3%
• Europe: iOS – 34.2%; Android – 65.2%
• Asia: iOS – 17.2%; Android – 82.4%

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Bearing in mind the statistics we’ve provided, it makes sense to dive deeper into other differences between OS. Ultimately, making a choice can be narrowed down to 8 factors.

1. Target Audience

In most scenarios, success comes to those who know their customers and how to meet their requirements. When setting goals for your business app, the target audience should be one of the top priority aspects to think about.

Choose the platform according to the preferences of users whose needs you are trying to cover.

Of course, the users of iOS and Android are not as different as chalk and cheese, but still, there are variations in demographic breakdowns. As measured by Exploding Topics, 58% of US smartphone users in the 18-34 age group prefer iOS, while 35+ users tend to use Android.

Besides, most female consumers prefer Apple software, contrary to males, who are inclined to use Android. As a general rule, iOS users have a higher annual income and spend more hours on the phone. Knowing this data can help companies target their future app more precisely and determine which operating system should be a starter.

2. Development Timeline

If the speed of development is crucial for your project, then it is worth considering the Android vs. iOS development timeline beforehand. On average, it takes 30% to 40% longer to build an Android-based application in comparison with iOS. This is due to the code complexity and a wide range of devices.

On the contrary, the App Store has a stricter application review and acceptance process that lasts up to one week and involves a manual approach. Google Play adheres to automated tests that apps go through, taking a shorter period of time.

3. Development Budget

What platform to choose first to stay on budget?

Well, the total cost of creating a mobile solution depends on many factors, including business requirements, feature set, and a team working on your product. In other words, it’s all about how much time it takes to develop iOS and Android apps. As we have mentioned above, developing an Android app needs more of this valuable resource, and usually, more time-consuming means more expensive.

Learn How Much It Costs to Make an App

Additionally, there is a fee for publishing an app on the marketplace that varies depending on the platform. Apple charges $99 yearly, whereas Google enables you to deliver your Android app for a one-time fee of $25.

Building an app with a limited budget is never an easy task. Having said that, there are several tricks to create a high-quality mobile app without going broke.

4. Monetization Strategy

There are a great number of app revenue models. However, you do not need to go through all of them to get the idea of which operating system would bring you the most. Basically, the three main ways to get a profit from mobile apps are:

• Paid applications
• In-app purchases
• Ad-based model

Both OS focus on different revenue sources according to various target audiences.

When it comes to paid products, iOS users are more prone to purchase the apps, while Android users tend to download them for free. That explains why the majority of Google-supported applications generate revenue from in-app ads.

Another way to monetize your mobile solution is to enable in-app purchases. This model works well for both OS, generating 48.2% of all mobile app earnings. However, there is a difference in the average purchase price per user for each OS. For Android, this is $0.47, and for iPhone owners – $1.

This is one of the reasons why the App Store has a higher income than Google Play, according to the statistics of Business of Apps. Specifically, the App Store generated $103.4 billion in revenue in 2024, outpacing Google Play, which earned $46.7 billion.

5. App Development Process

The complexity of the development process greatly depends on the set of features and the app’s functionality. Nevertheless, when it comes to building mobile apps for different operating systems, there are some nuances impacting the development and even testing phases.

Development Languages and IDEs

Some time ago, creating an Android app required more coding than iOS and, therefore, more time when developers used Java. Today, iOS and Android apps mostly operate with Swift and Kotlin languages. They both enable writing less code to complete the app and provide efficient performance.

In addition to different programming languages used for native app development, there are various IDEs suggested by Apple and Google. Previously, apps were mainly built with AppCode and Eclipse, while currently, developers apply the latest tools — Xcode for iOS and Android Studio for Android.

Development Approaches

If the speed of development, costs, and complexity play a vital role in your decision-making, then it is worth considering different mobile development approaches. Some of them will even allow you to deliver an app for both platforms at the same time.

Find out What Development Approach Will Benefit Your Vision the Most

You can opt for cross-platform development instead of two native applications. This approach can help you launch the product and reach a wider audience faster.

Read more about The Reasons to Build a Cross-Platform Mobile App

Of course, as nearly everything in our lives has pros and cons, this approach also carries some moments to weigh. For instance, performance or customization is not the most powerful side of this approach.

Device Fragmentation

Another point drawing attention to the comparison is device fragmentation. From this side, iOS development seems easier since Apple releases a limited range of devices.

On the contrary, Android apps should be compatible with dozens of devices with different screen sizes, hardware specifications, and versions of OS. That adds some complexity to the development process. It also extends the time for the QA phase, as you need to test your mobile solution on a variety of devices to ensure its quality and smooth user experience.

Developer Resources

From this perspective, both OS excel, but each of them has its nuances. For example, iOS offers comprehensive documentation, helping developers come up with better products and reduce implementation time and costs.

As for community support, iOS developers can utilize Apple Developer Forums, which are curated and more closed. Additionally, the iOS developer community is smaller and probably more focused.

Meanwhile, Android is well known for its open and varied developer resources, which typically involve platforms like Stack Overflow, GitHub, and Reddit to connect, share, and collaborate.

6. Platform Openness and Security

Android is famous for its open-source nature. Probably, developers mostly value such a platform thanks to its flexible customization and strong community support. Plus, by employing an open-source platform, it is possible to develop an app without going broke.

Users, in their turn, benefit from an open-source approach. Specifically, they can see what data is collected through the app. This, of course, leads to transparency, thus elevating trust among consumers.

But an open-source platform isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Actually, such platforms do not inherently come with relevant security measures. Yet, it is possible to overcome serious safety risks because many people check the code, and can assist in identifying vulnerabilities and bugs. At the same time, there is no guarantee that the code won’t end up in the wrong hands.

In contrast, iOS source code is not publicly available. It is fully controlled by Apple and must meet the strict regulations of the company. This means limited customization but higher security.

7. Design and UX

Of course, as users of iOS and Android platforms, we all know how it feels to interact with them daily. And it is our user experience that makes us stick to one or another OS. The operating system dictates style and rules for app design and greatly impacts user engagement.

Read more about How to Drive Mobile App Engagement

The contrast between iOS and Android user interfaces is literally obvious. No wonder the design of the apps turns out to be different as well. Even if both platforms tend to follow simple visuals and a minimalistic approach, each provides a unique sense of flow.

The characteristics that differ include:

• Navigation bar
• Back button
• Menu
• Pop-up notifications
• Icon sizes
• Screen resolutions
• Control design
• Typography

The design strategy is one of the most distinctive moments to consider in iOS vs. Android app development. Following fewer variations of screen sizes, iOS apps are more predictable in terms of look. In contrast, many screen sizes and resolutions of Android devices increase the time to adapt and customize layouts, thus making it harder to cater to all the needs invariably.

8. Distribution and App Store Optimization

After the development process is over, your application is ready to see the world. At this moment, app stores take on the role. In the previous sections, we have covered some differences between the App Store and Google Play, like approval of the app and fees for publishing. Now let’s pay attention to some other important points.

The variety of apps in both marketplaces is constantly growing. Google Play beats the App Store in terms of numbers, offering users 3.55 million apps and leaving the App Store with 1.64 million behind. That means that the competition in Google Play is much tougher, though.

The app’s position in the market is affected by several factors, and the number of downloads is one of them. Thus, if you want to run a successful app, you need to invest your time, effort, and money not only in the development but also in the App Store Optimization. This should be the foundation of your app marketing strategy.

Learn How to Improve the Visibility of Your App in the Store

According to Business of Apps, in Q1 2024, Google Play ensured 102.4 billion app downloads, significantly outpacing the App Store’s 35.4 billion downloads.

At the same time, for Android app distribution you can use even more than just Google Play. For example, companies can also release their apps on Amazon Store, which provides more than 500K apps in 200 countries and enables attracting more users.

Additionally, both iOS and Android support enterprise distribution methods, allowing large enterprises to create and implement apps solely for internal usage.

As for the revenue share, both stores have similar terms – 30% is taken from in-app purchases in the first year of subscription, and 15% of the price after 12 months.

With all the bulk of information mentioned above, it might be easy to lose the thread and get confused. Thus, to provide you with a more structured view of the differences we’ve discussed, here’s a quick recap of the most important moments.

Of course, the list of comparisons can be much longer. Yet, these essential distinctions between Apple apps vs. Android apps development help shape a clear vision and support your decision-making process.

Let’s sum up the upsides and downsides of iOS vs. Android app development so you can make smart choices for your next mobile project.

Android

Android app development offers flexibility and a wide user base, but it comes with device fragmentation challenges.

Pros of Android Development

• Broad user base: With a 74.26% market share, Android definitely tends to have a wider and more diverse audience.
• Open-source platform: Such platforms come with a wide variety of features and offer flexibility for customization. Plus, open-source platforms have a huge community, which leads to better support.
• Diverse hardware compatibility: Android apps are capable of smoothly running on different devices.
• Multiple app distribution channels: Besides Google Play, it’s possible to upload your Android app to other stores like Amazon Appstore, Huawei AppGallery, etc. Android also supports enterprise distribution methods.
• Customization opportunities: Android is pretty customizable. Meaning, you may simply add or remove features, fix bugs, and optimize the app.
• Lower development costs: Android development tools are often free, making the entire app development process pretty budget-friendly.
• Java and Kotlin support: Typically, Android app development relies on popular programming languages like Java and Kotlin. Both have strong communities, making it easier to find support and the required resources.

Cons of Android Development

• Security concerns: Despite the many benefits of open-source platforms, there is a big pitfall: they are more vulnerable to security threats and viruses.
• Varied hardware compatibility: As Android apps run on diverse devices, optimizing the product for screen sizes and OS versions becomes challenging.
• Lower app revenue: Though Android apps have more users compared to iOS, Google Play generates less revenue.
• Complex testing process: Testing the same app on different devices makes the process quite time-consuming and resource-intensive.

iOS

iOS app development provides a polished user experience and reliable hardware, but it may involve stricter guidelines and a smaller user base.

Pros of iOS Development

• Polished UI/UX: Apple has strict design guidelines, which lead to a better user experience.
• Easier compatibility across Apple devices: Generally speaking, Apple applications run smoothly across different Apple products, whether iPhones, iPads, or Macs, leading to less fragmentation.
• Reliable hardware: Apple devices are well known for their smooth performance and long-lasting quality. Hardly can it be achievable without reliable hardware in place.
• Higher revenue potential: Typically, iOS users are more inclined to pay for apps, subscriptions, and in-app purchases, which significantly increases the revenue stream.
• Higher quality standards: Given the strict review process and high user expectations, Apple products tend to meet high-quality standards.
• Security features: Though both iOS and Android have robust security features and biometric authentication, iOS is considered more secure because of its closed ecosystem.
• Loyal user base: iOS users tend to stick with Apple products, which leads to better retention.

Cons of iOS Development

• Smaller user base: Though Apple users are loyal, their numbers are much smaller than Android’s.
• Stringent App Store review: A stricter review process causes delayed updates and higher rejection rates.
• Limited customization: Compared to open-source platforms, iOS offers fewer customization options. That’s a notable difference when comparing iOS developers vs. Android developers, given their flexibility and resources available.
• Closed ecosystem: While Apple’s closed ecosystem enhances security, it comes with some challenges for developers, like restrictions on advanced app features and limited access to system-level APIs.
• Costly hardware for testing: It’s impossible to test Apple products without Apple devices in place.

Once again, there are several aspects to take into consideration when choosing the platform for your first app. Your target audience, development budget, timeline, and monetization strategy will definitely impact your decision.

In a nutshell, choose Android development if you want to reach a larger market share, be more flexible with customizations, and submit your application to the store faster. However, if your focus is to generate higher revenue per user, target a younger audience, and follow a less intricate development process, opt for iOS solutions.

In our experience, most businesses need help with a decision on what platform to target first. A consultation with a reliable software development vendor could pave the way for your mobile solution. You can simply start with a short discovery meeting and put on the table what you have, even if it’s just an idea or project vision.

Velvetech has vast expertise in mobile app development for both OS. Don’t hesitate to contact us to evaluate your potential app and choose the right platform while avoiding major pitfalls.

About the author

Matthew Carrington

Years of experience in mobile app development and tech blogging allow Matthew to inspire readers with his practical ideas and meaningful insights regarding mobile solutions.