When you ask someone about the mobile OS they use, the most probable answer would be iOS or Android. The rivalry among these two operating systems has always been a topic of discussion. However, this article will not talk about which one’s better than the other. This article is solely about Apple’s iOS. In this informational piece, you will learn about the top languages an iOS app development company can use to develop an application for your online business.
According to a StatCounter report, iOS devices account for around 27% of the total share of all the smart devices connected to the internet. Moreover, as per Apple’s internal research data revealed earlier this year, more than 2.22 million apps are present for download on the Apple App Store.
Although the figures are way less than Android apps (over 3.48 million), iOS apps give tough competition to the former in terms of performance and quality. However, developers must choose the correct standards to create the apps to maintain this class. Picking out a compatible programming language for applications can make this an easy sail.
Top Five Coding Languages to Develop iOS App Applications in 2021
Swift
We will start our discussion with the most preferred and widespread language in today’s time. Also seen as the language that can ‘reshape the future of iOS app development,’ Swift is a general-purpose coding language used to create top-quality native iOS applications. Swift works fine with the frameworks like Cocoa and Cocoa Touch.
Launched in 2014, it has become one of the widely used programming languages to create apps for iPhone and other iOS devices. Some best things about Swift are that it offers scalability, rapid development, interoperability, etc. If you are looking for fast iOS development and want to scale the apps real quick, Swift is all you need.
Objective-C
The immediate predecessor of Swift, Objective-C, was an extension of the object-oriented coding language C, with most of the properties alike. Created in 1984, it was also a general-purpose language still adaptable with iOS and macOS.
You might have heard people comparing Swift and Objective-C in terms of execution time, performance, readability, coding, code stability, code maintenance, etc. However, it is an old player, following the conventional procedures and has outdated features. That’s why Swift goes far beyond it, and today, it is not used as much as Swift.
Moreover, it is not an open-source language, due to which learning its principle and style become highly challenging for the amateurs. Nevertheless, as already mentioned, it is an old player in the market, and therefore you can expect stability and maturity with this language.
Flutter
Flutter is another new-in-the-market programming language that has received a lot of attention since its launch in 2017. Developed by Google, Flutter is a highly versatile, open-to-learn development kit developers use to build apps for different platforms, such as iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, Mac, etc.
With Flutter, developers can easily create aesthetically creative and interactive iOS applications. Moreover, it provides full customisation options and is a highly time and cost-efficient app development solution.
C#
C# is a Microsoft-build product seen as an alternative to Java. It is a high-level, common-purpose, object-oriented coding language used for efficient mobile app development. It is also an open-source language and makes iOS app development comparatively easier for all level developers.
C# consists of a massive library with several app-building tools. Integration of plug-ins and extensions is easy with this language. However, talking about the cons, it has a poor platform GUI, and beginners find it challenging to learn and apply.
HTML5
Developed in 2014, developers use HTML5 along with CSS and JavaScript for mobile app development (iOS app development) or web app development. It is a perfect solution when you are unwilling to spend much on developing an iOS app with a simple design.
However, it is not a good choice for creating high quality, functional native iOS applications as it is mostly preferred for web development.
Final Words
This article has introduced you to the most preferred programming languages for iOS app development, along with the pros and cons. On analysing, you might find Swift as the apt choice for developing iOS apps. However, each language has its own merits and demerits. If you want a robust app compatible with iPhone and other iOS devices, consulting with an iPhone app development agency will be the right decision. The experts at the agency can help you with all your queries and demands.