Let your business parameters and preferences decide either iOS development vs Android Development processes suit best to your business growth and marketing efficiency.

Mobile App Development is widely enhancing technological and business domain due to its innovative, evolutionary business perspectives and technical capabilities.

However, the core question still hovers in the air, what platform to choose for your business?

Many companies big or small, experienced or starters take a long struggle in deciding the best platform they should use to build their business apps.  If we see for finance perspective; iOS earns more revenue than Android. Android is taking lead for more customers and iOS is making more profit with even less amount of its users. However, there are a lot more perspectives to explore to finalize the best platform for your app.

iOS and Android are the two major Mobile Operating Systems covering billions of active mobile social users in different parts of the world. The core reason for their popularity is the availability of multitudes of apps in their respective app markets. iOS and Android Apps are becoming more innovative and useful day by day.

As the apps are becoming one of the major sources to improve business efficiency, and the reason for great facilitation to almost all chores of daily life. It is the dire need of every business to have apps to offer better services than their competitors. Consequently, there is a huge demand for app developers in the market.

1. The Global Market Share

It is the most initial and important step to have practical insight into the number of users of Android and iOS development. Android holds the largest global platform but this whole lot belongs to developing countries and low-income nations. They are numerous large and small Android manufacturers in the market. The tough competition among them lowers the prices. For the reason, the Android market is full of cheaper Android phones, tablets, and several other gadgets.

It is the universal truth, that there is a single manufacturer of iOS and that is Apple. iOS mostly covers the US, European nations and some of the developed countries. Its users have a higher level of education, greater engagement, greater income, and they spend more time per app.

Nearly 75 percent of people use android and 19 percent uses iOS worldwide. From the user’s strength point of view, Android is currently the world’s most widely used smartphone platform and is used by several phone manufacturers.

So, the question arises what are your goals for the audience you would like to reach first? As it will help you in deciding your business app priorities and development requirements.

  • The number of latest operating system versions

The number of users using the latest version of operating systems is also essential to point to research beforehand. To acquire the benefits of all the latest software and apps, it is necessary to have modern hardware and latest operating system.

The iOS caters the automated updating systems and doesn’t bother its users with such efforts. Ios also offers the most advanced version of tools for the development of apps.

Android has not automated updating system and requires users’ permission and input. Every app and update in the App Store are required to experience a strict human approval process that may take between a day or two and a week to finish.

For the reason, most of Apple’s users are using iOS II, the latest version of iOS. While most Android users don’t have access to the latest version which is Oreo.

  • User Loyalty

Well, there is a great battle between Android and Apple’s users. Even their users are seen to be in hot debates on behalf of their respective app manufacturers. As they are always competing over the unique inventions to offer fancier technologies to earn the loyalty of their clients. Research indicates that iOS users are more loyal to their phones than Android users. Most of them even openly deny using any phone other than Apple.

  • The Geographical Location

Which geographical region suits best to your business? Well, Android and iOS have separate regions where their power rules.

To the regions you want to make your app reach and areas you want to target is also important before your final decision.

Android is the best option if you want to target a particular small geographical region other than the US and European nations. It also the best option to target the global audience as android has more customers than iOS. Ensure the most trending platform in that area as well.

Though iOS is cornered to limited regions of the world. Its users are rich, more educated and belong to a certain class earning more money. Ios is the best choice if you want to reach the US and developed countries’ people.

  • App Revenue

For all the obvious reason, you desire to build an app capable of generating more revenue. Which one of android and iOS app brings more revenue?

Apple app store gets more revenue than Google play store because iOS owner pays more. It is also one of the facts a single iOS app earns more profit per customer than the android app.

If we consider the number of downloads, then Android wins.

2. Development Complexity

The time period for development, development cost, and the complexities involved are also crucial factors to count.

Which one of Android App and iOS App is more complex to build?

  • Hardware and Operating System

To consider hardware and operating systems; any Android app can be built by using Windows, Linux, OS X, and even Mac devices.

However, developing iOS is not flexible and requires only a Mac device. Android wins over iOS for flexible hardware compatibility. Android’s developers have the freedom to build their Android applications by any operating system.

  • Licensing

The iOS restricts and requires a subscription to Apple’s membership before the publishing of apps in the Apple App Store. Apple app store offers services at different prices. Sometimes it costs a developer around $1000 a year which can be costly for a freelancer or small business owner.

Android gives easy hand to its users with no restriction of subscription and costly memberships. However, to publish an app Google App Store puts charges and registration fee.

Even though it may feel like Android is simpler and cheaper to launch, some would examine this and say the iOS’s complicated approval method is a good asset to make sure the application adheres to modern standards and practices.

  • The Coding Phase of Android and iOS App Development

The iOS has maintained pre-defined rules to be followed to get your app approved and published in the Apple App Store. Android as its good at giving liberty. It offers developers more freedom to explore various solutions to issues.

The iOS goes with automated developing features that are why it has easygoing development unless you want to go off the road and mess with it. Any attempt to change may result in a rejection of app. iOS gives the very fewer option for changing. For example in iOS development screens are designed with drag and drop interface. On the flip side, developers find it easier to go for iOS development if there isn’t much alteration is required. iOS automated features also help in speeding up the development phase. Even the beginner iOS Developer can develop the iOS app as it has no trickier, hard to find bugs and the continuous testing to check the compatibility.

The Android app development isn’t automated and requires developer’s input and code writing in XML for optimal screen design. Though it gives liberty to have customized development options. Android app development takes much time than iOS development. As developers have to code and design each and every feature and phase.

However, Android App Development is more knowledgeable and skill requiring development. Android developers are known to be more skilled than iOS developers.

  • The Device Fragmentation

Unlike iPhone models, Android comes in all shape and sizes which are called device fragmentation. To develop an Android application, the developer has to choose a limited number of devices that the app would support. The increased number of devices, increase development cost and complexities.

Moreover, Android has miscellaneous operating versions which also cause fragmentation. To build an Android app compatible with all android devices and versions is a time-consuming and money consuming phenomenon.

iOS apps are compatible with all devices and versions of iOS operating system. Since most of the devices are automatically update to the latest version, so there isn’t an issue of version fragmentation in iOS app development.

  • The Publishing guidelines

Since publishing the most crucial stage of app release. Which one of Android and iOS app development is more easygoing with publishing?

Both of Google app store and Apple app store have maintained some design guidelines to encourage a peculiar brand look of all apps in their respective app stores. The guidelines differ for each app store but they are not difficult to follow.

Apple App Store Restricts Developers to follow all requirements to complete the publishing process. On the other hand, Google leaves some space for innovation along with general designing rules to publish an app in the Google app store.

3. The App Releasing

The app releasing and publishing rules differ for both apps to restrict the publishing procedure.

iOS is costly in terms of app roll out. It charges $99 from an individual developer and $299 from a company. Android is cheaper as it charges only $25 without publishing restrictions.

iOS is quite diligent to approve any iOS app before publishing. Usually, the approval committee ensures that the app follows all rules and regulations and allows to roll out.  It can take a day or two-day time. It can take more time if it has some issues. Even it can face rejection if it is not following all principles of publishing an Apple app.

Meanwhile, Google approves an app within a few hours to be published.

4. The Segmented Release

The staggered release and phased release are the crucial factors if you are planning to update your app.

Both app stores allow developers to have an update or the testing of the new version of their apps. Google Play store allows staggered release and offers you to update your app to a certain number of users in a certain area. So you can decide the percentage of the users and the preferred countries.

A phased release also works in pretty much the same way, only you don’t have to decide the percentage of people who will get the update. Its methodology depends on the number of days i.e. at first day only one percent of people will get the update, on the third day three percent. It continues so on and forth gradually according to schedule. You can pause and resume an update if needed.

5. Time and Cost

Which one of the Android and the iOS app is more expensive to build? well, there is no clear cut answer to that for various reasons.

Android app has to cater to various version and device types. For the reason, the developers need more time in configuration to build a stable app for the maximum versions of devices. As time is the new money nowadays. The longer the time it takes, the higher the development cost gets.

But it does not make iOS app cheaper. As iOS app needs Mac devices and Xcode to design it. Most of the freelancers, developers and smaller companies cannot afford expensive hardware and operating systems.

Almost, both iOS and Android development cycles take the same time. The core difference is created by the testing phase.

An android app takes more time for testing if the app is designed to be compatible with different version and devices. As the device and version fragmentation require configuration at various stages. In order to provide quality oriented product and to accomplish compatibility with a maximum number of devices, the QA team requires quality of time to ensure smooth working of the app of each version and each screen size. It won’t require much time if it is developed for a few devices.

In a consequence, android apps catch more bugs than iOS apps. For the reason, Android apps get more costly.

Finalization

Which app is the best suiting to your business needs?

First of all, you need to enlist down your business preferences, budget, time limit, audience targets, and geographical locations. It will give you a clear indication of the best suiting app platform for your business.

From financial and time perspective iOS is a better option. If you want wider marketing of your app, go for Android app development.

Go for Android app development, If your company is established and you can probably afford to have long development and the continuous testing phases.

When you should choose to design iOS app first?

  • The development cost factor
  • The speedy development of the app
  • If you want to build apps for the versions and doesn’t want them to optimize in previous versions of operating systems.
  • If you want to target the US people.

When you should choose to design an Android app first?

  • If you want to target the audience of developing nations.
  • If testing of your app doesn’t require much money
  • You don’t face the too much publishing restrictions, and long time span for approval to publish your app.
  • When you have remote android remote developers at a cheaper

Closing Thoughts

Mobile apps are nowadays making revolutionary changes in the present tech world as people of the planet are getting engaged with each other through mobile phones. Apps can be quite helpful for your business since they are the most recent way of connecting with people concerning the subjects and trends of the company.