iOS vs Android: Where Should You Build Your App?

Building your very own app is not an easy process, and it can get quite complicated if not done correctly. When it comes to building an app, you are required to make numerous important decisions. One of those many decisions is to choose which platform you want to develop your app for; iOS or Android? Even though your end goal might be to launch your app on both of these platforms, it can be quite expensive, not to mention risky, to do this simultaneously.

Rather than launching their app for both platforms at the same time, the majority of the app developers tend to build their app for a single platform initially and later on launch it on another platform. They do this when the first version of their app has been properly established and seen a bit of success.

So, how do you know which platform you should launch your app on first? There are numerous advantages and disadvantages of launching your app on both iOS and Android. However, you need to consider a couple of main factors before making your final decision. These important factors are listed below in further detail.

Important Factors to Think About Before You Decide

1. Your Target Audience

There are different types of users that are attracted to iOS and Android devices. Firstly, you need to think about your target audience and the end goal you are trying to achieve with your app. You need to do the research in order to find out which audience is more likely to use your app.

Generally, there are more Android users in developing countries or people with lower income. On the other hand, the majority of the iOS users can be found in North America or Western Europe. But on a global level, Android has more market share as compared to iOS.

2. Your Monetization Strategy

When looking at it from a revenue standpoint, iOS apps tend to make a lot more money as compared to Android apps. Although, Apple is known for generating fewer app downloads and has fewer users when compared with Android, the App Store has brought in more revenue.

Towards the end of 2019, the App Store apparently generated almost 88% more revenue when compared with Play Store and this continues on even today. If you are looking to monetize by means of in-app purchases or a subscription model, then iOS is a better and lucrative platform. When it comes to Android apps, they work better with ad-based models in the case of monetization.

3. Your Project’s Timeline

The timeline of your project plays a major part when it comes to deciding which platform you want to launch first. Generally, developing an app for Android devices will take a longer time because of device fragmentation and release cycles. There are numerous Android devices that come with different screen sizes plus OS versions running them; hence, creating an app that’s compatible with all of these Android devices will take more time.

When it comes to iOS devices, they are fewer in numbers as compared to Android. Therefore, building an app for iOS will be quicker. However, it takes a longer time for the App Store to approve the app due to strict regulations and making sure the quality meets the expectations. While, the Android apps usually take about two days in order to get approved, and the updates are pushed within just a few hours.

4. Your Budget

How much the development of your app will cost depends on how complex your project is and its scope. If your project is complex and extremely large, then obviously it is going to cost you a lot in order to build your app. There is no specific feature in both iOS and Android that makes the development of one platform more expensive than the second one.

Moreover, if your goal is to cover numerous devices and several OS versions, then the development of your app will require more resources and time. Hence, this will cost you more. Therefore, whether you pick iOS or Android, make sure that your budget is sufficient enough for the development of your app, despite its complexity and scope.

How to Make the Final Decision

At the end of the day, whether you choose to build your app for iOS or Android will depend on what truly works for your brand or business. The location of your target audience, the personality of your target audience, the features they are looking for in an app, the budget that you have for your app-building project, and the timeline of developing your app; all of these factors will determine if you should build your app for iOS or Android.

Furthermore, if you are looking to build a workable app that can be developed using a smaller budget and will be ready quickly, then iOS might suit these requirements much better. Likewise, if you are looking to make money with this app of yours and want to create an e-commerce app, then iOS is the better option.

On the other hand, if you are planning to target the emerging or global markets, particularly in Latin America and Asia, then Android is more suitable for you. Plus, if your app contains features that Apple does not support, then go ahead and choose Android as the first platform you build your app on.

Conclusion

No matter whichever platform you select, after you have gotten rid of all the kinks and have a decent user base on your first platform, you might notice that users from the second platform want a version of the app for themselves too. This shows that the popularity of your app has reached users in different areas of the world. This is definitely a sign that you need to start working on building a second version of this app of yours that can be used by individuals on the second platform.

If you need help deciding where to build your app, you can contact us anytime.