There are millions of apps available in the market, but the top scorer remains Google Play Store and Apple App Store. As stated by Statista, there are more than 2.1 million apps on the Android platform, whereas. Apple’s App Store is second in the ranking with almost 1.8 million available apps.
These stats clearly make these two app store platforms the most preferred among the developers’ community. But among Play Store and App Store, what will you choose? Since years, it’s been a hot debate.
To make it simple for you, we have come up with the Android vs iOS write-up that will help you to decide whether to choose between iOS or Android app development. We will be focusing on the following factors:
- Audience
- Timeline
- Desired Features
- Budget for App Maintainance
- Revenue Goal
Let’s discuss these factors one by one.
#1. Audience
The audience is the primary factor, according to which the app is developed. The users’ geographic and demographic characteristics matter a lot. And the revenue generated by the audience is equally vital for deciding the app platform.
If we consider the global market share, its the Android that tops the chart, but in terms of customer spending, its Apple. For audience dominance, we have listed the regions where these app platforms command.
Android Audience Dominance:
- Asia
- Africa
- Latin America
iOS Audience Dominance:
- Western Europe
- Australia
- North America
#2. Timeline
Most of the Android apps are built with Java language, which requires a lot of code writing. On the other hand, iOS apps are made with Swift language, which almost takes 30-40% less time in the development; thanks to Swift architect.
The other factor that makes iOS the best platform a better bet regarding the timeline is the closed ecosystem, which only allows standardized devices and operating systems. Whereas Android is an open-source platform and doesn’t define any set device and component, ultimately makes it a bit complex process.
Though an app developer with relevant skills can reduce the total app development time.
#3. Desired features
As said, Android is an open-source platform and thus, it offers more flexibility to customize the app. Developing new features and functions is easy with the Android platform.
Due to the closed nature of the iOS platform, the customization of features is not that flexible. However, it makes the platform more secure and safe than Android, which is a big plus point.
#4. Budget for App Maintainance
App maintenance is usually done to avoid bugs and crashes, and with the older operating system, it can be an issue. Lately, Apple is known to slow down its older devices when a new OS arrives. Many experts see it as a deceitful move, but in turn, it pushes the user to switch to the latest version of iOS. Therefore, iOS apps require more budget to maintain the app.
Regarding Android apps, the users are slow to adopt a new operating system. It makes the app maintenance a bit easy and as compared to iOS, the budget requirement is less.
#5. Revenue Goal
If the sole focus of the app is monetization, then the Apple App Store should be picked among the two. According to a study, Android users are less likely to spend on apps as compared to iOS users.
In terms of revenue, Play Store revenue stood at $24.8 billion in 2018, and the Apple App Store is way above with $46.6 billion. But if we consider percentage, then Play Store fared well last year.
The Final Word
Apple App Store and Google Play Store are both top of the line app stores with their benefits and policies. Broadly, it depends upon the app owner’s requirement and expectations.
If you are looking for an app with lesser app development time, better app monetization opportunity, or build an e-commerce app, you better go with the iOS operating system.
Whilst, if you are targeting Asia and Latin America and wish to offer features which are missing in the iOS apps, Android is the best option.
In the end, whichever platform you choose, make sure that your app idea and goal meet with the selected app platform and can adhere to the policies of the same.
