Android vs iOS: Which platform to build on first?

The question of “which platform to build an app on first” has been a popular one for the past five years. Often ideological or headline-focused, the platform wars may be over for now but the need to answer this particular question remains.

The costs of apps vary from complexity and audience of it. For example, a large media company has a different audience and more significant resources when compared to an early-stage startup. An early-stage startup that has no app yet is unlike one with revenue that has raised a Series A round. Still, a medically-oriented app might have features that can only be supported solely by a specific platform.

Because of these complex scenarios, I’ve decided to address this topic slightly differently. I’m going to start with the various data that allows people like me to more easily answer this question, including everything from demographics to speed to market. Then, with those data points outlined, I’ll wrap up with some ideas for when to start with one platform (along with which one), when to focus on both platforms, and when to move to the next platform.

Android Demographics vs iOS Demographics

Android currently has the largest global platform share, with a particular prominence in lower income areas and developing nations. Comparatively, iOS users typically have higher income, higher education levels, more engagement, and spend more per app. That obviously does not mean that those who have those same characteristics won’t carry an Android device. Rather, this data is indicative of the general Android population.

Android Revenue Models vs iOS Revenue Models

The revenue models behind Android and iOS are somewhat representative of the approaches of Google and Apple. Android has a higher percentage of ad-supported apps where comparatively, paying for apps is still more common on iOS. There’s ample data that shows in 2021, even with less than 15 percent market share, iOS has led the way in revenue generation for app developers. The previous point also hinted at iOS users being more valuable overall.

Android Release Cycles vs iOS Release Cycles

Although Android is open source, it unfortunately is locked down by carriers and OEMs. That’s why Android regularly lags behind iOS in terms of adoption rate of its latest OS version. As of November 2017, more than 95% of users on iOS were on some version of iOS 10 or iOS 11, the last two versions of iOS. By comparison, less than 20% of all Android users were on Oreo or Nougat.

This means that on iOS, you can focus on supporting the newest versions of the operating system with relative certainty your app will still have a broad reach. That focus allows developers to build against newer APIs, stop supporting older devices sooner, and generally, reduces testing and development cycle times.

Android App Features vs iOS App Features

Because Android as an operating system is open source, there are even “mods” of Android like CyanogenMod or Paranoid Android. In general, it gives developers deeper access into the operating system itself. For example, a couple of years ago, there was a proliferation of homescreen replacements including Facebook Home or Aviate, which was later purchased by Yahoo. We’ve also built apps in the past that needed to run on rugged hardware with custom ROM. These are just some of the reasons why certain apps may only be able to be on Android.

Android Enterprise Apps vs iOS Enterprise Apps

Over time, iOS has been able to penetrate the workplace, supplanting Blackberry in particular as a top option for enterprise-wide deployment. Along with other barriers for enterprise adoption, the more locked-down iOS compared to “open” Android has helped push iOS to be known as the more secure option. MDM providers have more sophisticated tools for managing iOS devices and apps. Apple also has had a number of programs for some time, that are focused on businesses, including the iOS Developer Enterprise Program and its Volume Purchase Program. Last year Apple also announced a partnership with IBM for mobile enterprise apps.

Android Tablet Apps vs iOS iPad Apps

It’s at least worth mentioning the absolute dominance of iOS in the tablet market, especially for business users. While tablet sales may have slowed, you’ll be hard pressed to find an Android tablet in a meeting room or on the desk of any executive. Anecdotally, only fairly technical people seem to have Android tablets. It’s not uncommon that someone may have an Android smartphone but use an iPad as their preferred tablet.

When to Choose iOS First

Many apps wind up launching on the iPhone first due to their target demographics. Additionally, during the first stages of any app, there should be a significant amount of learning about what’s working and what’s not working. Trying to apply all that learning across two platforms is time and cost prohibitive.

For this reason, in particular—and this depends on the amount of capital raised—most early-stage startups today begin with iOS, then move over to Android. There’s ample material on that subject but I think Semil Shah does a great job summarizing why Android is much, much later for early-stage startups. Although somewhat dated now, Robert Scoble also highlighted that many influencers are on iOS—and this continues to some extent today. If you want your app covered in the press, iOS is the way to go (to start). More recently, the Coachella conference organizers stated that 90% of their attendees use iOS and their attendees are definitely reflective of influencer types.

When to Choose Android First

Android first makes sense if you’re target audience is squarely focused on Android, especially in developing nations or certain segments of urban environments. It also makes sense when you’re tapping into or customizing an element of Android’s operating system that’s not accessible on iOS, when you may need to select the hardware itself that the app needs to run on, or when you want full control over all hardware and software elements (these two items combined). I don’t, however, subscribe to idea that Android lets developers “iterate faster” because of the lack of approval time. As of August 2017, Apple has extremely fast approval times as well.

When to Start with Hybrid Platforms

Starting on both platforms is more likely going to be a consideration for companies that have more resources and are well-established. At the same time, we regularly have conversations with large companies or global brands about if a particular platform makes sense to start first.

There are numerous small to mid-tier businesses that can’t effort 50k to make an ap each platform separately. For these businesses, Hybrid app is the solution. A hybrid app is a software application that combines elements of both native apps and web applications.

A hybrid app is a little of native, a bit of web app. Hybrid apps are hosted inside a native application, but use something called a wrapper so they can be used on different platforms. Unlike web apps, a hybrid has access to the device itself, relying on the camera, your contact list, or other features. Hybrid apps are essentially web apps that have been put in a native app shell. Once they are downloaded from an app store and installed locally, the shell is able to connect to whatever capabilities the mobile platform provides through a browser that’s embedded in the app.

Generally making a Hybrid app costs less. Because, it doesn’t require to code for separate platform. It is said that, Hybrid apps perform less than a Native app, it is technology that covers both Web, Android & iOS platform. Still there are some minor downsides of a Hybrid app, but still a Hybrid app solution is more than enough to meet the needs.

Facebook is an example of a hybrid app (more on this below). You can log into Facebook on your computer (web app) or download the app on your phone. Twitter and Evernote are also hybrid apps.

Concluding Note

Hopefully, the data involved in the consideration process is useful enough alone. If you have other data points you look at when addressing this subject, have more updated data, other scenarios worth mentioning, or anything else that can help answer this question, drop us a note and I’ll update the post if it’s worth sharing.