Top iOS Programming Languages for App Development in 2023
Swift is currently the de-facto programming language for iOS development, replacing the older Objective-C. As a new iOS developer, it would be ideal to focus on Swift first, as this is the most popular language still for new iPhone apps. Further, depending on what other app codebases are already being maintained within a company, it may make more sense to choose a language that does not require a whole new IT skill base.
With Swift programming language, memory is automatically managed, variables are initialized before use, arrays and integers are checked for overflow. Developers may also easily see any code errors, and reduce the time spent on debugging and removing the risk of low-quality code. Swift already supports all Apple platforms and Linux, with community members actively working to port to even more platforms. With SourceKit-LSP, the community is also working to integrate Swift support into a wide-variety of developer tools. We’re excited to see more ways in which Swift makes software safer and faster, while also making programming more fun.
Objective-C and C++ interoperability
Arguing which programming language is best is one of the timeless arguments among developers. Today there are more than 1 billion iPhones currently in use representing 23.4% of the global smartphone market, more market share than any other handset manufacturer. There are currently over 2.23 million iPhone apps in the Apple App Store, a number which continues to increase. It should come as no surprise, then, that quality iOS programmers remain in high demand – particularly those who know Swift, the latest iOS programming language.
Flutter is a hybrid app development framework created by Google that uses Dart as its programming language. Both Flutter and Dart don’t have the mass adoption of the previous options listed, but nonetheless provide an easy way of developing fast, responsive and beautiful apps out of the box. In Android development, C++ is used to build APIs and backend tasks. There are several popular built-in C++ libraries available for iOS developers to use in their apps. Swift is typically suggested as the best option for creating native iOS apps, but consider your unique requirements and limitations before choosing. The other programming languages for iOS app development include C#, Python, HTML5, etc.
Apple developed Swift to make app development quicker and easier for professionals. Some dedicated frameworks that work well with Swift for developing apps compatible with the Apple ecosystem are Cocoa Touch, Cocoa, AVFoundation, CloudKit and others. However, JavaScript apps may have slightly reduced performance compared to native. For projects targeting iOS specifically, a language like Swift is usually a better fit. C#-based apps will also benefit from the community’s strong support behind the language.
If you doubt, make sure you choose the best language to develop iOS apps with the help of an industry expert like us. Besides, you should create tools that will be compatible with all versions of operating systems as Apple devices are regularly updated. The correction of many errors and the introduction of new parameters will be constantly needed. Swift Package Manager is a single cross-platform tool for building, running, testing, and packaging your Swift libraries and executables. Swift packages are the best way to distribute libraries and source code to the Swift community.
Native Functionality, Performance, and Feel
An experienced iOS app development company knows that there is no “one size fits all” for coding iPhone apps. JavaScript is one of the top programming languages all around, versatile for many kinds of projects and known to be fast and adept at creating rich user interfaces and experiences. When combined with React Native (a cross-platform framework), JavaScript can be used to build native iOS apps. Swift is a programming language created by Apple to build apps for all their operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. When we talk about developing native apps for iOS, we mean programming them in Swift.
- Whether you want a native, hybrid, or cross-platform app, you should search for the best app for your phone.
- Consider your business goals, timeline, and technical requirements to choose the right iOS development language.
- Hypertext Markup Language (HTML5) accounts for about 89% of websites.
- This can also be helpful is you’re already familiar with these languages are you don’t want to learn Swift or Objective-C.
- Apple developed Swift to make app development quicker and easier for professionals.
- Swift is developed in the open at Swift.org, with source code, a bug tracker, forums, and regular development builds available for everyone.
Let’s explore a few key points you should consider when making your choice. IOS is the second most-used operating system in the world behind Android. Objective-C and Swift are two main programming languages used to build iOS apps.
iOS/Swift: (Super Detailed) Guide to Unit Tests and UITests
It works best for sharing business logic between Android and iOS apps. Nevertheless, Dart is ideal if you want to build high-performing, cross-platform iOS apps. The main draw of C# is that it allows .NET developers to build iOS directly within Visual Studio. C#, unlike C++ and Objective-C, is far more user-friendly thanks to its natural language syntax. While the ability to manually manage memory allocation/deallocation is great, it’s also prone to errors.
As part of Flutter, Dart inherits some of the platform’s advantages, making iOS development easier than other languages. It draws inspiration from other easy-to-learn languages like Javascript and C#, making it an ideal pick for beginners. This means they don’t need to learn new languages like Swift and Objective-C or move to a new IDE. This cross-platform capability can save you plenty of time and cost. Instead, C# is the default language for Xamarin, a cross-platform development tool integrated into the .NET framework. The language can be used to create iOS apps, but not directly in XCode like the others on this list.
A freelancer is an independent professional who finds their work tasks on the freelance exchange and assigns payment. A kind of “lone wolf” among specialists, who can choose an exciting project https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ and take tasks in different directions, and if a freelance developer does not like it – refuse. A freelancer is a single developer who can do small projects alone or join a development team.
So, start by doing market research to determine your target users based on gender, age, location, and any other relevant criteria. Dart is currently ranked as the 38th most popular programming language as of January 2023. JavaScript is currently ranked as the 7th most popular programming language as of January 2023. Java is currently ranked as the 3rd most popular programming language as of January 2023.
This underscores the growing dominance and importance of mobile platforms in the digital realm. Whether you’re building Apple-only or cross-platform apps, the right iOS programming language can streamline the development process. For complex native iOS apps, Swift and Objective-C are the best choices.
This one is a modern object-oriented and type-safe programming language created for application development language for the Microsoft .NET Framework. Used in the creation of websites, applications, and games, including for those on iOS. While Swift powers many new apps on Apple platforms, it’s also being used for a new class of modern server applications. Swift is perfect for use in server apps that need runtime safety, compiled performance, and a small memory footprint. To steer the direction of Swift for developing and deploying server applications, the community formed the Swift Server work group. The first product of this effort was SwiftNIO, a cross-platform asynchronous event-driven network application framework for high performance protocol servers and clients.
Check them out and decide which one will be the best for your project. In the current landscape of 2023, mobile applications have become virtually indispensable for the majority of online businesses. Recent data from StatCounter reveals that a significant 58% of online connections are established through mobile devices, surpassing both tablets and computers. Additionally, this data indicates that nearly a third of these connections, approximately 29%, are facilitated through iOS devices.
