What Are the Top Programming Languages for iOS App Development

 Do you know that according to a Statista report, Apple has paid more than 200 billion dollars to iOS developers for selling services through the Apple App Store?

This report is enough to entice many aspiring iOS app developers. If you're one of those who have decided to pursue your dream of becoming an iOS app developer, then let us say you've made the best decision. 

But wait, do you know which development language for iOS you need to learn and know? Not sure? Do not worry. Being a premier iOS application development company, we've penned the best iOS app development languages with a set of pros and cons and their use cases. Should we start now?

Top 4 Programming Languages for iOS App Development

• Objective C

Brad Cox and Tom Love developed the Objective C programming language in 1984. Before Apple released Swift in 2014, Objective C was considered Apple's default language for iOS for iPhone or iPad application development. It is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language that combines the features of the C scripting language. Passing messages between objects is an essential feature of Objective C that is helpful for iOS operating systems.

Pros of Objective C Language:

• Provides a long-lasting and superior experience;

• Dynamic typing enhances flexibility;

• Offers complete support even for earlier versions;

• Stable and mature language.

Cons of Objective C Language:

• Minimal functionality when it comes to developing iOS apps;

• Possesses numerous security issues;

• People are decreasing in the use of Objective C;

• The programming code is hard to read and learn.

Use Cases:

Apple primarily uses Objective C for its iOS and OS X operating systems and Cocoa Touch, Cocoa APIs.

• Swift

Swift is the default programming language for the iOS operating system that came into the scene in 2014. Prior to Swift, Objective C was the primary language for iOS application development. In 2018, Swift gained immense popularity and became the #1 scripting language for Apple and the iOS operating systems. Swift is highly recommended when it comes to iWatch, tvOS, or iPad app development.

Pros of Swift Language:

• Rapid development process with a simple syntax and grammar;

• Open-source programming language;

• Provides easy to read and write coding;

• Easy code maintenance;

• Supported by multiple devices.

Cons of Swift Language:

• Does not assist when it comes to supporting earlier iOS versions;

• Still at its early stage, thus trusting this language is an issue for developers;

• Below-par interoperability with third-party tools;

• Lack of talent pool.

Use Cases:

Swift is used for building robust apps for Apple TV, Apple Watch, Mac, and iOS.

• C# Language

Anders Hejlsberg created the C# language at Microsoft and released it in 2000. It's a simple, modern, secure, open-sourced, and flexible object-oriented programming language used for programming. 

As a leading destination for iOS development services, we know that C# is considered the most versatile scripting language since it helps build any type of app, including web apps, consoles, mobile apps, etc. C# developers can use Xamarin to build native mobile apps for iOS devices.

Pros of C# Language:

• Easy iOS app development;

• Capable of gathering automatic garbage;

• Totally avoids the memory leakage issue;

• Better integration along with cost benefits;

• Robust programming support.

Cons of C# Language:

• Language flexibility is less;

• Windows-based server for running any application;

• Has a poor GUI platform.

Use Cases:

C# can develop many types of applications, including Azure cloud apps, Mac apps, web APIs. 

• Flutter

Flutter, created by Google, is an open-source UI software development kit. It is primarily used to build apps for Android, iOS, Mac, Google Fuchsia, Linux, Windows, and web merging in a single codebase. Apps built with the power of Flutter are written in Dart programming language and have many additional features that are available for use.

Pros of Flutter:

• It is capable of using the same business logic and UI across all the existing platforms;

• Lesser code development time;

• Accelerated time-to-market;

• Gives a native-like experience to the app.

Cons of Flutter:

• Web browsers don’t support Flutter apps;

• Apps built with Flutter tend to be larger in size;

• Limited widget library;

• Not very popular.

Use Cases:

Flutter is great for developing apps for Google Fuchsia, iOS, Windows, Android, Linux using a single code structure. 

Wrapping Up

Summing up this blog, you'll learn about the best programming languages for developing robust iOS apps. Now, start your journey to become a successful iOS app developer today. 

If you have an iOS application idea and would like to validate it with a professional iOS development team, contact us via our feedback form. Whether you're a startup or an entrepreneur having a project in mind, AppStudio, a reliable destination for iPad and iPhone development services, will guide you in more detail and depth.