iOS vs Android Development: Which Platform to Build First?

If you can only launch on one platform first, which should it be — iOS or Android? This decision affects your initial investment, time to market, target audience, and revenue potential.

This guide compares both platforms across every metric that matters for your business decision.

Market Overview

| Metric | iOS | Android | |--------|-----|---------| | Global market share | ~27% | ~72% | | US market share | ~57% | ~42% | | App Store revenue (2025) | $96B+ | $48B+ | | Apps in store | 1.8M+ | 3.5M+ | | Average revenue per user | Higher | Lower | | Device fragmentation | Low (limited devices) | Very high (thousands of devices) |

Key insight

Android dominates globally by volume, but iOS users spend significantly more money. iOS generates roughly 2x the revenue of Android despite having less than half the market share.

Revenue and Monetization

| Model | iOS Advantage | Android Advantage | |-------|-------------|------------------| | Paid apps | Higher willingness to pay | Larger potential audience | | In-app purchases | 1.5-2x higher ARPU | Lower barrier to trial | | Subscriptions | Better conversion rates | Growing fast | | Ad-supported | Smaller audience | 2-3x more ad impressions | | E-commerce | Higher average order value | More total transactions |

If your revenue model is:

Paid app or subscriptions → iOS first (users spend more)
Ad-supported or freemium → Android first (more users = more impressions)
E-commerce → Depends on your price point and target market

User Demographics

| Demographic | iOS Users | Android Users | |------------|----------|--------------| | Income level | Above average | Wide range | | Age | 25-44 (core), broad | Wide distribution | | Education | Higher average | Wide range | | Geography (strong) | US, UK, Japan, Australia, Canada | India, Brazil, SE Asia, Africa | | Tech adoption | Early adopters | Varies widely | | Brand loyalty | Very high | Moderate |

Who should target iOS first

B2B apps (professionals tend to use iPhones)
Premium consumer apps (higher willingness to pay)
Apps targeting US, UK, or Japanese markets
Subscription-based products
Enterprise apps (most corporate devices are iPhones)

Who should target Android first

Apps targeting emerging markets
Mass-market consumer apps
Ad-supported or freemium apps
Apps targeting price-sensitive users
Markets where Android dominates (India, Brazil, Indonesia)

Development Comparison

| Factor | iOS | Android | |--------|-----|---------| | Primary language | Swift | Kotlin | | IDE | Xcode (macOS only) | Android Studio (any OS) | | UI framework | SwiftUI / UIKit | Jetpack Compose / XML | | Design guidelines | Human Interface Guidelines | Material Design | | Testing devices needed | 5-8 (limited hardware variety) | 15-25+ (massive fragmentation) | | Emulator quality | Excellent (simulator) | Good (improved significantly) | | Development time (same app) | Baseline | 10-20% longer (fragmentation) | | Development cost | Baseline | 10-30% more (testing complexity) |

Development cost comparison

For a medium-complexity app:

| Platform | Development Cost | Timeline | QA Effort | |----------|-----------------|----------|-----------| | iOS only | $60,000 - $150,000 | 3-5 months | Moderate | | Android only | $70,000 - $175,000 | 3.5-6 months | High (device testing) | | Cross-platform (both) | $80,000 - $180,000 | 4-6 months | Moderate-High |

Cross-platform (React Native or Flutter) is nearly the same cost as a single native platform, which is why it's the most popular approach.

App Store Comparison

| Factor | Apple App Store | Google Play Store | |--------|---------------|------------------| | Developer account cost | $99/year | $25 one-time | | Review process | Strict, 24-48 hours | Less strict, hours to days | | Rejection rate | Higher | Lower | | Update review | Required | Faster, often instant | | Revenue split | 70/30 (85/15 for small devs) | 70/30 (85/15 for first $1M) | | Payment flexibility | App Store payments only | More flexibility | | Sideloading | Limited | Supported | | Beta testing | TestFlight (excellent) | Internal/closed testing |

Apple's stricter review

Apple's review process is more rigorous. Common rejection reasons:

In-app purchases not using Apple's payment system
Insufficient functionality (apps must do something useful)
Privacy policy issues
UI that doesn't follow Human Interface Guidelines
Broken links or placeholder content

Plan for 1-2 revision cycles during your first App Store submission.

The Cross-Platform Option

Before choosing iOS or Android, consider building both simultaneously with cross-platform:

| Factor | Choose Cross-Platform When | Choose Native When | |--------|--------------------------|-------------------| | Budget | Limited (get both for ~1.3x one platform) | Ample (can afford 2x investment) | | Speed | Need both platforms quickly | Can do sequential launches | | Features | Standard UI, data-driven app | Complex animations, AR/VR, gaming | | Team | JS/Dart developers available | Platform specialists available | | Maintenance | Want one codebase long-term | Want maximum platform optimization |

See our detailed comparison: Native vs Cross-Platform App Development

Decision Framework

Step 1: Identify your target market

| Market | Recommended First Platform | |--------|--------------------------| | US, UK, Australia, Japan | iOS | | India, Brazil, Indonesia, Africa | Android | | Global / both | Cross-platform | | Enterprise / B2B | iOS |

Step 2: Consider your revenue model

| Model | Recommended | |-------|------------| | Subscriptions, premium | iOS | | Ad-supported, freemium | Android | | E-commerce | Depends on market | | B2B SaaS | iOS (or cross-platform) |

Step 3: Assess your budget

| Budget | Recommended | |--------|------------| | Under $80K | Cross-platform (both platforms) | | $80-$150K | iOS first if targeting US, then add Android | | $150K+ | Native both or cross-platform with custom native modules |

Step 4: Factor in timeline

| Timeline | Recommended | |----------|------------| | Need both ASAP | Cross-platform | | Can launch sequentially | iOS first (US market), Android 2-3 months later | | No rush | Native both for best experience |

Our Recommendation

For most apps in 2026, build cross-platform first using React Native or Flutter. You get both iOS and Android for approximately 30% more than a single platform, and you can launch on both simultaneously.

If you must choose one platform:

iOS first if your primary market is the US/UK, your app is subscription-based, or you're targeting professionals
Android first if your primary market is outside the US/UK, your app is ad-supported, or you need maximum reach

Our mobile app development team builds for both platforms and can advise on the right approach for your specific product and market.

Get a free consultation and we'll help you choose the optimal platform strategy.

iOS vs Android Development: Which Platform to Build First in 2026?