Choosing whether to build your app for iOS or Android first is one of the most important early decisions in product development. Both platforms offer massive opportunities — but the right choice depends on your business goals, target audience, and budget.
This guide breaks everything down so you can make the smartest decision.
Table of Contents
Market Share Comparison
Revenue Comparison
Development Cost Differences
User Behavior Differences
App Store vs Google Play
Development Speed & Tools
Which Should You Build First?
Conclusion
FAQ
1. Market Share Comparison
Android: Larger Global Reach
~71% global market share
Strong in Asia, Africa, South America
Great for wide audience apps
iOS: High-value Audience
~28% global share
Strong in US, Europe, Middle East
Ideal for premium or paid apps
2. Revenue Comparison
Despite having fewer users:
iOS generates ~60–80% more revenue per user
Higher engagement
Higher in-app purchases
Better monetization
If your business model relies on subscriptions, paid apps, or in-app purchases, iOS is often the smarter first choice.
3. Development Cost Differences
iOS apps are slightly faster and cheaper to develop
Android requires more optimization for multiple devices
Testing time is significantly higher on Android
4. User Behavior
iOS users:
Spend more on apps
Prefer premium experiences
Early adopters of new technologies
Android users:
Larger worldwide audience
Price-sensitive
Diverse device range
5. App Store vs Google Play
Apple App Store
✓ Strict review
✓ High quality
✓ Users trust paid apps
✗ Slower approval
Google Play Store
✓ Faster publishing
✓ Easier testing
✗ Lower average revenue
✗ Higher chances of piracy
6. Development Speed & Tools
iOS uses Swift (clean, modern)
Android uses Kotlin (excellent, but more device testing needed)
Winner for speed: iOS
7. Which Platform Should You Build First?
✔ Choose iOS first if:
Your target audience is in US/EU
You want higher revenue per user
You need faster development
You plan a subscription-based model
✔ Choose Android first if:
Your target is global markets
You need higher user volume
Your app is ad-based
You want broader device reach
✔ Choose Both (Cross-Platform) if:
Use Flutter or React Native for quick multi-device development.
