iOS Development Programming Languages: Top 10 List

Published on November 11th, 2024

With over 51% market share in the US, iOS stands as a leading choice for native app development, driven by its widespread adoption. iOS stands out for its sleek, security, and high performance. The App Store provides a streamlined way for developers to distribute apps and reach a dedicated, high-spending user base. Further, the strict quality standards of Apple also ensure that iOS apps often run more smoothly. This builds trust with users and attracts businesses looking for reliable, polished apps to showcase their services.

There is a wide range of iOS development programming languages available out there. Also, creating an iOS app offers different approaches, whether native or hybrid. Hence, it can be challenging to decide which path and which iOS development programming languages will decide the best results for your goals. Each language has its strengths, catering to everything from game development to business solutions. Whether you are a beginner eager to start with Swift or a pro using C++ for game engines, understanding each language’s benefits guides your decision.

This blog discusses 10 of the most popular iOS development programming languages that can help you build apps that stand out in the Apple Store.

Top 10 iOS Development Programming Languages To Choose From

Check out these 10 iOS development languages, each offering unique features to build robust, scalable, and optimized apps for Apple’s premium standards.

Swift

Swift is a modern programming language, developed by Apple in 2014 for developing iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Known for its fast performance, ease of use, and safety features, Swift is designed to be user-friendly for beginners while still robust enough for professionals. It was released with the intent to replace Objective-C.

Swift is Apple’s official language for native iOS app development, designed for building high-quality and high-performance apps across Apple platforms like iOS, macOS, watchOS, etc. Native apps, like those built with Swift, are tailored to run smoothly on specific operating systems, providing superior quality, speed, and user experience – though they tend to be costlier than hybrid apps. In contrast, hybrid apps use frameworks like React Native or Flutter to create cross-platform apps, which are more budget-friendly but may sacrifice some performance and features compared to native apps.

Swift is designed to offer safety that includes automatic variable initialization, array and integer overflow checks, and memory-exclusive access, for greater memory efficiency without garbage collection. It focuses on safety, expressiveness, and performance, and allows developers to create sophisticated and intuitive applications for Apple’s compelling diversity of platforms. Swift’s modern features and standard library make it the perfect tool for building stand-out user experiences.

Swift Pros	Swift Cons	Use Cases
Fast performance and optimized for iOS Type-safe language reducing runtime crashes Easy syntax making it beginner-friendly Strong support from Apple and frequent updates	Limited backward compatibility with older iOS versions Smaller developer community compared to Objective-C Limited third-party library support compared to other languages Limited cross-platform support Still evolving, so language changes require code maintenance	iOS and macOS applications requiring high performance and stability Applications leveraging advanced iOS frameworks, e.g., ARKit and CoreML Apple Watch and Apple TV apps Enterprise apps that integrate closely with the Apple ecosystem

Objective-C

It is the legacy language for iOS, widely used before Swift. Although it is considered outdated compared to Swift, Objective-C is still used to keep old codebases and support legacy iOS devices. It blends the syntax of C with the flexibility of Small talk-style messaging. The language was built to match Apple’s hardware with high performance, tailored to the requirements of Apple devices. The combined libraries and frameworks in Cocoa and Cocoa Touch are available to iOS app developers, allowing them to create apps that run flawlessly across Apple’s platforms.

While Swift is fast becoming the language of choice for iOS development, Objective-C has a high level of libraries and frameworks to be considered. There are still dozens of legacy applications that rely on it, and Objective-C is good for those of us who maintain and update these apps.

Objective-C Pros	Objective-C Cons	Use Cases
Strong compatibility with C and C++. Dynamic runtime allows for flexibility. Mature ecosystem with extensive libraries. Good for legacy applications and large codebases.	Verbose syntax can be cumbersome. Slower than Swift for some tasks. Limited modern features compared to Swift. Declining popularity among developers.	Legacy iOS and macOS applications. Applications requiring dynamic behavior. Integration with existing C/C++ libraries. Applications with extensive Objective-C frameworks.

C#

Traditionally used for Windows development, C# has also been very popular for iOS apps via Xamarin, and is now a very versatile programming language. With Xamarin, developers can use C# to write code and create cross-platform applications that can be installed on iOS and Android. In addition, this efficiency greatly reduces the development time and cost.

Object-oriented programming support
Strongly typed with type safety
Automatic memory management (Garbage Collection)
Rich standard library and frameworks (Xamarin)
Asynchronous programming with async/await
Interoperability with native APIs
Support for LINQ for data queries

Strong typing, garbage collection, and rich libraries make C# a good tool to use in the building of high-performance iOS mobile applications. Due to its object-oriented characteristics, developing code in C# is easy to scale and easy to maintain. By integrating C# with popular tools like Visual Studio, you enhance the development experience with a rich and usable debugging and testing environment.

C# Pros	C# Cons	Use Cases
Strongly typed language with easy-to-read syntax. Rich library support and extensive frameworks (e.g., .NET). Excellent integration with Windows and Azure services. Good performance for both desktop and web applications. Strong community support and resources.	Primarily tied to the Microsoft ecosystem (though .NET Core has improved cross-platform capabilities). Can be less efficient in some scenarios compared to lower-level languages. The learning curve for advanced features like asynchronous programming.	Web applications using ASP.NET. Desktop applications (Windows Forms, WPF). Game development (using Unity). Cloud-based applications on Azure. Enterprise software and services.

C

iOS development greatly relies on C and it is a foundational programming language. However, the majority of iOS, including frameworks and libraries, use C directly as written by many core components of iOS. It is a low-level language that runs with much performance and efficient memory management, hence, the best candidate for system programming. C is extremely useful to developers to write performance-critical modules or to directly interact with hardware.

Low-level access to memory and hardware
Simple and efficient syntax
Structured programming support
Portability across platforms
Extensive use of pointers
Rich set of libraries for various functionalities
Procedural programming paradigm

C Pros	C Cons	Use Cases
High performance and efficiency due to low-level access to memory. Portability across different platforms. Strong control over system resources. Extensive libraries and frameworks available	Lack of modern features found in higher-level languages. Complex syntax and manual memory management can lead to bugs. Longer development time compared to languages like Swift. Limited support for object-oriented programming.	Performance-critical applications (e.g., game engines). Legacy iOS applications requiring C code integration. System-level programming (e.g., drivers, operating system components). Applications needing direct hardware interaction or optimization.

React Native

It is a popular framework for building iOS applications using JavaScript and React. This feature enables developers to build native mobile apps with only a single codebase and save a lot on development time and cost. React Native combines the best of both worlds: it manages to balance web development efficiency with native applications’ performance.

Cross-platform development for iOS and Android
Component-based architecture for reusability
Native performance with direct access to native modules
Hot reloading for real-time updates during development
Use of JavaScript and JSX for building UIs
Strong community support and extensive libraries
Integration with existing native apps and components

Its component-based architecture allows developers to create reusable UI components, making it more maintainable code. With React Native, developers can offer a smooth user experience accessing native APIs and UI elements.

React Native Pros	React Native Cons	Use Cases
Enables cross-platform development, allowing shared code between iOS and Android. Uses JavaScript, a widely known language. Strong community support and a rich ecosystem of libraries. Hot reloading allows for faster development and debugging. Native performance for UI components.	May not provide full native functionality for all features. Performance can be inferior to fully native apps for complex applications. Debugging can be more challenging compared to native development. Dependency on third-party libraries may lead to compatibility issues.	Mobile applications that need quick development for both iOS and Android. Startups or projects with limited budgets aiming for cross-platform reach. Apps that require a high degree of UI responsiveness and dynamic content. Applications that can leverage existing JavaScript code or libraries.

Flutter

Google recently launched a new, cutting-edge framework called Flutter that is being used to build natively compiled applications for different platforms from a single codebase. It is written in Dart programming language so that developers can quickly create highly responsive and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces. Flutter’s pre-drafted set of cataloged widgets offers a quick ride for the whole design process and rapid development.

Cross-platform development for iOS and Android
Rich set of pre-built widgets for UI design
Fast development with Hot Reload
Single codebase for multiple platforms
High performance with native compilation
Dart programming language for easy learning
Strong community and extensive documentation

With excellent community support and a growing ecosystem, Flutter is the perfect choice when it comes to choosing an app development platform for iOS and delivers high performance and flexibility via multiple platforms.

Flutter Pros	Flutter Cons	Use Cases
Enables cross-platform development with a single codebase for iOS and Android. Fast performance due to compiled Dart language. Rich set of pre-built widgets for a customizable UI. Strong community support and growing ecosystem. Hot reload feature allows for quick iterations during development.	Larger app size compared to native apps. Limited libraries and third-party packages compared to more established frameworks. Dart is less widely known than JavaScript, which may limit developer availability. Some platform-specific features may require additional workarounds.	Applications needing quick deployment on multiple platforms. High-performance applications require a rich user interface. Startups looking for cost-effective solutions to reach both iOS and Android users. Projects that benefit from rapid prototyping and iterative development.

Kotlin

Kotlin is most known for being used in Android development, but it is also possible to use it for iOS app development via Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM). With KMM, developers can share code between Android and iOS, speeding up the development process. Kotlin’s concise syntax and modern features allow developers to write cleaner, more maintainable code.

Interoperability with Java and existing Android code
Concise syntax that reduces boilerplate code
Null safety to prevent null pointer exceptions
Functional programming support
Extension functions for enhancing existing classes
Coroutines for asynchronous programming
Modern language features like data classes and smart casts

While Kotlin blends well with existing Swift and Objective-C code, it is an equally appropriate choice of language for iOS projects. Though it isn’t the first language that developers will use for iOS development, it does offer the opportunity to streamline development or reduce costs if a truly scalable application requires multiple platforms or a single platform relying on multiple operating systems.

Kotlin Pros	Kotlin Cons	Use Cases
Modern, expressive syntax that improves code readability. Interoperable with Java, allowing for the use of existing Java libraries. Strong support for functional programming features. Reduces boilerplate code compared to Java. Growing community support and resources.	Limited adoption for iOS compared to Swift and Objective-C. Smaller ecosystem for iOS-specific libraries. Learning curve for developers unfamiliar with functional programming concepts. May require additional tools for cross-platform compatibility.	Cross-platform mobile applications using frameworks like Kotlin Multiplatform. Projects involving existing Java codebases needing iOS compatibility. Applications that can leverage shared business logic between Android and iOS. Modern applications benefiting from Kotlin’s features and syntax.

JavaScript

While JavaScript is not a native programming language for iOS development, it’s one of the essential tools used to build mobile applications through frameworks like React Native and Apache Cordova. With these frameworks, the developers can write applications that can run across platforms using JavaScript language and thus provide a common code base for both, iOS and Android.

High-level, dynamic, and interpreted language
Event-driven programming model
Asynchronous programming with promises and async/await
Wide compatibility with web technologies
Rich ecosystem with numerous libraries and frameworks
Support for functional programming concepts
Ability to manipulate the DOM for interactive user interfaces

JavaScript proves to be versatile and has an extensive library, which allows the rapid development and implementation of mobile applications. It gives you dynamic content and interactive user interfaces that improve user experience.

JS Pros	JS Cons	Use Cases
Widely known and used language with a large developer community. Strong support for cross-platform development using frameworks like React Native and Ionic. Allows for rapid prototyping and iterative development. Extensive ecosystem with numerous libraries and tools.	Performance may not match that of fully native applications. Debugging can be more complex due to multiple layers (JavaScript, native code). Dependency on third-party frameworks can lead to compatibility issues. Limited access to certain native APIs without additional bridging.	Mobile applications needing fast development cycles and cross-platform reach. Apps that leverage web technologies and existing JavaScript codebases. Projects with a focus on rapid iteration and testing. Applications requiring dynamic content and rich user interfaces.

Ruby

Ruby is not often used as an iOS app development language. However, it can be leveraged using frameworks such as RubyMotion where you can write a native iOS app in Ruby. RubyMotion compiles the Ruby code into native apps while exposing iOS APIs, thus building high-performance applications via the RubyMotion compiler.

Object-oriented programming with a focus on simplicity
Dynamic typing for flexibility in code
Elegant and readable syntax
Extensive standard library with many built-in functions
Support for meta-programming to enhance code capabilities
Strong community and rich ecosystem of gems (libraries)
Built-in support for testing and debugging tools

Ruby Pros	Ruby Cons	Use Cases
Ruby’s syntax is clean and easy to read, which can speed up development. – Ruby on Rails offers a powerful framework for web backends that can support mobile apps. Allows for quick iterations and development cycles. Strong community support and a rich set of gems (libraries).	Generally slower than compiled languages like Swift or Java. Not a first-class language for iOS development, requiring additional tools (e.g., RubyMotion). Fewer resources and community support specifically for mobile app development compared to other languages. May require more work to integrate with native APIs.	For iOS apps that require robust backend services, use Ruby on Rails. Quick development of prototypes before finalizing in a more suitable language. Using tools like RubyMotion to create mobile applications. Applications that heavily rely on web services or APIs can benefit from Ruby’s strengths.

HTML 5

HTML5 is not essentially a native programming language for iOS building, but rather has a crucial ability to build cross-platform mobile apps. HTML5 also pairs well with Apache Cordova and PhoneGap and allows developers to create hybrid web mobile apps using HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. They’ve got single codebase apps that run on iOS or Android.

Purely object-oriented with a simple, readable syntax
Dynamic typing and flexibility in coding
Metaprogramming capabilities for added functionality
Garbage collection for memory management
Support for mixins to share code across classes
Rich standard library and extensive gem ecosystem
Strong community and built-in testing tools

HTML5 Pros	HTML5 Cons	Use Cases
Enables development for iOS, Android, and the web with a single codebase. Easier and faster to develop with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. HTML5 supports offline access via caching and local storage. Familiar to many developers due to web background.	Web-based apps often have slower performance compared to native apps. Restricted access to device features (e.g., camera, GPS) without hybrid frameworks. May lack a native look and feel, impacting user experience. Variations in browser support can affect app performance and consistency.	Applications with basic features and minimal native functionality requirements. Using frameworks like PhoneGap or Cordova to wrap HTML5 in a native container. Apps primarily focused on delivering information or media (e.g., news, blogs). Quick mockups or proof-of-concept apps that require cross-platform compatibility.

The Final Words

With a rapidly growing iOS landscape, choosing the right programming language is key to unlocking your app’s potential. To build successful iOS apps, you should know the key features and the benefits of each of these languages. From Swift’s powerful, native capabilities to cross-platform options like Flutter, each language provides unique tools to meet different development needs. For developers and businesses alike, understanding these options ensures they make informed decisions, achieving a balance between scalability, performance, and development costs.

In this guide, we reflected upon 10 of the widely used iOS development programming languages in detail. If you are just getting started or a seasoned iOS developer, you need to get a grasp of these fundamentals to build polished, high-performing iOS apps.

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