Swift vs. Kotlin: Choosing the Right Language for Mobile App Development

How to choose between Swift vs. Kotlin? It’s really confusing, as both languages are in high demand for the genre of mobile app development frameworks and tools for effective development and support. However, choosing the best one is a need of hours, but it’s still confusing which one to pick.

For those who don’t know, Kotlin is a premium programming language most preferably used for Android app development, while Swift is for iOS application development. Now, both of these languages have taken the storm in the developer community with their first-hand features, ideal functions, and easy-to-learn syntax. Still, many Fortune companies find it difficult to select one of them to serve the needs of their customers. This guide of ITEconic – the best mobile application development company unravels the details about these languages while trying to find out the answers to the following questions –

• Do both languages support cross-platform app development?
• Which one is easier to implement Swift or Kotlin?
• How are their features differentiated? And so on.

To answer your queries, let’s begin with this easy guide!

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What Does Kotlin Language Stand For?

In the genre of programming language, Kotlin is a well-established name, created by Google by joining hands with JetBrains. The specialty of using the platform is that it has fast and easy syntax adoption which brings versatile results, while preferred to be used for Android application development process. Being a well-known modern language, Kotlin is one of the most used modern programming languages to speed up development while identifying and bringing up new techniques and opportunities for featuring mobile app developers.

Learning the top-tier benefits of using Kotlin contain –

• Easy code execution without using any semicolons to end code line
• Kotlin is easy and fast enough to check for any null values present leads to crashing Java apps
• With its easy-to-function feature, creating variables is super easy without defining the variable type
• Supports seamlessly with Java coding, while requiring less coding than using Java

What does Swift Language Stand For?

Swift released and developed by Apple in 2014 is a popular programming language for iOS and  Mobile app development UK. Earlier, the top-tier mobile app development companies used Objective-C code for developing everything for Apple, including mobile and desktop IOS applications, but now Swift has taken its place by adding more value and life in the development phase.

During the time, when the Swift platform came out, it brought value to the functional programming answer, while allowing developers to work with more advanced languages to work with.

Some key coding benefits of using Swift include–

• Swift is an open-source platform estimated to be 2.6 times faster to work with than Objective-C
• Easy to create variables without the need to define the variable type
• Don’t require to bring those semicolons at the end of each code line
• Use Swift to build apps for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS

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Swift vs. Kotlin Mobile App Development – The Major Differentiation  

Both Kotlin and Swift have their pros and cons, but how they are different is the major key aspect that we are going to explain in this guide. Get to know the major differences between both well-established programming languages.

For Development Process –

While we have already discussed that Swift is used to create iOS, Linux, or Windows-based apps and on the other hand Kotlin is best suited to develop Android applications. Meanwhile, in the aspects of development, both of them are equally popular and serve their purpose well for the estimated customers/users. Both programming languages are easy to use and versatile in nature, resulting in offering a great user experience for prominent mobile app developers with an effective coding structure.

The Implementation of Functions –

In the legacy of modern programming approach and function implementation, both Swift and Kotlin have a presence in the market that is worth mentioning. But the only difference is that Kotlin doesn’t implement any underscore variable as a prefix, while Swift is completely opposite in this matter and it uses the underscore as a prefix in a variable. Furthermore, Kotlin uses the $ sign plus the variable name as a prefix, while Swift uses forward slashes and brackets instead.

The Data and Default Class –

Differentiating the data class between Kotlin and Swift then creates a big difference in both programming languages. However, data classes have been classified as a way to hold data while they drive some standard and utility functions automatically. The Kotlin classes are vitally present for optimistic Android mobile app developers, whereas Swift developers are empty-handed.

In terms of default data class, Swift developers are allowed to use extensions to add more functions and features whereas Kotlin developers aren’t allowed to use this feature.

Following Memory Management -

In terms of memory management, both Swift and Kotlin differ in this category but understand the learning aspects of some new acronyms. Swift uses ARC, Automatic Reference Counting and Kotlin uses GCA, a Garbage Collection Approach, which makes Swift the better memory management platform irrespective of others,

For those who don’t know Swift doesn’t support any annotations, whereas Kotlin is the best way to support a few of them, helping for the best in-app development process.

The Performance Scale –

The Kotlin apps deliver 60 FPS on mobile and desktop, making it super interactive during the framework. On the other hand, Swift performs better by providing hardware-accelerated transitions and gesture-tuned touchscreens. Both the platforms are best in terms of performance, while we give Swift a heads up in that particular category.

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Swift or Kotlin, Which Should I Learn First?

Still, is the comparison going in your mind – Swift or Kotlin code better? Both are modern languages created for the easy mobile application development process. The decision between which language to select or to learn first depicts the need and general purpose of the platform that the client wants. If you learn Swift, then you will easily develop an all-rounder application best for IOS, Windows, and Linux, while with Kotlin Android apps are easier to develop. Additionally, both of them consist of modern programming approaches, making them ideal for coding and error-free functioning.

We at ITEconic, understand the importance of both platforms, hence choosing any one of them can be a little tricky for our developers. We build apps based on our client’s needs and the data they share with us for application development. For more details and queries, you can connect with us to understand the complete mobile app development process and needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How are Swift and Kotlin programming languages similar?

Swift and Kotlin carry too many similarities which makes it quick and easy for developers to adopt.

• Both of them provide multiple data structures such as maps, interfaces, linked lists, and classes.
• Being the modern programming languages, Swift and Kotlin are safe to use and free from errors.
• Both platforms offer modern programming tools that are useful for faster coding and functionality.

Q2. Is Kotlin or Swift easier to learn?

If you are a beginner in the application development field, then both Swift and Kotlin demand extra effort to put in. While, if you have a background in Objective C or Java then it would be easier to pick and learn any of them.

Q3. Is Kotlin good for Android app development?

Being an ideal language for Android application development, readability and code brevity are two major features that every developer should focus on. Kotlin developers are in luck this time, as they can use the platform to build apps that work much faster and seamlessly on any Android device.

Q4. Can I build iOS apps with Kotlin?

Building a Kotlin app works best on different operating systems like Android, Windows, iOS, Linux, and much more. Connect with ITEconic to learn the best practices and pricing for the development of an application with Kotlin programming language.