Most businesses that want an app want it on iPhones and Android phones, because their customers carry both. That makes iOS and Android app development sound like one project. It isn’t quite. Apple and Google run two separate platforms, each with its own app store, design habits and review rules.
Here’s what that means for your business. We’ll cover whether you need both platforms, the three ways to build for them and how they differ. Then we’ll look at cost, timeline and what to have ready before you talk to a developer.
Do you need your app on both iPhone and Android?
Usually, yes. In the US, iPhones make up more than half of the phones in use, according to StatCounter. Android phones make up nearly all the rest, and worldwide, Android is far ahead. Launch on just one and a big share of your customers can’t use your app at all.
Your own customers are a better guide than national numbers. Your website analytics can show which phones your visitors use, and that split is a good preview of who will download your app.
One platform can be enough in a couple of cases. One is an app for your own staff, if everyone uses company phones from the same maker. The other is a first version that tests an idea before you add the second platform.
Three ways to build one app for iPhone and Android
Once you know you need both, the big decision is how the app gets built. There are three common routes, and each one trades cost against what the app can do.
1. Two native apps
Native means each app is built with its platform’s own tools: Swift for iPhone and Kotlin for Android. You get the smoothest performance, full access to the phone’s features and an app that feels right to each platform’s users. The catch is that every feature gets built twice, so two native apps cost more to build and to keep updated.
Native makes the most sense for apps that lean hard on the phone itself. Think camera-heavy apps, apps that talk to Bluetooth devices or apps where every bit of speed matters. Our iOS app development and Android app development pages go into what each one involves.
2. One cross-platform app
Cross-platform frameworks like Flutter (from Google) and React Native (from Meta) let one codebase run on both iPhone and Android. You still get two real apps, one in the App Store and one in Google Play. But most of the work is done once, and updates reach both platforms together.
For most business apps, such as booking, ordering, loyalty programs, customer accounts and internal tools, cross-platform is the practical choice. If you’re weighing the two, our post on native vs cross-platform app development goes deeper.
3. A web app first
A web app runs in the phone’s browser, so one build works on every phone and there’s no app store review to get through. People can add it to their home screen, and on recent versions of iOS it can send notifications once it’s there. It’s often the quickest and cheapest way to test an idea.
The trade-offs are real, though. A web app can’t use every phone feature, it won’t show up in app store searches, and some customers simply expect a “real” app. Our post on the difference between a mobile app and a web app explains when each one fits.
What’s different about iOS and Android
Even with one codebase, your app lives on two platforms with different habits and rules. These are the parts of iOS and Android app development that affect your plans and your budget.
Design
iPhone and Android users are used to different things, like where the back button sits, how menus open and what switches look like. Apple writes its conventions down in its Human Interface Guidelines, and Google does the same in Material Design. A good app keeps your brand the same on both but respects those habits, so nobody feels lost.
Devices
Apple sells a fairly short list of iPhone models, and most iPhones run a recent version of iOS. Android runs on thousands of phone models from dozens of makers, with different screen sizes and plenty of older Android versions still in use. That means more testing on Android, so testing time belongs in the plan from day one.
App store review
Apple reviews every new app and every update before it goes live. It turns down apps that break its App Review Guidelines on things like privacy, logins and payments. Most reviews come back within a day or two, but a rejection can push back your launch date.
Google Play reviews apps too. It also makes new personal developer accounts run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before an app can launch. That’s one more reason to publish under your company’s business account.
Payments inside the app
Say your app sells digital things, like subscriptions, premium features or online courses. Apple and Google generally require their own in-app payment systems for those, and they take a cut of each sale. Physical products and real-world services, like food orders, appointments or event tickets, can usually go through your own payment processor. These rules have been changing, especially in the US, so check where they stand before you set your prices.
What affects the cost and timeline
Every app is different, so there’s no honest one-size price. These are the things that move the number most:
- Features. Each screen and feature has to be designed, built and tested. Logins, payments, chat, maps and offline use all add up.
- Native or cross-platform. Two native apps cost more to build and maintain than one cross-platform app.
- The back end. Most apps need a server, a database and an admin dashboard where your team manages orders, users or content. It’s easy to forget, and it’s often a big part of the work.
- Connections to your other systems. Linking the app to your booking software, point of sale, CRM or accounting tool adds work, depending on how open those systems are.
- Design. A custom design takes longer than adapting a standard layout, but it’s what makes the app feel like yours.
- Life after launch. Apple and Google release new versions of iOS and Android every year. Google Play also requires apps to target a recent Android version, or they stop being available to new users on newer phones. Plan for updates, hosting and support, not just the build.
Because the app and the system behind it have to work together, it helps when the same team plans both. We handle the server and dashboard side as part of our custom software development work.
Timelines follow the same logic. Most projects go faster when the first version covers the core job well. Other features come later, in stages, with a written timeline for each one. For a starting figure on cost, try our instant quote tool.
What to have ready before you talk to a developer
You don’t need a technical spec. A few clear answers save time and money on both sides:
- The main job. One sentence on what the app does for the person using it.
- Who uses it. Customers, staff or both, and which phones they carry.
- Must-haves for version one. The three to five features the app can’t launch without. Everything else can wait.
- Your other systems. The software the app needs to connect to.
- Apps you like. A few examples, and what you like about each one.
- Developer accounts in your name. Apple and Google both verify businesses before they can publish, usually with a D-U-N-S number, which can take a while to get. Start early, and keep the accounts in your company’s name.
- Ownership. Get it in writing that you own the code, the app store listings and your customer data.
It’s also worth reading our list of app development mistakes to avoid, from skipping user research to overlooking security.
How Pure Code Digital can help
We handle iOS and Android app development for businesses, along with the back end and admin dashboard that run the apps. That can be two native apps in Swift and Kotlin, or one cross-platform app in Flutter or React Native. We’ll help you pick the route that fits your customers and your budget, and you own the code when we’re done.
If you have an app idea, contact Pure Code Digital. Tell us what the app needs to do, and we’ll tell you which route makes sense and why.
iOS and Android app development FAQs
Can one app work on both iPhone and Android?
Yes. A cross-platform app built with a framework like Flutter or React Native runs on both from one codebase. It’s still published as two listings, one in Apple’s App Store and one in Google Play.
Should I launch on iOS or Android first?
Start where most of your customers are. In the US that’s often iPhone, but your own website analytics will tell you more than national numbers. With a cross-platform app, launching on both at the same time is usually the simpler choice.
How much does it cost to build an app for iOS and Android?
It depends on the features, the back end, the design and whether you go native or cross-platform, so prices vary from project to project. Our instant quote tool gives you a starting point, or you can contact us for a free quote.
Is one cross-platform app cheaper than two native apps?
Usually, because most of the app is built once. It isn’t half the cost, though. Design, testing and app store work still happen on both platforms, and some features need code written for each one.
Is Flutter owned by Google?
Yes. Flutter is an open-source framework created and maintained by Google. React Native, the other popular option, was created by Meta and is also open source.
How long does it take to build an app for iOS and Android?
It depends on how much the first version has to do. We plan a first version that covers the core job, then add features in stages, with a written timeline for each stage before work starts.