Top Programming Languages for iOS App Development

If I post a poll on LinkedIn today asking, “Which is better: Android or iOS?” In a few minutes the notification will explode with iOS users commenting about its design perfection and Android users commenting with customization memes. But one thing that will remain constant despite the ongoing discussion is that iOS is still the platform where quality is expected rather than optional. To meet Apple’s requirements, developers who want to succeed in the App Store must select the appropriate programming language.

A 2025 industry analysis found that Swift is used to create more than 70% of active iOS apps, while Objective-C still makes up about 20% of codebases. The remaining percentage is made up of cross-platform frameworks that use JavaScript or Dart.

The first and most important step is to choose the right programming language for iOS app development. Choosing the most suitable language can streamline the whole development process, enhance app performance, and boost your chances of passing Apple’s strict review process. 

Let’s dive deep into this blog to see the best programming language for iOS app development and what components make each one worth considering.

Top iOS programming Languages

HTML5

HTML5 is an iOS app development language that is popularly used by engineers in conjunction with CSS and JavaScript. In actuality, as stated by W3techs, it is used by approximately 95.1% of every website whose markup language is familiar. 

Even though hybrid apps are not as widely preferred as native apps, they still offer awesome browsing control and create pages using CSS and HTML5.

It has many benefits and some of them are multiple platform assistance, superior cost efficiency, compatibility among multiple browsers, offline searching, and also a high page ranking. Still, it has a few shortcomings that involve its restriction to some functionalities, its potential to operate with hybrid apps only and its difficulties with design responsiveness.

Use Case

It is the top option when you do not intend to put excessively much time and resources into building an iOS application and have a clear application design that can be used offline. But if you require a top quality and effective iOS application, it may not be the right pick for you.

Swift

Regardless of how unfamiliar you are with the iOS app development language, there are great possibilities that your answer to the question we are responding to is Swift. It is one of the widely used languages to determine the direction of iOS app development. 

Swift, which is considered the most widely used coding application for iOS programming languages, was launched in 2014. Swift received nearly three times as many votes as the previous year, placing it as the eleventh most popular language in the 2020 TIOBE index.

Swift is considered a multipurpose programming language for creating top-notch iOS native applications. It is made to be super compatible with Cocoa and Cocoa frameworks.

The greatest advantage of it is its flexibility and compatibility, particularly with Objective-C, open source, and rapid development processes. Application development with Swift also delivers data protection during the development and contains Automatic memory arc which is also known as ARC.

The only major drawback of this programming language is its restricted user base.

Use Case

If you are looking for a rapid app development process and want to expand the app effortlessly, Swift is your go-to choice. It can be applied as a programming language for iPad, iPhone, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and Mac.

Flutter

Flutter is a widely used coding language used to develop applications. The tech was created by Google back in 2015 but was officially launched in 2017. It is a multipurpose, open-source coding kit and is used widely to develop iOS and Android applications, Mac, Google Fuchsia, Windows and Linux.

Both iOS and Android developers are considering using Flutter because it helps them to build visually appealing and easy to use cross-platform applications. There are of course some advantages and disadvantages of this programming language. This includes the fact that it is very time and money efficient, offers complete customization abilities, has its own widgets and is an open-source language. however, its language talent is still small and in its early stage.

Read: Flutter Flow AI

Use Case

Flutter is the most popularly used cross-platform app development language, so if you are looking to pick an opinion to build an iOS app and its versions for Android, desktop and the web, it is going to be the best choice. Using Flutter as the iOS app programming language, you can create your app versions for all compatible platforms and operating systems with a single code source and this can save a significant amount of time.

C# (C Sharp)

C# was created by Microsoft. The purpose of development was to create a high level, general purpose and object based programming language as a response to Java. It is actually one of the most widely popular programming languages and is comparable to Microsoft app development. It is much like Objective-C, which is for Apple.

Also, a research report from the TIOBE Index for October 2025 shows that C# is regarded as one of the popular programming languages and ranks 5th in the top programming language list of 2025.

One top advantage of C# (C Sharp) is that it is an open source language that makes it simpler for developers at the immediate (beginner) to advanced level to build iOS mobile apps. In addition, it provides us a rich library, a large talent pool, cross-platform app development assistance, and superior cost advantages and integration compared to other coding languages. It does, however, have some minor drawbacks, including a weak platform graphical user interface (GUI) and the potential for being challenging for beginners to learn.

Use Case

It is primarily used when your team has competent C# developers and when you require the development of an Android or Web API version for an an iOS application or Windows.

Comparison Between iOS Programming Languages

Before You Choose Developing language for iOS Application

It is important to comprehend that developing a great iOS comprehensive app requires careful planning and analysis. Therefore, there are a few things to consider before you start working on your iOS app.

Identify Its Goal

Before you begin, think about why you chose to create your app and try to ask some questions, such as what your users need, what your app will address, why you intend to create this, and whether there are already comparable products on the market. By finding answers to these questions, your users will be able to access the app more easily. This will also help you to evaluate further plans for app development far better.

Perform Proper Market Research

This is an important step that many companies overlook or, in some cases, forget. You must learn more about these users in order to encourage them to download and utilize your app to its full potential. You must perform surgery and create a profile of a typical target user based on factors like age, gender or nationality in order to gain insight into the same. You can create a personalized marketing plan to boost the quality of app downloads by following these steps.

Build a Complete Strategy 

After doing in-depth research and evaluating the goals, think about planning and make sure it contains all the necessary information and is as detailed as possible. A few questions must be answered before you can begin the planning process. Make sure that you are able to answer the following questions: what technology will be most effective for creating such an application, what are the specifics of the user interface, how will you determine the success of the application and what security concerns should you take into account? In order to stay ahead of the competition, you should also think about researching the newest trends in mobile app development while you are drafting your final strategy.

Take into Account Support for Various iOS Versions

When developing an iOS application, keep in mind that not all iOS users update their devices often. Therefore, it is important to consider interoperability. When your app is compatible with the most recent version while your user is still using the older version, there is a good chance that the user will become dissatisfied and remove the app. Thus, you need to concentrate on getting your application ready for every system version.

Conclusion

A recent article by MoldStud states that 90%+ of new iOS apps (in 2025) are reportedly built in Swift, as it provides huge benefits. But it completely hinges on your goals. HTML5 can be used for a short hybrid application, whereas C# may be used for multiple platform development that incorporates Microsoft. Swift, on the other hand, is at the top of the list when it comes to Apple and Apple products. Therefore, if you need any assistance with iOS app development, we suggest you go with a reliable iOS development company like MSM Coretech to help you with your projects.  

Let's connect today and discuss in depth about your project today! 

The Author

Dhananjay Singh Rathore

Dhananjay is someone with a deep fascination for technology. He loves all tech ranging things from gadgets to applications that make life easier. Apart from the tech world, he derives happiness from translating his knowledge into words that can make almost everyone technologically literate. When not composing any tech-related or other forms of writing, you can find him capturing the beautiful moments of the day in a camera, spending hours binge-watching, and hanging out with dear ones.