One of the most important questions when hiring a mobile app developer is, “What languages do they ‘speak’?”. But don’t be fooled when the response is a programming language you’ve never employed. Many developers know the core languages but there are a number of emerging languages that are dominating mobile app development. Yet, finding a developer who programs in the best language for your application can be a challenge with all of the options available.
When taking a look at the general landscape of programming in 2023, you’ll find that the selection of most lists of top/ in-demand languages for the year is relatively consistent:
- JavaScript
- Python
- Java
- C/C++
- PHP
- C#
- Ruby
- Swift
- Kotlin
- Go
How to Select the Best Language for Your Project
This list above just scratches the surface of programming languages; the possibilities are boundless. Yet, not every one of these languages will speak to the specific needs of your proprietary mobile app because different programming languages are built for different uses. Your selection also impacts different areas of performance that affect both pre and post-development spanning from time to market to post-launch maintenance to scalability and performance.
When we look to pinpoint the language with the features and capabilities that best align with your application it all boils down to purpose. Answering questions like “why are we building this application?” and “what is its functionality?” will help you identify the best language for your project.
Here are a few critical points to consider when narrowing down your choices:
- Compatibility with iOS and Android operating systems
- Cross-platform functionalities
- Must-have features, libraries, and tools
- Ease of integration with third-party tools
- Time and budget constraints
Best Languages for Mobile Development
Now let’s discuss a few of the leading programming languages that will optimize your app’s development. Here we’ll share the leading language compatible with both Android and iOS applications and two others that are best when prioritizing each platform. And the best of all is that all of our recommendations are free and easily accessible!
Dart
Introduced by Google in 2011, Dart is a language that began gaining lots of attention from mobile developers after Flutter, an open-source UI software development kit, was introduced. Flutter powers the language with mobile programming that is straightforward, performs with stability and at high speeds, and is very scalable across projects. And don’t be fooled by it being a product of Google because programmers can develop cross-platform applications with the same codebase.
JavaScript
JavaScript’s abundance of well-known frameworks has made it a leading choice for developers across software development. Its top frameworks like Ionic, React Native, and NativeScript are compatible with both Android and iOS development. They’re open source and provide great flexibility with features like reusability, rich interfaces, and versatility.
Kotlin
Kotlin is a modern language that has taken the Android development community by storm. Used by over 60% of professional Android developers, Kotlin is officially supported by Google for mobile development on Android and is popular for its ease of learning, especially for those who know Java. It is also known for excelling in a number of areas where Java lacks such as null safety and interoperability, amongst others. Kotlin allows for more productive development requiring less code and boosting practicality overall.
Swift
Swift is a programming language created by Apple that allows for simple and quick development for all the company’s operating systems. Across the board, Swift provides a great experience for the developer delivering simplicity and convenience through key features: provides code efficiency, interoperable with Objective-C, memory-safe, type-safe, seamless scalability, and the list goes on. A recent report shared that over 60% of iOS app developers use Swift in comparison to its predecessor, Objective-C, in their projects.
Acquiring the Right Talent
Although we’re seeing rapid growth in the popularity of Kotlin and Swift, they are still new languages which leaves many facing the same reality: the talent pool for them is relatively small. Avoiding missing out on the value of development using these languages is no sweat with WillDom. Facilitating the search process for the best engineers, we streamline the process to partner you with the developers that can best deliver to your needs. We are the go-to hub for right-sourcing top talent for innovative tech projects. Learn more about our teams and how they can transform the way you develop your mobile applications at WillDom.com or on our LinkedIn.
