Swift vs Dart: What to Choose For iOS App Development?

20 Sep, 2024

5 min read

Swift vs Dart - Choose For iOS App Development

The choice between Swift and Dart may be difficult as it will impact the overall development process, your app’s performance, and the sustainability of the codebase. According to Statista, swift is the preferred choice for around 4.7% of developers globally. Conversely, around 6% of developers use Dart. But there’s more to it than these percentages.

Generally, if you are solely focused on iOS, Swift may be the more reasonable choice. However, if you plan to target multiple platforms, Dart could offer an edge in terms of efficiency and speed.

By the end of this write-up, you’ll not only have a broad understanding of both languages, but you’ll also be able to make a more informed decision while opting to hire the right iOS developers for your project.

A Basic Overview of Swift and Dart

Swift

Swift is a powerful programming language developed by Apple that is widely preferred. It replaces Objective-C, the longstanding language used for iOS app development. Swift was designed to be faster, more concise, and easier to read and write. Its best features are but not limited to:

Strong Type Safety
Protocol-Oriented Programming
Automatic Memory Management
Closures
Powerful String Manipulation
Native Performance
Swift Playgrounds

Dart

Dart, on the other hand, is an object-oriented programming language developed by Google. Despite being a web programming language, Dart is also widely preferred for cross-platform app development. It allows developers to build iOS and Android apps with a single code base. Dart is known for its strong type safety and interoperability with JavaScript. Here are a few features this language offers:

Ahead-of-time and Just-in-time compilation
Cross-platform development
Strongly typed Language
Asynchronous Programming
Rich Widget Library
Garbage Collection

Statistical Comparison between Swift and Dart

Swift and Dart Comparison

When comparing Swift and Dart, developers often consider various factors based on the project’s needs, such as requirements, performance, and usage statistics, to make the best choice. Here’s an overview of a few key insights:

According to the Stack Overflow developer survey, Dart is one of the most commonly used languages, preferred by 6.02% of developers worldwide, followed by Swift, with 5.1%.
Dart seems to have a higher satisfaction rate among users, with 77% preferring working with it, compared to Swift’s 63.56%.
As per StackShare, 207 big names in the market, such as Google, Apple, and Walmart, have used Dart in their tech stacks.
In terms of remuneration, Swift developers seem to earn more than Dart developers. Swift developers earn $58,910, while those associated with Dart earn $32,986.
According to the Slant community, Dart is better to learn as the first programming language – it was ranked #22, while Swift was #29.

Swift vs Dart: Which One is Better?

Swift vs Dart - Which One is Better?

Now that you’re familiar with Swift and Dart and their popularity, it’s time to compare them in depth. We’ll examine several key factors to determine which one might have a competitive advantage.

Language Syntax and Design

Swift’s concise syntax prioritizes efficient, productive development. It introduces modern language constructs, such as optional types, that help developers avoid common pitfalls like null pointer errors.

This language features a strong type-checking system that allows many errors to be caught at compile time, reducing the chances of bugs in production. Its highly readable design makes it a pleasure to work with, particularly for those who prefer neat and clean code.

Conversely, Dart is heavily influenced by traditional object-oriented programming languages like Java and C, which makes it friendly and somewhat familiar to developers. Its straightforward and easy-to-use syntax allows you to quickly pick up the language and build iOS apps. The simplicity and consistency within the Dart design make it so easy to master.

Performance

From a performance perspective, Swift may be faster and more efficient. It provides low-level access to system resources, which allows developers to write highly optimized code. One of the most useful features within this language is Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) for memory management, which assists programmers in reducing memory leaks and enhancing the performance of iOS apps.

Dart is particularly admired for its exceptional performance with the Flutter framework. It utilizes a Just In Time compiler during development, which allows developers to perform swift iterations and hot reloads, accelerating the development cycle.

In production, it switches to a static Ahead Time compiler that converts code into native machine code. This ensures fast startup times and the best iOS app experiences. The combination of JIT and AOT compilation makes Dart a rather useful language for iOS cross-platform application development.

Tooling and Ecosystem

Being an Apple-backed language, Swift benefits developers with Xcode, Apple’s official Integrated Development Environment (IDE), with features like an advanced debugger, a powerful code editor, and more. Those who use it for iOS app development will get access to a large set of libraries and frameworks, including SwiftUI and UIKit.

While newer to the scene, Dart has an underdeveloped ecosystem centered around the popular Flutter framework. UI/UX experts can use its toolkit to create beautiful and responsive interfaces. Although it’s not as resourceful and capable as compared to Swift, Dart boasts a growing community of passionate developers, and we anticipate more features in the near future.

Cross-Platform Development

Swift primarily focuses on iOS and macOS development, so its cross-platform capabilities are somewhat limited. However, with the introduction of SwiftUI and the ability to share code across Apple platforms. , Swift has significantly improved its cross-platform capabilities.

In contrast, Dart truly shines in cross-platform development, especially when combined with Flutter. It allows developers to build high-performance, natively compiled iOS, Android, web, and desktop applications from a single codebase.

Learning Curve

Swift’s modern syntax and feature set have a relatively steeper learning curve for those new to iOS development. However, once you’re proficient, you’ll be amazed to see just how powerful and versatile this language is.

Swift design principles align well with Apple’s philosophy, where intuitiveness and ease of use are key.

In contrast, Dart has a gradual learning curve for individuals familiar with object-oriented programming languages like Java or C. Its simplicity and familiarity make it easier for newcomers to pick up and start working on iOS applications.

Cost for Development

Since Swift is designed specifically for Apple platforms, iOS app developers can utilize native features and APIs to create highly optimized and responsive applications. However, the Swift ecosystem is limited to the iOS environment. If you’re developing an app for both iOS and Android, you’ll need to maintain two separate codebases—one in Swift for iOS and another in Kotlin or Java for Android.

This dual-development approach typically increases the development time and cost, requiring two teams or developers proficient in different languages and tools. This also means you’ll have to run two different development cycles.

On the other hand, using Dart with the Flutter framework offers a significant cost advantage for cross-platform development. Programmers just have to write a single codebase that runs on iOS, Android, and potentially web and desktop platforms. It reduces the need for multiple development teams and cycles, saving cost and time.

Testing and Debugging

Swift has a rich set of testing and debugging tools available through Xcode. It includes an XCTest feature, which is its default testing framework for Swift. This enables engineers to write unit, performance, and UI tests. These debugger tools provide deep insights into application performance, memory usage, and potential issues to identify and fix bugs quickly.

Dart also has a strong testing framework that supports unit, widget, and integration testing. This allows app developers to ensure the reliability of their code. When used with Flutter, it provides access to popular CI/CD pipelines, making it easier to automate testing processes.

Remember, developing an exceptional iOS app is not just a matter of language. You need to hire iOS developers with niche-specific expertise and a comprehensive understanding of user needs.

Ready to make a choice?

Both languages have their specific use cases and are great in their own way. However, if you have to choose between them, here’s what you need to consider:

If you plan on developing apps natively for iOS, we recommend opting for Swift. It offers more exclusive features and tools.
Conversely, if you want to create an app that works flawlessly on both Android and iOS, we recommend using Dart.

At Cubix, we ensure our teams work with the right tech stack and deliver project outcomes exceeding your expectations. Our proven track record of 300+ app projects for global enterprises, such as Politico, Tissot, and Sapient, makes us a preferred choice.

Allow Cubix to take control of your digital product development workflows. We provide you with the perfect platform to hire iOS developers with extensive expertise across different technologies and frameworks. Talk to us here!