iOS or Android App: Which Should You Build First?

iOS or Android app: the short answer

iOS or Android app: if you're a beginner and your goal is to sell your first app, start with iOS. iPhone users pay significantly more on average, and launching on a single platform teaches you faster what works. If you build your app with React Native and Expo, you're not closing the door on Android: the same code can produce an Android version later, when your numbers justify it.

There are exceptions, and they're real: an audience that's already mostly on Android, an app that's worthless unless everyone's on it, a market where iPhones are rare. We'll get to them below. But in the most common case, a solo developer launching their first subscription app, launching on iOS and Android at the same time doubles a big chunk of the work right when you have the least time.

I publish my own iOS apps with React Native and Expo. Solys, an alarm clock with mini-games, and TradaZen, a trading simulator, are on the App Store. Nolera and Clic were rejected by Apple, then fixed. All of them launched on iOS, for the reasons below.

Can an iOS app run on Android?

No. An app built for iPhone won't install on an Android phone, and vice versa. Each store requires its own app file, built for its own system, and each store has its own review.

What can be shared is the source code. With React Native and Expo, you write a single project in JavaScript or TypeScript. Expo's documentation sums it up like this: one project that runs natively on your users' devices, Android, iOS and web. Then EAS Build builds the app files for each platform. So you get two separate apps from the same code.

That's why "iOS or Android" isn't a final decision when you use this stack. It's a decision about order: which platform to start with.

Why start with iOS when you're a beginner and want to make money

iPhone users pay more

RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps 2025 report, built from data on subscription apps that use the service, is very clear on this:

• median revenue per install after 60 days is $0.38 on the App Store vs. $0.14 on Google Play;
• in every region studied, more than 67% of apps get at least 80% of their revenue from iOS users;
• the conversion rate to paid 35 days after download is higher on the App Store in every category.

If your goal is to get your first paying subscribers, iOS is where your effort is most likely to pay off.

There are more Android users, but they pay less

The opposite argument exists, and it's right about the numbers. In France, according to StatCounter, Android made up about 64% of phones in August 2026, vs. about 36% for iOS. So you reach fewer people by launching on iOS alone. But for a subscription app, what matters isn't the number of downloads: it's the number of people who pay, and RevenueCat's numbers show where they are.

A focused launch teaches you faster

One platform means one set of feedback to analyze, one behavior to fix, one product page to optimize. Your first weeks after launch are for understanding what brings your users back and what makes them pay. Those lessons come faster and clearer when they aren't spread across two ecosystems.

Fewer devices to test

The iPhone comes in a limited number of models, all designed by Apple. Android covers a huge variety of manufacturers, screen sizes and OS versions. When you're on your own, testing one platform thoroughly is already real work. My rule on iOS: check at least the smallest iPhone and the largest before every submission.

What an iOS and Android mobile app costs from day one

Launching an iOS and Android mobile app at the same time, even with shared code, adds several costs.

• Two developer accounts. Apple charges $99 a year. Google charges a one-time $25 registration fee.
• Two publishing packages. Product page, screenshots, privacy declarations, subscription settings: everything gets prepared twice, with different rules. Your iOS product page must not mention Android, per guideline 2.3.10.
• An extra testing step at Google. For a personal account created after November 13, 2023, Google requires a closed test with at least 12 opted-in testers for at least 14 consecutive days before you can publish. You have to find those testers and hold out for that period.
• Two rounds of tweaks. Permissions, notifications, background tasks, keyboard, back gestures: even with React Native, some behaviors differ and need platform-specific fixes.
• Your attention. It's the least visible cost and often the heaviest. On your own, every hour spent on Android is an hour that doesn't go into your core feature or your paywall.

How React Native and Expo keep Android on the table

Starting with iOS doesn't mean locking everything in. A few habits, from day one, keep Android within reach:

1. Pick a cross-platform stack. React Native and Expo for the app, Supabase for data, RevenueCat for subscriptions. These tools work on both systems, and it's the stack I use on all my apps. The reasons are laid out on the React Native and Expo for a mobile app page.
2. Isolate what's iOS-specific. If you use a feature that only exists on iPhone, keep it in a separate file, so you can plan an alternative or hide it on Android.
3. Don't hardcode prices. Show the ones the store returns. Your paywall will stay accurate on both platforms. The iOS in-app subscriptions page covers the setup.
4. Keep data server-side if it needs to follow the user. A user who switches from an iPhone to an Android will be able to get their account back.

Bonus with this stack: you don't need a Mac to build the iOS version, since EAS builds the app in the cloud, with the Xcode version tied to your Expo SDK (ITMS-90725). I explain how in publishing an iOS app without a Mac.

iOS first isn't a choice against Android. It's a choice about the order in which you spend your time.

When should you launch iOS and Android at the same time?

The rule isn't absolute. Three situations change the answer.

Your existing audience is mostly on Android. If you're launching an app for a community you already know, and that community mostly uses Android, start where the people are, not with the platform that pays best on average.

The app depends on an immediate network effect. A messaging app or a matchmaking app that's worthless without critical mass may need both platforms at launch, so nobody is left out of the network.

Your target market is overwhelmingly Android. In some countries, iOS has a small share. Look at the numbers for your actual market, on StatCounter for example, before applying a general rule.

When should you add Android?

Once your first version is live on iOS, measured and tweaked, you know whether the app retains its users, what price they'll accept and which requests keep coming up. That's the right time to decide on Android, based on facts instead of hope.

A few signals that can justify the move:

• people regularly ask you for an Android version;
• your app converts decently on iOS, and you want to grow your audience;
• your core feature doesn't use anything iPhone-specific.

This is the logic of any first version: cut it down to something testable, publish, measure, then decide what's next. The iOS app MVP page details this method, and your one-page spec is the right place to write down in black and white "Android: not in version 1."

iOS or Android: my recommendation in one sentence

Unless your audience or your market clearly calls for Android, launch on iOS with React Native and Expo, learn fast, and decide on Android once your app has proven itself.

Launch your first iOS app

I put this path into the iOS Kit: the Expo and React Native Starter Code from my apps, which also compiles for Android, and a four-step path you follow at your own pace. If you're still unsure about your revenue model, read subscription or one-time purchase for an iOS app first.

Still unsure about the next step for your project? The free diagnostic tells you what's really holding you back and which step to tackle first, then sends you my checklist for avoiding Apple rejections. And the home page shows how to build a mobile app without starting from scratch with this code, iPhone first.

I'm not promising you revenue or approval: Apple approves, the market decides.

Frequently asked questions

Should you start with iOS or Android for your first app?

If you're a beginner and want to sell your first app, start with iOS. iPhone users pay significantly more on average, and launching on a single platform teaches you faster what works. With React Native and Expo, you're not closing the door on Android: the same code can produce an Android version later.

How do you build an iOS and Android app?

With React Native and Expo, you write a single project in JavaScript or TypeScript, then EAS Build builds the app files for each platform. You get two separate apps from the same code, because each store requires its own app file and has its own review. The reasons for this stack are on the React Native and Expo for a mobile app page.

Do iPhone users pay more than Android users?

Yes, on average. RevenueCat's State of Subscription Apps 2025 report is based on subscription apps that use its service. It puts median revenue per install at 60 days at $0.38 on the App Store vs. $0.14 on Google Play. Android still has more phones in France, about 64% in August 2026 according to StatCounter.

What fees should you expect to publish on the App Store and Google Play?

Apple charges $99 a year and Google a one-time $25 registration fee. You also need to prepare two publishing packages and do two rounds of tweaks. At Google, a personal account created after November 13, 2023 requires a closed test before you can publish. That test needs at least 12 opted-in testers for at least 14 consecutive days.

When should you launch iOS and Android at the same time?

Three situations change the answer. If your existing audience is mostly on Android, start where the people are. If your app depends on an immediate network effect, like a messaging app, it may need both platforms at launch. If your target market is overwhelmingly Android, look at the numbers for your actual market before applying a general rule.

When should you add Android after a first iOS version?

Add Android once your first version is live on iOS, measured and tweaked. By then you know whether the app retains its users, what price they'll accept and which requests keep coming up. Three signals can justify the move. People regularly ask you for an Android version, your app converts decently on iOS and you want to grow your audience, or your core feature doesn't use anything iPhone-specific.