iOS or Android first?
Limited budget for a first launch? Choosing your starting platform means choosing your audience. The right answer depends on your users, not a preference.
At a glance
| Criterion | iOS | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Global market share | Lower | Higher |
| Revenue per user | Often higher | Often lower |
| Québec / North America audience | Strong | Strong |
| Device fragmentation | Low (few models) | High (many models) |
| Testing cost | Lower | Higher (diversity) |
| Best for | Monetization, North America | Global reach, emerging markets |
Launch on iOS first if…
- Your target is North American or high-spending.
- Monetization is an early goal.
- You want to test fast on few devices.
Launch on Android first if…
- You’re after global reach or emerging markets.
- Your audience is mostly on Android.
- Raw market share matters more than revenue per user.
Our recommendation
Look first at where your users are. In North America, iOS is often a good start for monetization. And with React Native or Flutter, we often cover both almost at once.
Frequently asked questions
- Do we really have to pick one platform?
- With cross-platform, often no: we can target iOS and Android from a shared base at reasonable cost.
- How do we know where our users are?
- We look at your target market, existing data and sector to guide the choice with facts.