Swift and Dart are gaining fast traction in developer cycles due to their ease of use, powerful syntax, and modern features. How do you decide between them for your next iOS app project? Let’s find out.
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
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.
