Ultimate Guide to App Programming Languages

Choosing the right programming language can make or break your app—impacting everything from development speed to performance and scalability. Whether you're building for iOS, Android, or both, understanding your options is essential to launching successfully.

While traditional coding languages like Swift and Kotlin offer deep customization, one powerful alternative is building with Adalo—an AI-powered app builder for database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps. One version works across all three platforms, published directly to the Apple App Store and Google Play. This approach lets you skip the steep learning curve while still creating professional, fully functional apps.

What matters most is app success: launching your MVP fast and reaching the biggest audience possible. That means publishing to the app stores to unlock massive reach and push notifications—something the tools and languages in this guide can help you achieve.

Whether your app needs C++ for performance or JavaScript for flexibility, your choice of programming language can impact speed and complexity. You'll also want to consider AI-assisted platforms like Adalo to accelerate development without sacrificing quality.

Read on to learn:

• Factors to consider when planning to create an app
• 6 top app programming languages
• Why you should consider using no-code tools
• Common challenges and how to choose between no-code and coding

Let's start with the first steps you should take when deciding whether to pursue mobile app programming.

App Programming: Factors to Consider

Before you develop your app, take a step back and consider a few of its attributes. These will play a major role in your decision to use a coding language or no-code. Consider the following before you start building:

Platform Compatibility

One of the first decisions depends on which platform you're developing your app for—iOS, Android, or cross-platform. All the platforms have differences that will impact your development process.

iOS App Native Development:

• iOS apps are commonly developed using Swift or Objective-C programming languages. Swift is preferred for new projects due to its modern syntax and safety features, but Objective-C remains important for legacy applications.
• You'll need Apple's ecosystem tools like Xcode. Development on an Apple device is recommended, and cloud options like Amazon EC2 or MacStadium are also available.

Android App Native Development:

• It primarily uses Kotlin, which is favored for its reduced bugs and easy codebase, though Java is also supported.
• Development tools are available via Android Studio and are compatible with both Mac and Windows.

Cross-Platform Development:

• You can use frameworks like Flutter and React Native to create apps for both iOS and Android from a single codebase.
• While cross-platform tools are effective, native development is often preferred for optimized performance on each platform.

App Type

Are you looking to create a booking, game, travel, or unique app that has yet to be built? These apps have distinct characteristics and are best developed using specific programming languages.

For instance, games require robust graphic capabilities, so developers choose a programming language, such as C# or C++, that accommodates crystal-clear graphics.

On the other hand, social media apps must store enormous tracts of data, so developers usually use Python or JavaScript because these languages have extensive ecosystems and libraries to support these data-rich features.

Performance Requirements

Your app's performance depends on the amount of data it will handle, the tasks it will execute, and its real-time processing, which is also a critical factor in choosing the right mobile programming language.

Complex apps, like games and live financial software, require thousands of calculations every second and are best developed using languages like C# and C++. These languages are known for their speed and efficient processing.

If you're creating a booking or e-commerce app where you don't need responses every millisecond, languages like Python or JavaScript are prime candidates. These "simpler" languages also offer faster development times.

Development Speed

Your development deadline, or how soon you need your app to be finished, will determine which programming language you use.

For those who have quite a bit of time to develop a complex app, a more involved language like C# or C++ might do. But, if you're working under a tight deadline, you'll need an easy-to-work-with language like Python or JavaScript.

AI-powered app builders like Adalo offer efficient options for quickly developing your app without needing to write code. Adalo creates database-driven web apps and native iOS and Android apps—one version across all three platforms, published to the Apple App Store and Google Play. The platform leverages a drag-and-drop interface similar to a photo editor like Paint.

Instead of typing in line after line of code, you'll drag pre-made components and your pictures over to a building canvas and customize every part so you can release an app that looks, feels, and performs as if it were made using code.

Community Support and Libraries

Leveraging a robust library of premade code, help documents, customizable frameworks, and active user forums will make your building experience much more enjoyable.

Check out resources like the Python community, JavaScript Weekly, and GitHub, all vibrant ecosystems. You'll find tutorials, premade lines of code, info, and the ability to connect with other users to get all your app questions answered.

6 Popular App Programming Languages in 2026

This list isn't exhaustive—many folks can use several other programming languages to create their apps. But, as we mentioned, these are the most popular coding languages for app development at the time of writing.

1. Swift

Overview

Apple created Swift to build apps for iOS, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. It provides developers with more freedom while being easy to use.

Key Features

• Swift was designed to build robust apps with functionalities that prevent bugs and glitches.
• It works well alongside Objective-C code within Apple's ecosystems, and you can integrate Swift into your existing projects without completely and painstakingly rewriting your codebase.
• Swift's concise yet expressive syntax makes writing code faster. Plus, it's easier to read and more maintainable. It is also open source, with a large community of developers contributing to its ongoing development.

Use Cases

Swift is the preferred coding language for developing iOS apps. While it's suitable for creating complex animations, its simplicity makes it an excellent language for educational purposes, like teaching people how to build apps.

2. Kotlin

Overview

Developed by JetBrains and officially supported by Google for Android development, Kotlin is the preferred language for developing apps for the Android ecosystem.

Key Features

• Kotlin is interoperable with Java, allowing the use of Java frameworks and tools within Kotlin projects. You can also migrate your Java applications to Kotlin or use Kotlin in existing Java projects.
• Featuring a concise syntax, Kotlin makes programs easier to write, read, and maintain. You'll also have access to features such as extension functions, data classes, and smart casts to boost your app's functionality.

Use Cases

While Kotlin is the go-to language for Android development, you can also use Kotlin for server-side app development. This means you can use Kotlin to create backend apps for optimal data retrieval, logic, and more.

3. Java

Overview

Developed by Sun Microsystems in the mid-1990s and now maintained by Oracle, Java is one of the most versatile and widely used programming languages, with an exceptionally vast ecosystem.

Key Features

• While it's designed to be beginner-friendly, Java is powerful enough to handle complex development projects—corporations and independent developers use Java to build their applications.
• Java provides an extensive and rich set of APIs. They are used for applications such as networking, I/O operations, data structure creation, and graphical user interface development.

Use Cases

Java is a solid language for creating a variety of apps. You can build applications for Android, web apps, large-scale enterprise applications, and more.

4. JavaScript

Overview

JavaScript is a core technology of the Internet, enabling interactive web pages and being the essential structure of web applications.

Key Features

• JavaScript code runs on your browser, letting you interface with web pages without reloading the page.
• One of the more flexible coding languages, JavaScript is used alongside HTML and CSS to create dynamic and interactive web applications.

Use Cases

While it's in JavaScript's DNA to develop websites and web apps, you can use the React Native Framework to create native mobile apps for both the iOS (Apple) and Android (Google) platforms.

5. C#

Overview

Developed by Microsoft, C# (pronounced "C Sharp") is a critical tool for developers making apps for the Microsoft ecosystem as well as those for the web.

Key Features

• C# is statically typed, which helps prevent errors before software gets into production. This feature helps ensure you catch bugs during the development stage, which can improve your app's quality.
• Part of the ".NET" framework, C# provides an extensive library where you can find lines of code for programming tasks, file reading and writing, graphic rendering, and much more.

Use Cases

Although C# was initially intended to create Microsoft apps, it can also be used to build web apps at scale, including those for enterprise needs. Plus, plugging into a tool like Xamarin allows mobile app development for both the Apple and Google platforms.

6. Python

Overview

First released in 1991, Python emphasizes simplicity and readability and supports multiple programming projects, making it incredibly flexible and applicable to many projects.

Key Features

• As an open-source software, Python is continuously updated by a large community of developers who improve and evolve it to meet current and future needs. You can rest assured that Python won't be relegated to obscurity.
• Python is one of the most intuitive and readable coding languages, mirroring the English language. This means that Python is widely considered a beginner-friendly language due to its readable syntax and extensive community support.

Use Cases

When used with frameworks like Django and Flask, Python works as a robust web app development language. However, you can also use Python for data analysis and visualization, as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning development.

App Programming Language Alternatives: No-Code Tools

Using a programming language for app development gives you lots of freedom to create nearly any app you want. However, learning a programming language takes considerable time and effort, as well as an ability to overcome frustration.

If you want to hire an agency or freelancer to build your app using a programming language, be prepared to pay up: Agency and freelancer costs can total in the $10,000s, depending on the size of your app.

But there's another way to create your very own app, from your very own computer, all on your own, and without using code: By using an AI-powered app builder.

What Is No-Code?

No-code is a technology that lets anyone who can create a social media account build an app. Instead of writing line after line of code, you'll leverage a drag-and-drop interface to make your app piece by piece.

Most no-code platforms let you choose a template to start building your app. Templates come preloaded with screens (your app's pages) and elements like buttons, forms, lists, and other pictures. In most cases, you'll be able to transform a common template into a unique app.

Adalo: A Leading AI-Powered App Builder

The market is flooded with app builders, making choosing one difficult. Luckily, you found our article, so you won't have to fumble through app-builder after app-builder. Instead, start building your app with Adalo.

Adalo is known for balancing ease of use with powerful customization options. It's easy enough to learn intuitively right out of the box—it functions much like PowerPoint. Over 3 million apps have been created on the platform, with users consistently describing the visual builder as "as easy as PowerPoint."

However, Adalo packs a mean punch in terms of power, allowing you to customize nearly every bit of your app to your tastes, preferences, and brand. The platform's 2025 infrastructure overhaul (Adalo 3.0) made apps 3-4x faster with modular infrastructure that scales with your needs.

First, browse Adalo's vast template library and pick the one for your app. It will come loaded with all the screens you need and cool features like a calendar, scheduling forms, payment integration with Stripe, and much more.

You can also find other plugins from Adalo's Component Marketplace, such as a maps function, messenger, and other tools. Adalo integrates with thousands of third-party tools like Zapier, QuickBooks, Airtable, and more, allowing you to transfer data from your third-party accounts to your Adalo app.

When you finish building, you can publish the same version of your app to the web, the Apple App Store, and Google Play Store. This way, you'll have the opportunity to get your app in front of billions of eyes.

Sign up for Adalo's free version, which you can publish on the web and see for yourself.

AI Features That Accelerate Development

Adalo's AI capabilities transform how quickly you can go from idea to working app:

Magic Start generates complete app foundations from a simple description. Tell it you need a booking app for a dog grooming business, and it creates your database structure, screens, and user flows automatically—what used to take days of planning happens in minutes.

Magic Add lets you add features by describing what you want in natural language. Need a payment system? A user profile section? Just describe it, and the AI builds it into your existing app.

X-Ray identifies performance issues before they affect users, highlighting potential bottlenecks so you can optimize your app proactively rather than reactively.

AI Builder for full prompt-based app creation and editing is due for release in early 2026, promising even faster development through conversational app building.

Use Cases for Adalo and Other No-Code Tools

You'll be able to create nearly any type of app you can imagine with an AI-assisted app builder. Platforms like Adalo are ideal for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small and medium businesses who need to create an app for their operations.

Here are just some of the apps you can create with Adalo:

• An ordering app for your restaurant or cafe
• A booking app for your salon or barbershop
• A fitness app for your gym or personal training services
• A social media app for a meditation group
• A CRM app for your business
• A dashboard app to visualize marketing campaigns or sales revenue
• …and many more

Choosing Between a No-Code App Builder or Programming Language

Ultimately, deciding between leveraging a traditional programming language or using an AI-powered app builder hinges on several factors. To help you decide between using a no-code platform or programming language, consider the following points:

Your project's scope: Start outlining your app's functionalities, user interface requirements, and the needed integrations. It's a good idea to start wireframing and drawing up your app's blueprints with a free tool offered by Figma.

Once you have your wireframes and an outline of your needed functionalities, you'll have a better idea about whether to use code or no-code. Programming will probably serve you best if you need extensive customizations and high-performance demands, such as those required by games or enterprise apps at scale.

However, if you're looking for a simple internal app for your small business, like one for CRM, project management, booking, ordering, and more, an AI-powered builder is your huckleberry.

Expertise levels: Does anyone on your team have extensive coding experience? Traditional programming requires a deep understanding of coding and software architecture, so folks with coding experience could be a boon to your app development.

On the other hand, teams without programmers might be best served by using AI-assisted platforms, as platforms like Adalo provide a user-friendly, low-learning curve app-building experience.

Your budget, in both dollars and time: Nothing in the world is free, and that adage really applies to programming. While in-house app development using coding will only cost you a salary, you'll need to devote significant labor hours to complete the deed.

If you must recruit the services of an app development agency or freelancer, be prepared to pay through the nose. Agency costs start at around $5,000-$6,000 for a simple app and $10,000s for a more complex one.

Agency-hired app development can last several months, depending on communication, app complexity, and other unforeseen issues.

In contrast, AI-powered platforms like Adalo offer dramatically lower costs, as Adalo's cheapest plan starts at $36/month (billed annually). You'll work at your own pace with an AI-assisted platform, giving you more control over your timeline.

How Adalo Compares to Other App Building Options

Understanding how different platforms stack up helps you make an informed decision. Here's how Adalo compares to popular alternatives:

Platform	Starting Price	Native Mobile Apps	Database Limits	Best For
Adalo	$36/month	Yes (true native)	Unlimited on paid plans	Native mobile apps, cross-platform publishing
Bubble	$59/month	Web wrapper only	Limited by Workload Units	Complex web apps with deep customization
FlutterFlow	$70/month per user	Yes	Requires separate database setup	Technical users comfortable with low-code
Glide	$60/month	No app store publishing	Limited rows, additional charges	Spreadsheet-based simple apps
Softr	$167/month	No app store publishing	Limited per app and datasource	Web apps from Airtable data

Bubble offers more customization options but comes with trade-offs. Its mobile solution uses a web wrapper rather than true native compilation, which can introduce performance challenges at scale. The platform's Workload Units create usage-based charges that can be difficult to predict, and achieving high performance often requires hiring experts. Claims of millions of MAU are typically only possible with significant expert assistance and optimization.

FlutterFlow is a low-code platform designed for technical users. Users need to set up and manage their own external database, which requires significant learning complexity—especially when optimizing for scale. The ecosystem is rich with consultants precisely because so many users need help, often spending significant sums chasing scalability. The builder also limits your view to 2 screens at once, whereas Adalo can display up to 400 screens on one canvas.

Glide excels at spreadsheet-based apps but uses restrictive templates that limit creative freedom. Apps tend to look generic and simplistic. While Glide is fast for basic builds, Adalo's SheetBridge feature offers similar spreadsheet connectivity while providing full design flexibility and actual database functionality. Glide also doesn't support App Store or Play Store publishing.

Softr focuses on web apps built from Airtable data. At $167/month for a publishable Progressive Web App, it's significantly more expensive than Adalo while still lacking native mobile app capabilities.

Common Challenges in App Development

These are a few of the common challenges folks encounter with a programming language:

Learning curve: Learning a new programming language can be time-consuming, especially for beginners or those unfamiliar with specific mobile app development languages required for different platforms, like Swift for iOS or Kotlin for Android. Online resources like Udemy, Coursera, and Codecademy offer structured courses to help overcome this challenge.

Debugging and testing: Debugging is an inevitable part of development, involving identifying and fixing errors in the code. Automated testing tools, such as XCTest for iOS or Espresso for Android, can streamline this process but still require a significant time investment.

Platform-specific limitations: Developing for multiple platforms (iOS, Android, web) often requires adapting the app for different requirements and standards. Cross-platform frameworks like React Native or Flutter can help, but native development may be necessary for apps requiring platform-specific functionalities.

Scalability concerns: As your app grows, ensuring it can handle increased traffic and data becomes critical. Adalo's modular infrastructure scales to serve apps with over 1 million monthly active users, with no upper ceiling. Unlike app wrappers that hit performance constraints under load, Adalo's purpose-built architecture maintains speed at scale. Paid plans include no database record limits, removing a common growth bottleneck.

No-code considerations: While AI-powered platforms like Adalo simplify and speed up app development, they work best for certain use cases. Apps requiring highly specialized custom APIs or unique security implementations may still benefit from traditional programming. However, for the vast majority of business apps—CRM, booking, ordering, dashboards, and similar—modern AI-assisted builders provide sufficient functionality with dramatically faster development.

Making Your Decision

The choice between traditional programming and AI-powered app builders ultimately depends on your specific situation. Consider these key factors:

Choose traditional programming if:

• You're building a graphics-intensive game requiring C++ or C#
• You need highly specialized security implementations
• You have experienced developers on staff and time to spare
• Your app requires custom hardware integrations

Choose an AI-powered builder like Adalo if:

• You need to launch quickly and iterate based on user feedback
• You want native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase
• Your team lacks programming expertise
• You're building business apps like booking, ordering, CRM, or dashboards
• Budget constraints make agency development impractical

The app development landscape has shifted dramatically. What once required months of coding and tens of thousands of dollars can now be accomplished in days or weeks with AI-assisted tools. The question isn't whether no-code is "good enough"—it's whether traditional coding is necessary for your specific use case.

For most entrepreneurs, small businesses, and even enterprise teams building internal tools, AI-powered platforms deliver professional results faster and at a fraction of the cost. The key is matching your tool to your needs.

FAQ

Question	Answer
Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?	Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store from a single codebase—the hardest part of launching an app handled automatically. Paid plans include unlimited database records and no usage-based charges, eliminating surprise bills as your app grows.
What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?	Adalo's drag-and-drop interface combined with AI-assisted building features like Magic Start and Magic Add let you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from a description, while Adalo handles the complex App Store submission process so you can focus on features and user experience.
Can I easily build a mobile app without learning a programming language?	Yes, with Adalo's AI-powered app builder, you can easily build a mobile app without learning a programming language. The drag-and-drop interface lets you create fully functional apps by assembling pre-made components, similar to using PowerPoint, so you can launch professional apps without writing a single line of code.
Which programming language should I choose for my app: Swift, Kotlin, Java, or something else?	Your choice depends on your target platform and app requirements. Swift is ideal for iOS apps, Kotlin is preferred for Android, and JavaScript with React Native enables cross-platform development. However, if you lack coding expertise or need to launch quickly, AI-powered platforms like Adalo eliminate this decision entirely while still delivering native apps for both platforms.
How much does it cost to develop an app using code versus no-code?	Traditional app development through agencies typically starts at $5,000-$6,000 for simple apps and can reach $10,000s for complex ones, taking several months to complete. Adalo starts at $36/month (billed annually) with unlimited usage and no record limits on paid plans, allowing you to build at your own pace with dramatically lower costs.
Which is more affordable, Adalo or Bubble?	Adalo starts at $36/month with unlimited usage and no database record caps on paid plans. Bubble starts at $59/month but includes Workload Unit limits that create usage-based charges, plus record restrictions. Bubble's mobile solution also uses web wrappers rather than true native apps, which can affect performance at scale.
Which is better for mobile apps, Adalo or FlutterFlow?	Adalo creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase with an integrated database. FlutterFlow starts at $70/month per user and requires you to set up and manage a separate external database, adding complexity and cost. FlutterFlow is designed for technical users comfortable with low-code, while Adalo works for non-technical builders.
Can I publish my app to the Apple App Store and Google Play with Glide or Softr?	No, neither Glide nor Softr support Apple App Store or Google Play Store publishing. Glide creates web apps with limited customization, and Softr focuses on Progressive Web Apps. Adalo publishes the same app version to web, iOS App Store, and Google Play Store from a single build.
What types of apps can I build with Adalo's AI-powered platform?	You can create a wide variety of apps with Adalo, including ordering apps for restaurants, booking apps for salons, fitness apps for gyms, social media apps, CRM systems, and business dashboards. Adalo also integrates with thousands of third-party tools like Zapier, QuickBooks, and Airtable to extend your app's functionality.
When should I use traditional programming instead of an AI-powered app builder?	Traditional programming is better suited for apps requiring extensive customizations, high-performance demands like graphics-intensive games, or specialized security implementations with custom APIs. For business apps like CRM, project management, booking, or ordering systems, AI-powered platforms like Adalo offer faster development with sufficient functionality.