Android App Backend – What are the options?

Are you looking for an Android app backend? Here is an in-depth tutorial detailing the best programming languages and hosting options for your Android application.

Android is a dominating operating system that top mobile companies of the world are successfully using. That is why building server-side of mobile applications with Android is definitely a perfect choice for developers.

However, novices and startups still have many questions about using programming languages and hosting platforms for Android.

Therefore, this guide deals with all of these questions in detail. Indeed, this article presents the major languages and hosting services that you can utilize for your Android app backend.

What is Android?

Android is an open-source mobile operating system that is based upon the Linux kernel. This platform lets developers personalize and modify operating systems for mobile devices.

It has various versions and GUIs. Coders can conveniently use Android SDKs to build applications for this OS free of cost.

In the beginning, Android was launched to give good competition to iOS, but now, it is leading mainly if we talk about the market share of mobile operating systems. Yes, Android owns 70% of the mobile OS market share.

The top mobile manufacturing companies benefiting from Android are Samsung, Huawei, HTC and LG.

Why Choose Android for Development?

Developer-Friendly Technologies & Tools

Android is based on Java, which is a very developer-friendly language. Thus, developing Android apps is much easier than developing applications for other platforms because it has many developer-friendly technologies and tools. Moreover, if you’re familiar with Java, you’ll find it easy to start Android development.

You have access to various libraries that make it easy to develop your app. You can also use Google Play Services to access features like cloud storage, location services, advertising, maps, etc. These features help you build high-quality mobile applications without worrying about backend infrastructure or security issues.

Smooth Entry to Market

Android is the fastest-growing platform in the history of mobile phones. It has been adopted by more than 2.5 billion active users worldwide. Consequently, it offers a smooth entry point into this market for developers.

If your app is developed using Android as its platform, it will have a considerable reach and audience to cater to right from the start. Not only that, you don’t have to worry about spending big money on developer licenses.

A High Number of Users

According to Statcounter, the global market has 72.11% share from Android, and it’s all about the cost. Indeed, the Android operating system has a high number of users because it is cost-effective compared to iOS.

Moreover, in countries like Brazil, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and Turkey, Android has a market share of above 85%.

Android also powers billions of IoT devices such as smart TVs, wearables, and fitness trackers. This makes Android an ideal platform for developers looking to reach a large audience on multiple screens at once.

Community Support

Being an open-source platform, Android’s community support is enormous. On these platforms, several developers share their knowledge and experiences. This helps them to learn new things and also to improve their skills.

Hereof, you can’t only find a variety of resources on GitHub, but there are several community forums that you can use. Android Forums, XDA Forums, Android Community of Google, Stack Overflow, and DroidForums are trustworthy places to ask your questions in this regard.

Scalable & Cost Efficient

Android apps are scalable and cost-efficient compared to iOS apps in terms of development and maintenance costs.

This is because Android apps are built on Java, a prevalent programming language many companies use for their development needs.

Also, Android SDK comes with many features which help developers build applications quickly and easily without requiring much time in coding for each part.

High ROI

Android has one of the highest returns on investment (ROI) among all other mobile platforms. The ROI is high because of the apparent market size and the low cost involved in developing an app for Android.

Companies can also develop Android apps with less investment than iOS, Windows Phone, and Blackberry platforms.

Security

Android apps are protected with robust security features such as encryption, device authentication, verification, and password protection. These features ensure that your data remains safe even if your device gets stolen or lost.

In addition, there are no viruses or malware associated with Android devices because they don’t run on operating systems like Windows or Unix that have known vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit easily.

Open-Source

Because Android is open-source, it allows developers to customize their phones with various apps and other features unavailable in stock Android versions.

The open-source nature also makes it easier for developers to develop custom ROMs for their devices which may be customized according to their needs or requirements.

It is Easy to Learn

Android provides an easy-to-learn environment for developers just starting with mobile development. Moreover, it is easier for those who want to change existing apps without learning complex coding languages such as Objective C or Swift.

With Android Studio, developers can write code using Java or Kotlin and compile it into an APK file. It helps to run on devices using Android OS version 2.3 or higher with minimal effort required on their part.

It Has a Large App Store

Android has a large app store called Google Play Store, with over 3.48 million apps available. It means development teams can smoothly build and release their Android applications. Yes, it takes only a few steps to submit your app for review on Google Play Store. 

What Backend Languages are Used for Android App Development?

Although developers can use numerous programming languages to build Android applications but we are only discussing the core ones here:

Java

Java is an object-oriented, concurrent and general-purpose computer programming language that was created to have as few implementation dependencies as feasible.

It is a very commonly used language as a backend for Android app development to add interactivity to an application’s user interface.

According to the TIOBE Index, Java is the 3rd most used programming language with a 10.47% rating.

Features

Dynamic Data Type — In Java, all variables have an active data type, which means they can contain different data types. The data may be in the form of a string, number, object, etc., depending on the value assigned.

Lightweight — Java is lightweight because it doesn’t need any compilation step before running it on the client-side, unlike many other languages.

Async Processing — Java code can run asynchronously without blocking the browser’s UI thread. This means that you can perform long-running tasks like reading files or making network requests without affecting the responsiveness of the UI.

Divide Server Processing Load — Java code can be executed on the server before being sent to the browser. Besides, it allows you to send only part of your page content to the client, saving bandwidth for users with slow connections or expensive data plans.

Create Custom Objects & Functions — Java supports object-oriented programming (OOP) with custom objects and functions. OOP allows you to reuse code from one project in another by creating objects containing data and methods (functions) for manipulating that data.

Limitations

• Java overuses memory, and its performance is not as good as C languages.
• It has no built-in support for encryption or cryptography.
• This backend language for Android comes with limited access to system resources such as file systems, networking, and databases.
• Also, it doesn’t offer enough control over functions like garbage collection.
• It has limited memory allocation.

Kotlin

Kotlin is a well-known programming language, particularly for developing Android apps. This Java alternative has a 9.16% rating in the Stack Overflow survey.

Yes, the language that can interact with Java is Kotlin, an Android app backend language. It shows that you can use this programming language within Java programs that have previously been established.

Features

Java Interoperability — The first benefit is that Kotlin can be used seamlessly with Java. It provides an interoperability layer that lets you call Kotlin code from Java and vice versa. This means you can use existing Java libraries and frameworks in your Kotlin code without problems.

Extension Functions — An exciting feature of Kotlin is its ability to create extension functions for existing classes. Moreover, it objects without modifying its source code or recompiling them from scratch, making extending its functionality easy.

Safety — Kotlin offers several safety features like nullability annotations that help you avoid common mistakes made by developers who don’t know Kotlin well enough yet (or at all). Nullable types make sure that you check whether something is null before accessing its properties or methods.

Easy to Learn — Kotlin is very easy to understand because it has a similar syntax to Java and C#. Besides, it also comes with additional features like functions as first-class citizens or Lambdas, making it easier to read and understand.

Tooling Support — It is fully supported by Android Studio IDE, which means you can write your app backend code in Kotlin and still use the same IDE to develop the UI.

Limitations

• Kotlin is still in the beta version, which means there are bugs.
• It’s not fully compatible with Android Studio yet, so you must use IntelliJ IDEA to develop Android apps in Kotlin.
• Kotlin lacks documentation and tutorials about it, especially for beginners.
• Kotlin is a new language that developers don’t know much about it yet, so they may be reluctant to learn it first.
• Many frameworks support Kotlin, but they are different from each other in terms of syntax and usage.

Dart

Dart is another Android programming language that Google initially developed to help developers build web and mobile apps faster.

It has since become a full-fledged programming language that can also be used for creating mobile apps. Dart has a 6.54% rating in a recent survey of Stack Overflow.

Features

It’s Easy to Learn — The syntax is similar to Java, making it easier for Java developers to pick up Dart without knowing anything new. This means that even if you aren’t planning on using Dart in your Android app today.

Dart is Fast — Dart is the best backend language for Android, and its VM uses multithreading to run large amounts of code in parallel. This makes it possible for Dart code to be executed at native speed, even on mobile devices.

Built-in Support for Typed Arrays — Dart has built-in support for typed arrays, which are helpful when working with bitmaps, audio, images, and videos. This makes converting between different data formats easy without worrying about losing information or data type errors.

Null Safety — Null references are one of the biggest problems in most programming languages, but Dart does not allow null references! Instead, you can use option types — like optional strings or integers — instead of null values.

It Has a Rich Standard Library — It consists of all the basic functionalities needed in any application, such as math, string manipulation, file handling, etc.

It Can be Compiled into JavaScript — Dart can be compiled into JavaScript, which means it can also run on browsers without any plugins or extensions installed.

Limitations

• No support for multiple inheritances.
• Dart is a new programming language and is not as popular as other languages like Java or Python.
• Dart does not support asynchronous programming, which is essential for writing efficient code.
• Because of its single-threaded nature, Dart does not have support for multithreading and cannot be used for multi-core applications.
• The Dart IDE does not support debugging, so it’s hard to debug large applications written in Dart without using third-party tools like browser inspectors, etc.

C++

C++ is one of the most used programming languages in the world. It is an object-oriented language supporting multiple paradigms, including procedural programming, data abstraction, and object-oriented programming. 

You can use C++ for different fields, including embedded systems, operating systems, high-performance computing and mobile devices. According to the TIOBE Index, it has a 9.63% rating and owns the 4th rank.

Features

Portability —  It means you can run the same program on any computer with an appropriate compiler. This can be useful if you want to write a program that will run on several platforms.

Object-Oriented Programming — C++, as a backend language for Android apps, supports object-oriented programming, which allows you to create “objects” (such as windows and buttons) that have their code and data.

Low-level Language — It is a low-level language, which means that it’s closer to the hardware and more efficient than higher-level languages. It’s also suitable for game development because it can handle multithreading and graphics manipulation better than other languages.

Memory Management is Excellent — A memory leak in C++ will cause your app to crash immediately, while in Java, you can have a memory leak. Also, it may not affect your app until you restart it.

Cross-Platform Support — Many companies use C++ as their primary programming language because they want to create apps that work on multiple platforms without having to rewrite code for each platform separately.

Speedy Compilation — The C++ compiler is swift. Compiling your app will take only a few seconds, which is very important during development and debugging.

Limitations

• C++ can be difficult to learn, especially without the right tools and support.
• It’s not as portable as other languages because it relies on the C runtime library (CRT).

C#

C# is one of the most popular programming languages that was released in 2001. It is also the primary language used for Android development. C# has been around for a long time, but it continues to be one of the most popular programming languages.

It’s a powerful and flexible language that allows you to create powerful applications quickly and easily. According to the TIOBE Index for June 2022, it has a 6.12% rating.

Features

Object-Oriented Programming — C# is an object-oriented programming language. It allows developers to create classes and objects and define their properties and methods.

Functional Programming — Functional programming is a style of programming that focuses on creating functions that do not change their state or directly interact with other processes (even if they call another method).

Asynchronous Programming Model (APM) — The Asynchronous Programming Model (APM) allows developers to write asynchronous code without worrying about blocking threads or deadlocking processes.

Open-Source — C# is an open-source programming language, meaning it’s free to use and modify as you wish. The source code of C# is available on GitHub, and anyone can contribute to the development of the language by reporting bugs or adding new features.

Cross-Platform Development — C# was designed from the ground up to be cross-platform, meaning that you can use it on all major operating systems (Windows, Linux, and macOS) without having any issues with compatibility between versions or platforms.

Support for Multiple Databases — C# has built-in support for many different databases, including SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL.

Limitations

• C#, backend language for Android apps is not as popular as Java.
• It is challenging to learn this language.
• All the Android devices do not fully support C#.
• It isn’t easy to debug the code written in C#.
• C# backend languages for the Android app are slower than Java.

Android app backend options – Where to Host Your Android App?

Building an Android application by using a suitable programming language is not enough. You also have to host it on a good platform. Hereof, various BaaS, IaaS and PaaS platforms could be used.

Back4App

If you want to host an Android app backend on a top-rated Backend as a Service (BaaS), then you shouldn’t ignore Back4App. Backend development is easy with Back4App and it provides an excellent user experience.

With 3.5 billion monthly processed requests, this backend server company is considered an ideal hosting choice for Android applications.

Moreover, 190K+ developers from 100 countries of the world are also using this platform for their tech stacks. It works great for mobile app development and web applications.

It offers features like a scalable data model, push notifications, cloud functions, REST API, GraphQL API, and file storage.

Please check out our step-by-step guide on How to make an Android app for more information about this topic.

You will find fast speed, excellent uptime and seamless server management with this hosting service. With flat plans, you can also enjoy the Pay-As-You-Go pricing model to host your Android app with Back4App.

Firebase

Firebase is known for building, hosting and releasing Android applications. This is also a BaaS platform that you can definitely use to host your Android application.

Firebase hosting permits the users quick GitHub integration and provides free SSL and many other features.

With this BaaS hosting, businesses can’t only host single-page web apps but also host dynamic and advanced mobile apps with high uptime.

Fortunately, development teams can preview apps and conduct modifications with Firebase Hosting before its release.

Heroku

On the contrary, if BaaS hosting is not fulfilling your needs, then the use of Platform as a Service (PaaS) vendors must be considered.

Heroku is a very scalable hosting solution that assists a variety of projects. Yes, it backs languages including Java, Ruby, Node.js, Python, PHP, Go and many more.

Developers can benefit from the smart containers of Heroku to operate their applications in an advanced manner.

Furthermore, the support of reliable database management systems and datastores like Postgres and Redis also makes it a perfect option for all sizes of businesses.

AWS

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is another big name when it comes to hosting Android app backends. AWS was initially launched in 2006 and now confers more than 200 services to its users. It’s a great choice for developer looking to build a custom backend.

In this regard, it works as PaaS and IaaS. Although it offers its users a free tier to host web and mobile applications, but these plans come with limited features. Software developers can host the frontend and backend with AWS.

Different products that AWS provides to host Android applications are AWS Amplify Hosting, Amazon S3, Amazon EC2, Amazon Lightsail, Elastic Load Balancing, Amazon RDS and AWS Lambda. Luckily, all of these solutions have freemium programs to aid startups.

Few other hosting solutions that you can consider using in this regard are DigitalOcean, Linode, Kumulos and Azure Mobile Apps.

Conclusion

This article enlightens the top programming languages to build backends of Android apps with their features and limitations. Moreover, it also discusses the benefits of Android and the right hosting solutions for such apps.

Hopefully, it will help our readers to find the right way to build and host an Android application. However, it is always recommended to choose the most suitable options instead of the most used or the rated ones.

FAQ