Top 10 Programming Languages to Make Android Apps

In this era of the internet and technology, everyone is connected to the digital world. Different people use different devices; however, the priority for most users is to select portable devices like mobile phones and tablets. As the user base for these devices increases, the need to develop amazing and functional applications for these devices is also increasing.

If we look at the number of users of different mobile phones globally, the users using Android take more than 70% of the total. It means that there is a huge need for developing Android apps as these are used on phones, tablets, and some other devices.

So, here we will be discussing the Top 10 Programming Languages to Make Android Apps that you can use right now.

Android Overview

Before jumping right on to the programming languages, it is better to get a general overview as most people do not know what Android is besides knowing that their phones run on Android. So, Android is an open-source operating system based on Linux, and it is made for mobile phones and tablets.

What makes Android so special is that it provides a unified approach for the developers as they only need to develop one application that works well on all of the Android mobile phones with supporting versions of Android.

Android was released in 2008, and since then, it has been through a lot of major software improvements and version upgrades. However, being open-source means that its code is available for free, so everyone can use that.

The benefits of Android you need to know about

While many people around the world are currently using Android, it provides amazing benefits for everyone, including the users and developers. So, here are some of the benefits of Android that you can experience as a developer.

  • Android has a huge community of developers currently working on different languages.
  • Android supports inter-app integration that opens doors for a lot of new features.
  • The cost for development is very less on Android.
  • Any application or game developed for Android has a higher success ratio as more people on the planet use it.

With many options between languages for developing on Android, you can experience a rich development environment. You can develop very good apps that can do really well as there as different languages that provide you a great range to develop apps.

Top 10 Programming Languages to Make Android Apps

Speaking of the rich development environment, many programming languages are there that you can use for developing amazing Android applications. However, all of them are not as good as they should be.

So, if you are looking to select a good programming language for developing Android apps, we have the top 10 programming languages you can use.

1.    Kotlin

There are many languages that you can use for developing Android applications, and Kotlin is one of them. The surprising thing is that it is not even that old compared to some of the languages that have been there for decades. It is also one of the reasons for Kotlin being on the top of our list.

Well, it is the features and amazing options that Kotlin provides that have helped it gain a lot of popularity in such a small time. It is developed as an alternative for Java, and now it has become the official language for developing Android applications.

In terms of development experience, it provides easy coding with code instances that are not very long.

2.    Java

Java is the most popular language for developing Android applications. It has been there for decades meaning that it has a huge developer community currently active.

Java has a huge community of developers because it can develop applications and software for all types of devices like computer applications, websites, and mobile applications.

As it has a huge active community, you can learn it today, and you will easily find assistance to your problem with the help of this community.

3.    Lua

Every programming language has its specialty and what is special about Lua is that it is amazing for game developers.

So, if you are looking to develop a game for Android devices, then selecting Lua may be the best decision at your end. It is especially good for developing simpler games as it is very easy to use and open-source.

However, if your goal is beyond the development of simple games and you want to develop some complex Android games, it may not be the best choice.

4.    Basic

Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code or BASIC is the language that is made for beginners. So, if you are a beginner and looking to start with Android development, it can be an amazing choice. One thing to consider here is that you can only develop some simple applications using this language as many features are not supported here.

It is the best Android development language for non-developers who are looking to develop an application by themselves. In this case, using some managed backend with the application will be the best choice as it will make the experience better and simpler.

5. C#

C# is the programming language that is also known as one of the most used programming languages. Just like Java, it can be used for developing different types of software and applications. It is one of the most successful languages as it has a huge developer community currently active.

One of the reasons for this is that C# has been there for more than 2 decades now. It has matured over the years. So, if you are looking to develop an amazing Android application with many features, it can be the best choice.

6.    C++

C++ is another mature programming language that you can use to develop amazing Android applications full of features.

Here you cannot develop the whole application in C++ as you will need to use the NDK for developing applications. One of the best things about using C++ for Android development is that you can use the libraries for adding features to applications.

So, if you have a good grip over C++, then using it for developing Android applications may be the best decision at your end.

7.    Xamarin

Sometimes you need to develop an Android application that is just more than an Android application. These are usually known as cross-platform applications that work on other devices and operating systems as well.

Xamarin is one of the best options for developing such applications for your Android devices with all the native features. It comes with a lot of features and benefits, making the application development process faster and easier.

Here you can reuse code and share code between applications for similar features as well.

8.    React Native

React Native is another amazing way of creating cross-platform applications for your Android devices. When an application is developed here, it provides a lot of value to the user and the developer end. For the user, the applications perform very well and have almost all the native-like features.

The coding process is very easy for the developers, and coding can be done in the form of components, and these components of code can be used in different applications. So, the application development process is very easy while the application itself performs very well.

9.    Ionic

Speaking of cross-platform application development, you can try many options, and Ionic is one of the most popular options. It is a free and open-source framework that anyone can use, and here you will be developing the applications for Android using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

When you are developing Android applications using Ionic, there are no features that you will be missing out on. Animations, gestures, elements, and many other things to make the applications look attractive are all supported here. The framework also integrates with other libraries for adding additional functionalities to your applications making the whole development process easier.

10. Flutter

Flutter provides cross-platform application development features, meaning that the applications developed here can work on different platforms. It uses Dart programming language that comes with an extensive library of tools that can make the applications look very attractive in terms of design.

Not only this, but Dart also enables you to develop applications with all the features that you will need. So, all in all, we can say that the development process will be very productive with increased efficiency from the applications. Flutter also provides amazing customization options for developing even better applications.

To understand the differences between Flutter and React Native, please read the article Flutter vs. React Native.

Final Remarks

With a huge number of users currently using Android devices as their primary device, we can say that developing Android applications has huge scope.

Here we were elaborating on Android and the 10 best programming languages you can use for developing Android applications.

Would you be interested in learning the best iOS coding languages? If so, please read iOS Programming Languages.

FAQ

What is Android?

Android is an open-source operating system based on Linux, and it is made for mobile phones and tablets.

What are the benefits of Android?

– Large user based (more than 70% of smartphones)
– Easy to learn
– Open-Source

What are the best Android programming languages?

– Java
– Kotlin
– Lua
– Basic
– C++
– C#
– React Native
– Flutter
– Ionic
– Xamarin


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