Kotlin v/s Java: Which Is Better For Your Android App Development

Android app development is a pivotal aspect of mobile app development as any created app must run smoothly on not only iOS but also Android devices. The world is increasing its consumption of smartphones and along with it the consumption of mobile apps.

This makes it crucial for developers to architect robust apps in a leaner timeframe that can serve the audience well and grasp their attention. For this, the selection of the right development language is a key driver behind bringing an app to fruition. With so many different development languages taking the market by storm, it is hard to decipher which language will make the app development process for Android devices more seamless.

Two of the most widely used and known programming languages are Java and Kotlin. They both have withstood the test of time and created a long-lasting impact on the app development market.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the two and understand which one is better for your app development needs.

Java

If we take a peek at many of the apps on PlayStore, a lot of them have been made using Java. This is also partly due to Java being the official development language for Android until it got replaced by Kotlin. Java has a massive online community that any developer can lean on for support when they experience hiccups. Due to being proactively supported by Google, one can create extremely elegant and complex apps using the language.

Pros:

• Being multiplatform, Java works smoothly on any platform be it your devices, servers, or operating systems.
• With a good coding base, Java is easily one of the safest and most secure programming languages. It has a strong set of security measures that make the chance of memory getting corrupted very low.
• Java makes writing codes easier due to its readymade third-party codes.
• Java has a higher quality of safety standards than Kotlin.

Cons:

• Java’s syntax can be complicated for beginners to understand and grasp in the initial stages as compared to Python or C++.
• Java eats up slightly more memory space from the user’s device and also is a bit slower in performance.
• Recently, it has also come to light that Java has faced some issues with API design in Android.
• Being test-driven, Java can increase the development time as it might require the developer to write more code if bugs and errors are spotted after the testing.

Kotlin

A cross-platform app development language, Kotlin has been declared by Google to be the official Android app development language in 2019 and a great alternative to Java. Unlike Java, Kotlin has eliminated and eased up some of the unnecessary steps and processes in app development. For instance, you no longer have to end every line with a semicolon.

Pros:

• Applications made with Kotlin are lightweight and seer away from taking up a lot of space in the user’s device.
• Its developmental time is less and it also takes very less time for compilation.
• Kotlin is secure against NullPointerException.
• You can also undertake web development with Kotlin as it incorporates coroutines and interoperability with Javascript.

Cons:

• Being a fairly new programming language as compared to Java, Kotlin doesn’t have a great user base or support community to rely on when they face hiccups in the development process.
• As it is not well-established yet, Kotlin has very few developers in the market in its name and thus finding one for your project can be an uphill battle.
• Kotlin’s code can be complex to read as it matches weak patterns, unlike Java.
• Kotlin has a steep learning curve and requires switching teams due to its strict syntax.

Which one to choose: Java or Kotlin?

Both Java and Kotlin are extremely agile and high-performance programming languages that amp up your app’s quality and build.

Java is a time-tested programming language with many world-renowned apps such as Uber, Spotify, Instagram, Netflix, etc. under its belt. Over the years it has garnered immense developer support which one can easily rely on. Its high safety standards also make it more secure. But then again, as Kotlin, it doesn’t have the touch of the latest technological advancements and lags in developmental time along with other nuances.

Kotlin on the other hand is extremely adept, built for ease of development and time-effectiveness. It’s up to date and abreast with the latest advances in app development to give developers a great experience through and through. The biggest setback with Kotlin is the lack of developers in the market who use it. Being fairly new, it can be a hassle to find seasoned Kotlin programmers.

Nevertheless, both Java and Kotlin are great programming languages, and weighing their pros and cons can help you decide to hire dedicated app developers adept in one of these languages.