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Apple Xcode vs Xamarin Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Apple Xcode
Ranking in Mobile Development Platforms
12th
Average Rating
7.6
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Xamarin Platform
Ranking in Mobile Development Platforms
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
39
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Mobile Development Platforms category, the mindshare of Apple Xcode is 2.3%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Xamarin Platform is 7.5%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Mobile Development Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Daniel Bell - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 16, 2022
Efficient, up-to-date, and straightforward installation
Apple Xcode is used for writing code for developing software within Apple's ecosystem Apple Xcode has helped out organization by allowing us to efficiently create iOS apps without needed overhead, which allows us to engage the iOS community. The most valuable feature of Apple Xcode is that it is…
Vishal Paliwal - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 23, 2022
Lets us build hybrid apps for Android and iOS, with top support from Microsoft
We are using the new release of Xamarin Platform (as .NET MAUI) to create hybrid applications, so we don't need to implement them individually in different platforms. We can simply deploy in a single codeless application which is automatically deployed to multiple platforms. This is the biggest…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It is stable and user-friendly."
"Xcode has quite a bit of code error checking built-in, which is great. It also goes a step further and suggests fixes."
"It is complete and relevant to the job at hand."
"The most valuable feature of Apple Xcode is that it is up to date."
"Xcode is pretty smart. It's easy to set up and works perfectly on Android."
"We like the ease of access and navigation that this solution provides."
"The tool's most valuable features are debugging and code management."
"Xamarin Platform enables you to use a single code language. This is beneficial for Android, iOS, and Windows platforms, so they can be developed over application or built over application."
"The most important impact is the reduction in product lifecycle costs."
"For me, developing apps for iOS and Android is a dream came true, without migrating to Objective-C or Java. Xamarin enables me to do so."
"It allows us to reuse our knowledge of C# and .NET Framework."
"It significantly reduces development and test costs, and ensures that there is synergy between the platforms on product features and user experience."
"The most valuable feature of the Xamarin Platform is the deployment."
"Their leadership is exceptional at both listening to the customer base and delivering innovative, best-in-class products."
"The solution is easy to understand and has banking integrated. The shorter development time, the bugging and as well as availability of a lot of documentation on the web. Also the native integration is easy."
 

Cons

"There is a drag-and-drop visual system, but as soon as you do something dynamic, then you are unable to use it."
"We would like a 'light' version of this solution to be developed, as it currently uses a lot of memory space."
"There should be additional documentation on App Store deployment. In terms of features, they're pretty much on top of where they need to go. I've been happy with its progress so far. As things evolve, they need to evolve to match that need."
"It consists of multiple components and needs a simplified process. This particular area could be more stable."
"The size of Apple Xcode could improve. It is too large."
"It is a bit challenging to sign in."
"As Apple has introduced more and more features on top of Xcode, it sometimes, but very rarely, hangs."
"Xamarin Platform can improve by making the enterprise documentation better. There's a lot of basic documentation of how to do many of the functions of the solution, but there's not much enterprise-level documentation."
"All Xamarin library issues need to be taken care of as a top priority."
"The monitoring of the remote devices is not good as it should be extended along. It would be useful if the log is more integrated with the central console. I am not sure it can be accessed but it would be better."
"The application platform could be improved."
"They need to improve performance, especially for the Android platform. Also, some controls are missing in the Xamarin framework when compared to native controls; for example, the checkbox control."
"There is limited support for UX widgets."
"The solution struggles a little bit with binding libraries."
"The problem that I faced was that the communication, the roles, and the responsibilities, weren't defined between Microsoft and Xamarin."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There are no licensing costs for Xcode and no hidden charges. You just download it."
"We don't have to pay for Apple Xcode's licenses."
"You can start off using Apple Xcode for free but if you start using some more of their enhanced features, it's going to be hundreds of dollars a month. There are corporate licenses but most individual users will not be worried about the corporate license, only your CFO will or the person in charge of the software department."
"It has an annual renewal."
"Xamarin is free, or comes with Visual Studio. Therefore, it is very profitable."
"Xamarin Platform is a free open-source solution."
"It saved a lot of time and resources needed to develop a cross platform mobile app."
"This is an open-source solution, but there is a subscription charge to use the App Center of around $100."
"Xamarin is free. There is no license unless you go for some high-end enterprise features. Other than that, everything's free."
"My company provided all the licenses that we need to support our use of Xamarin Platform."
"There is no requirement for a license. It is available for free as an open-source product."
"There is no license fee because the solution is open-source."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Educational Organization
10%
University
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Educational Organization
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apple Xcode?
The tool's most valuable features are debugging and code management.
What needs improvement with Apple Xcode?
Apple Xcode's usability for developers needs enhancement. It consists of multiple components and needs a simplified process. This particular area could be more stable.
What do you like most about Xamarin Platform?
Xamarin.Forms are very useful. Essentially, it's a framework that allows me to create the UI mostly in XAML. This XAML code is then translated into the native UI elements for each respective platform.
What needs improvement with Xamarin Platform?
In Xamarin.Forms, we have the option to preview our UI designs, but the functionality can be limited. So, this is not fully functional. Since I have some knowledge of iOS, where when you write code...
 

Comparisons

 

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Cinemark, MixRadio, Sqor Sports, Storyo, JetBlue, The World Bank, Cr_dito Agrcola, Applied Research Associates
Find out what your peers are saying about Apple Xcode vs. Xamarin Platform and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.