Xcode is the obvious choice for native iOS developers! Where else are you going to go?!?!

Rating: 9 out of 10

October 30, 2023

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We develop a native iOS app and using Xcode is the only way that we are able to deploy to our devices for testing and then to the App Store for distribution.

Pros

Debugging
Profiling
Great IDE

Cons

Sometimes it can be really slow
There are a lot of features we don't use
I use the interface builder tools were better at visualizing what the UI will look like

Likelihood to Recommend

We are huge advocates of native iOS development and there is just real alternative when it comes to developing in Swift or Objective-C for the iPhone and iPad.

Alternatives

JetBrains Rider and Android Studio

Xcode is a much easier to use and full featured IDE than many of the competitors. It also is a way better experience to use. Much better looking in general.

Verified User

Professional in Product Management (Farming company, 10,001+ employees)

Vetted Review

12 years of experience

Xcode - the obvious choice for Apple ecosphere application development

Rating: 10 out of 10

Incentivized

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Xcode is the primary (and only) IDE that we use for macOS and iOS application development as well as scripts and stand-alone Unix binaries. Xcode is produced and supported by Apple and therefore is the premiere IDE for application development in the Apple ecosphere. We also deploy Xcode in the library and in certain labs for programming courses. Usage audience is developers and students.

Pros

Immediate implementation and integration with new features
Code completion
AI code suggestion
Comprehensive options for builds
Workflow customization
Since it is Apple's tool, problems get fixed quickly

Cons

Documentation
Number of settings can be overwhelming
Embedded help for settings and configuration
Templates
Collaboration
Managing of credentials (although this has recently gotten better)

Likelihood to Recommend

This is almost not a case of Xcode being the 300-pound gorilla in the space, but of it being essentially the ONLY viable gorilla in the space. There are other text editors, of course, that can be used for coding; and in some cases other IDE's might make sense for a cross-platform development scenario, but since this is Apple's in-house tool, fighting against that flow is just going to be an exercise in frustration. And, if you need help from Developer Support, they are going to be most familiar with Xcode.

Alternatives

Anaconda and Microsoft Visual Studio Code

Xcode is the clear choice in general circumstances in Apple echosphere application development (for instance, not for Java or web programming necessarily) primarily due to the fact that it is Apple's in-house tool. It received a lot of attention and is used by a huge audience of developers. It has the advantage of being free, heavily supported by Apple, tightly tied to OS and hardware changes, and benefits from significant Apple Intelligence enhancements in the latest version.

Bruce Carter

Senior Systems Engineer in Information Technology at University of Notre Dame (Higher Education, 5001-10,000 employees)

Vetted Review

20 years of experience