Agency recommended Swift for our iOS app, is locking ourselves into this language wise long term?

We faced the exact same dilemma last year. Paid 28,000 dollars to launch on Swift for a similar field service app. 8 months later, Android demand blew up and we had to shell out another 22,000 dollars for the Android build. Now we're paying two developers every single update just to keep the codebases in sync. If your budget is tight, seriously weigh cross-platform options right from the start.

Swift talks directly to the OS kernel, which is why memory management and UI responsiveness are top-notch. That said, the agency's claim that other languages will give you a headache doesn't really hold up today. Unless you're tapping directly into deep device sensors or highly complex communication protocols, modern cross-platform frameworks compile UI performance that is practically indistinguishable from native.

Agencies usually try to sell you whichever devs they have sitting on the bench. If their in-house team is all native iOS specialists, they won't even offer you other options. When they tell you this is the cleanest way, they might just be protecting their own comfort zone. Talk to some independent devs as well; you definitely don't need Swift just for a booking flow, so you might just be paying for the agency's own skill limitations.

Before signing any contract, make sure to clarify these three points: 1) Is your target launch date for Android within the first 12 months, or will you only consider it if iOS takes off? 2) Will the app constantly pull background location and health device data? 3) Will the agency unconditionally hand over full architectural documentation and code ownership? The answers to these will make or break your decision to go with Swift.

Best of luck with the project! I fell into a similar trap with my first startup; we wanted the absolute best and followed the native path to the letter... Then, when Android users showed up we were completely out of money. Yes iPhone has a massive market share in the US, but if the field workers use a mixed bag of devices, ditching Android will lose you clients right out of the gate... Definitely keep that in mind.

swift is awesome but the real issue is dev hourly rates. btw in the us market a native ios dev rarely goes below 90-100 dollars an hour... if you part ways with the agency down the road, finding a replacement will cost a fortune. imo you should ask the agency again about alternatives that cover both platforms in one go.

hi Im pretty new to this topic too... i had no idea that code written in Swift doesnt work on Android at all. isnt there any software or tool that automatically traanslates Swift code into Androids language once its written, or does everything really have to be built from scratch?

First thing tomorrow, ask the agency this: How much would the budget and timeline change if you built the exact same design and features using a cross-platform architecture? If they dodge the question or double the price, it just means they're pushing Swift because that's all they know. Do not sign that contract without getting a quote from another agency.

There's one point I'm curious about. The cheapest quote is usually the least thought-out one.

Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

Just a heads-up. Solutions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

Let me summarize whats been said so far. honestly most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

Just leaving this note it might be useful.

I've been dealing with this for a long time. If you get three different answers on a topic, the question was asked wrong.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

We've heard this a lot, but it never happened like that for us. Solutions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late.

I agree and I'd like to emphasize that. When making a decision, first look at what data you have on hand.

Correct me if Im wrong.

there is something to watch out for but any unwritten clause becomes a point of disagreement later, as both sides remember it differently.

of course, it varies if your situation is different.

I'd appreciate it if you shared the outcome.

let me summarize the topic since several different answers were given. anyway mistakes made on the iOS app development language side are usually reversible but expensive.

this is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

There are three things to check when doing this. People defend habits not processes. like resistance comes from there.

This is my opinion I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.