Xojo vs Livecode best option for iOS Development?

I use both Livecode and Xojo I like them both. Xojo is way better than Livecode when it comes to Mac OSX and Linux. And Livecode way better at Windows. Livecode also supports Android and is one of the best 3rd party android development tools on the market.

However when it comes to iOS what my thoughts on the subject. First off Xojo just released version 1 of iOS support and Livecode has supported iOS for several years now. I used Livecode for iOS and liked it, but when I heard Xojo was going to support native iOs GUI I was excited.

Once iOS was released for Xojo I became disappointed fast, it was missing so much basic stuff that it was uncanny. Xojo is very very limited out of the box when compared to Livecode for iOS.

It was so limited that I made a chart highlighting some of the different things I came to need to when making iOS apps. Livecode supports most of them. Xojo supports only few of them. Lets take a look.

I really like how Xojo works and prefer it still over Livecode for Mac and Linux. And I like the IDE and the way BASIC works over small talk and Livecode IDE. However when it comes to Mobile Livecode wins for now. It supports more stuff out of the box for iOS and also supports Android with most of the same items as it does for iOS.

Another area that impressive is Livecode is now cheaper than Xojo if your going to make iOS apps. With Livecode your required to have Livecode Commercial License to sell iOS apps which cost $299 each year (that also includes 7 platforms for now and up to 8 in the near future.) For Xojo since there pricing change iOS cost $299 a year for only iOS. For Desktop its an extra $299 and for Pro its $699.

Also if your interested in just iOS and want to only do free iOS apps , Livecode for iOS only can be as low as $99. Xojo does not even have this option.

However Apple new swift changes the game even more. You can always switch over to Xcode and use swift for free, and that supports everything out of the box. The reason anyone would use Xojo or Livecode would be to make cross-platform apps.

I still like both tools and will keep using both tools, but for now Livecode wins iOS based on it supports way more needed stuff. However if you need or want Native GUI and learn declares for Xojo then Xojo can be a real improvement in overall quality of the end product.

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I personally have moved to Xcode and Swift for iOS as neither Xojo or Livecode does what I need to grow as a developer of iOS apps.

Swift is very easy to use as a programming language and Xcode supports everything. The case its not cross platform is not valid to me because Xojo and Livecode are not really cross-platform either when it comes to iOS. You can not take the same code base as a Linux or windows app and make it work with iOS with either of those tools without re programming it for iOS.

That fact of that alone makes Xcode and swift the best overall option. Plus its free to use, there millions of developers using it. Which gives more chances to get answers if you get stuck. And last if your looking for a paying job you likely find one for swift than with either of those tools.