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As iOS app development evolves, the question on many developers' minds is: Should I use SwiftUI or UIKit in 2025?
Apple introduced SwiftUI in 2019 as the future of declarative UI, but UIKit still powers most of the App Store. Let's break down the strengths, weaknesses, and use cases of both frameworks to help you decide which is best for your next project.
SwiftUI is Apple’s modern, declarative framework for building UI across all Apple platforms (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS).
Introduced: WWDC 2019
Language: Pure Swift
Design Approach: Declarative
UIKit is the traditional UI framework for iOS, based on an imperative programming model.
Introduced: iOS 2.0 (2008)
Language: Objective-C / Swift
Design Approach: Imperative
| Feature | SwiftUI | UIKit |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Curve | Easier for beginners | Steeper, but flexible |
| Code Readability | Clean and concise | Verbose, more boilerplate |
| Live Preview | Yes (Xcode Canvas) | No |
| Cross-Platform | Seamless across Apple devices | iOS-focused |
| Backward Support | iOS 13+ only | Supports older iOS versions |
| Community Support | Growing rapidly | Mature and robust |
| Animation Handling | Simple and declarative | Manual and complex |
| Third-Party Support | Improving, not universal | Massive and stable |
Building new apps targeting iOS 15+
Prototyping UI quickly with live previews
Simple to moderately complex UIs
Cross-platform Apple ecosystem apps (watchOS, macOS)
Supporting legacy iOS versions (iOS 12 or below)
Complex and mature enterprise apps
Heavy use of custom gestures, deep navigation control
Advanced libraries not yet compatible with SwiftUI
Less code, faster prototyping
Cross-platform compatibility
Built-in animations and transitions
Live preview for instant feedback
Limited backward compatibility
Still evolving (some bugs/features missing)
Less control over certain components
Time-tested and battle-ready
Huge developer community
Greater third-party library support
Fine-tuned control over every UI detail
More boilerplate code
Imperative style feels outdated
No live preview
Many modern iOS developers now start with SwiftUI, especially for new apps and smaller projects. However, UIKit remains essential for complex applications and compatibility with existing codebases. Hybrid approaches using SwiftUI for new screens and UIKit where necessary are also common.
In 2025, SwiftUI is the future and ideal for most new apps. But UIKit is far from obsolete. If you're just getting started, learn SwiftUI first, and supplement it with UIKit knowledge to be fully versatile in iOS development.