Mobile applications have become an indispensable aspect of human lives these days. Wherever you go you would come across people glued on to their mobile handsets checking out various new applications. In fact, currently, there are 2.71 billion smartphone users across the world. Interestingly, mobile applications have also kept pace with the growth of smartphones. It is being said that mobile apps are projected to hit $188.9 billion in revenue by 2020. This is truly phenomenal. Hence, all these prove beyond doubt that mobile applications stare at a great future ahead.

It must be noted that developing a mobile app is no joke. There are a lot of thoughts and discussions that precede before deciding on the framework of mobile apps. For example, the platform to be used to develop the app, the appropriate language, etc. Here are 15 free languages that can be used to develop mobile apps. So, select the right one after analyzing your requirements.

# Kotlin

Kotlin has eventually become one of the top languages of mobile app development. It was created by JetBrains and the Kotlin language is very beneficial for Android app developers. The main trigger for the unprecedented rise to prominence of the language is due to its interoperability. The other reasons for Kotlin’s immense popularity are its ability to work on Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and adaptability with front-end and back-end development.

# Swift

This is one of the most unique and powerful languages for iOS mobile app development. You can choose Swift for app development in case you are eyeing premium and advanced platform for iOS and Mac OS. Looking at the impact it's making on devices such as iPhone, iPad, and Mac, it can be safely argued that Swift has a promising future ahead.

# Go

This is also called Golang, and this programming language is developed by none other than Google. This language openly braces multithreading, and this explains why it is being used by a lot of entities these days. The language also has some simplistic syntax and faster complication characteristics. It also comes in with in-built testing tools and the language is very easy to learn as well.

# HTML5

Similar to the way HTML is to websites, HTML5 plays an equally important role in web-based mobile application development. The latest update of HTML5 has created a lot of curiosity as it comes with outstanding features such as quick market deployment, multimedia support, etc. This language is suitable for both Android and iOS platforms as the flexibility on offer is infinite. This is the most favored language in terms of mobile app development.

# Python

Of late, Python is emerging as one of the most preferred languages as far as enterprises, and big corporate entities are concerned. The language gives good output, extreme flexibility and amazing user experience to the customers. The one area that sets this language apart is the simple to comprehend syntax that comes across like English.

# Java

Java is undoubtedly the crowned king as far as an efficient and most commonly used mobile app coding language is concerned. The language is used basically to develop desktop applications, Android applications, etc. This has made Java one of the most widely used programs. It takes recourse to JVM, which functions seamlessly on every system.

# PHP

Devised by Zend Technologies in 1995, this happens to be a server-side scripting open source these days including mobile apps. It was conceived with websites in mind, however, PHP is now widely used in several domains as well, including the development of mobile apps. The language is also used for command-line scripting and coding applications. With PHP it is very convenient to create android and iOS apps as well that work seamlessly on their respective platforms.

# JavaScript

JavaScript is an extremely sophisticated language for programming. This is also a very versatile language that gives primacy to object-oriented and functional programming. To develop mobile apps, the programming language has to be used with CSS, HTML, and AJAX. It is possible to create various frameworks to eke out a functional JavaScript app, such as PhoneGap, jQuery Mobile, and Ionic. The development of the app is easy on JavaScript as you are only required to code the app once and release the same on every platform.

# C++

This is pronounced as C Plus Plus. The C++ is purely a purpose-driven programming language having a low-level memory manipulation feature. The usage of this language is very high as it is capable of developing some potent apps. As for mobile apps, C++ can be more than ideal as you can easily come up with cross-platform mobile apps via its debugging experience and resourceful environment. With C++, it is possible to create apps on any platform be it Android or iOS.

# Objective – C

This is another efficient and general-purpose language that is sourced from C. In fact, Objective-C used to be the main programming language employed by Apple for iOS and OS X development before making a switch to Swift. However, this change in no way implies that the usage of objective C is dwindling, as several developers still prefer Objective-C. With this programming language, any app can be created with ease.

# Perl

This comprises of two languages ie, Perl 5 and Perl 6. The programming language of Perl belongs to a high pedigree. This language soaks in features from other similar platforms such as C, sed, AWK, and others. It is very convenient to develop Android apps on Perl as Google, at present, provides APK for Perl developers. This is very easy and very apt for beginners.

# QML

QML is basically Qt Modeling language that provides user interface markup language. Akin to CSS and JSON, QML is also a very declarative language. This language is primarily utilized to design user interface-based applications. The QML is unarguably one of the best languages for mobile application development, and it has a resourceful library as well. This language is apt if you are building mobile apps, requiring touch input, flowing animation, and greater user interaction.

# Visual Basic .NET

Visual basic .Net language is carved out of VB6. It is utilized to make GUI-based apps that simplify work for the programmers and significantly boost productivity. The language is conceived in such a manner that anyone, be it beginners or advanced programmers, can understand the same with ease. As it depends on the .NET framework, the program operates smoothly and efficiently.

# Ruby

This is yet another potent language for developing mobile apps and websites. Ruby came into existence in the 1990s and supports several platforms. If a developer has to develop a mobile app on Ruby, then a framework such as RubyMotion or Rhodes has to be employed. By opting for any of these frameworks, it is easier to make apps on any platforms, Android, iOS or and OS X, etc.

# C#

This is called as C Sharp, and C# is a multiple pattern programming language. Developed by Microsoft, it is very convenient and simple to create a mobile app. With the entry of Xamarin into C#, building an app has become not just simpler but faster as well. With this language, fully-functional apps can be created for Android and iOS. This can truly be an asset for designers.

With mobile apps becoming extremely crucial these days, it has become pertinent to make them in a better way. These are some of the best languages for the same purpose. No coming to the choice it is totally dictated by your requirement. So, select a language wisely after going through the article.