10 Best iOS Development Courses Online in 2026 (Free and Paid)

Last updated: October 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson. We loaded every course page on 14 October 2026 and recorded its rating, length, last update and what it actually teaches. See our review methodology. If you enroll through our links we may earn a commission, which never changes the ranking.

The best iOS development course depends on where you are starting. A career changer who wants a credential, a developer who only needs SwiftUI, and a student on a zero budget need different things. This guide ranks 10 options against one standard: does the course teach how iOS apps are built in 2026, with SwiftUI, Swift 6 and Xcode 27, and does it get you to a working app you can show an employer?

See the Meta iOS Developer certificate on Coursera →

Best iOS Development Courses Compared

Ratings, lengths and update dates as shown on each course page on 14 October 2026. Prices, ratings and course versions change, so check the course page before you buy.

How we chose these courses

We started from the courses the old version of this page recommended, the courses that rank on Bing for “iOS development courses”, and what iOS developers recommend on r/iOSProgramming. Every course was loaded live. We kept a course only if it still accepts enrollments and teaches SwiftUI, the framework Apple uses in its own tutorials, or is honest about where it does not.

• Current stack. Apple ships Xcode 27 and Swift 6.4.1 (14 October 2026). Courses built on iOS 13 era material can still teach the fundamentals, but we flag them.
• Projects. Employers hire iOS developers on what they have shipped. Courses that end with several apps scored higher than lecture-only courses.
• Credential. For career changers we weighted recognized certificates (Meta, IBM) and graded projects (Udacity).
• Cost. We note whether a course is a one-time purchase, a subscription or free. Several of the best resources cost nothing.

Two courses from the earlier version were removed. Coursera’s “iOS Development for Creative Entrepreneurs” (University of California, Irvine; 4.5 from 710 reviews) still describes itself as a path “from Objective-C novice to iOS app developer”, which is not where a 2026 beginner should start. The Pluralsight course we used to link turned out to be “iOS Collection Views: Getting Started”, a narrow UIKit topic, so we now point to Pluralsight’s full iOS and Swift Development path.

1. Meta iOS Developer Professional Certificate (Coursera)

Meta’s certificate is the strongest credential option for someone changing careers. It is a 12-course series, rated 4.6 from 8,823 reviews, and Coursera estimates 8 months at 7 hours a week at a beginner level. You build user interfaces with SwiftUI, learn Swift programming and version control, and finish with a portfolio that includes iOS apps and a cross-platform app in React Native. That last part is useful: many job listings for mobile developers ask for React Native alongside Swift.

The certificate is paid through a Coursera subscription after you enroll, so the total cost depends on how quickly you finish. Because it moves from programming basics to a capstone, it suits people who need structure and a recognizable name on their resume. It is less useful if you already program and only need SwiftUI; a focused course is faster.

• Best for: career changers who want a recognized certificate
• Length: 12 courses, about 8 months at 7 hours a week
• Stack: Swift, SwiftUI, React Native

View the Meta iOS Developer certificate on Coursera →

2. iOS Development with SwiftUI and SwiftData Nanodegree (Udacity)

Udacity rebuilt its iOS Nanodegree around Apple’s current frameworks. The program, now titled “iOS Development with SwiftUI and SwiftData”, lists 76 hours across 6 courses and 5 projects, rated 4.6 from 253 reviews. The courses run from Programming with Swift to iOS User Interfaces with SwiftUI and iOS Application Data with SwiftData, and each project is reviewed against a rubric before you move on.

Udacity charges $249 a month, or $846 for a 4-month bundle ($212 a month), with the bundle discount applying to the first 4 months only. That makes it the most expensive option here, so it fits learners who value graded projects and feedback over the lowest price. Check the program page for current discounts before you pay.

• Best for: learners who want project reviews
• Length: 76 hours, 6 courses, 5 projects
• Price: $249/month or $846 for a 4-month bundle

View the iOS Nanodegree on Udacity →

3. iOS 18, SwiftUI 6 and Swift 6 iOS Apps + AI (Udemy)

Kenneth Jones’s course is the most current SwiftUI course we found on Udemy: 4.7 from 2,587 ratings, 19,597 students, 47.5 hours over 166 lectures, last updated 12/2025. It teaches SwiftUI 6 and Swift 6 and adds a section on using AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Gemini to speed up development. Choose it over the Angela Yu bootcamp if you want SwiftUI from the start and are comfortable with a smaller, newer course.

View the SwiftUI 6 course on Udemy →

4. iOS & Swift: The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp (Udemy)

Angela Yu’s bootcamp is the most-rated iOS course on Udemy: 4.6 from 96,790 ratings and 422,641 students. It runs 60.5 hours over 37 sections and 542 lectures, and it covers Swift, Xcode, UIKit, a SwiftUI module, Core Data, ARKit and Core ML. Learners on r/iOSProgramming describe it as well designed for people with little computer-science background and good value on sale.

The catch is age. The course page says it was last updated in 11/2025, but its description still promises iOS 13, Xcode 11 and Swift 5.1, and most of the core projects are built in UIKit. Several Reddit learners call it “slightly outdated” while still recommending it. Take it if you want breadth and a gentle teacher, and plan to follow it with a current SwiftUI course or 100 Days of SwiftUI.

• Best for: complete beginners on a budget
• Length: 60.5 hours, lifetime access
• Watch out for: older Xcode screens and UIKit-first projects

View the iOS and Swift Bootcamp on Udemy →

5. IBM iOS and Android Mobile App Developer Certificate (Coursera)

If you are not sure whether you will end up on iOS or Android, IBM’s 14-course certificate covers both: Android apps in Android Studio with Java and Kotlin, iOS apps with Swift and Xcode, and cross-platform apps with Flutter and React Native. It is rated 4.6 from 8,696 reviews and Coursera estimates about 6 months. The breadth comes at the cost of depth on any one platform, so treat it as an orientation plus a credential.

View the IBM mobile app developer certificate →

6. Build iOS Apps with SwiftUI (Codecademy)

Codecademy’s skill path teaches Swift, SwiftUI, wireframing and Xcode in about 13 hours at a beginner level, and 15,971 learners have joined it. Lessons are interactive: you read, write code and complete projects in sequence, which keeps momentum for people who stall on long video courses. The certificate of completion requires a Plus or Pro plan (Plus is $14.99 a month billed annually).

It is a short path. Treat it as a structured introduction to SwiftUI before a longer program or your own app, not as job preparation on its own.

View Build iOS Apps with SwiftUI on Codecademy →

7. iOS and Swift Development Path (Pluralsight)

Pluralsight’s iOS and Swift Development path bundles 21 courses and 47 hours, arranged from platform and language foundations (Swift, Xcode) through modern UI and state (SwiftUI Fundamentals with Observation, accessible and localized interfaces) to data, networking and Swift Concurrency. It is written for developers who learn well from short, focused modules and want the newer topics such as Observation and structured concurrency covered in one place.

It comes with a Pluralsight subscription, so it makes most sense if you also use Pluralsight for other skills or your employer pays for it.

View the iOS and Swift path on Pluralsight →

8. 100 Days of SwiftUI (free)

Paul Hudson’s 100 Days of SwiftUI is a free collection of videos, tutorials and tests from Hacking with Swift, aimed at beginners who want to build real iOS apps. The format is one hour a day. One Reddit learner finished it in 2 to 3 weeks at 3 to 4 hours a day and found the first 40 days enough to start building. Hudson keeps the material current, which is why it comes up in almost every “where do I start” thread.

Start 100 Days of SwiftUI (free).

9. Stanford CS193p: Developing Apps for iOS (free)

Stanford publishes the videos and materials for CS193p, its iOS course built on SwiftUI. The current set is the Spring 2025 version, starting with the basics of Xcode and SwiftUI views. iOS developers on Reddit call it outstanding and taught by a real expert, with one warning: it moves fast and assumes the computer-science background Stanford students have. Take it after an introductory course, or if you already program in another language.

Watch CS193p on Stanford’s site (free).

10. Develop in Swift Tutorials (Apple, free)

Apple’s Develop in Swift Tutorials introduce app development with Swift and Xcode “to anyone learning to build apps for Apple platforms”, in Apple’s words. They walk you through SwiftUI step by step with downloadable projects, and they always match the current Xcode release because Apple maintains them. They are free and need only a Mac and Xcode.

They are short on explanation of why things work, so many learners use them alongside a course. Use them to build your first app in a weekend and to check that a paid course is not teaching an outdated pattern.

Start the Develop in Swift tutorials at Apple (free, no affiliate link).

Cross-platform alternative: Flutter and Dart, The Complete Guide (Udemy)

If your goal is to ship on iPhone and Android from one codebase, Maximilian Schwarzmuller’s Flutter and Dart guide is the most-rated Flutter course on Udemy: 4.6 from 91,934 ratings, last updated 3/2026. You still need a Mac and Xcode to build and submit the iOS version, but most of your code is shared. Read our React Native vs Swift and best Flutter courses guides before you commit to a cross-platform path.

View Flutter and Dart on Udemy →

What you need before you start

• A Mac. Xcode, the tool Apple provides to develop, test and distribute apps for its platforms, runs on macOS. The current release is Xcode 27.
• Xcode. Free from Apple. It includes the simulators you will use for most testing.
• An Apple Developer Program membership, later. You can learn and run apps without it. To publish on the App Store you pay 99 USD per membership year.
• Swift basics. Swift 6.4.1 is the current release. If you have never programmed, budget your first few weeks for the language itself; our best Swift courses guide covers language-first options.

SwiftUI vs UIKit: which should a course teach?

SwiftUI is the declarative UI framework Apple uses in its own tutorials, Stanford uses in CS193p, and Meta and Udacity use in their programs. UIKit is the older framework that most apps written before about 2020 use. A 2026 beginner should learn SwiftUI first and pick up enough UIKit to read and maintain older screens, because many company codebases still mix the two. That is why we flag courses whose core projects are UIKit-only.

Free iOS development courses

You can learn most of iOS development without paying. A practical free route: Apple’s Develop in Swift tutorials for your first app, 100 Days of SwiftUI for daily practice, then Stanford’s CS193p once you are comfortable. WWDC session videos on Apple’s developer site cover new frameworks each year. The paid options above add structure, graded projects or a certificate; they do not add a secret curriculum.

Is an iOS course enough to get a job?

A course gets you started; a portfolio gets you interviews. Mobile developers on Reddit consistently advise starting your own project as early as possible, because you learn fastest when you solve your own problems. Ship one or two small apps to TestFlight or the App Store, keep the code on GitHub, and be ready to explain your choices. For context on demand, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median pay of $135,980 for software developers (May 2025) and projects 10% growth for software developers and testers from 2025 to 2035. Our Android vs iOS development guide compares the two career paths.

How to Choose

Still choosing between native and cross-platform? Read native vs hybrid apps and the best programming languages for mobile app development.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best iOS development course in 2026?

For a career change, the Meta iOS Developer Professional Certificate on Coursera is the most complete credential: 12 courses, rated 4.6 from 8,823 reviews, about 8 months at 7 hours a week, built on SwiftUI. For the lowest cost, Angela Yu’s iOS and Swift bootcamp on Udemy (4.6 from 96,790 ratings) is the most popular paid option, although parts of it still show iOS 13 era material. For free, start with 100 Days of SwiftUI or Apple’s Develop in Swift tutorials.

Can I learn iOS development for free?

Yes. Apple’s Develop in Swift tutorials, Paul Hudson’s 100 Days of SwiftUI and Stanford’s CS193p (Spring 2025 lectures, built on SwiftUI) are all free. Xcode is a free download. You only pay when you want to publish to the App Store, which needs the Apple Developer Program at 99 USD per membership year.

Do I need a Mac to learn iOS development?

In practice, yes. Xcode, the tool Apple provides to build, test and ship apps for its platforms, runs on macOS. Cross-platform tools such as Flutter and React Native let you write most of an app elsewhere, but building and submitting the iOS version still goes through Xcode on a Mac.

Should I learn SwiftUI or UIKit first?

Start with SwiftUI. Apple’s own tutorials, Stanford’s CS193p, 100 Days of SwiftUI, the Meta certificate and Udacity’s program all teach SwiftUI first. Learn enough UIKit later to read older code, because many existing apps and job codebases still contain it.

How long does it take to learn iOS development?

Meta estimates 8 months at 7 hours a week for its certificate, and Udacity lists 76 hours for its SwiftUI Nanodegree. 100 Days of SwiftUI is designed as one hour a day for 100 days. Learners on Reddit report finishing it in 2 to 3 weeks at 3 to 4 hours a day, so plan for a few months of steady practice before you build apps on your own.

Is there an official Apple iOS developer certification?

Apple does not issue a professional iOS developer certification of the kind employers screen for, the way cloud vendors do. Apple’s education program has offered an entry-level App Development with Swift certification through Certiport, but its overview page returned ‘Page not found’ on 14 October 2026, so check its status before planning around it. A portfolio of shipped apps carries more weight with employers than a certificate.

Is Angela Yu’s iOS course still worth it?

It is still the most-rated iOS course on Udemy (4.6 from 96,790 ratings, 60.5 hours, last updated 11/2025) and learners praise how clearly it explains the basics. The trade-off is age: its course description still references iOS 13, Xcode 11 and Swift 5.1, and most of the core is UIKit with a separate SwiftUI module. Pair it with a current SwiftUI resource.

Can I build iOS and Android apps with one course?

Yes, if you choose a cross-platform track. The IBM iOS and Android Mobile App Developer certificate covers Swift, Kotlin, Flutter and React Native in 14 courses. For a single framework, Maximilian Schwarzmuller’s Flutter and Dart guide and his React Native practical guide on Udemy are the most-rated options.

Related guide: best SpriteKit tutorials and courses.