Best Swift/iOS Courses Ranked
| Course | Platform | Instructor | Price | Duration | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Days of SwiftUI | hackingwithswift.com | Paul Hudson | Free | 100 days | Structured daily practice |
| iOS & Swift Bootcamp | Udemy | Angela Yu | $12–$20 | 60 hours | Complete beginners |
| CS193p (Stanford) | YouTube | Paul Hegarty | Free | 20 lectures | Rigorous CS approach |
| Develop in Swift | Apple | Apple | Free | Self-paced | Official Apple curriculum |
| SwiftUI Masterclass | Udemy | Robert Petras | $12–$20 | 42 hours | SwiftUI-focused projects |
1. 100 Days of SwiftUI (Free, Paul Hudson)
Paul Hudson — author of over 20 Swift books and creator of Hacking with Swift — built this free 100-day curriculum that takes you from zero Swift knowledge to building 19 complete apps. Each day has clear reading, a video, and coding challenges. The community aspect (sharing progress on Twitter/X with #100DaysOfSwiftUI) keeps motivation high.
What you'll learn: Swift fundamentals, SwiftUI views and modifiers, navigation, data flow (@State, @Binding, @ObservedObject, @EnvironmentObject), networking (URLSession), Core Data, MapKit, Core Image, accessibility, and App Store preparation.
Pros: Free, incredibly well-structured, builds 19 complete apps, active community. Cons: Requires 100 days of commitment (1–2 hours/day), Mac required.
2. iOS & Swift — The Complete Bootcamp (Udemy, Angela Yu)
Angela Yu's 60-hour bootcamp on Udemy is the bestselling iOS course with over 300,000 students. Angela is a former App Brewery instructor with a gift for making complex concepts approachable. The course builds 25+ apps including a Clima weather app, a Bitcoin tracker, and a Flash Chat Firebase app.
Pros: Engaging instruction, many projects, covers both UIKit and SwiftUI, $12–$20. Cons: 60 hours is a significant time investment, some UIKit content becoming less relevant.
3. Stanford CS193p (Free, YouTube)
Professor Paul Hegarty's Stanford course is legendary in the iOS community. The 2023 edition covers SwiftUI exclusively, teaching MVVM architecture, protocol-oriented programming, and building a memorize card game. It's more rigorous than Udemy courses and assumes basic programming knowledge.
Pros: Free, Stanford-quality instruction, deep architectural understanding. Cons: Fast pace, assumes programming experience, assignments aren't graded.
4. Apple's Develop in Swift (Free)
Apple's own curriculum includes Explorations (beginners), Fundamentals (intermediate), and Data Collections (advanced). Designed for educators but excellent for self-learners. Includes Xcode playgrounds and project-based learning.
iOS Development Learning Path
- Week 1–4: Swift language fundamentals (variables, functions, closures, OOP, protocols)
- Week 5–8: SwiftUI basics (views, navigation, state management, lists)
- Week 9–12: Data persistence (UserDefaults, Core Data, CloudKit)
- Week 13–16: Networking, APIs, and concurrency (async/await, URLSession)
- Week 17–20: Advanced topics (animations, gestures, MapKit, push notifications)
- Week 21–24: Build and ship your first App Store app
iOS Developer Salaries
| Role | Entry Salary | Mid-Level | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS Developer | $80,000–$105,000 | $110,000–$150,000 | $155,000–$200,000 |
| iOS Lead | $120,000–$150,000 | $155,000–$195,000 | $200,000+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Mac for iOS development?
Yes. Xcode only runs on macOS. A MacBook Air M1 or later ($999) is the minimum recommended. Used M1 MacBooks can be found for $600–$700.
SwiftUI vs UIKit in 2026?
Learn SwiftUI first — it's Apple's future and all new APIs are SwiftUI-first. UIKit knowledge is still valuable for maintaining existing apps and some advanced features, but most new iOS projects use SwiftUI.
How long to build an app?
A simple app in 2–4 weeks after learning basics. A polished App Store–ready app in 2–3 months. Full professional proficiency in 1–2 years.
iOS vs Android development?
iOS developers earn slightly more on average. The iOS ecosystem has fewer devices to test against. Android has a larger global user base. Many companies hire for both — knowing either makes you valuable.