Kotlin Native
Kotlin Native is a technology that compiles Kotlin code directly to native binaries, enabling Kotlin to run without a virtual machine on various platforms such as iOS, Android NDK, desktop, and embedded systems. It leverages the LLVM compilation technology to produce high-performance executables…
Key facts
- First appeared
- 2017
- Category
- technology
- Problem solved
- Kotlin Native was created to address the significant challenge of sharing business logic and common code across different native platforms (like iOS and Android) without sacrificing performance or the native user experience. Before Kotlin Native, developers often had to write and maintain the same logic multiple times in different languages (e.g., Swift/Objective-C for iOS, Kotlin/Java for Android), leading to increased development time, potential inconsistencies, and higher maintenance costs. It aimed to provide a robust solution for true cross-platform native development.
- Platforms
- WebAssembly (experimental via WASM target), Linux, iOS, watchOS, Windows, Android NDK, macOS, tvOS
Related technologies
Notable users
- JetBrains (internal tools, IDEs)
- Philips (medical devices)
- Netflix (experimental projects)
- Google (parts of Android Jetpack Compose for desktop)
- Vojext (shared AR logic)
- Cash App (Square)