Why Apple makes better software

I believe that the software products that Apple builds are some of the most well-engineered, well-designed, and well-written software ever. And I think there are some reasons for that, most of them are not good ones:

1. Apple products are massively overpriced, which creates a significant surplus that allows them to invest heavily in software development. Capitalism rewards monopolistic pricing, and Apple has mastered the art of leveraging brand power and exclusivity to justify insane markups. Unlike something like Linux, which I’ve used for a long time, open-source projects struggle to get consistent funding or sponsorship, making it much harder to compete at the same level.
2. Apple does not care about backward compatibility, worldwide compatibility, or anything else outside its walled garden. Their software is built to work exclusively on Apple hardware, and they have zero interest in making it usable for non-Apple users. They also deprecate anything older than seven years, forcing people into costly upgrades. As someone who has worked extensively with system architecture and design, I can confirm that a significant amount of engineering effort typically goes into maintaining backward compatibility and ensuring interoperability with the rest of the tech ecosystem. By outright ignoring these two concerns, Apple engineers get to focus almost entirely on UX, making their software feel smoother and more polished than competitors.
3. Since (1), Apple can afford to invest in developing much better SDKs, which ensures that software built on their platforms is high quality. This is why you often find software that exists on both Apple’s OSs and other operating systems but still runs better on Apple’s—because their development tools and ecosystem are simply better funded. This also attracts top-tier developers who prefer the stability and optimization of Apple’s environment, further reinforcing their advantage.
4. Apple controls both the hardware and the software, which means they don’t have to deal with the same fragmentation issues that plague other ecosystems. Unlike Windows or Android, where developers have to account for a ridiculous range of hardware variations, Apple’s tight integration allows them to optimize performance and deliver a more cohesive experience. However, this comes at the cost of user freedom—if Apple decides they don’t want you running certain apps or repairing your own device, you’re out of luck.
5. The cult-like marketing and closed ecosystem trap users into staying within Apple’s platform. iMessage lock-in, proprietary file formats, restrictive App Store policies—everything is designed to make switching inconvenient. This means Apple doesn’t just create good software; they create software that feels indispensable, even when there are equal or better alternatives elsewhere.

Apple’s software is good. Sometimes too good. But the reasons behind it are far less about pure engineering brilliance and far more about strategic corporate control, aggressive pricing, and an ecosystem that thrives on exclusivity.