The document compares Android Studio and Eclipse IDEs for Android development. It finds that Android Studio uses the Gradle build system while Eclipse uses Ant. Android Studio offers deeper Android-specific code completion and refactoring support compared to Eclipse. It also has a redesigned user interface designer that is more customizable and responsive than Eclipse's limited XML-based tool. Android Studio organizes projects using modules with Gradle build files, while Eclipse uses workspaces that require restarting to switch. Overall, Android Studio is found to be faster, more robust and the better choice going forward for Android development.

1. Android Studio vs Eclipse: What
are the main differences?
Pana Papageorgiou
Co-Founder | Backend Engineer | Mobile Engineer
Email: papa@avocarrot.com
http://www.avocarrot.com

2. Build Tools
• Android Studio utilizes the fast growing Gradle build system
• Eclipse uses the robust Apache Ant build system
• Gradle includes a Groovy DSL (Domain-Specific Language) that allows
for scripted builds
• Ant uses an XML based build system that many Java developers may
already be familiar with
Android Studio vs Eclipse: What are the main differences?

3. Advanced Code Completion/Refactoring
• Both IDEs feature the standard Java code auto completion
• Android Studio has deeper support for specific Android code
completion and refactoring
• Android Studio is based on IntelliJ which features a more “intelligent”
auto completion algorithm and predicts better what you want to do
• Android Studio is definitely superior in this area.
Android Studio vs Eclipse: What are the main differences?

4. User Interface Design
• Android Studio features a completely redesigned user interface
design tool
• It is clearly a big improvement compared to Eclipse’s cluttered UI
designer
• Android Studio’s UI tool has more customization options and is more
responsive
• Eclipse’s UI tool is somewhat limited and you have to use XML code to
do a lot of things
Android Studio vs Eclipse: What are the main differences?

5. Project Organization
• Eclipse uses Workspaces to organize your code
• If you want to switch to a new Workspace, you have to restart Eclipse
• Android Studio uses Modules to organize your code
• Modules have their own Gradle build files and can declare their own
dependencies
Android Studio vs Eclipse: What are the main differences?

6. IDE Performance/Stability
• Eclipse is a purely Java based software
• In order to run Eclipse reliably you need to have more than decent
amounts of RAM and CPU
• Failure to meet this criteria often leads to Eclipse crashing and
becoming unresponsive
• Android Studio is still in beta
• Android Studio has the occasional bugs here and there but seems
much faster and robust than Eclipse
Android Studio vs Eclipse: What are the main differences?

7. Conclusion
• I would personally say that Android Studio clearly has the edge over
the two
• It will blow Eclipse completely out of the water when it comes out of
beta
• It can be a painful process to move to the new Gradle build system
used by Android Studio but it’s totally worth it.
• Android Studio will soon become the de facto standard for developing
Android applications
Android Studio vs Eclipse: What are the main differences?

8. What side will you take in the
Android Studio vs Eclipse battle?
Read the original blog and comment at:
http://www.avocarrot.com/blog/android-studio-vs-eclipse-main-differences/
Email: papa@avocarrot.com
http://www.avocarrot.com