Kotlin Multiplatform
Cross-platform development technology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) is an open-source cross-platform development technology created by JetBrains that enables developers to share code across multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, desktop, web, and server environments, while retaining native programming capabilities.[1][2]
It is designed to allow selective code sharing, particularly for business logic, networking, and data layers, while platform-specific code can be written natively. An associated UI framework, Compose Multiplatform, provides tools for sharing user interfaces across platforms.[3]
History
Kotlin Multiplatform was first introduced by JetBrains at KotlinConf 2017 as "Kotlin Multiplatform Projects" and released experimentally with Kotlin 1.2.[4][5]
Initially supporting JVM and JavaScript targets, the platform later expanded to include native targets via Kotlin/Native. The mobile-focused term "Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile" (KMM) was later deprecated in favor of the broader term Kotlin Multiplatform.[6]
In November 2023, JetBrains announced that Kotlin Multiplatform had reached stable status and was production-ready.[7][8][9]
In May 2025, Compose Multiplatform, the declarative user interface framework used with Kotlin Multiplatform, reached stable status for iOS.[10][11]
Platform support
Kotlin Multiplatform supports development for multiple platforms, including:
Developers can reuse common code across these platforms while maintaining access to platform-specific APIs.[12][13]
In May 2024, Google announced official support for Kotlin Multiplatform for Android development, particularly for sharing business logic across Android and iOS applications.[14][15][16]
Development model
Kotlin Multiplatform uses a modular architecture in which shared code is placed in common modules, while platform-specific implementations are written in separate modules. This allows developers to gradually adopt the technology without rewriting entire applications.[17][18]
The framework emphasizes interoperability with existing ecosystems, enabling integration with native languages such as Objective-C, Java, and JavaScript.[19]
JetBrains also provides Compose Multiplatform as an open-source declarative UI framework for building cross-platform user interfaces using Kotlin. Based on Jetpack Compose, the framework allows developers to implement a shared UI code architecture across multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, web, and desktop environments.[20]