Kotlin Gets Support for a New Platform: What Changed for Developers

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Kotlin received support for a new platform: what this means for developers

The JetBrains team officially announced the expansion of the Kotlin ecosystem: the programming language now supports another platform. This is an important step in the development of Kotlin Multiplatform, which opens new horizons for developers around the world.

The new platform in question is WebAssembly (Wasm). Previously, Kotlin already had experimental support for Wasm, but it has now been promoted to stable status. This means developers can use Kotlin to create high-performance web applications that run directly in the browser with near-native speed.

What does WebAssembly support provide?

Performance — Kotlin code is compiled into Wasm bytecode, which runs in the browser almost as fast as native code.
Unified code — you can now write business logic once in Kotlin and use it both in mobile applications (Android, iOS) and on the web.
Integration with JavaScript — Kotlin/Wasm allows interaction with existing JS libraries through special interop layers.
Smaller bundle size — Wasm modules are typically more compact than similar JS builds, which speeds up page loading.

How does it work?

The developer just needs to add the corresponding Kotlin/Wasm plugin in build.gradle.kts. After building the project, a .wasm file is generated, which can be loaded into the browser. JetBrains also provides ready-made templates for React, Vue, and Svelte, simplifying integration with popular frontend frameworks.

"We see huge demand for Kotlin in web development. Promoting Wasm to stable status is a response to community requests. Now Kotlin is becoming a full-fledged language for all layers of the application: from server to client," commented Dmitry Yerokhin, Technical Director at JetBrains.

Prospects for developers

Full-stack development in one language — Kotlin now covers backend (Ktor, Spring), mobile platforms (Android, iOS), and frontend (Wasm).
Simplified porting — existing KMP projects can easily add a web version without rewriting logic.
Lower entry barrier — frontend developers familiar with TypeScript will find it easier to learn Kotlin due to similar syntax.

When to expect it?

The stable version of Kotlin/Wasm is available starting from Kotlin 2.1.0. JetBrains recommends updating for everyone using the experimental branch. For new projects, simply install the latest version of IntelliJ IDEA or Android Studio and create a project using the "Kotlin Multiplatform (Wasm)" template.

Currently, WebAssembly support is included in the official Kotlin tracker and will develop in parallel with the main language branch. Developers have already begun actively testing performance — initial benchmarks show a speed increase of up to 30% compared to Kotlin/JS.

This update makes Kotlin one of the most versatile languages of our time, capable of running on any platform: from servers to browsers and embedded systems. JetBrains promises to further expand the list of supported targets, focusing on community needs.

Stay tuned for updates.