Switching losses of DC-DC converters such as the boost converter can be reduced using soft switching techniques. However, the auxiliary circuits required for the switches increase the complexity and cost of the converters. Switching devices based on wide bandgap (WBG) materials such as gallium nitride (GaN) have low switching losses compared to silicon (Si) devices hence they can be an alternative to decrease the switching losses while keeping the simple structure of the conventional converters. The high cost of WBG devices together with their high level of electromagnetic interference (EMI) cause concern. This paper aims to evaluate the performance of these two methods in DC-DC converters in terms of efficiency, power density, reliability, EMI and cost. Therefore, two soft and hard switching boost converters using Si and GaN power switches, respectively, are simulated and compared theoretically. It is shown that the Si-based soft switching topology causes less EMI, while GaN-based hard switching topology provides better power density, efficiency, cost, and reliability. Finally, the simulation results of both converters are presented to confirm that they operate properly.