30 Best Mobile App Development Tools for Android & iOS (2021)

Details: Last Updated: 13 January 2021

There is a plethora of Mobile App development tools to create your favorite app. Here is a curated list of Top Mobile App Tools with key features and download links.

Best App Development Tools / Software

We have covered best Android & iOS mobile app development tools in the following categories.

Recommended Tool
Advertising Tools
iPhone App development tools
Mobile Analytic Tools
Cross-Platform App Development Tools
App Development frameworks
AR (Augmented Reality) Tools
AI(Artificial Intelligence) Tools
Mobile Payment Tools
Push notification Tools
Game Engines

Recommended Tool

1) Buddy

Buddy allows for seamless, changeset-based deployments. Thanks to a wide array of dedicated, pre-configured actions and services, app deployment automation is easier than ever. If you are looking for a tool that will build, test, sign, and publish your Android app effortlessly in a single click, then Buddy is the right choice.

Features:

Over 100+ actions
Intuitive and clean UI/UX
Dedicated Android actions: React Native, Ionic, Flutter and more
AWS, Google, DigitalOcean, Azure, WordPress integrations
Support for all popular languages and task managers

2) Kobiton

Kobiton makes Continuous Testing and Mobile/IoT DevOps a reality. Prevent bugs before pushing code to test, perfect your mobile app or website with Functional, Performance, and Visual test automation, resolve issues before releasing to production, and rapidly deploy and kick off tests with seamless CI/CD integrations.

Solutions:

Test on real devices in the cloud
"Cloud-ify" local devices for remote access
Integrate with Jenkins, Travis CI, CircleCI, etc.
Scriptless/and or scripted automated Functional, Performance, and Visual Testing
Commercial scalability with unlimited user policy
Access to real devices within your IDE for rapid debugging

3) Jamf

Jamf is a tool that enables you to connect, manage, and protect Apple apps, products, and corporate resources in the cloud. It offers a solution for business and education.

Features:

Allows you to configure Wi-Fi, email contracts calendar with no hassle.
This solution makes patch management of iOS, and iPadOS, and macOS.
Allows you to configure VPN with your custom profiles.
Offers support in Email and chat.

Advertising Tools

4) Unity Ads

Unity Ads allows publishers to integrate video ads into mobile games in a way that increases player engagement. It also offers the highest Average Revenue per User (ARPU) of any global rewarded video ad network.

Features:

Easy and Simple setup
Create a positive player experience
Introduce rewarded video ads without interrupting gameplay
Give gamers an incentive by offering them rewarded video ads

iPhone App development tools:

5) Swiftic

Swiftic is iPhone app development software. It has an easy-to-navigate interface that allows anyone to create an app. It has plenty of features that make the app useful as well as easy on the eyes.

Features:

Create a custom app and loyalty program for any business
Publish app on the leading stores
Guarantee app brings real business
Reach out to customers by sending them eye-catching push notifications
Grow greater customer loyalty
Our Success Team is here to guide you every step of the way
Encourage customers to get in touch by letting them call or email of that app

Mobile Analytic Tools

6) App Watch

AppWatch is a cloud based mobile analytics and security product. It helps users to secure their mobile apps from being hacked. It gains users trust and ensures that app remains secure.

Feature:

Allows complete Scan of Mobile App
3rd party library/SDK scanning
AppWatch generates custom reports with modified descriptions, logo, comments, etc.
Each of the identified security issues is verified again with different techniques
It also identifies sensitive values hardcoded
It helps to identify all the possible security vulnerabilities attached to them
AppWatch can scan apps using Webview and identify security issues

Download link: http://appwatch.io/

Cross-Platform App Development Tools

7) Xamarin:

Xamarin is the preferred mobile app development tool for native applications. It reuses business logic layers and data access across platforms. It is widely used to build apps for iOS, Windows, and Android app development.

Features:

It is a mono framework which allows communication with the API of mobile devices
Xamarin Component Store includes UI controls, cross-platform libraries, and third party libraries
It tends to produce fewer bugs and thus provides faster time to market
It allows application Indexing and Deep Linking
Platform-specifics allow to consuming functionality that's only available on certain platforms

Download link: https://www.xamarin.com/download

8) Appcelerator:

Appcelerator allows developers to create apps with fewer lines of code. This app development tool supports iOS, Android, Windows, and browser-based HTML5 applications.

Features:

This Android app development tool improves the speed of mobile app development
Higher cloud capacity limits
This tool allows building mobile apps for all supported operating system
Virtual private or on-premises deployment
Built on open-standards and full access to the underlying mobile OS
Support for multi-region global deployments

Download link:http://www.appcelerator.com/signup/

9) PhoneGap:

PhoneGap is an Open Source free to use mobile app development framework. It falls into the category of cross-platform app development. It can be used for developing a single app which works on all mobile devices.

Features:

It works effectively on JavaScript, HTML5,and CSS3
It can integrate with various libraries to enhance app development
It allows development of various mobile applications with lesser time and efforts
It helps developers to extend the functionality of the application with the help of plug-in architecture
Robust tool for building apps without any special skill set

Download link:https://phonegap.com/getstarted/

10) Ionic:

Ionic is HTML5 mobile app development framework. It is widely used for developing hybrid mobile apps. It is a useful tool to build mobile apps using web technologies like CSS, HTML5, and SASS.

Features:

Ionic Framework is a 100% free and open source project
Build progressive web and native mobile apps for every major app store
It offers great tools and services to create highly interactive apps
It allows web developer to create apps for all major app stores with a single code base
It comes with many CSS components and JavaScript components for developing mobile apps
Ionic emulates native app UI guidelines and uses native SDKs

Download link:https://ionicframework.com/getting-started/

11) Mobincube:

Mobincube is a great App interface so that users can develop any kind of mobile app. Developers can create an app for business, educational, entertainment, health, and more.

Features:

Create mobile stores and helps to boost sales
Allows to Integrate 3rd party solutions within app
Helps to developed advanced functionalities
It allows updating online content
Customize every little detail in app
Allows to communicate with users

Download link: https://mobincube.com/try-it.html

12) Longrange:

LongRange is a native mobile app development tool. It is comprises of components like navigation, tabs, form views and commands, and it requires an installation of the LongRange serve.

Features:

It executes as a native app very fast and with rock solid reliability
Build native mobile apps using only RPG/ CL with DDS
It provides the infrastructure for the application.
Develop with only current level of programming expertise
Develop without need of any JavaScript, HTML, or CSS knowledge
Need to write once and deploy to Apple and Android mobile devices
Utilize mobile device features like GPS, camera, audio, SMS, etc.
Automatically push app updates into the mobile devices
Reduce the cost of maintaining and extending mobile apps

Download link:https://www.longrangemobile.com/

13) Qt:

Qt cross-platform SDK. It offers cost-effective design, development, and deployment. It allows developers to deliver the best user experience across all devices.

Features:

New enabler classes for windowing and rendering
Parser and compiler optimizations have been implemented,
It provides support for opaque Private Keys
Support for IPv6 and dual mode networks
Workarounds for Buggy SSL Servers

Download link:https://www.qt.io/download

14) Alpha Anywhere:

Alpha Anywhere is a rapid mobile app development and deployment tool. It is used for building cross platform web and mobile business apps.

Features:

Effective tool for build Cross Platform Mobile Apps
Enterprise-Grade Mobile Data Security
Fine Grained Delegation of Resource Management
Directly publish from the Alpha Anywhere Development Environment
Solve the Offline Sync Challenge
Pre-built sample applications that developers can modify or reference for their mobile apps
Comprehensive Back-End Data Access
Sophisticated Data Integration and Data Transformation
Data Encryption with HMAC and SSL Support

Download link: https://www.alphasoftware.com/get-started-2018

15) Sencha:

Sencha Ext JS is a MVC-based JavaScript framework. This mobile app development tool offers a high level of responsiveness for the application. It helps to improve the customer satisfaction.

Features:

Developers can code in HTML5 format using Sencha touch software development kit
Its code can be translated with the help of another tool like PhoneGap
It is a useful tool for developing native apps without need of wasting any time on setup
It is currently supported on WebKit browsers, including the popular Apple iOS and Google Android platforms
Rationalized Configuration System
Allows to scale to various resolutions for maximum compatibility with different devices
Wide support for animations and enhanced touch events

Download link: https://www.sencha.com/products/touch/download/

App Development frameworks:

16) KendoUI:

Kendo UI is an end-to-end mobile app development solution for modern client-side development. It follows modern web standards by providing highly modular app development solutions.

Features:

It works seamlessly with AngularJS
Build cross-platform web applications. It can be customized for user's screen size on desktop, tablet, and phone
It is the easiest tool for any JavaScript developer to get started
Allows jQuery DataSource component for easy data-binding for local and remote data

Download link: http://www.telerik.com/download

17) Mobile Angular UI:

Mobile Angular UI is a mobile app development framework. It relies on rich libraries like overthrow.js and fastclick.js to provide the better mobile experience.

Features:

With Mobile Angular UI it is possible to design a responsive, mobile user-interface. It also allows converting desktop web applications to mobile apps
This Android app development software allows to create awesome Mobile Components
Bootstrap tailored according to development needs
Stretch and squeeze your browser window to see both mobile and desktop versions
Allows to test responsiveness and speed

Download link: http://mobileangularui.com/

18) NativeScript:

NativeScript is an open source framework for building truly native mobile apps with Angular, TypeScript or JavaScript. It allows to write and deploy native mobile apps for iOS and Android from a single code base

Features:

Accelerate the learning curve by using skills to develop native mobile apps
Build truly native mobile apps with JavaScript. Use web skills, like Angular and CSS
Hundreds of NativeScript plugins are available to empower native mobile apps
The NativeScript team provides three complete real-world app implementations

Download link:http://docs.nativescript.org/

19) Onsen UI:

Onsen UI offers UI framework and tools for creating HTML5 hybrid mobile apps based on PhoneGap. It is easy to learn and powerful tool to create mobile apps.

Features:

It is the fastest way to develop hybrid and mobile web apps
Native look and feel with lots of ready-to-use components and automatic styling
Performance optimized for mobile devices
This Android development tool provides a grid system to place your elements on the screen

Download link: https://onsen.io/

20) FireBase:

Firebase is another mobile application development tool. It supports the web, iOS, OS X, and Android clients. It can significantly cut down development time and avoids messing with servers and data storage.

Features:

This Android development tool provides cloud service, so there isn't any setup required
Data is stored as native JSON, so users can see what they stored
Data is safe because Firebase requires 2048-bit SSL encryption for all data transfers.
File storage backed by Google Cloud Storage
Treat data as streams to build highly scalable applications
Data is reflected and backed up to multiple secure locations, so hardly any chances of data loss
It integrates nicely with frameworks like Angular JS. So it allows creating an app in a very short time

Download link: https://firebase.google.com/docs/storage/android/download-files

AR (Augmented Reality) Tools:

21) VuForia:

Vuforia is an Augmented Reality software development kit. It allows creating apps based on Augmented Reality technology. It uses Computer Vision technology to recognize & track images and 3D objects.

Features:

Recognize and track a broader set of objects
It supports leading phones, tablets and digital eyewear for Android, and iOS devices
Ability to create basic AR experiences that work for all the major devices
Vuforia delivers best-in-class computer vision. It ensures robust and reliable experiences in different environments
It can easily recognize a range of everyday images, objects, and environments
VuMarks allow the freedom for a customized design and yet acting as an AR target
It provides support for video playback
Developers can build 3D experiences with the Vuforia mobile vision platform
Create virtual buttons that app can see and respond

Download link: https://www.ptc.com/en/products/vuforia

22) Easy AR:

Easy AR is augmented reality based app for the Mobile app developers. It offers cross platform support for the app development.

Features:

Objective-C API for iOS
Available on Android/iOS/Windows/Mac OS
Transparent Video Playback
QR Code Scanning
3D engine plugin ready
Unlimited recognition times
Multi-target simultaneous detection and tracking
Cloud recognition support
It allows 3D Object Tracking
Simultaneous detection and tracking

Download link: https://www.easyar.com/

AI(Artificial Intelligence) Tools

23) TenserFlow:

TensorFlow was designed with mobile and embedded platforms in mind. Its an open-source software library for Artificial Intelligence. Its libraries make it easier to incorporate special features for Artificial Intelligence.

Features:

It is an open source software library for numerical computation using data flow graphs
The flexible architecture allows deploying computation in a desktop, server, or mobile device with a single API
It is primarily used for deep learning in practice and research

Download link:https://www.tensorflow.org/lite

24) IBM Watson:

Watson on the IBM Cloud allows creating Artificial Intelligence to integrate the world's most powerful applications. It allows to store and manage data, securely in the cloud.

Features:

Interpret and Analyse all types of data, including unstructured text, images, audio and video
It allows personalized recommendations by understanding a user's personality, tone, and emotion
It utilizes machine learning to gain the subject matter expertise in apps and systems
Allows to develop, test and deploy bots across mobile devices and messaging platforms. To create seamless conversations between apps and users
Quickly build a cognitive search and content analytics engine

Download link: https://www.ibm.com/watson

Mobile Payment Tools

25) Braintree:

Braintree is an open source payment mobile app development tool. It offers Support for 23 languages. It helps businesses of all sizes accept, process, and split payments to help maximize business opportunities.

Features:

It has a modernized and simplified API
Flexible payment picker
Card form for easy credit and debit card entry
Apple Pay and Android Pay support
Standalone payment icons, localization, form fields, to build great-looking check out flows
It supports both iOS and Android devices
Support for UnionPay

Download link: https://www.braintreepayments.com

26) Card.io:

Cardio is a full form of Collaborative Assessment of Research Data Infrastructure and Objectives. It is a bench marking tool for data management strategy development.

Features:

Optional Manual Entry allows users to choose the type of their credit cards by providing lick interface for manual card entry.
It does not store credit card information is stored or transmitted.
It is free SDK's free for both Android and iOS
Collaboratively assess data management requirements
Build consensus among information managers, and service providers
Identify goals for improvement in data management provision and support

Download link: https://www.card.io/

Push notification Tools

27) Urban AirShip:

Urban Airship push notifications allow developers to deliver relevant, personalized, in-the-moment messaging. It is a helpful tool for increasing user engagement.

Features:

Send to any URL to improve UX, increase conversions
It can be personalized for better results
Optimize for web notifications
Unlimited Push Notifications
Unlimited In-App Messaging
Allows Deep Linking
Real-Time Automation
Engagement Reports
Self-Help Knowledge Base, Forum Access

Download link: https://www.airship.com/

28) Pusher:

Pusher is a push notification tool. It supports most popular languages & frameworks. It allows client to distribute events to all others on the same channel while ensuring complete security and safety

Features:

Flexible Pub/Sub Messaging
Access control/authentication
Webhooks feature allows receiving the activities of the users in the system as they happen
Get alerts in Slack, send metrics to dashboards in Datadog, and more

Download link: https://pusher.com/

Game Engines

29) Corona:

Corona is a cross-platform mobile app development software. It is used for creating apps and games for mobile and desktop devices. This tool allows to create a project once and publish it to Apple iPhone and iPad.

Features:

Corona is completely free and open source tool
Allows to build games with Corona in a fraction of the time
The platform is built on OpenGL 2.0, OpenAL and other industry standards
Allows developers to share their code when building and publishing to iOS, Android, and Kindle
It is optimized to make use of hardware-accelerated features which result in powerful performance in games and apps

Download link: https://coronalabs.com/

FAQ

⚡ What are Mobile App Development Tools?

Mobile App Development Tools are the software components used to build mobile applications. Mobile app development tools allow developing and creating native mobile apps as well as cross-platform mobile apps with various functionalities as we need. These tools also help to develop codeless mobile apps for organizations that cannot afford to hire a developer.

❓ Why use App Development Software?

App Development software helps to customize the functionalities of mobile applications and allows adding new features easily. It also improves the user experience and navigation of the mobile application.