Top 10 iOS App Development Tools You Must Use for Your App [Updated]

Last updated on August 10th, 2023

The iPhone’s popularity and market share continue to rise. According to Statista, Apple had 23.8% of the worldwide smartphone market in the last quarter of 2022. And the reason behind this is the following – gen development tools. Every year technological advancement led iOS to grow to the peak.

Knowing about such tools is a must if you belong to the development sector or are using iOS apps and frameworks for businesses. You’ll need to be familiar with the top iOS app development tools to create dynamic iOS apps that can make it in the fiercely competitive iOS app market. And for the same, here is a blog post with a list of all top iOS App Development Tools.

Top iOS App Development Tools

1. Xcode
2. Code Runner
3. AppCode
4. Adobe XD
5. Zeplin
6. SDWebImage
7. Alamofire
8. Fastlane
9. TestFlight
10. Transporter 

1. Xcode

Apple’s official tool is called Xcode. With Xcode, you can make apps for Apple tvOS, iPad, iPhone, and macOS. It is easy to do so with tools like a good code editor, compiler, debugging system, and build system. It is mainly an integrated development environment (IDE) used to make iOS apps and put them on the Apple App Store. With Xcode’s source code checkers, you can find mistakes and get suggestions for how to fix them while making an iOS app. 

Features of Xcode

• Xcode has testing tools like XCTest and UI Testing that make it easier to find solutions to problems.
• Source editor with message bubbles, code folding, syntax highlighting, and advanced code completion
• Interface builder to design UI/UX without writing a single line of code and connect that design source code within the Xcode editor Simulator to run, test, and debug the iOS apps for streamlined development.
• Open-source LLVM compiler that makes it easier and faster to compile code

2. Code Runner

iOS app developers utilize it as another potent weapon in their arsenal to create applications that are very complex and dynamic. Because it is compatible with twenty-three different programming languages, it is a powerful and adaptable instrument that programmers may utilize. In addition, it is a simple tool that software engineers may use to debug the code.

Features of Code Runner

• Run the code file from the currently open Text Editor.
• Run the code file using the file explorer’s context menu.
• In the Text Editor, execute the selected code snippet.
• Execute code according to the Shebang.
• Execute code based on the filename glob.
• Execute the custom command.
• Stop the code from executing.
• View the output in the Output Window.

3. AppCode

AppCode is the second most popular tool among developers because it is easy to use and has a lot of integrations with third-party apps. JetBrains’ IntelliJ IDEA platform is what AppCode is built on. JetBrains sells AppCode as a “Smart IDE for Swift/Objective-C for iOS and macOS.” With AppCode, it’s easy to write code for iOS apps and look at how it works. AppCode is made to find different coding mistakes, which makes it easy to fix problems quickly. 

Features of AppCode 

• It lets iOS apps be debugged in depth to find bugs and fix them.
• Compared to other tools, AppCode has more features for editing and refactoring code, such as Override/Implement, Localization, Intention Actions, and Live templates.
• Help write clean code with artificial intelligence, easy file navigation, code completion, formatting, and refactoring.
• Use testing frameworks like XCTest, Quick, Kiwi, Catch, and Google Test to test the individual parts of your iOS mobile app.

4. Adobe XD

It is a well-known tool for designers to design and work together. Adobe XD is a fast and powerful UI/UX design tool for mobile apps and websites. This tool lets you make smartwatches, websites, and mobile apps with prototypes, wire frames, and animations. It is a vector-based UI/UX tool that enables you to create designs for any device, including Windows, Android, and iOS. Even at Space-O, our designers use the Adobe XD tool to design mobile apps and websites. 

Features of Adobe XD

• Voice navigation can be used to control the prototype.
• Adobe XD is a lightweight tool that works well with other Adobe products. It also doesn’t use up a lot of your computer’s resources.
• It makes it possible to create designs in 3D.
• Make parts that can be used more than once throughout your design.
• Repeat Grid lets you automatically make copies of elements and put them in a grid.

5. Zeplin

Zeplin is a popular add-on for Sketch, AdobeXD, Photoshop, and other design programs. It’s a tool for working together that helps designers and developers talk to each other. For example, if you get a design from Photoshop, which doesn’t give you a code of procedure, Zeplin can help developers get design code snippets, style guides, specs, and assets of the iOS app design. You can load wire frames and visual designs from Sketch right into Zeplin and add the techniques to your Zeplin project folders.

Features of Zeplin

• Zeplin makes it easy for teams to work together by giving native app design files the structure they need. It lets team members from different profiles work together to complete the designs.
• Designs can be shared with just one click.
• Integrations with popular project management tools like Slack, Jira, Teams, and Trello
• Links to Storybook and GitHub make it easy to get to UI elements in your code base.

6. SDWebImage

SDWebImage is a SwiftUI library that lets you download images asynchronously and store them in a cache. It is a tool for making iOS apps that work with JPEG, PNG, and GIF files. The main reason to use this library is to download, process, and store images.

Features of SDWebImage

• Progressive image loading lets images load right away at a low resolution; the key goes up when the app is fully loaded. This helps the app load faster.
• It decompresses the background to keep the frame rate from going down.
• It won’t let you download from the same URL more than once.

7. Alamofire

The Swift programming language is used to make the Alamofire library. It is built on top of the networking framework Foundation. This library has a beautiful graphical user interface and helps your iOS app handle everyday networking tasks. This library makes it easier for you to make network applications in less time. URLSession works well with Alamofire. Apple gives the URLSession class and other classes that can be used to get information from HTTP. 

Features of Alamofire

• Using an HTTP request, it lets you upload files, data, streams, and multipart form data.
• It lets you set up chainable request/response methods that let you set up requests and responses based on the reaction you got before.
• It gives you a way to log in that works with URLCredential.
• Next, the best tools for making iOS apps help find bugs in the code and fix them.

8. Fastlane

If you are tired of how hard it is to put an app on the App Store, Fastlane can help. Fastlane is an open-source tool that makes it easier to get iOS apps into the world. This tool makes it easier to handle complicated tasks, like making screenshots, managing supply profiles, and putting out applications. Putting your built app on the app stores can be done automatically with just one click. 

Features of Fastlane

• It saves time that would have been spent taking pictures of the iOS app for the App Store.
• This tool can do four things with just one command: take screenshots, build a beta app, upload to the app store, and send a message to Slack.
• What are the Fastlane tool’s best features?
• Easily set up the builds with testers.
• Put the app on app stores in a matter of seconds.

9. TestFlight

TestFlight is a free service from Apple Inc. that lets iOS mobile apps go through beta testing. With TestFlight, you can release the app’s beta version and ask up to 10,000 people to test it. With TestFlight, developers can get remote logs, crash reports, and feedback from testers.

Features of TestFlight

• It is a service that Apple Inc. offers for testing apps before they go live on the App Store.
• It makes it easy for you to ask people inside and outside your company to test your iOS app.
• It gives you the chance to test a specific part of the application.
• Invite testers to try out the iOS app by sending them the public link.
• It lets the iOS app be tested in specific ways.

10. Transporter 

A Transporter is a tool that makes it easy to put content on Apple devices. This tool can quickly put the app’s content on the App Store. Drag and drop your content into the Transporter to get started. Set up an account with App Store Connect to share the content.

Features of Transporter 

• The Transporter tool lets you drag and drop files to upload them.
• You can speed up the delivery process by sending several files at once from your computer.
• Keeps a record of past deliveries, including the date and time.
• Check the delivery progress, which includes validation warnings, errors, and delivery logs, so that problems can be fixed.

Related Article: Top 9 Best iOS App Development Tools For Start-Ups

Are You Looking for an iOS App Development Company in the USA?

If you are well versed with top iOS tools and looking to have the next-gen applications, iTechnolabs can help you. They are amongst the leading mobile app development companies using the best range of iOS devices and frameworks to create robust solutions. Feel free to visit their website and get started.

Frequently Asked Questions For iOS App Development Tools

1. What are the best mobile and app development tools?

   Top five mobile app development tools are – 

   • Flutter – 

   A cross-platform app development platform, Flutter is an elite tool developed by Google to build iOS and Android mobile apps using a single codebase

   • Ionic – 

   As an open-source tool, Ionic is an iconic software development kit (SDK) that is used for hybrid app development

   • jQuery Mobile – 

   If you wish to build a stimulating and responsive user interface (UI), jQuery Mobile is what you are looking for. Based upon HTML5, it can be used stunning app development

   • React Native – 

   Based upon JavaScript, Facebook built – React Native framework can be used for cross-platform app development for mobile devices

   • Xamarin – 

   Built by Microsoft, Xamarin consists of a set of tools that can be used to develop iOS and android apps using a single codebase

   2. What are the best iOS app development companies in Qatar?

   The best iPhone app programming team in Qatar are – 

• iTechnolabs
• TekRevol
• Nextbrain Technologies
• Carmatec
• Zartek Technologies
• Fusion Informatics
• ZealousWeb Technologies
• Appventurez