More people have access to the internet today than ever before. And smartphones have a huge role in that. Mobile phones take up a large chunk of people’s screen time. Therefore, businesses are focusing on creating responsive websites.
This has created a high demand for mobile app developers. Today’s mobile app developers have a wide range of powerful tools for app development.
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Types of App development tools
Tools used for mobile app development can be classified into two kinds.
1. Native mobile development tools
These tools help in creating an app that runs on a specific platform. For instance, apps built using Android Studio can run only on Android devices.
2. Cross-platform development tools
Using these tools, the developer can build a single app that can run across phones with different operating systems.
Top Mobile App Development Tools
Here are some of the widely used tools for mobile app development.
1. Android Studio
Android Studio is a free tool built by Google. It can be used to develop applications for Android phones. The tool has a layout designer which makes it easy to use. It also provides drag and drop features for the layout. Thus, one can code in a lesser amount of time.
In Android Studio, the developer can choose to code either in Java or Kotlin.
2. React Native
React Native mobile app development tool was built by Facebook and launched in 2015. It is a powerful cross-platform tool. It can be used to build native apps using a single code base.
In React Native, developers code using Javascript, which makes the app look similar to a native app. Apps built using the tool are stable because of modular architecture.
User interfaces built with React Native are known for their interactiveness and optimum performance.
Fast interactions, seamless cross-platform development and cost-effectiveness are the top reasons for the wide usage of the tool.
3. Xamarin
Xamarin is a popular open-source cross-platform app development tool. With a single shared .NET codebase, the developer can create apps for Android, iOS and Windows.
Xamarin has a large community of contributors. One reason for this could be the fact that it is free. In Xamarin, the developer uses Visual Studio tools to develop native apps.
The top features that the tool provides include testing, debugging, code editing, cloud publishing and refactoring. Using .NET, the developer cna make the best use of the unique features that are specific to each platform.
4. Appcelerator
Appcelerator is an app development tool powered by a single Javascript codebase. It is a popular tool as it supports multiple platforms – Android, iOS and Windows.
The tool supports creation of complex applications with shorter lines of code. A highlight feature of Appcelerator is – it offers real-time analytics which can help measure user engagement and results.
The tool supports global deployment of mobile apps from multiple regions. Deployment can be carried out either virtually or on-premises. The tool also offers integration with powerful Javascript frameworks like Angular and Vue.js.
5. Ionic
Ionic is a powerful tool for creating hybrid applications. The tool is built on web technologies like HTML5, CSS and SASS.
Ionic has a rich library of UI/UX components optimized for mobile devices. This free, open-source UI toolkit is helpful in building top-quality cross-platform mobile apps.
Its framework is both easy to learn and use. Ionic also provides integration with Angular which enhances animation, design and performance. As it has a single codebase for all platforms, one can expect reduced development costs.
Apps built on Ionic can be easily transformed into web apps. Developers working on tight schedules, and looking for a quick launch on both the major application stores can build their app using Ionic.
6. PhoneGap
PhoneGap is an open-source cross-platform tool that is preferred by a large number of mobile app developers. It has a single codebase but supports a range of web technologies – HTML, CSS, Javascript and web APIs.
The use of web technologies makes app development in PhoneGap much similar to building a website. The files are stored in the cloud. When they run on the device, the files use the plugins to use device features.
The working of the tool makes it possible to build light-weight apps that are reusable. PhoneGap seamlessly integrates with other libraries which helps in enhanced app development.
7. Nativescript
One can use Nativescript to build apps for both iOS and Android using a single codebase. Integration with Angular, Javascript, Typescript and Vue.js helps in building truly native mobile applications.
The tool offers full access to all the APIs in Android and iOS. It is a free and open source tool. Its top features include extensible app development tools, cross-platform app development, strong backing and native performance.
The styling in Nativescript is similar to CSS. Thus, people with experience in web development can quickly adapt to Nativescript.
8. Sencha Ext Js
This tool from Sencha is highly preferred for building data intensive applications. It is suitable for cross-platform development of web and mobile apps.
The tool is popular for the wide range of UI components it offers. Dynamic grids, trees. windows, lists, forms, HTML5 calendar, menus, toolbar and panels are among the 140+ user interface components available in Sencha Ext Js.
Apart from the numerous pre-built component libraries, the tool also supports several animations and touch events.
9. Onsen UI
Onsen UI not only helps in building good-looking apps. The apps work efficiently too. It is the top choice for developers who want to develop HTML5-based hybrid mobile applications.
Developing apps using Onsen UI is easy because it provides several ready-to-use components. Using the automatic styling option, the developer can give a native look and feel to the apps.
Apart from the elaborate online documentation, the internet has numerous learning resources for Onsen UI. Anyone can use the interactive tutorials and the community forum to start developing using the tool.
10. Swift
Swift is the most popular tool for developing apps for the iPhone. Its interface is easy to navigate. It has all the desirable features of a good mobile app development tool.
Swift is an open-source tool. Thanks to its large worldwide community, the tool has evolved over the years. It has a simple syntax, excellent code readability and easy maintenance.
11. Appsheet
Appsheet belongs to a new category of app development tools called no-coding platforms. These have drag-and-drop components which make it easy for people with no prior coding experience.
Appsheet allows the developer to extract data from a number of sources – DropBox, Google Drive, Smartsheet, OneDrive and so on. One can directly build apps after extracting data.
The tool provides an interactive emulator which is helpful for adding customizations on the app. The tool offers two kinds of editors – basic and advanced. Most of the important features that an app requires are there in the basic editor.
12. Mobile Angular UI
The framework is built on overthrow.js and fastclick.js libraries which are known to be reliable and robust. Using this tool, developers can build apps with HTML5, Bootstrap and AngularJS.
The tool is best for transforming desktop web applications to mobile applications. Developers can easily test the speed and responsiveness of the apps built using Mobile Angular UI.
Its most popular feature is the ability to stretch or squeeze the browser to view the web and mobile versions of the applications.
13. QuickBase
QuickBase is yet another popular no-coding platform used for building customised mobile apps.
The top features of the tool include integration with cloud apps and other useful third-party apps, web forms, customizable home pages, interactive dashboards and much more.
Summary
There is a pressing need for today’s businesses to move to mobile apps if they want to create a substantial digital presence. Therefore, numerous tools have emerged for creative development of mobile apps for various platforms.
Small and medium enterprises that cannot right away afford to hire mobile app developers can make use of the low-coding and no-coding platforms to develop simple business applications on their own.