This mobile-first generation has helped numerous businesses in expanding their reach and build a large customer base. The one factor that has made this possible is a dedicated business app. This strong thread took companies closer to their target audience within fractions of seconds. So, the earlier you understand the importance of a mobile presence, the better will be the outcomes. From startups to big corporations, well-performing iOS applications are helping almost every business to gain customers and reap profits. As a result, there is a great demand for iOS app development services to create feature-rich and well-executed applications.
iOS is one of the popular operating systems by Apple which is used in millions of iOS devices around the world. Whether you have experience in developing iOS apps or just beginning your newest journey, knowing the right set of development tools can take app coding to the top level. There are many tools out there that help developers build a modern yet innovative application for iOS devices. But choosing among the plentiful options can lead to confusion. If you are looking for the best iOS app development tool, then let us help in your quest. We will introduce you to some of the best iOS development tools to create well-functioning apps that will help you yield rewards in the long run.
What is an iOS app development tool? Which one is the best in the market?
An iOS development tool is a group of extensions, frameworks, libraries, and other types of resources that help a developer in the iOS app building process. Mobile app testing, code editors, debugging, UI/UX, etc. are some aspects of application development tools to create or update iOS apps. These tools greatly help developers in building scalable, secure, and customizable iOS apps that adhere to Apple App Store guidelines.
In this post, we have included the best iOS app development tools that help in building appealing applications.
- Xcode
Xcode is a great app development tool for building quick applications for iOS devices. This tool is introduced by Apple itself. With Xcode, developers can create well-designed iOS apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. Xcode development tool has a build system, a compiler, and a text editor. Additionally, it is a great tool to write, debug, compile and launch the applications on App Store.
You can build iOS applications with great consistency and swiftness. The required time to build apps with this development environment is comparatively less than other tools.
Key features:
- You can easily design and assess the graphical interface without coding.
- With iOS SDK, you can create, install, run and debug the applications in a Mac-based Simulator.
- To get more information about this tool, you can reach the help desk for the full documentation.
- AppCode
Launched by JetBrains, AppCode is one of the advanced tools created on the IntelliJ IDEA platform. This tool use plug-ins to stretch the functionality or even better you can use your own written plugins to extend its functionality. You can use AppCode with various programming languages including C++, Swift, JavaScript, and Objective-C. This iOS app development tool is very popular among developers.
The key benefit of using this tool is the ease of writing and analyzing the code. The editor and IDE work helps in catching the code errors which allows developers to fix them on time. Developers can save a lot of time in the app development process using this tool.
Key features:
- This single-integrated app development tool works with several programming languages like CSS, JavaSript, HTML, and XML.
- Quick code backing allows developers to create code, and publish their context, and project structure.
- Its in-built tools and integrations help developers to create, test, and debug the iOS app.
- Transporter
This iOS app development tool helps developers in uploading their content directly to the App Store. Transporter makes it easier for developers to send applications, TV movies, shows, music, books, etc. on different Apple devices.
To easily distribute your content in Apple Music, Apple Store, iTunes Store, or Apple books, you will be asked to set up an Apple account by providing valid credentials.
Key features:
- You can drag and drop your content into the transporter app development tool.
- You can easily upload multiple files in one go and update the delivery process.
- You can look at delivery logs and authentication warnings to check the status of fixing issues.
- This tool keeps records of all the past deliveries along with their date and time.
- Simulator
Developers rely on Simulator for getting their apps tested prior to sending them for Apple’s approval. It is an Xcode tool that is installed on Mac and allows developers to run Apple Watch, Apple TV, iPhone, or iPad apps in a Window. It is a great tool for testing your developed app quickly.
Key features:
- Smooth interaction with applications on TvOS, WatchOS, and iOS along with keyboard and pointer support.
- Developers can easily debug and create prototypes of apps.
- Mobile applications can easily be tweaked.
- Developers can test their iOS apps before submitting them for review.
- Fabric
Fabric is also one of the best and preferred iOS app development tools that allow developers to build a variety of applications. This tool offers a wide range of development kits that can be easily integrated into the application building environment. It greatly helps in creating high-end and well-functioning iOS apps.
Developers can easily add new features to their iOS apps with the help of the Fabric app development tool. This tool is very lightweight and allows developers to mechanize the positioning process for their apps.
Key features:
- Developers can easily manage all SDKs with a single tool, you can save a lot of time in juggling between multiple accounts.
- The process of code snippets testing can be done trouble-freely.
- Jazzy
Using this iOS development tool, you can create easy-to-understand documentation for Swift code and Objective-C. The Jazzy tool utilizes Clang AST and SourceKit to produce accurate results.
The addition of Clang AST, SourceKit, and Swift capabilities allows developers in managing crucial attributes and know the purpose of writing a specific code.
Key features:
- Developers can create professional applications manually with Jazzy.
- Well-suited with Swift and Objective-C.
- Helps developers in building stand-alone apps with outstanding accuracy.
- Applyzer
Applyzer is also among the popular iOS app development tools that allow programmers to monitor the position of their application in the Apple App Store. This tool helps developers to create their accounts easily and integrate app ID to track and manage application positions in iTunes.
Its Editor tool allows content developers to search keywords in the application content. You can easily view the keywords used in the content. It is not purely an app development tool but it is liked by many developers, investors, publishers, and marketers.
Key features:
- You can monitor your app position.
- Gain app insights for good performance.
- Find relevant keywords.
- Mockingbird
This iOS app development tool can help beginners in the early stages of the development process. Swift and Objective-C can be stubbed, mocked, and verified with the Mockingbird tool. This tool was initially designed to minimize the occurrence of mocks and make the testing process easier. Now it is a highly chosen app development tool over others as it is swifter to generate mocks. You can easily create and share clickable mockups of applications.
Key features:
- It can be easily exported to PNG and PDF.
- Create multiple pages along with linking.
- Develop clear and clean web-based mockups.
- Columns and grid.
- Alcatraz
It is an open-source coding manager which can be utilized for developing iOS apps. Alcatraz allows developers to surf through several plugins and themes for applications. This tool combines different themes and plugins to reduce the difficulty in the entire iOS app development process. This code manager is not only easy to use but also the installation process is hassle-free. This is one of the greatest reasons why developers prefer using this platform.
Key features:
- Can be installed with Xcode.
- Increase functionalities of Xcode
- The combination of Xcode and Alcatraz is beneficial in the app development process.
- Themes and templates can be customized and edited.
- Ease of altering the layout and design of the app.
Parting thoughts
This goes without saying that every business niche is getting fiercely competitive each day. As a result, all companies whether small or big are seeking ways to yield benefits from applications. When we talk about mobile app development, then iOS app development is one of the lucrative options. Initially, it was challenging to build apps for iOS but now things have improved a lot. Apple has introduced a range of high-end technology and tools to make the process easy for developers on several platforms.
To get the complete benefit of iOS app development tools, you should take professional help. You can hire an experienced developer from a reputed and reliable iOS app development company. Tell them your requirement, they will assist you and convert your app idea into a fully functioning reality.