Best iOS App Development Tools to Build an iOS App in 2024

Quick Summary: When creating an iOS application, having the correct collection of iOS Development tools is critical. There was a period when iOS development was challenging due to Apple’s limitations. Identifying critical criteria, selecting the appropriate programming language, and using other iOS app development tools are all necessary steps in developing an iOS app.

Apple goods are well-liked in the tech community due to their high quality and dependability. Apple has released a variety of gadgets over the years, including desktop computers (MAC), laptop computers (MacBook pro), tablets (iPad), phones (iPhones), smartwatches (Apple watch), iPods, and more.

Developing for iOS is not as complex as developing for other programming languages. Fortunately, there are a variety of materials and tools available to help you create an iOS app.

The Apple app store had roughly 2.22 million apps available for download in the first quarter of 2021. The popularity of iOS can be seen in these figures. This article compiles a thorough list of both paid and free iOS development tools.

Let’s have a look at some of the most popular iOS app development tools. The tools enable developers to create highly scalable, resilient, and fully functioning apps with stunning UI/UX designs. This article is broken into 14 modules, each of which is subdivided into tools related to each other. The following are the modules:

1. Programming language

In general, there are two main languages for developing iOS apps. Swift and Objective C are two programming languages. Both languages have their own set of rules that make it easier for developers to construct applications when compared to other languages. So let’s begin with the language that came along with Apple’s iOS developer SDK.

Objective – C

Apple chose Objective C for developing the iOS application. It was approved by Steve Jobs, its former co-founder when he founded NeXT PCs in the 1980s. Objective C is dependent on language C in the same manner that other languages such as C++ and C# are dependent on language C. This denotes the necessary structure and punctuation, such as C.

Swift

Swift is a relatively new addition to the iOS app development tools (first released in 2014). The iOS Developer Tool has had a rocky life. It’s where developers can start building comprehensive and feature-rich iPhone and iPad apps. Swift is used by several global tech heavyweights, including Firefox and the WordPress iOS apps.

2. Editor’s & IDE

Let’s first understand what IDE is?

According to RedHat

An integrated development environment (IDE) is software for building applications that combines specific developer tools into a single graphical user interface (GUI).

An IDE generally consists of

• Source Code Editor
• Local build automation
• Debugger

There is a variety of iOS IDE’s to pick from the market. But, first, let’s get started with Xcode.

2.1 Xcode (Free)

Apple’s first integrated development environment (IDE) was  Xcode which was included with the Apple app development kit. It is a development environment for macOS devices that consists of a few programming languages for creating interoperable programs with macOS, iOS, iPad, watchOS, and tvOS.

While writing code, Xcode contains a source code checker that analyses errors and suggests fixes. Developers will spend less time writing code as a result of the autocomplete feature and real-time fixtures. It’s built on top of the Cocoa Touch frameworks. The assistant button in Xcode ios development divides the editors into primary work documents and helper editors.

Features

2.2 App Code (freemium)

JetBrains built AppCode for developing iOS/OS X apps, and it comes with a 30-day free trial. Many programming languages are supported by this IDE, including Swift, Objective C, C++, JavaScript, XML, HTML, CSS, and XPath.

With an advanced iOS development environment, App Code ensures that code is executed quickly. It also eliminates the need for further code typing and handles daily duties. Accurate and safe refactoring also updates and improves the code. The main benefit of utilizing AppCode is that it simplifies the process of developing and analyzing code. The IDE and Editor’s tool displays various coding problems and allows developers to take corrective action as soon as possible. It all begins with It starts with $89 and is up to $649.

Features

2.3 Code Runner (Premium)

Code runner is a powerful iOS app development tool with strong compilation capabilities. The tool’s feature-rich component makes it simple for any iOS app developer to create iOS app code. Code Runner is an excellent choice for iOS app development because it is lightweight, smooth, and simple to use. All of the most popular programming languages are supported by Code Runner. There are now 25 languages supported. Personal Licence ($19.9) and Site Licence ($12) are the two types of licenses offered (minimum five computers).

Features

2.4 Fabric (Free)

Fabric is another excellent iOS development tool that enables developers to construct various apps to achieve their objectives. The fabric includes several modular app development kits to build high-performance, real-time apps that are simple to connect with the Apple development environment.

Features

3. UI/UX

In the mobile app development cycle, application design and structuring is a critical and very impactful step. Developers are continually seeking methods to make their applications more appealing and user-friendly. However, because it is not an easy undertaking, we have included some of the top iOS app design tools below.

3.1 Hyperion (Free)

Hyperion For building and organizing apps is believed to be the best iOS app design tool. The technique of investigating an application at any moment is prevalent among developers and enterprises worldwide.

The three default modules in this iOS developer tool are View Investigator (to examine prospective properties), Measure module (to qualify the separation of two views), and moderate activity module (to lessen the movement).

Features

• First party Plugin
• View Inspector
• Measurements
• Slow Animations

3.2 Flawless (free)

Flawless is an excellent option for those looking for a versatile iOS development tool that can help with iOS app design comparison, analysis, and execution. In addition, it comes with XCode, which allows you to compare an old device to a new one with ease.

Features

• Animated Screenshot capture
• Dynamic Design generation
• Check Motion and animation

3.3 Figma (Freemium)

Figma is a design app that works with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge browsers. It costs $12 to $45 per month, and an individual subscription allows you to try it out for free. The browser-based nature of Figma makes it a one-of-a-kind design tool. You won’t have to worry about keeping it up to date or about compatibility issues.

Features

3.4 Haiku (Freemium)

Haiku is ideal for animated and interactive UI, and it comes with a 7-day free trial with a price tag of up to $ 459.84. Its primary goal is to generate homegrown content. Code that will update your iOS apps automatically as you design them. Every Haiku element is compatible with React, Vue, and the Web.

Features

4. Libraries

The first two resources will lead you to hundreds of libraries that are available. Some of the most important libraries that should include with iOS development platforms are listed below.

4.1 RxSwift (Free)

When it comes to asynchronous programming, the RxSwift library is one of the language resources available to iOS app builders. In addition, RxSwift includes a large number of libraries that enable developers to create dynamic iOS apps. These apps interact with data seamlessly, respond quickly to information, and segment user events.

Features

4.2 Cocoapods (Free)

Cocoapods is distributed as a Ruby library that is installed via RubyGem. It is written in Ruby and can be installed using the OS X default Ruby. It is one of the most comprehensive Objective-C and Swift Cocoa dependant resources. There are 59000 libraries to choose from. It’s one of the most widely used libraries on the internet. Cocoa pods have been employed in over 3,000,000 applications. It will help you find more iOS programming materials if you use them.

Features

4.3 Alamofire (free)

Alamofire is an iOS and macOS HTTP networking framework built on Swift. It adds a beautiful interface to Apple’s fundamental networking stack, making typical networking chores easier. This extensive HTTP library includes: HTTP Methods

Features

4.4 SDWebimage(Free)

The SDWebImage library is for nonconcurrent picture downloading. The downloader accompanies store support. It supports JPEG, PNG, and GIFs. It additionally helps WebP and inspired WebP groups.  This library also allows new picture positions for extendable coder modules, for example, SVG, ANPG, HFIF, and BGP.

Features

5. Plugins

In the iPhone dev kit, there are hundreds of plugins to choose from. There are both paid and free options in this section. The plugins are listed below. Take a peek at what they have to offer.

5.1 Injections (Freemium)

The injection is a top Xcode plugin that dynamically inserts new swift/objective C code into the running app to speed up your build process. It’s available via Alcatraz or AppCode. The best part is that it performs all of this without affecting your project in any way. Injection III is the most recent version available on the Mac App Store. Unfortunately, it’s distributed under the “nagware” license, which requires you to pay after two weeks of use.

5.2 Fine Structure Copilot (Free)

Fine Structure Co-pilot is yet another XCode iOS app development tool. It enables network-based collaborative editing. This allows you to collaborate with other designers to make changes at the same time. This is a fantastic technique to expedite the coding process.

5.3 GitDiff (Free)

The GitDiff modules add visual data to XCode git to smooth out code changes. It essentially tracks any changes made to your git repository. This plugin is quite helpful in identifying and modifying code lines. It may also make a few suggestions based on your constraints. The plugin includes a menubar app with many colour preferences and the ability to turn on and off particular highlight settings.

5.4 Peckham (Free)

Peckham is another ios mobile app development tool plugin. Again, pop-ups can be used to create essential explanations. It’s a must-have in your iOS development toolkit.

5.5 Dash (Free)

Dash is compatible with the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. These iPhone app development tools provide over 200 API documentation sets and over 100 cheat sheets for your iPhone. It’s an open-source plugin that allows you to make your documents. This plugin is essentially a code scrap manager.

5.6 HKSnippet (Free)

HSKSnippet in Xcode, trigger strings is used to generate code snippets. This cuts down on the amount of time spent manually typing commonly used code. This plugin now can use parameters to input code snippets, which is a new feature. It’s pretty easy to use. All you have to do is type the trigger string to get the snippet.

5.7 Crayons (Free)

Crayon is the color manager for your iOS app builder. This plugin will allow you to share color pallets from source files and directly add them to your interface builder. There is no need to pick your color manually.  At any time you want to change your colour, you have to alter the implementation. All the colors will be generated dynamically.

5.8 Marvin Xcode (Free)

MarvinXcode is an Xcode development plugin that allows you to add commands and hotkeys to your projects. In addition, it has a significant number of deletion, duplication, and text selection functions for coding. The following are some of the commands that are included:

This differs from Select Line as it will exclude whitespace characters until it reaches the first valid character at the beginning and end of the current line.

6. Debugging

Application troubleshooting is a standard element of the iOS app development architecture. Bugs can be difficult to deal with, vulnerable, and costly. They must be detected as soon as possible, and they must be allowed to be corrected as quickly as possible.

In addition to iOS app development tools, Debugging is a critical component of developing error-free and perfect code. However, we are all human, and making mistakes is unavoidable.

6.1 Parse (Free)

Parse is an open-source mobile app development, facilitation, and analysis platform. This AWS-based iOS app development program includes a fantastic database file, inquiry streamlining agents, auto-scaling, and automated reinforcements.

6.2  Raygun (Premium)

Raygun is an iOS development tools for error, crash, and execution debugging that allows you to see how people interact with your apps. It starts with $6 up to $12. Raygun is a top-to-bottom error diagnostics SDK and

the online help that provides intelligent reporting and alerts while using iOS app development technologies.

7. Backend Services

Developers are continuously working on new features for their iOS apps, such as the ability to deliver data to a specific person, send message pop-ups, etc. As a result, the iOS app development tools that come with it will be a good fit.

7.1 Firebase (Free)

Firebase is Baas (Backend-as-service) that can be used as a worker and simultaneously used for datastore and API. With firebase, there is no persuasive reason for any backend code. Instead, this iOS software development tool will allow you to store and sync information entirely over the client’s progress.

7.2 Parse (Free)

Parse is an open-source mobile app development, facilitation, and analysis platform. This AWS-based iOS app development program includes a fantastic database file, inquiry streamlining agents, auto-scaling, and automated reinforcements.

Parse VS Firebase

7.3 Helios

Helios is an open-source framework for developing iOS mobile applications that provide a collection of critical back-end services. Helios will assist you in implementing advanced features such as push notifications, data syncing, in-app purchases, Passbook integration, logging, and analytics into your app. Rack is the webserver interface that the solution is built on.

8. Testing

iOS applications are well-known for their exceptional performance and user experience. However, getting to this point necessitates a great deal of testing. Some of the tools that are must-haves in iOS app developer tools are listed below.

8.1 EarlGrey (Free)

EarlGrey is an open-source native test framework for iOS that automates user interface testing. It was created by Google and is used to test native apps such as YouTube, Google Calendar, Google Translate, and others. In addition, it enables QA access to reliable UI Testing’s enhanced synchronization features.

Built-in synchronization is a critical feature that allows test scripts to wait for specified UI events to occur before launching an interaction with the application UI. EarlGrey synchronizes with UI and network requests and will enable users to apply arbitrary timings manually.

Note: QA Engineers can directly run scripts from XCode or command line as EarlGrey operates in conjunction with the XCtest framework and integrates with the Xcode test navigator.

Features

• In-Built Synchronization
• Open-Source Framework
• Test action only on UI elements.

8.2 XCTest and XCUITest (Free)

Both XCTest and XCUITest are integral automation frameworks by Apple that are shipped with XCode for testing iOS applications. XCUITest is a user interface testing framework by apple that is built on XCTest (a unit framework Testing). XCUITest has an additional class for better UI Testing. Users can also create a test case in Swift and Objective C. These test scripts are packed in a test IPA runner. This IPA runner then executes the test scripts on the Application under test.

Features

• Convienent for developers
• Better Framework architecture & Faster execution
• Increased reliability
• Operates directly on Object level

8.3 OCMock (Free)

OCMock is a robust fake object testing framework for building stubs in iOS apps. Mock Objects are essential in software testing because they allow a QA engineer to imitate the behavior of a complicated, real-world object.

Because Xcode lacks built-in support for mockup objects, OCMock is a one-of-a-kind library. This library supports Objective-C. This allows users to add mock objects to existing test cases simply.

Features

• Open Source
• Compatible with C
• Easily add Mock Objects

9. Game Development

The gaming industry is constantly blooming as user’s engagement towards the app is also increasing. Below mentioned are some of the best ios game development software available in the market.

9.1 SpriteKit – 2D sprite-based games (Free)

SpriteKit is Apple’s proprietary game engine for creating 2D games. This platform supports both Swift and Objective-C and provides developers with various tools to aid in developing high-performance 2D games. If you’re thinking about making an Apple game, this is the platform for you. Keep in mind that if it’s Apple-supported, you won’t need to download any additional libraries or sources, and you can be sure that it will adequately complement and suit all of Apple’s new products. Some games developed using SpriteKit: Squashy Bug, Trestle, Accelebot

Supported Platform

• iOS

Pricing

• Free

9.2 Buildbox (Freemium)

Buildbox allows you to develop your 3D and 2D games in a concise amount of time and a straightforward manner. You don’t need to know how to code; choose images, import them, and assign them a role (player, object, decoration, power-up, Etc.) to start your game. You can also make adjustments and monitor them in real-time. This platform is for you if you are not a tech specialist.

Supported Platform

• iOS

Pricing

• Free Plan
• Plus Plan $19,99/ month
• Pro Plan $49,99/ month

9.3 Unity (Freemium)

Unity is one of the top mobile development engines launched by Unity Technologies.  This platform helps you to create your own game using fantastic 2D and 3D features. It also allows you to work with the team and also allows to import assets from many 3D applications like Blender. Unity offers you a wide range of assets that can be purchased from its store. It comes with guides and tutorials and hence It is the most popular tool among developers.

Supported Platform

• iOS
• Android
• Windows
• Tizen OS
• Fire OS

Pricing

• Free for Students and personal use
• Plus Plan $40/ month
• Pro Plan $150/ month
• Enterprise Plan $200/month

10. Security Testing

Apple products are famous for their reliability and quality. However, iOS Application Security also needed many tools to perform thoroughly.  This section covers security testing tools that may be useful while assessing developed iOS applications.

10.1 Frida (Free)

Frida is a powerful, free dynamic instrumentation toolkit. This tool is used by developers, security professionals, and malware analysts.  This tool works with jailbreak and without jailbreak devices. To use this tool to its full potential, you need to spend time exploiting this tool.

Installation of Frida is relatively easy. Just use the command below:

$ pip install frida-tools

Features

10.2 Ghidra (Free)

The National Security Agency Research Directorate develops and maintains Ghidra, a software reverse engineering (SRE) platform. This framework offers a set of high-end software analysis tools that allow users to examine compiled code on various platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. Disassembly, assembly, decompilation, graphing, and scripting are just a few of the capabilities available. Ghidra can run in user-interactive and automated modes and supports a wide range of processor instruction sets and executable formats. Users can also use Java or Python to create their own Ghidra extension components and scripts.

Features

10.3 BurpSuite (Freemium)

BurpSuite is a critical tool for performing application penetration testing. It was created by the firm PortSwigger, which is also the alias of the owner Dafydd Stuttard. For the duration of the process, the various tools work in unison. Burp Suite is designed to be an all-in-one tool, but you may expand its capabilities by installing BApps, which can be obtained directly from Burp or via the BApp marketplace. It’s trendy among pen-testers because of how simple it is to use.

Pricing

• Community Edition: Free
• Professional Edition: $399/yr
• Enterprise Edition: $23,550/yr

Feature

11. Top iOS Analytics Tools

The next and most critical step after creating the application is optimization. We collect, measure, and analyze various data points using the Analytics tool. The main goal of these products is to boost performance through data insights. The analytic tools listed below will assist you in acquiring a thorough understanding of your application and achieving your targeted outcomes.

11.1 App Analytics by Apple (Free)

Apple app analytics is a free analytic tool for analyzing iOS apps. App store performance, app engagement and usage, marketing efforts, subscriptions, sales trends, Etc may all be tracked. It may be found in Apple Store Connect. It comes as part of Apple’s developer program membership and requires no technical setup.

Platform

• iOS
• tvOS

Price

• Free

Features

• Usage analytics
• Sales and Trends
• Payment and Financial Report
• App Store data

11.2 UXCam App Analytics

UXCam is a user session recording-based analytics tool for mobile apps. As you watch users browse around the app, it allows you to study their behavior in depth. Heatmaps can also be used to determine which functions in the app are the most and least used.

Platform

Price

• Free trial
• Price upon request

Features

11.3  Mixpanel

Mixpanel is a product analytics solution that concentrates on combining a variety of data elements. It assists you in locating answers to questions about popular features, power users, and what kind of user behavior leads to lengthy user retention. In addition, it is codeless, which means it does not require any code to track app metrics.

Platform

• iOS
• Android
• Web

Price

• Free trial
• Paid (starts with $25/month for 1K user)

Features

• A/B Testing
• Push Notifications
• Funnels
• Engagement tracking
• Mobile and Web

11.4  Flurry (Free)

Flurry is a free mobile analytic tool launched in 2008 by Yahoo as the worlds first develop app for iOS and Android. It allows you to track sessions, installs, and run-on demand analysis for funnels. In addition, you can identify the bugs from crash reports.

Platform

• iOS
• Android

Price

• Free trial

Features

• Free app analytics
• Events
• Funnels
• Segments
• Cohorts

12. Payment Gateway

As the demand for quick and effective money transfer methods develops, businesses are looking for quick ways to send and receive payments. Using mobile payments to pay for products online has never been easier or safer. People require a straightforward and time-consuming technique of making payments that is also convenient. Various firms have made their items available online, making it a simple and time-saving form of payment.

12.1 Apple pay (Free)

Customers can use Apple Pay to pay for goods, services, subscriptions, and donations simply and securely. Customers can use iOs, watchOS, and safari to give shipping information. In iMessages and Business Chat, Apple Pay can be utilized as an extension. Customers keep their information safe by using TouchID and Face ID, securely held on their devices. Daily and weekly transactions of $10000 are available with Apple Pay. To encourage repeat commerce, it also offers reward points, loyalty points, and gift card storage. However, it’s worth noting that a quick transfer to a debit card would incur a 1% fee.

Features

• Compatible credit/debit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express.
• Fund Transfer Speed: 1 to 3 days
• Supported Devices: iPhone/iPad, Mac.

12.2 Venmo (Free)

Venmo is a social payments app that may use to make mobile purchases on Android and iOS smartphones. Customers can use money in their Venmo account, bank account, or debit cards linked to split payments with friends and family and select approved businesses. There is never a cost when transferring money from Venmo using Venmo balances, debit cards, bank accounts, or prepaid cards. However, there is a 3% fee when using credit cards. Purchases made online or through other apps are always free.

Features

• Compatible credit/debit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover.
• Fund Transfer Speed: 1 to 3 business days.
• Supported Devices: Android, iPhone/iPad, Mac.

12.3 Paypal (Premium)

Paypal is a popular money transfer service that can be integrated with PHP. PayPal’s iOS mobile app payment library SDK is available for download. Incorporate MPL components into your iOS app. Express checkout, direct payments, fraud management filters, and many other APIs are available for PayPal. Many shoppers and merchants trust PayPal since it is a well-known brand. In addition, it comes with a robust anti-fraud mechanism. Some financial transactions are instantaneous, while others might take up to five days, depending on the bank and transfer type.

Features

• Compatible credit/debit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover.
• Fund Transfer Speed: 30 minutes
• Supported Devices: Android, iPhone/iPad.

13. Documentation

Software documentation is a crucial part of the software development lifecycle and must be carried out to create feature-rich and robust software. The following are the link to the tools used for documentation.

13.1 PSPDFKit (Premium)

PSPDFKit for iOS is an SDK that allows you to browse, annotate, edit, and create PDFs. In addition, it provides developers with robust Swift and Objective-C APIs for swiftly integrating PDF capability into any iOS project.
PSPDFKit SDKs are used by PlanGrid, Disney, DocuSign, Dropbox, IBM, and Lufthansa to create some of the world’s most popular applications.

13.2 Jazzy (Free)

Jazzy is a command-line tool for creating Swift and Objective-C documentation that goes beyond analyzing source files by combining SourceKit and the Clang AST model of your code and comments to provide more accurate results. The resulting output is straightforward to navigate, and it looks and feels like Apple’s official reference literature. It can also be installed in the popular Dash documentation reader.

13.3 Dash (Free)

The famous OS X documentation viewer Dash is now accessible for iPhone as an API documentation browser, giving iPad and iPhone users access to over 150 APIs, including iOS, Swift, and a variety of other web technologies, as well as popular third-party apps. In addition, it enables you to import documents created with iTunes. The fuzzy search and table of contents make it simple to navigate the docset.

13.4 SwiftDoc.org (Free)

Swift documentation is fully auto-generated and available online. Without having to command-click around header files in Xcode, SwiftDoc.org allows you to quickly browse all types, protocols, operators, and globals specified internally to the language. Because the documentation pages are entirely produced from the Swift header file, they cover everything from initializers and instance methods to variables and inheritance. Inheritance hierarchy graphs display all protocols that a type adheres to or all of the classes that conform to a protocol, as appropriate.

14. Revision Control

If a team produces the iOS application, revision control is an essential aspect of the process. So let’s take a look at a few of the most popular iOS revision control applications.

14.1 Source

The source is a git client and code editor for iOS devices.  It’s an efficient code editor that supports syntax highlighting for more than a hundred languages.  As the source is a git client, you can commit, push, branch, pull, etc., with specific Integrations for GitHub, Bitbucket, and Gitlab.

The key benefit of this tool is that it provides an integrated coding keyboard with familiar programming characters, which can be used over other third-party tools in iOS.

14.2 GitKraken

Git Kraken is an Electron-based cross-platform Git client. It runs on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. GitKarken can be used as a stand-alone solution after it is installed on the system. It is not necessary to install Git. GitKarken is a fully integrated GitHub and Bitbucket client that allows you to search for and interact with all public and private repositories.

14.3 Working Copy

Working Copy is an iOS Git client that allows you to clone, modify, commit, and push files while on the go. Unlike many other iOS Git apps, this one lets you work with any Git repository, not just those hosted on well-known services like Bitbucket or GitHub. Cloning repositories on your iOS device creates a local clone of the repository with commits for all branches, just like on your desktop. Then, from within the app, you can edit and examine the content.

Wrapping Up

Finally, these best iOS app development tools will make any iOS development easier while allowing you to have a diverse toolset in your iOS development toolbox. Complex app creation has never been easier or faster, thanks to the latest iOS development tools. Because of its brand loyalty and the high level of service, iOS has no direct competitors.