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Mobile app development tools are the suite of systems and programs that are utilized in developing mobile apps for smartphone users.
Mobile devices and embedded mobile apps have become a staple in today’s uber-connected world. Many people rely on their smart devices to execute even basic activities such as buying groceries and note taking. There are more than six billion smartphones in the world as you read this article. The implication of this is that the growth of mobile apps will continue, and the world hasn’t even witnessed the prowess of the human mind when it comes to app development.
One of the most in-demand software skills at the moment is mobile application development. Application developers help businesses and users interact, engage, and efficiently communicate with others. It has become a lucrative skill in 2022.
Whether you are just starting your career as an app developer or have developed several apps before now, this article will take you through the best mobile app development tools in 2022 for both the iOS and Android ecosystems.
The best mobile app development tools
1. Xamarin
Xamarin is one of our favorite mobile app development tools. And it’s not just us. The platform is used by more than one million developers globally. A cross-platform development framework, it helps you to write shared code in C#. also, you can compile your code for several platforms including Windows, iOS, and Android.
2. Longrange
This tool is used in creating a mobile prototype of a website. The Longrange prototype usually shows how the website will look and perform, particularly the UI. To use Longrange, you have to be adept at CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and/or other languages. This implies that to create the prototype, you must have familiarized yourself with some programming languages before using Longrange to create the prototype.
3. NativeScript
An open-source mobile app development tool, NativeScript is a framework that allows developers to write a single codebase and gives them the ability to share the same across several platforms. It is also a cross-platform tool that allows developers to build native apps using JavaScript.
4. Sencha
A free mobile app development platform, Sencha helps you create web applications on either of its two editions – Sencha Ext JS and Sencha Touch. Sencha Touch is used for developing cross-platform mobile apps using CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. The platform is based on the Mode-View-Controller (MVC) architecture. Sencha Ext JS, on the other hand, is a library for developing cross-browser applications.
5. Flutter
Flutter is used for developing high-quality mobile apps for both Android and iOS ecosystems. The tool is also used to create cross-platform apps with a native interface. Flutter uses Dart language to create the UI via the business logic and data model. It also has a diverse and top-quality set of already-built, customizable UI widgets that make it quite easy to execute pixel-perfect designs. Like some development tools mentioned above, Flutter allows developers to share codes between platforms and write once. It is a free, open-source tool backed by Google.
6. AppMaster
A great tool for those without prior coding skills, AppMaster is great for creating user-friendly and visually appealing mobile apps. It is efficient for building web and native apps. With this tool, you can build both frontend and backend codes with just a few clicks.
7. Jamf
An iOS app development tool, its primary purpose is to help users to manage, connect and develop iOS applications for the Apple ecosystem. The development tool has several packages that are included for business and education purposes. Beyond app development, Jamf also offers its users some advanced features such as VPN configuration email and calendar integration, and iOS path management. The disadvantage of using this tool is its iOS bias.
8. Appery.io
Another cross-platform development tool, Appery is a modern platform based on cloud technology. It allows developers to build apps without downloading any plug-ins on their local storage. In this way, the app development process becomes faster and much easier. Its intuitive design also makes it suitable for both pros and beginners to use.
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9. Alpha Anywhere
One of the popular tools for mobile app development, Alpha Anywhere allows developers to build and test mobile apps in the cloud. It is great for those who want to create an app without spending the majority of their time coding. It is free to use. However, there is a limit on the number of apps new users can create.
10. KendoUI
This cross-platform tool helps developers build mobile and web applications for both iOS and Android platforms. Also, it comes with several features that are important for developing modern apps. Its open architecture allows developers to use their preferred JavaScript library or any third-party control of their choice.
11. jQuery Mobile
a lightweight and easy-to-use framework, jQuery Mobile is an HTML5-based tool that is used to design mobile and web applications. Its JavaScript library also helps to add interactive elements and other animations to your web pages.
12. Zoho Creator
Zoho Creator is a web development tool that is easy to use and allows users to create web and mobile applications in minutes. It is useful for business owners, influencers, and marketers who want to build their brand without prior coding experience. This tool comes with more than 1,000 themes and templates, a design editor, and features that make it worthwhile for adding animations to your platforms.
13. Ionic
This cross-platform tool is great for helping developers build native mobile apps for both Android and iOS. It also supports both TypeScript and JavaScript and has several themes and plugins to help developers build top-quality apps seamlessly.
14. Onsen UI
An open-source framework, Onsen UI is a cross-platform tool built on the Angular framework. It provides numerous functional components for developing mobile apps using web-based technologies. One of the great things about this development tool is that it comes with ready-made UI templates that can be used to customize your mobile apps to your preference.
15. React Native
React Native is also another open-source framework for developing native mobile apps. For this tool, prior knowledge of JavaScript is important. React was developed by Instagram and Facebook, and is utilized by several IT firms for app development. It allows developers to build cross-platform mobile apps.
16. FireBase
This is a mobile app development tool that was built by James Tamplin and Andrew Lee in 2011. Acquired by Google in 2014, FireBase provides a backend service to mobile applications. It has since become the foundation of many of Google’s developer products. It is an incredible tool for developers who need to scale their mobile platforms. Also, it provides a real-time database for hosting applications.
17. Kobiton
Kobiton is an app development tool that is focused on testing a mobile app before it is deployed. For this reason, it is efficient and useful for preventing bugs before completing the app testing phase. Some of its great features include functional testing, visual test automation, and performance improvement.
18. AppMakr
AppMakr is a widely-used cross-platform app development tool. The platform has a unique user-friendly interface that caters to individual app developers and business users. You can sign up for the free version which is enough to help you with the basic requirements. However, for users that would rather have additional features and experiment with advanced functionalities, the premium package is even better.
19. Kony Visualizer
The Kony visualizer is an app development tool that is focused on wearable technologies. It helps businesses enhance their customer engagement using modern wearables’ functions. This cross-platform tool can be used by users without prior coding experience.
20. Appcelerator
Appcelerator is a tool for those who want to build apps without spending long hours writing codes. It allows users to develop apps with minimal lines of code. Also, the apps built with this development tool are compatible with browser-based applications, Android, Windows, and iOS. Another important aspect of Appcelerator is that it provides users with cloud capacity and supports easy and quick app development. Also, you can build multilingual apps using this tool while deploying them in as many regions as you want.
