Top 11 Mobile App Development Tools in 2024

What happens when you go shopping for something and find 100 different items that look, feel and function somewhat similar?

Overwhelmed, right?

Choosing a mobile app development tool is something similar to that.

If it is good, you can reap the benefits in the future for a longtime  and if it turns out bad, then you have to make a new investment strategy, with all the fresh costs involved.

Across the board are many challenges that put the mobile app at risk.

This is because, once you choose the technology, it will ultimately decide the quality and capabilities of your mobile app. And changing the technology in the future means complete reworking, which is expensive and time-consuming.

Most of the time, mainly startups often ignore the scalability factor in mobile apps. Their focus is on at-the-moment solutions, which is the wrong way of selecting a mobile application development tool.

Before selecting a mobile app development tool, carefully analyze the features and requirements of your application and then pick up the best tool that helps you develop functions and features to meet those requirements.

Besides, you can also take the help of a mobile app development company that could guide you in making the right choice or build it for you using a tool that best serves your needs.

Here, we have created a list of the 11 best Mobile Application Development Tools that could help you build a great mobile product.

What are the Best 11 Mobile Development App Tools that you must know in 2024?

Here is a list of top 11 Mobile App Development Tools:

1. React Native
2. Flutter
3. Xamarin
4. Ionic
5. jQuery Mobile
6. Sencha Ext JS
7. Framework 7
8. Onsen UI
9. Unity
10. Qt-Creator
11. JetBrains Rider

When you conduct a research to know the top tools for Mobile App Development, you arrive at these names. Mobile apps need to house several key functionalities so that they provide businesses with operational efficiencies, drive profitability, improve resource productivity, and assure consistent performance. All this is achievable with a mobile app when you build it using the finest mobile app development tools. Let’s take a closer look at top 11 mobile app development tools using which you can build your dream mobile apps.

1. React Native

A popular JavaScript-based mobile app development framework, React Native is distinguished by its ability to assist in the simultaneous development of apps for iOS and Android.  While Java and Swift or Obj-C are bare minimum requirements for Android and iOS respectively. However, React Native uses one common codebase to overcome this limitation and helps build multi-platform applications.

It was launched in 2015 by Facebook and has continued to grow stronger and stronger since then. Today, ask any professional software development company, and you would find it using React Native. It has been used by top names such as Facebook and Uber, which proves its authenticity as one of the top mobile app development tools.

Why Choose React Native?

• Constantly growing community that comprises app developers from esteemed organizations such as Facebook.
• State management, React hooks, and component logic can be reused
• For both iOS and Android apps, the code can be effectively reused.
• Excellent third-party integration, supporting integration with JavaScript modules and Native modules, and libraries.
• Supported by hot and live reloading functionality, developers can execute code changes in real time.
• Gives developers the ability to remain UI-focused during the development process.

2. Flutter

Based on the Dart programming language, Flutter is an open-source SDK (software development kit) that was developed by Google. Because of its affordability, development speed, and extensive feature set, Flutter SDK not only satisfies the needs of large corporations but also seamlessly integrates into the startup environment.

Like React Native, Flutter, too, helps in simultaneously building apps for iOS and Android, and so is one of the most-used app development frameworks by app developers.

Why Choose Flutter?

• Unique feature called ‘Hot reload’ allows developers to render changes fast, making changes instantly reflect on the UI.
• Provides ability to root out bugs in the development cycle itself.
• Complex widgets can be developed and adjusted as per the needs of the application.
• You can leverage existing Swift, Java, and Objective-C codes to access native functionalities such as location and camera.
• Developers have backend support from Google Firebase that strengthens their confidence to build scalable apps.

3. Xamarin

There is nothing better than Xamarin to build native apps. Since it is a Microsoft product, you will always be safe against unexpected termination of service, critical security threats, and technology updates.

More than 1.4 million developers use Xamarin, which means talent scarcity will not be a challenge for you when it comes to building your own mobile app development team.

Why Choose Xamarin?

• • Mono framework that exposes 100% of the native APIs to allow full use of device capabilities
  • Platform-specific IntelliSense makes coding easier
  • Application indexing and deep linking
  • Easy cycle of build, test, deploy, and repeat using C++ programming language
  • Possible to use enterprise or social authentication, push notifications, offline sync features
  • Ability to create high-performance shared libraries.
  • It’s one of the tools favored by software development companies that build enterprise apps and software.

4. Ionic

Since Ionic has a complete open-source SDK, it is widely used to build hybrid applications using CSS, HTML5, and SASS-like technologies. By building a mobile application on Ionic, app developers can directly send the release update to the users.

Automating app delivery is much easier with Ionic. Equipped with these capabilities, developers can easily deploy features and fixes to increase the speed of mobile app development.

Why Choose Ionic?

• Deliver app updates, bug fixes, and content changes without requiring MDM approval or waiting for app store approval
• Ability to automate workflow, from native binary builds to QA
• Native app binaries can be created in the cloud with Ionic package
• Central, shared dashboard with live activity feeds
• Industry-specific defaults and pre-built workflows to automate development tasks

5. jQuery Mobile

jQuery Mobile is an HTML5-based UI system that has been built on jQuery, providing a range of UI elements and features specifically for mobile apps. If you are looking for a tool to develop cutting-edge web apps for mobile and tablets, then undoubtedly, jQuery Mobile is the tool you must use.

With jQuery Mobile, we can enrich web pages by adding touch-friendly form inputs, enabling quicker page loading, and offering expanded device support. This efficiency of jQuery can be attributed to its lightweight code that offers flexible designs.

Why Choose jQuery Mobile?

• With little to no JavaScript code, developers can create the entire application interfaces in HTML.
• Ajax helps resolve complex large code structures into a few lines of code.
• Excellent support to both high-end as well as less capable devices – those that do not support JS.
• Apps are accessible over a wide range of devices and browsers.
• The transition from the currently active page to the new page can be animated using jQuery Mobile transition events easily
• The framework also includes many kinds of simply styled and touch-friendly form elements.
• Ability to determine ownership over application styling, cross-platform widgets, and Themeroller take UI and Theming to the next level.

6. Sencha Ext JS

Sencha is for rapid mobile app development. If you want to create a native app that is compatible with the latest versions of iOS and Android, Sencha should be your ideal choice. It is one of the most suitable app development tools for building enterprise applications.

It is an MVC-based JavaScript framework that enables the developers to use it through a touch of fingertips, which also helps in increasing the responsiveness of the application. HTML5 mobile app developers well-versed in Sencha can use it for Android as well as iOS applications without any hassles.

Why Choose Sencha?

• More than 115 fully supported components can be integrated with a wide range of frameworks such as Angular, FOSS, and more
• Commercially supported UI widgets for menus, toolbars, and lists
• End-to-end testing solution for Ext JS
• Reduce dependencies on multiple libraries and versions.
• Single code paradigm across all components
• Good community strength

7. Framework 7

Framework 7 is used to create native iPhone applications. Although, recently they have started providing support for Android apps.

This open-source, mobile HTML framework is easy to understand and builds native apps faster. As a result, you will find an esteemed iPhone app development company using Framework 7 in its mobile app development projects.

Why Choose Framework 7?

• It works in a simple HTML layout attached with CSS framework and JS files
• iOS-specific UI elements visualization, animations, and touch interaction
• A wide range of ready-to-use UI elements and widgets such as list views, media lists, modals, popups, form elements, and more
• Support iOS swipe-back action from the left border of the screen
• Ability to introduce custom styles to your applications
• Enhanced video ad experience by partnering with vi (Video Intelligence)

8. Onsen UI

When you want to build Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) and hybrid apps for your mobile devices, Onsen UI is one tool that must be on the list of your tools. As the name suggests, it houses a large range of UI components specially for mobile devices.

The best thing about Onsen UI is that developers have the independence to build apps with or without JavaScript. This framework-agnostic character of Onsen UI makes it a favorite of mobile app developers.

Why Choose Onsen UI?

• Offers an easy learning track, so developers can pick it up fast.
• Can be set up very easily, since it is based on HTML, CSS, and JS.
• Ready-to-use and easy-to-implement UI components such as toolbar, side menus, tabs, lists, forms, etc.
• No strict rule to install Android SDK or iOS – just begin coding and start building applications.
• Excellent support for command-line tools like Monaca, which helps build hybrid apps.
• Supports integration with AngularJS, React, Vue, and jQuery.

9. Unity

Unity’s fame as a game development app tool is widely acknowledged. Millions of developers use the Unity game engine to build gaming apps for all kinds of platforms, including Android, Windows, iOS, etc. Supported by its streamlined workflow and impeccable user interface (UI), as well as its extensive set of features, it is one of the most widely used game engines on the Android platform.

Even while Unity is primarily designed for building gaming apps, it can be effectively used to build non-gaming apps for businesses, utilities, etc.

Why Choose Unity?

• Quick and easy development support that speeds the app development process
• C#-based development that simplifies coding complexities
• Excellent code support helps in quickly increasing the app size.
• Ability to scale the app to different devices
• Optimal performance with large apps
• A very powerful community with developers from industry stalwarts such as Disney, NASA, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Warner Bros.

10. Qt-Creator

A cross-platform IDE (integrated development environment), Qt-Creator offers various tools for different tasks. For instance, it has a source code editor, a testing tool, an Integrated GUI layout, and a visual debugging tool for monitoring the app.

Qt is based on a combination of C++, JavaScript, and QML (Qt Modelling Language), though C++ forms most of Qt. The beauty of Qt is that it is based on the idea of a custom rendering engine approach that reuses not just the app’s logic but also the UI.

Why choose Qt-Creator?

• Quick integration with external SDKs such as AWS and PayPal.
• Declarative syntax offers flexibility to compose complex user interfaces
• Simple-to-implement property binding approach that simplifies making changes.
• Comes with a range of features such as touch-based inputs, shader effects, controls, and animations.
• Powered by C++, developers can interact with native APIs.
• Equipped with necessary tools, Qt Quick test framework speeds up testing.

11. JetBrains Rider

Based on IntelliJ Platform and ReSharper, JetBrains Rider is a cross-platform.NET IDE that is quick and packed with features. It has a thorough understanding of all.NET languages and technologies, and so is used by millions of developers across the globe.

A fundamental goal of all JetBrains products is to increase developer productivity. Further, Rider demonstrates its value as a wonderful tool for a software development company and a business that wants to develop a next-gen mobile app.

Why choose JetBrains Rider?

• Developers can build .Net, Xamarin, and Unity apps for different platforms.
• Rich editing and code insight for various programming languages.
• Uses many useful and powerful features of the IntelliJ platform.
• Instantly detects errors in compilation and runtime operations.
• Promotes optimal design and development methods that minimize redundancy and enhance coding.
• With numerous intelligent navigation and search options, developers may quickly get to any section of their code.
• Rich plugin repository that comes with a wide array of plugins.

Conclusion

Choosing mobile app development tools from a plethora of options available in the market is tough, only when you are not fully aware of your requirements.

So, before you venture out to seek the best mobile application development tool for your project, create a set of your requirements and compare it with the features of the tools. Whether you are looking to build cross-platform app with Flutter or a .NET application development company with expertise in Xamarin, or native apps using Java app development or iOS, Besides, you can always consult a reliable mobile app development company to better understand the tools.