9 iOS App Development Tools for Startups in 2023

Businesses of all sizes (startups, small and medium-sized, or established enterprises) seek ways to benefit from well-designed and well-crafted apps in today’s competitive app development market.

And since Android and iOS are the major OSs in mobile devices, the objective scope of development and the potential to leverage new-age tech is far more relevant and impactful. What do we mean by that? Better tech and apps can get you more audiences. Let us first try to gather a perspective on Apple’s marketplace of apps. Per popularity, iOS app development is growing due to its advanced technology, design benchmarks, security, and additional features in the app store. The Apple App Store has 4.75 million apps available. As of August 2021, there were 4.37 million apps published in the Apple App Store.

Now, for startups & enterprises, the scope and width of these apps mean that they have to invest in building high-performance iOS apps.

But how can you build an iOS app with suitable UX, seamless functionality, and an intuitive design? Well, better developers are one take you can go with. Besides that, you can take advantage of current frameworks, tools, and solutions available in the market.

Top 9 iOS App Development Tools for Startups

1. Xcode

Swift apps for iOS devices may now be created using Apple’s new tool, Xcode. The text editor, the compiler, and the build system are all components of the Xcode development environment. It is the top choice for developers when creating apps for iOS devices such as Mac, iOS, and Apple watch. If you’re seeking a solution that shortens the time needed to construct a mobile app while maintaining consistency and efficiency in creating iOS apps, give this a try. Features of Xcode are:

• You can create a graphical interface without writing code.
• You can build, install & run iOS apps on Mac and debug them in a Simulator.
• To find any information, you can read the Help index.

2. AppCode

A sophisticated tool built on the IntelliJ IDEA platform, AppCode, was launched by JetBrains. Numerous programming languages, including Objective-C, Swift, C++, and JavaScript, are compatible with it. Its capabilities can be increased by adding your plug-ins. The AppCode tool is intended to find different coding problems, so iOS developers may quickly correct them. For developers, this code management process saves time. The critical advantage of utilizing this tool is that it offers more straightforward code writing. Features of AppCode are:

• An integrated development environment that supports multiple programming languages.
• The code assistance feature assists you in writing clean code while also revealing your context & project structure.
• Developers can debug the app with built-in tools and integrations.

3. Transporter

The Transporter can directly upload your app and content to Apple. As a developer, it’s possible to share files, movies, music, TV shows, books, etc., on different iOS platforms. It can channel iOS app content distribution through Apple Music, iTunes Store, App Store, or Apple Books. To enable this process, the user must have an iTunes Connect account, an App Store Connect account, or an encoding house account. Features of Transporter are:

• Drag & drop the content you wish to move into Transporter.
• It is simple to upload multiple files simultaneously to speed up the delivery process.
• Maintain records of all previous deliveries, including the date and time.
• Get a track record of prior deliveries with the proper time and date.

4. Swift (Programming Language)

First released in 2014, Swift is Apple’s powerful core programming language. Since it is relatively new compared to other languages like C, Java, and C++, it has some compelling advanced features. Swift’s goal is to make code easier to read and write. A few of the features of Swift are:

• Advanced control flow
• Memory-safe and type-safe language
• Automatic memory management
• Effective error handling
• Functional programming
• Supports inferred types

In the future, Swift will be the language Apple will rely more upon. Apple claims that Swift is also 2.6 times faster than Objective C. However, It’s a wise decision to learn and master it.

5. Simulator

With the simulator, you can run iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV applications in a window on your Mac. It is ideal for testing applications quickly. An environment for simulation consists of a simulated device and software, as well as its settings and files. As a result, there is little movement between screens. It enables you to streamline your collaborations. Features of the Simulator are:

• Touch and keyboard support for iOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
• This tool can assist you in prototyping and debugging applications.
• It is easy to modify the graphics of a mobile application.

6. CocoaPods

CocoaPods is a new tool for easily integrating third-party libraries into Apple software projects. Podfile is a text file that helps you in using the CocoaPods. This also tells how your app is dependent on other libraries. As a result, CocoPods resolves dependencies and retrieves library source code, placing it in an Xcode workspace where it may be linked with your app to create an iOS application. Features of CocoaPods are:

• A third party contributes code to a project the owner does not own.
• Eliminates library dependency conflicts.
• Third-party libraries can be easily incorporated.

7. AlamoFire

Another library that developers can use to create iOS applications is AlamoFire. It is an HTTP network-based library that is an alternative to Apple’s networking stack. It includes serialization, network enhancement, authentication services, and many other features in addition to HTTP methods. AlamoFire is the best tool for developing iPhone apps in Swift. In macOS and iOS, this swift-based framework manages web requests and retaliates. It also includes JSON parameters that respond to network enhancement, serialization, and authentication services, among other things. Features of AlamoFire are:

• Network Reachability
• HTTP Response Validation
• Use your Resume or Request data to download files
• Authentication with URL Credential
• Public Key and TLS Certificate pinning
• Response/ Chainable Request Methods

8. Design + Code

The Design+Code tool is intended to give training films about iOS app development that help developers improve their learning skills and get faster outcomes. The video material includes tutorials on using Xcode, Sketch, and Framer, as well as a variety of themes and techniques relating to iOS app design and development. As a comprehensive knowledge-based platform, it enables developers to create faster and more efficient iOS apps. If the programmers like any of the information, they can bookmark it for later use. Features of design + Code are

• Create rapid apps with React and Swift.
• Video lessons to help you learn more.

9. Applyzer

An iOS utility called Applyzer assists developers in keeping track of where their apps are in the Apple Store. You can easily track the placements of your apps on iTunes by creating an account and integrating your app ID.

Content creators can look for keywords in the app’s content using the Editor tool. This entails accessing a listing of all the keywords that have been entered and their outcomes. Applyzer is not precisely a development tool, but investors, publishers, marketers, and app developers highly regard it.

Features of Applyzer are

• App insights every hour for excellent performance.
• Look for the essential terms for your rivals.

To Wrap Up

With this, you now have a list of all the important and trending iOS app development tools. We hope you are prepared to begin developing iOS apps now that you know how to use the appropriate development tools. But remember that every device has features, cost, rating, and intended use.