OS is an integral and a massive component of the mobile revolution. With companies grappling with incorporating iOS technology into their services, iOS app development has become indispensable and competitive in the mobile marketplace.
The demand from loyal iOS users necessitates the iOS developers to develop new and effective apps consistently. Mobile companies have made huge investments in mobile app development in the last decade, and it is bound to gain momentum in the future.
The iOS app development platform has opened doors for developers to write high-quality source code to create innovative apps that can empower the millions of users of Apple devices.
There are a plethora of apps in the mobile market, one pitted against the other in features and functionality. To develop these apps, there are several efficient tools and it is imperative to pick the right tool depending upon the development stage and the functionality.
Here are the best iOS app design and development tools available in the market in 2021 that can add value to modern apps.
XCode
XCode is one of the most versatile tools used for creating iOS apps. It acts as an Integrated Development Environment for Mac OS and is used for developing applications for macOS, watchOS, iPad, and tvOS. Released in 2003, this tool is quick to adapt and offers custom visualization.
It combines UI, coding, and testing into a single, well-defined workflow. Xcode has a built-in source code checker that highlights any code errors and the steps to fix them. It has an autocomplete feature that helps developers spend minimum time writing codes.
Xamarin
Xamarin is an open-source mobile development tool from Microsoft. It works as an all-inclusive development platform for desktop, mobile and tablets. In addition to iOS, Xamarin supports Android and Windows platforms as well. Its iOS quick start feature assists in building native UI components.
Xamarin offers support for languages C#, F# and Razor template engine. Its user-friendly interface helps developers respond quickly to client requests. With HTML tools and Visual Studio integration, Xamarin is the single stop solution for iOS developers and end-users alike.
Jazzy
Jazzy is a command-line utility tool that provides code documentation for Swift and Objective C. IT also offers comments to generate more accurate results from the code. Developers can access the documentation via SourceKit or Clang AST. Developing the app code alongside documentation, helps developers to streamline the entire process effectively.
Dribbble
Dribbble is an excellent platform for iOS developers and designers working on iPhone app development. One of the most popular tools, Dribbble offers hundreds of iOS app design ideas to inspire iOS professionals. It renders options in icon designs, screen designs, UI elements and animation for iOS designers to explore and implement.
Hyperion
Hyperion is the most preferred debugging tool preferred by iOs developers that can be conveniently integrated with the iOS app. This tool discreetly sits behind the app framework and inspects the software program. The Hyperion tool offers 3 default plugins namely View Inspector (to check view properties), Measure Plugin(to measure view distance), and Slow Animation Plugin(to decrease animation speed).
Raygun
Raygun is one of the most popular iOS app development tools that let the developers know about the app user experience. It also has error diagnosis and crash-reporting features. It is a debugging tool that provides smart notifications and grouping techniques. Any error in the app is detected by this tool and displayed on the dashboard through a detailed error report. iOs developers can leverage this tool to monitor issues during user sessions and interaction.
Parse
Parse is an open-source iOS app development platform that is utilized for building, hosting and managing the apps. This tool hosted over Amazon Web Services supports query optimization, automated scaling and backups. This powerful tool allows developers to save elements on the Cloud through a few command lines. Parse has several features that can reduce the time and efforts of code development.
Applyzer
iOS app development does not end with building the app. Analysis of the working of the app is a crucial post-development step. Applyzer acts as a comparative tool to analyze and track the performance of your iOS app in comparison with its competitors.
Swift Express
Swift Express is a very powerful tool written using Swift Programming Language. Swift Express aids developers to manage project dependencies effectively. They can identify and rectify any issues in the project quickly. Additionally, the routing mechanism and the coding framework are simple and easy to use.