The 8 Best iOS Development Tools for iOS Developers

3 min readApr 7, 2022

In this article, we’ll be discussing the top 8 best iOS development tools for iOS developers. If you are building an iOS app or looking to start developing apps, using these tools will make your life much easier. So without further ado, let’s get started! First off…

1) AppCode

AppCode is a new IDE created by JetBrains, best known for IntelliJ IDEA. It supports both Objective-C and Swift programming languages, which makes it one of the top development tools for iOS developers. AppCode is well equipped with features that support both Objective-C and Swift such as on-the-fly code analysis and many more code refactoring techniques including class editing support. Moreover, when debugging, AppCode allows you to set breakpoints from any view on any thread.

2) Xcode

Xcode is a development environment created by Apple used to create applications for Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Xcode includes a compiler (which can be called from a terminal window), an editor that supports syntax highlighting, an animation viewer, and a debugger; It also includes Interface Builder. Interface Builder allows developers to visually design their app’s interface with objects like buttons and drop-down menus.

3) Alcatraz

Alcatraz has become a popular alternative to Apple’s paid, professional-level developer account. It’s free, gives you access to hundreds of popular libraries (including Twitter and Facebook), and also allows you to run applications in a simulator on your Mac.

4) CocoaPods

CocoaPods makes it easy to download, use, and manage third-party libraries in your iOS app. Unlike some other dependency managers, CocoaPods manages its dependencies on a per-project basis. This means that different projects can have different dependencies. CocoaPods is a must for any iOS project. It’s fast and easy to use!

5) Fastlane

Fastlane is a utility tool that lets you automate tedious iOS development tasks. It’s similar to Coda, another Mac app aimed at web developers. Unlike Coda, however, Fastlane is specifically tailored to support mobile app developers and engineers by helping them test their apps and get them into App Stores faster. You can set it up on your computer or download an extension for your text editor.

6) ios-codesign

ios-codesign is a small utility that embeds code signing information into a compiled executable. The embedded information will enable Xcode to build and sign your app bundle even if you have never used or set up codesign (which is needed in order to create an app bundle). You just need to specify your certificate and its private key. This can be useful when you want to distribute a compiled version of your app bundle via email, iMessage, etc., or send it over a USB stick.

7) CodeGen

CodeGen is a static code analysis tool that is designed to be used in a continuous integration environment, so it’s really easy to integrate with your project. A lot of other static analysis tools require you to run them manually, which doesn’t fit well into most development workflows. CodeGen will help you find bugs quickly and stop them from slipping through code review and into production.

8) DevDocs

DevDocs is a developer documentation browser with autocomplete and syntax highlighting. It allows developers to search docs, headers, and reference materials directly from inside their favorite IDE or text editor. DevDocs covers 40+ SDKs and thousands of API references. It has content types that include: Class Reference, Header File Reference, Type Hierarchy Diagram, Method Listing/Details Table, Sample Code Snippet, Class Diagram Image, etc.