The Best Tools for Android App Development in 2021

There’s no wonder in saying that techies are showing so much interest in Android app development these days, one reason being a huge number of people using Android phones and are looking for different apps that make their life easier! However, that doesn’t mean we won’t speak about iPhones, but for now, we are completely focusing on Android devices.

There are many tools in the market that provide an easy guide to design and develop an application with all features a developer wants, making their work easier. But, not all can fulfill your needs. So, here are the 10 best tools for Android app development that a dedicated techie shouldn’t miss. Have a look and choose the one that best suits you!

Android Studio

Android Studio is one of the best and fastest tools for app development on any Android device. As it is the official IDE for Android, Android Studio has become a one-stop destination for many! Android Studio develops high-performance Android apps without any complexities that developers generally face.

Features:

• Visual layout
• APK analyzer
• Intelligent code editor
• Fast simulator
• Instant App Run
• Support KOTLIN
• Colour previews
• Maven Repository

Ionic

Ionic performs fast on almost all the latest mobiles. Building fast apps with in-built features such as hardware accelerated transitions, touch-optimized gestures, pre-rendering, and AOT compiling is the rare feature of Ionic! For this reason, many android app developers would prefer it. Ionic is made to integrate with the best frontend frameworks which include Angular, React, and Vue.

Features:

• Great Design
• Cordova Plugin
• Web-standard based
• MIT Licensed
• Ionic CLI
• Framework Compatibility

Android SDK

The Android Software Development Kit (Android SDK) comprises different developing and debugging tools. From the SDK Manager, one can download modular packages. The kit includes SDK tool/platform-tools, SDK documentation, Android SDK resources, SDK example, Google API, and Android support.

Features:

• Telemetry
• Camera API
• Map Padding
• Dynamic Makers
• Improved API Compatibility

B4A (Basic 4 Android)

B4A is the tool that is exclusively used for Android devices as it doesn’t support the development of apps on other platforms. One can create apps easily using a handy interpreter and it also offers wireless debugging.

Features:

• Simple-to-use
• Easy-to-learn
• Basic coding (Without Java)
• B4A-Bridge
• Smart String Literal

Fabric

Rather than individual developers, Fabric is more useful for the developers who work as a team! Fabric helps you in everything, from the app development process to launching to usage, thus helping in increasing your business. It also helps you know your customers well. Also, it can easily perform tasks on several remote machines.

Features:

• Stylish UI
• Good crash Reports
• Fully integrated

Firebase

Firebase is Google’s mobile platform that helps build and develop high-quality apps. From startups to global enterprises, many developer teams choose Firebase for Android app development.

Features:

• Fully managed backend infrastructure
• Monitor Performance and Stability
• Rich Analytics
• Messaging Campaigns
• Easy to integrate

Eclipse

Eclipse is a powerful IDE for Android mobile app development. Being a highly versatile and adaptable tool, it helps developers to create an app with all required features. Plug-ins for varied programming languages are also available.

Features:

• Easy Integration
• Code recommender tools
• Provides workspace
• Simple software update system
• EMF Technology
• Easy debugging process
• Simplified user interface

Instabug

Instabug helps you detect and remove even the smallest bug and improves the app’s performance. This testing and error-detecting tool is every developer’s favorite! Popular platforms like Yahoo, PayPal, and Buzzfeed also use Instabug.

Features:

• Bug Reporting
• Detect and fix errors
• Helps in better user experience
• Collects user insights

AIDE

Using AIDE (Android Integrated Development Environment), one can develop Android apps on the device itself! Also, it comes with a step-by-step guide to help developers to master the tool. There’s also a Java debugger to find bugs.

Features:

• Editor with code completion
• Real-time error checking
• Refactoring and smart code navigation
• Dropbox and Grit integration
• Eclipse and Android Studio compatible
• Run application with a single click

Leakcanary

As suggested by its name, Leakcanary is a memory leak detection tool. This tool will automatically detect and inform the developer if there is any memory leak. It has a deep knowledge of the Android network which helps in narrowing down each leak, which in turn reduces OutOfMemoryError crashes.

Features:

• One-line code
• Better user experience