Best mobile app development tech stacks to use in 2024

$567.19 billion – that’s the value the mobile app market will reach by 2030, more than doubling its value from $254 billion in 2024.

So, getting into mobile app development and getting a slice of that pie should be a no-brainer, right?

But, if you want your mobile app to be successful in such a competitive market, you need to choose the right tech stack to use when building your app.

And we’ll help you make the right choice.

Here, we’ll discuss the best mobile app development tech stacks you should use in 2024.

Let’s dive in!

How to choose the right tech stack for your mobile app?

Picking the right tech stack for your mobile app is key if you want to build a successful mobile app.

A tech stack is the set of tools and technologies used to build your app.

Here’s what a typical tech stack looks like:

source: GetApp

You should want your team to have the best tools available for the job.

So, how do you pick the right tech stack?

You should consider a number of factors like:

• Your target platform
• Your team’s expertise
• Your app’s requirements
• The cost-effectiveness of each tool

But, the most important factor is your team’s expertise.

Unless your app has specific requirements that need a particular tech stack, you should always go with one they’re already familiar with.

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If you do, you’ll speed up development and get your app to market faster.

And that’s why making the right choice is so important.

Best iOS app development tech stack to use in 2024

First, we’ll cover the best iOS app development tech stack.

Swift

Swift is Apple’s general purpose programming language, used to build iOS, MacOS, tvOS, and watchOS apps.

It’s a high-performance language with an intuitive, modern syntax and it’s designed to work with Apple’s existing frameworks.

Here’s what it looks like:

source: AltexSoft

It’s also interoperable with Objective-C, so it works with legacy projects on Apple’s platforms.

And that’s why you should go with it.

Important features

• Modern syntax

Swift has a clean and expressive syntax, which makes Swift code easier to read, write, and maintain.

• Memory management

With its built-in automatic reference counting (ARC) for memory management, Swift helps you easily optimize your apps’ memory usage.

• Interoperability with Objective-C

You can use Swift in legacy apps and projects written in Objective-C without having to rewrite the code

Pros and cons

Xcode

Xcode is Apple’s official IDE used to build apps on Apple’s platforms.

source: Apple Developer

It has a wide range of tools you can use to build, test, and manage apps for all Apple platforms.

If you’re building a native iOS app, you’ll be using Xcode.

Important features

• Interface Builder

The Interface Builder is Xcode’s drag-and-drop tool for designing UIs, similar to Android Studio’s layout editor.

• Instruments

Xcode’s performance analysis tools, Instruments, will help you identify and fix performance issues with your code.

• iOS Simulator

Xcode has a built-in iOS emulator, so you can test your app on a range of devices and operating systems without physical hardware.

• Asset catalog

The asset catalog allows you to organize images and other app resources easily and efficiently.

• App Store Connect

Xcode has an integrated workflow for submitting apps to the App Store and you can track your app’s performance directly from Xcode.

Pros and cons

Pricing

Xcode is available for free on the Mac App Store and doesn’t come with any upfront costs or licensing fees.

But, if you want to publish your iOS app in the App Store, you need to join the Apple Developer Program – it starts at $99/year for individuals and $299/year for enterprises.

iOS SDK

The iOS software development kit (SDK) is a set of tools provided by Apple you use to build native iOS apps.

It includes everything you need to build iOS apps, including libraries, interfaces, and simulators.

source: Redfox Security

And the best part?

The SDK includes Xcode, which we’ve covered in more detail already.

So, with it you have all the tools you need in one place from the start.

And that’s why it’s an essential part of every iOS app development tech stack.

Important features

• Xcode IDE

The iOS SDK has Xcode, Apple’s official iOS development IDE, as the standout part of the development kit

• Core ML

Core ML, Apple’s framework for integrating machine learning into iOS apps, is included in the iOS SDK

• Swift and Objective-C support

The iOS SDK supports and provides tools for app development in both Swift and Objective-C

Pros and cons

Pricing

The iOS SDK is completely free to download for Mac users.

SwiftUI

Introduced in 2019, SwiftUI is Apple’s front-end framework used to build UIs for iOS apps.

It uses declarative Swift syntax, which significantly speeds up development.

source: Swift

This is because it allows engineers to design and build apps in a much more intuitive and efficient way, compared to imperative programming.

And that’s why it’s the best choice for building iOS apps.

Important features

• Declarative syntax

SwiftUI uses a declarative syntax, which simplifies and speeds up the development process 

• Live preview

When building UIs with SwiftUI, any changes you make are shown in real time which greatly speeds up development

• Built-in accessibility features

SwiftUI has built-in accessibility features, which makes building an accessible app much easier

Pros and cons

Pricing

SwiftUI is completely free and embedded into Xcode.

Cloudkit

Cloudkit is Apple’s cloud storage service you can use to integrate iCloud into your iOS app.

This way, you can easily store data in the cloud and sync it across users’ devices.

source: Apple Developer

It’s also one of the best and most cost-effective options for building your iOS app’s back-end.

Also, since it’s native to Apple, integrating it with your app is a very simple process.

And that’s why you should go with it.

Important features

• Data storage and synchronization

Using iCloud, Cloudkit offers APIs for saving, fetching, and syncing user data across devices

• Authentication

Cloudkit uses Apple ID for authentication, so you don’t need app-specific accounts and passwords

• Scalable infrastructure

With Cloudkit, you can get a reliable and scalable back-end infrastructure for your app without having to manage server-side code and hardware

Pros and cons

Pricing

Cloudkit is free to use, as long as you stay within Apple’s quota – you get charged a feed only if you exceed the quota.

Best Android app development tech stack to use in 2024

Next, let’s discuss the best Android app development tech stack.

Kotlin

Kotlin is a programming language developed by JetBrains and supported by Google for Android app development.

It’s designed to be concise, expressive, and safe.

Here’s what Kotlin code looks like:

source: EbizzInfotech

Also, it’s fully interoperable with Java, so you can use Java-specific libraries and tools when building your Android app.

And that’s why it should be your top choice.

Important features

• Coroutines

Kotlin introduced coroutines, which help you handle long-running tasks and support asynchronous programming

• Interoperability with Java

Kotlin is fully interoperable with Java, so you can use existing Java libraries, frameworks, and tools in Kotlin projects

• Null safety

Kotlin has built-in null safety, which prevents bugs and problems like the NullPointerException that’s common in Java

Pros and cons

Android Studio

Android Studio is the official integrated development environment (IDE) for Android app development.

source: Android Developers

If you’re building an Android app, Android Studio is a must.

It’s a powerful, all-in-one tool for the development, testing, and packaging of Android apps.

And that’s why it’s the best choice.

Important features

• Intelligent code editor

Android Studio’s intelligent code editor and its code completion feature will help you write high-quality code faster. It supports languages like Java, C, C++, and Kotlin.

• APK analyzer

The APK analyzer lets you see the composition of your app’s APK after you’ve built it – this will reduce the size of your app and help with debugging.

• Code templates

Android Studio has pre-made code templates for common features, which can significantly speed up development.

• Layout editor

A drag-and-drop interface for designing UIs, the layout editor lets you quickly build layouts and preview what they look like on various Android devices.

Pros and cons

Pricing

Android Studio is an open-source IDE, and it’s free to use for anyone who wants to build an Android app.

Android SDK

The Android SDK is a collection of tools, libraries, and documentation you need to build Android apps.

Here’s what it includes:

source: CoderJony

It’s the foundation for every Android app out there.

And that’s why it’s an essential part of every Android app’s tech stack.

Important features

• Platform tools

Android SDK includes tools like ADB and Fastboot, which enable you to interact with the Android platform

• Build tools

In Android SDK, you get tools and utilities to compile, debug, and package Android apps

• API libraries

The SDK includes access to Android-specific API libraries, like the Android Framework API

Pros and cons

Pricing

The Android SDK is free to download and use for commercial purposes.

Jetpack Compose

Jetpack Compose is Android’s recommended toolkit for building UIs for native Android apps.

Like SwiftUI for iOS apps, Compose is declarative, which significantly speeds up development.

source: Jetpack Compose

This is especially important if you’re building an app in a competitive niche where being first to market can mean the difference between success and failure.

And that’s why it should be in your Android app development tech stack.

Important features

• Declarative UI development

Jetpack Compose supports declarative development, which significantly speeds up the development process

• Composable components

UI components in Jetpack Compose are built using composable components that can be combined and reused

• State management

In Jetpack Compose, state management is declarative and this speeds up writing code and reduces the amount of boilerplate code

Pros and cons

Pricing

Jetpack Compose is open-source and free to use.

Firebase

Developed by Google, Firebase is a back-end-as-a-service (BaaS) app development platform.

You can use it to easily build and host your app’s entire back-end.

source: Tristate Technology

Also, Firebase is not limited to just Android – you can use it to host the back-end for iOS and web apps, too.

That’s why it’s a solid choice for every tech stack.

Important features

• Realtime Database

Firebase’s Realtime Database is a NoSQL cloud database that allows you to sync data across all clients in real-time

• Firestore

Firestore is a flexible, scalable database for mobile, web, and server development

• Cloud storage

Firebase also offers cloud storage, where you can store user-generated data like images and videos

Pros and cons

Pricing

Firebase has 2 pricing plans – Spark and Blaze.

The Spark plan is free, but doesn’t include every feature, while the Blaze plan offers a pay-as-you-go model.

Best cross-platform app development tech stack to use in 2024

Finally, we’ll cover the best cross-platform app development tech stack.

Dart

Originally developed by Google, Dart is an object-oriented programming language with C-style syntax.

It stands out for its simplicity, efficiency, and scalability.

Here’s an example of Dart code:

source: Ionos

Dart powers Flutter, one of the most popular cross-platform mobile app development frameworks.

And that’s why it should be in your cross-platform app development tech stack.

Important features

• Null safety

Dart is a null-safe language, which prevents bugs and problems like the NullPointerException

• Ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation

Dart can compile to native code ahead of time, resulting in fast startup times and smooth animations in your app

• Rich standard library

Dart comes with a comprehensive library, which means you don’t need to rely on third-party libraries and packages for common tasks

Pros and cons

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is an open-source code editor developed by Microsoft.

source: Visual Studio Code

It’s one of the most popular code editors on the market because of its versatility and performance.

Visual Studio Code offers a wide range of advanced features and extensions – and it’s just short of a full integrated development environment (IDE).

It works with a wide range of programming languages and has a huge library of extensions, so you can customize it based on your specific needs.

And that’s why it’s so popular.

Important features

• IntelliSense

IntelliSense offers smart code completions, which speeds up the code writing process.

• Built-in Git integration

Visual Studio Code has a built-in Git integration, which means you have version control directly in the editor

• Live Share

The Live Share extension allows real-time collaborative editing and debugging, regardless of the programming language.

• Multi-root workspaces

Visual Studio Code offers multi-root workspaces, which means you can work on multiple projects in a single window.

Pros and cons

Pricing

Visual Studio Code is free and built on open-source software, so it’s easily accessible at no cost.

Flutter

Flutter is an open-source front-end framework used to develop cross-platform apps.

source: .cult by Honeypot

And it does that from a single codebase, so you don’t have to create separate native apps for each platform.

This makes it very cost-effective and helps you reach a wider audience with your app.

Also, this ensures your users have a consistent experience regardless of platform.

And that’s why it’s such a game-changer.

Important features

• Hot reload

In Flutter, you can see code changes in real-time and you don’t need to restart your app – this can save you a lot of time.

• Widgets

Flutter has a rich set of customizable widgets, so you can quickly create great-looking UIs for your app.

• Single codebase

With Flutter, you can build apps for Android and iOS from a single codebase, which saves you both time and money.

Pros and cons

Pricing

Flutter is a completely free, open-source framework.

Supabase

Supabase is an open-source alternative to Firebase and it has all the tools you need to build a scalable back-end for your app.

They offer a wide variety of back-end services directly out of the box, from database management to authentication.

source: Supabase

Supabase is designed so that adding an enterprise-grade database and backend to your app is as simple as possible.

And that’s a good reason to have it in your tech stack.

Important features

• Postgres database

Supabase offers a Postgres database, which will help you store and scale even the most complex data

• Built-in authentication

Supabase has built-in authentication features integrated directly into the database with support for email, passwords, and third-party logins

• API generation

Supabase can automatically generate APIs based on your database schema, which speeds up back-end development and simplifies front-end integration

Pros and cons

Pricing

Supabase has a free plan, designed for simple websites and projects.

source: Supabase

They also offer 3 paid plans:

• Pro – from $25/month, designed for apps in production with the option to scale
• Team – from $599/month, with stricter security and priority email support
• Enterprise – custom pricing, with 24/7 premium support and a designated support manager

Mobile app development tech stacks: FAQs

How do I choose the right tech stack for my mobile app?

When choosing a tech stack for your mobile app, you should consider your app’s target platform, your team’s expertise, your app’s requirements, and the cost-effectiveness of each tool in the tech stack.

Which iOS tech stack should I use in 2024?

If you’re building an iOS app, the tech stack you should use is:

• Swift
• Xcode
• iOS SDK
• SwiftUI
• Cloudkit

Which Android tech stack should I use in 2024?

If you’re building an Android app, the tech stack you should use is:

• Kotlin
• Android Studio
• Android SDK
• Jetpack Compose
• Firebase

Which tech stack for cross-platform app development should I use in 2024?

If you’re building a cross-platform mobile app, the tech stack you should use is:

• Dart
• Visual Studio Code
• Flutter
• Supabase

Conclusion

Your choice of tech stack can make or break your mobile app.

If you pick the wrong one, you might not even be able to build your app to your requirements – so, making the right choice is crucial.

But, with the tech stacks we’ve covered, you’ll have no problem developing a great app.

If you want to learn more, check out our mobile app development process and read our article on the 8 types of mobile apps you should consider building.