11 Mobile App Development Tools for Startups (2024)

By Natalia Kukushkina. in Startups. Updated on February 21, 2024.

With more than 6.5 billion smartphone users in the world, according to Statista, the mobile app industry continues to flourish. The pandemic has greatly affected customers’ behavior and the demand for mobile apps.

Today, users are demanding an all-in-one experience in their mobile devices, including apps for purchases, finance, music, movies, sports, healthcare, games, news and communication. This encourages the creation of new apps or added functions on existing ones. The mobile development market is expected to reach $44.3 trillion by 2027.

In a highly competitive environment, startups want to build attractive mobile apps fast and launch promptly while saving time and resources. The mobile technologies market offers a wide range of free and paid tools to facilitate development and empower the user experience.

Instruments such as low code, templates, IDEs, APIs, integrations, chatbots, forms analytics, etc., can help accelerate development, create a smooth and friendly workflow, and improve UI/UX.

AI-driven Chatbots

A combination of natural language processing and machine learning technologies helps to ensure human-like interactions, personalized responses and continuous learning for chatbots.

Smart bots drive sales and serve as customer support in social media and mobile commerce apps, in banking and the telecommunications sector. Using chatbots means users don’t need to wait hours for a response and can take action faster.

AI-chatbot builders with an intuitive point-and-click interface make it easy to create your chatbot. To that end, they offer conversation templates appropriate for various use cases and industries and also allow creating custom conversation flows.

Furthermore, such chatbots can be integrated with your back-end systems, e-commerce platforms, CRMs, CMS, order and inventory management systems, payment platforms and other third-party systems.

LivePerson

LivePerson is a conversational AI platform for conversation management and automation all in one. An Intent Manager suite allows you to analyze all conversations and consumer behavior and identify pain points. Based on this data you can evaluate your bot’s efficiency and improve the chat.

Platforms: iOS and Android.
Plans: Free trial, starting from $40/month.
Language support: 44 languages.

REVE Chat

REVE Chat has an AI chat API and mobile SDK that can be customized to your business needs. The AI chatbot allows you to send in-app messages as well as voice and video messages, and share screens. You have easy access to chat log and communication analytics to analyze conversation flows and adjust your communication strategy.

Platforms: iOS and Android.
Plans: free trial, starting from $49 per month.
Language support: 23 languages.

GENESYS

GENESYS is an AI-powered engagement platform for client support and sales agents for low-code development. If a conversation goes beyond the chatbot’s abilities, it will be automatically transferred to an agent. An intent miner suite enables analyzing of conversations and in-app interactions to improve dialog and the customer experience.

Platforms: iOS.
Plans: pricing upon request.
Language support: 49 languages.

Mobile Payment Gateways

Users want to make payments directly in apps. Wallet integration allows one to carry out and process transactions reliably and securely. Don’t forget that any payment service must be compliant with PCI-DSS. In this case, the payment gateway is a perfect solution that meets all security standards.

Payment forms can be customized to fit the design of your app. Also, such tools can generate monthly reports on all the financial activities of your users.

PayPal

PayPal is a sophisticated solution for businesses, available in more than 200 countries with support for 25 currencies. It can be set up easily, and you don’t need advanced technical knowledge. What’s good for users especially is that they can just snap a check with a camera phone and be listed. PayPal supports split payments and has a simple invoicing process.

Fees:

PayPal charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.

Stripe

Stripe is a popular online payment tool, available in 44 countries with 135 currencies supported, including Bitcoin. It supports Apple and Android Pay and recurring payments and can be integrated with social media payments. If you make changes in the payment function, all credit card data can be transferred to a new gateway.

In general, this is a flexible solution with easy-to-integrate API that can be customized to your needs. However, there is one critical point – industry limitations. Stripe doesn’t work with high-risk companies, such as financial and legal services, intellectual property companies, gambling companies, etc.

Fees:

Stripe charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.

Square

Square offers a feature-rich payment processing all-in-one system. It is available in a few countries with support for 6 currencies, but it accepts offline payments. Users can receive payment reminders thanks to its integration with the calendar.

Square supports both Apple Pay and Android Pay.

Fees:

Square charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive means the use of machine learning, natural language processing and data mining algorithms. Gathered data can be utilized to help make predictions about user behavior and for planning strategy and improvements to your app.

Add or remove features, change layouts and colors, take all necessary actions to enhance the interface and create a user-friendly experience.

Predictive analytics brings value to social media platforms, dating apps, mobile commerce, entertainment apps, and on-demand apps. Based on data on engagement and previous behavior, users can get personalized recommendations on locations, activities, products, services, movies, music, and profiles.

UXcam

UXcam analyzes users’ interactions with each screen of your app and detects crashes, rage taps, UI freezes and other hidden UX issues. Sessions are video recorded and can be replayed and segmented anytime. With custom dashboards, you may build app conversion funnels to determine key points, group events, and measure the effect of implementing new features. To enhance UXcam capabilities, it can be integrated with third-party services.

Platforms: iOS and Android.
Plans: Free plan available. Paid plans upon request.
Compliant with: GDPR, SOC 2, PCI, CCPA, HIPAA.

Data.ai

Data.ai was formerly App Annie, rebranded after AI was introduced to its analytics platform. It now provides a product line. Data.ai ConnectPlus collects data from app stores, user acquisition platforms and ad networks. You don’t need any API or SDK to use it. A unified dashboard displays downloads, revenue, usage, and advertising.

With Data.ai Intelligence, you may analyze mobile markets across categories, segments and countries. It has a data-driven keyword search and a feature for automated monitoring of app reviews.

The platform allows you to create user profiles through demographic and behavior metrics. All of this data is aimed at helping to boost downloads and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.

Platforms: iOS and Android.
Plans: Paid plans upon request.
Compliant with: GDPR, CCPA.

AppsFlyer

AppsFlyer assists with marketing campaigns while strictly following customer privacy law. Its AI engine enables campaign optimization and outcomes prediction. Predictive insights are based on the first metrics of user engagement and anticipated value. The algorithm calculates correlations and shows aggregated behavior rates.

You may forecast retention rate, cost, ROAS, ARPU, etc. for your campaigns. To make things easy, the AI engine is synchronized with Apple’s SKAN, directly transferring all the data to it.

Platform: iOS.
Plans: Paid plans upon request.
Compliant with: GDPR, CCPA, PIPL (China), APPI (Japan), LGPD (Brazil).

Internet of things (IoT) App Integration

IoT has great potential in mobile development for various industries. IoT mobile apps can be used in healthcare, logistics, e-commerce, education and more. Integration brings the benefit of flexible data transmission to mobile devices.

For example, users may have remote control over home devices or car systems. Medical devices can track patient indicators and send them directly to a doctor for analysis and recommendations.

Core elements of any IoT application are remote data collection, connection of components, secure connectivity and continuous communication. There are various types of IoT platforms that can help to prototype and deploy your mobile app.

Blynk

Blynk is an IoT platform as a service for solutions in the area of smart home products, complex HVAC systems and agricultural equipment. The tool is an example of a low-code platform that doesn’t require deep technical knowledge. All your data will be secured with a private cloud server.

Moreover, Blynk allows for historical device data storage of 12 months as well as raw data storage. Alexa and Google Home support makes it a good solution for smart home products. With the app localization feature, you can set alarms and notifications.

Supported Languages: C++, C#, JavaScript, Python.
Plans: Has free version.Paid plan starts from $6.99/month.

OpenRemote

Supported Languages: Groovy, JavaScript, JSON or Flow rules object model.
Plans: Free, under AGPL v3 license.

OpenRemote is an open-source IoT platform for solutions in the area of home automation, healthcare, public spaces, commercial buildings, energy management and crowd management. One can build custom apps to fit your business needs using a library of web components and APIs. It suggests various hosting options, a.k.a. cloud hosting, Edge gateway Docker images and hosting on-premise.

OpenRemote is more of a technical solution, which requires developers’ skills. Therefore, it has a manager interface, where non-technicians can analyze data and create automation rules. The geofencing feature also allows you to set alarms and send notifications.

Low-code

The vast majority of low-code platforms for mobile development on the market are affordable. On one hand, they can help save time and resources and launch the first product version faster. On the other hand, this can be tricky.

When choosing a platform, you have to take into account a lot of factors: budget and licensing, cloud support, the possibility of integrations, scalability and maintainability, collaborative IDEs and more. Non-technical persons can handle the development using templates, preconfigured modules, logic and connectors. Therefore, low code platforms capabilities are limited. You will not be able to customize and expand your app.

Handing your projects over to a professional team allows you to cover these potential issues. While the app is under development, you can do other important things, like marketing and strategy planning. At the same time, with Collaborative IDEs, you can track each step of the process and give timely feedback.

Some examples of low-code platforms includes Thunkable, BuildFire, and OutSystems.