Home Blog 12 Best Free and Open-Source Mobile App Development Software
12 Best Free and Open-Source Mobile App Development Software

Best Free and Open-Source Mobile App Development Software Solutions

Thanks to the excessive use of smartphones, the need to develop mobile applications is more significant than ever before. However, contacting a development company requires a lot of money, whether it is for personal or business purposes.

Mobile app development software helps you create your app. You can use free app development software if you do not want to invest much money. The free app development software allows you to build an app with the perfect framework. If you are new to app creation software, you are on the right page, as this guide will help you learn more about mobile app development. 

The best part about the software is that you do not need prior coding skills to get started. The list of mobile app development software helps you in creating the app with the perfect structure.

Top Free and Open-Source Mobile App Development Software in 2024

 1. Flutter

It is one of the best app-making software that excels at hybrid apps. Even though it is a new mobile app development sector member, it has written C and C++. Google's user interface toolkit allows people to construct portable desktops and web applications.

While testing your project, you do not need to restart the application. The hot reload feature makes the entire development process efficient and seamless. It incorporates essential platform differences like navigation icons, scrolling, and fonts. You can create plugins using simple channels.

Flutter

Pros:

  • It features an adaptable user interface and is quite expressive.
  • Create interfaces in a few minutes.

Cons:

  • The library's collections are limited.


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2. Ionic

Yet another free app builder software, mainly used to create hybrid apps. The open-source app development software allows you to use a single code base to develop apps for different platforms, including iOS, Android, and the web.

The user-friendly UI elements help to speed up the development process. Additionally, you can use it anywhere you want. It has more than 120 native device features and a vast developer community.

The test cloud allows you to test apps on more than 2000 genuine mobile devices. The straightforward interface with current backend services and native API helps you create beautiful cross-platform user interfaces.

ionic

Pros:

  • The software is written in JavaScript and can be covered by the MIT license.
  • The vast range of integration capabilities.
  • Easy to learn.
  • It builds native interfaces in a few seconds, and plugins can be created using accessible channels.
  • All the widgets are customizable to deliver fast development of native apps.

Cons:

  • Hot reloading is not allowed
  • Some features are available only with a paid subscription.


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3. Xamarin

Microsoft created it in 2011 as a free and open-source mobile app development tool. It is a suite of tools that allow programmers to create different operating systems, including Android, iOS, and Windows.

However, all of them use a single programming language. In addition, it provides a real-time testing module to monitor and catch app errors as they occur.

Xamarin

Pros:

  • Easily create beautiful cross-platform user interfaces.
  • Microsoft offers full technical support.

Cons:

  • You cannot use the software to develop video games.

4. Phone Gap

It is one of the most prominent open-source mobile app development platforms that allows you to build hybrid apps. You don't need to be familiar with any mobile programming languages.

Instead, users can get started with the app design software using different languages like HTML and JavaScript. It allows you to design apps that function across various platforms with a single code base.

It easily integrates with varying libraries for developing apps. You can view and manage any changes in the app using PhoneGap. The app operates on different operating systems, including Android, iPhone, and Windows.

PhoneGap

Pros:

  • A single code works for different platforms.
  • Rapid testing and deployment are available.

Cons:

  • UI widgets are not available here.

5. Appcelerator

One of the leading app-making software is Appcelerator. It allows developers to build a native mobile app that uses JavaScript, a prominent scripting language. You only need a few lines of code to develop apps, as it allows for using codes across various platforms.

The software supports operating systems like Windows, Android, and iOS and browser-based HTML applications. You can get complete access to iOS.

You can also have a live view of all the changes in the preview window. The cloud capacity is impressive as it provides mobile-optimized access to any data source. 

Appcelerator

Pros:

  • Prototyping is rapid here.
  • A single codebase works for multiple platforms.
  • Supports dynamic animation.
  • You can also use 3rd party native libraries.

Cons:

  • Due to the updated version, you need to rewrite the code for some projects.

6. Felgo

It is a free mobile app development software that supports different types of platforms like Android, iOS, desktop, and others. You can use a single codebase to create various operating system applications.

It is straightforward to learn and has the best support system compared to leading tools. Additionally, it's an excellent system for developing game apps because it supports 3D objects.

The app is your best bet as it uses a custom UI that reduces interaction between the native layer and the runtime environment. It provides a long-established abstraction of various specific elements. It supports creating gaming and business apps.

Felgo

Pros:

  • It is easy to use and learn.
  • Seamless performance and a minimum of bugs.
  • Supports gaming and business apps.
  • It provides a chic abstraction of design platform-specific elements.

Cons:

  • It takes time to learn and use the software.
  • Several advanced features are available for paid plans.


7. Build Fire

It is one of the best app developer programs available for free. It provides young setup tools for creating iOS and Android apps. It is known for its high-end personalized development and easy-to-use DIY platforms.

Additionally, it supports more than 10,000 apps and is adaptable enough to scale when your company starts growing. The simple and functional drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to construct the app readily, which is undoubtedly worth noting. You can use it with any 3rd party API or pre-built connector.

BuildFire

Pros:

  • You can make the most of the advanced development features.
  • It is the best social networking feature.

Cons:

  • The customer service is unreliable.

8. Longrange

Longrange is ideally a COBOL or RPG-based native application development tool. Even if you're a beginner, you can start with app development because you don't need to know CSS, HTML, or JavaScript. You can quickly develop apps and maintain mobile applications.

It includes commands for views and navigation tabs, among other features. It uses mobile features like camera audio, GPS, SMS, and more. Automatically, it pushes mobile app updates to devices.

LongRange

Pros:

  • There are minimum mobile maintenance and extension expenses.
  • Quick execution of native apps.

Cons:

  • There is a lot of dependency on existing tools for seamless app development.

9. Qt

It is a great app development software that allows you to design, deploy, or even develop mobile applications cost-effectively for the various types of portable devices for Android and iOS.

The free and open-source platform offers a comprehensive and conducive development environment for delivering fantastic user experiences.

The time-honored and stable solution was generally used to develop Windows and Mac software. It supports private keys and dual-mode networks.

Qt

Pros:

  • There is a vast community of experienced developers and years of documentation.
  • Compiler and parser optimization.

Cons:

  • There is vast process complexity going to the meta-object compiler.

10. Mobincube

It is a web-based application that allows users to create apps. They can use the software even if users have no prior application or knowledge of any software programming language. It features a massive set of tools that allow you to create mobile stores, develop advanced functionalities, and personalize every little detail.

Additionally, it has an excellent app interface, and you can use the software to create all types of apps like health, entertainment, education, and more. It allows you to integrate 3rd party solutions into your app easily. You can also deploy apps on different platforms, including Amazon, Google Play, etc. For example, you can add your online maps.

Mobincube

Pros:

  • It is entirely flexible.
  • There is a lot of customization available.

Cons:

  • There is no guide to use that makes app development challenging.

11. Sencha Ext JS

The software platform uses MVC's best JavaScript framework to create the best possible responsive mobile applications that can improve customer satisfaction to a great extent.

Mobile apps made promptly with this mobile application software will likely boast unique business intelligence features that fuel data visualization and analytics.

It supports WebKit browsers. Great animations and advanced touch event support are also available. In addition, you can get your hands on built-in native-like themes for all major platforms.

Sencha Ext JS

Pros:

  • It allows native API access and packaging while using PhoneGap or Cordova.
  • The backend data package can efficiently work independently with different data sources.

Cons:

  • The software is not ideal for people looking forward to developing apps with close-to-native functionality.


12. Alpha Anywhere

It provides no code and low code environments for developing and deploying cross-platform web and mobile apps quickly. It uses HTML and JavaScript to create different apps capable of being offline.

It is a comprehensive solution that supports mobile app development and web, desktop, and SAS applications. Furthermore, it has a massive library of tutorials that can speed you through the app development process. You can get access to close grain resource management delegation.

Alpha Anywhere

Pros:

  • It is a prebuilt, modifiable sample application that one can use for reference or cross-verification.
  • Exhaustive backend access makes it perfect.

Cons:

  • Technical support is limited.


13. Odoo

Odoo, as we all know, is an open- source and all-in-one business management software. Odoo possesses modules like CRM, Inventory, Sales, Purchase, HR & Payroll, etc. 


While not specifically focused on Mobile App development, Odoo offers extensive customization option through its unique feature- Odoo Studio. Users are able to create custom applications tailored to their specific and unique business needs without having to write any code. 


While Odoo Studio provides you with the capability to customize the backend, Users can utilize the other software, like Android Studio, to create mobile apps that integrate seamlessly with their Odoo Backend.


Pros:

  • Comprehensive Suite of Business Management Modules.
  • Odoo Studio allows for easy customization of backend applications.
  • Odoo supports integration with third-party mobile app development software
  • Extensive support available and an active Odoo Community.


Cons:

  • Requires familiarity with Odoo's ecosystems and customization apps.
  • Very limited focus for Mobile App Development



14. Android Studio

Android Studio is the official Integrated Development Environment provided by Google. As it's name suggests, Android Studio is used to build Android apps. 


It offers a powerful set of tools and features for building high quality apps, including a rich editor, visual layout editor, debugging tools, and performnace profiling capabilities. 


Android studio supports Java and Kotlin programming languages for app development and provides access to numerous libraries and resources through the android SDK. 


It also offers seamless integration with other Google services, such as, firebase, for backend functionality and cloud services. 


Pros:

  • Official IDE for android app developments, supported by Google. 
  • Comprehensive set of tools for designing, building, and testing android apps.
  • Supports Java and Kotlin programming languages.
  • Integrations with Google services, such as Firebase.


Cons:

  • Challenging learning curve for beginners.
  • Requires familiarity with Java and Kotlin Programming languages. 


Conclusion

You can check out the mobile application development tools featured here, as they have their pros and cons mentioned. They are all capable of developing the best possible user-friendly and customer-focused mobile apps.

Every project has unique requirements, so you should consider those suitable for your needs. You can use any website to create your mobile app without coding skills. You can weigh the pros and cons before choosing one.

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Chad - 27 Jul 2023

Very worth written blog.Thanks for sharing. Too much detailed and informative for beginners and also for developers who want to develop Mobile Games according to their interests and trending games as well but miles of the journey starts with a single step. Nowadays people focus on time and Quality.

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Rohit - 27 Jul 2023

Great blog! I found it very informative and useful. It's always great to have options for free and open-source mobile app development software. If you're interested in Android game development software, I have written an article that discusses the various software options available. You can check it out at https://agilelan.co.uk/which-software-is-used-for-android-game-development/. It will provide you with insights into the software used specifically for Android game development.

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Andy globe - 27 Jul 2023

Another outstanding post! Your articles are always informative and enjoyable. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us!

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coherentlab - 27 Jul 2023

Kudos to the author for compiling this incredible list of the 12 Best Free and Open-Source Mobile App Development Software! It's a goldmine for developers looking to build high-quality mobile apps without breaking the bank. The diversity of options ensures that developers can find the perfect tools to suit their preferences and project requirements. This is definitely going to be bookmarked as a go-to reference for me and many others in the development community!