40+ Useful Tools for Developing Android Apps

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars and months of work to enter the mobile market. If you want to create an app for your business, blog, product or service, all you need is knowledge of Java and right combination of tools. Today, thousands of software/web tools are available out there to get you started. We’ve made a small attempt to minimize your development efforts. This article includes everything you need to develop, test, monetize, analyze and enhance your app. No matter who you are or on what scale you wanna develop, these tools will help you build more polished Android apps with the biggest chance of meeting your target. Here we go…

Note: You need to buy free version tools to unlock all advanced features.

41. JSONView

JSONView is a small Firefox extension that lets you view JSON document in the browser. The document is well formatted, highlighted and objects and arrays can be collapsed.

40. Android GUI Set

This is free Android GUI set including Photoshop files. It consists of main menu, keyboard, status bar, browser, screen label, slider, contact list, circle buttons, radio, option panel and many more interfaces.

39. XAppDbg

XAppDbg is an app development tool (by Sony) which is used to change parameters of code during runtime. This can save you a lot of time, since you don’t have to test/run your app for each tiny change.
Price: Free

38. Android Holo Colors Generator

This holo color creator allows you to create beautiful Android components like spinner/editext with your own colors for your apps. It will generate necessary patch assets, XML drawables and styles which you can copy direct into your project.
Price: Free

37. Android Action Bar Style Generator

This action bar generator allows you to create attractive custom action bar style for your Android app. It will create necessary patch assets, styles and XML drawables that you can apply direct to your application.
Price: Free

36. TestObject

TestObject helps Android developers make test scenarios, record them and execute them. It gives you the facility to access over 120 real Android devices right from your browser. Errors are detected automatically, like security exception, illegal state, null pointer etc.
Price: Starting at 89 per month.

35. Bizness Apps

This is an affordable app maker for simple and small businesses. Select the pre-designed template or start from scratch. You can design and implement (without coding) your own artistic style with their amazing features set. Publish and promote your app and track your user base plus return on investment.
Price: Starts at $29 per month.

34. Splunk

Splunk monitors the performance and usage of your apps. Just one line installation and you’ll receive complete error information, event analytics, real time transactions and network monitoring reports.
Price: Free for apps with 1 thousand monthly active users.

33. Ubertesters

Ubertesters is a complete mobile app testing tool that lets you organize, execute, control and monitor your app beta testing process. It supports in-app bug editing, over-the-air (OTA) app distribution, real time monitoring and integration with external bug tracking system.
Price: Free for up to 5 users.

32. Android Layout Binder

Android Layout Binder converts your XML layouts into a set of decelerations. You need to enter the prefix of your field, select the mode and enter the Layout XML.
Price: Free

31. Jsonstub

Jsonstub allows you to fake (mockup) the back-end while you develop the front-end. All you need is your favorite JavaScript framework or mobile development environment to start building apps. It can be used simultaneously by those who work on the client and those who work on the services.
Price: Free

Read: 40+ Useful JavaScript Frameworks for Developers

30. Mobile Dev HQ

It’s an SEO (Search engine optimization) for mobile apps. Their data provide the best keywords based on relevance, difficulty and search volume. You will be able to track your search ranking positions for specific keywords.
Price: Free for tracking up to 10 apps.

29. APKAnalyser

APKAnalyser is static and virtual analysis tool that can be used view app architecture, dependencies, API references and disassemble bytecodes in Android apps. It allows you to explore packages, classes, methods, fields, decode Android XML files and modify APK file.
Price: Free

28. GitEye

GitEye (by CollabNet) combines simple and powerful graphical Git client with central visibility into essential developer tasks like agile planning, defect tracking, code reviews and build tools. You can integrate it with CloudForge, TeamForge, Jira, BugZilla, GitHub and more.
Price: Starts at $350 per month.

27. Push IO

The Oracle Push Cloud Service is an enterprise class push notification platform designed to meet the needs of modern marketers and world’s best apps. It provides lightweight SDK, powerful APIs and Web Dashboard to target users based on geo-location, preferences and device metrics.
Price: As per the project.

26. LiveCode

LiveCode is English-like language for developing Android and iPhone apps. Here you can develop live prototypes that use the full capabilities of mobile devices and deploy to whatever platform your customers need. Moreover, it is packed with numerous tutorials to help you along the way.
Price: Starts at $299 per year.

25. GENWI

GENWI is smartphone and tablet publishing platform that allows you to create and manage your presence on all popular mobile devices. It delivers rich graphics, images, videos, audio, interaction and revenue generating capabilities for businesses like in-app subscription, coupons, ads etc.
Price: As per the project.

24. Applause

Applause is wild testing platform that provides the feedback from testers and users. It reports in-app bugs, automatic crashes and in-app user feedback. Moreover, the Applause SDK automatically keeps your testers up to date with the latest build of your app, ensuring they all are focused on the version that matters the most.
Price: As per the project.

23. BitBucket

BitBucket is a web-based hosting service for project that uses GIT OR MERCURIAL. It allows you to work as a team, pull requests, review codes and share unlimited private repositories.
Price: Free for 5 users.

22. App Icon Sizes

At some stage of mobile app development process, you will need splash screens, icons and default Android graphics. This need is fulfilled by AppIconSizes. It generates all necessary files from single image and creates the correct folder structure which Android requires.
Price: Free (no ads, no watermarks)

21. Android Icon Generator

This icon generator allows you to easily generate icons from existing source clipart, text and images. Here you can create launcher icons, notification icons, generic icons, action bar and tab icons.
Price: Free

20. IBM Mobile Push Notification

IBM mobile push notification offers a flexible and easy to use environment for building notification campaigns which engage mobile app users at the optimal time and location. You can target communications according to your business rules, customer behavior, customer relationship management and current segmentation.
Price: Based on the project.

19. Spoon

Spoon distributes the instrumentation tests execution and shows the results in a meaningful way. It is packed with a device view that outlines the results of each test one a single device and a test view which shows the results of a single test across all of the devices it was executed on.
Price: Free

18. Kendo UI

Kendo UI includes everything for building mobile and web apps with HTML5 and JavaScript. Over 70 jQuery-based UI widgets are packed in one tool. Kendo also supports Angular JS integration, mobile controls, Bootstrap and offline data solution.
Price: $699

Read: HTML and CSS Frameworks For Web Designers

17. Cenzic

Cenzic Mobile is a security service to protect the data on the latest online front. It uses Hailstorm technology to analyze mobile application and detect vulnerabilities in critical areas such as input validation authentication mechanism, session security and encryption usage.
Price: As per the project.

16. MyAppBuilder

MyAppBuilder uses phone gap framework for creating apps using standardized web API’s of the platform you like. The apps are created using web technologies like JavaScript, HTML and CSS. You can build apps for author/publisher, real estate, restaurants, digital goods, bands, sports, news, car dealership, nonprofits, tickets, events and more.
Price: Starts at $9 per month.

15. Pubnub

Pubnub is super-fast cloud hosted messaging service for real time apps. Send and listen to events within your app using simple publish and subscribe API calls. You can stream, store, sync, protect and manage data to any device, anywhere.
Price: Free for up to 1 million messages per month.

14. SwebApps

SwebApps provides a platform to create web apps and native Android apps. It is built to handle small as well as large scale applications. You can add photos, videos, audio files, documents, event details and there are categories and subcategories for all organizational freaks.
Price: Starts at $19 per month.

13. Sencha Touch

Sencha Touch provides JavaScript & HTML framework and development tools to build complete touch based apps in a single integrated package. It gives designers the ability to prototype applications with pixel perfect clarity, and developers a perfect code editor and interactive charts.
Price: $3855

12. Appboy

Appboy is a web tool that allows you to monitor and measure CRM, user engagement, analytics and more, in real time. You can create a relevant experience for each user and vary your outreach via in-app messages, push email and industry first news feed.
Price: Starts at $10 per month

11. ShoutEm

ShoutEm is simple and powerful mobile app creator that has everything you need to build amazing apps, without any coding skills. It is packed with drag-drop interface, CMS, analytics, monetization and publish/preview tools. Moreover, you get unlimited support, maintenance and free updates.
Price: Starts at $19.90 per month.

10. Fluid UI

Fluid UI is web-based mobile prototyping tool that lets you rapidly assemble native looking mockups. You can select from 3500+ mobile, tablet and wearable widgets or upload your own image to get pixel perfect look. Moreover, you can preview/test your mockup directly in your browser and share it with clients and stakeholders.
Price: Starts at $10 per month.

9. Appcelerator

Appcelerator is an open, cloud based enterprise platform creating, delivering and analyzing your mobile app. Write an app (all in JavaScript) and it will provide you live prototyping, code optimization and full automated testing to deliver high performance app.
Price: Free

8. PhoneGap

PhoneGap allows you to easily create apps using web technologies like CSS, HTML and JavaScript. You can develop locally and then see the changes instantly on mobile device with their cross platform app. Your app is compiled in the cloud.
Price: Free/Open Source

7. Proto

Proto allows you to build fully interactive high fidelity prototypes that look and work exactly your app should (No coding skills needed). With Proto, you can test the prototype on actual device and feel the app experience with rich animations, interactions and gestures.
Price: Starts at $24 per month.

6. Mobile Roadie

Mobile Roadie is a CMS that helps you build customizable apps with ease and update them on the fly. This cloud platform supports geo-targeted marketing campaigns, user analytics, push notification, any time content updates and packed with various engagement tools.
Price: Starts at $149 per month.

5. Parse

Parse is a complete mobile app platform that allows you to focus on creating unique apps (on any platform). It takes care of almost everything you apps need, from the core to analytics and push notification, localized documentation to crash reporting.
Price: Free for 1 concurrent job

4. Apiary

Build beautiful and clean APIs with Apiary. It will save you a lot of time for back-end and front-end discussion. It is packed with some great features like instant API mock, collaborative design, integrated code samples, generated documentation, debugging and automated testing tools.
Price: Free for 1 user.

3. GameSalad Creator

This is the fastest game creation engine (integrated with physics engine) that lets you design and test your own game (No coding skills required). The software has a visual drag-drop interface and a deep behavior library to make game designing process fast and easy. It also shows you real and vital stats of your game performance.
Price: Free

2. Appmakr

Appmakr provides the quickest way to create a mobile app for your blog, business or community group using drag drop feature (No coding skills required). You can easily add photos, videos, maps, social feeds and more. When done, post it on Google Play and start analyzing and monetizing your app.
Price: Free

1. Genymotion

We all know starting the emulator and running an app is a slow and tedious process. Genymotion is designed to solve this problem, by providing hardware accelerated Android emulator. It supports various Android API levels and work seamlessly with Android Studio. Genymotion uses x86 architecture virtualization and packed with 20 pre-configured devices.
Price: Free for personal use.

Bonus

a. 30+ Excellent Wireframing and Mockup Tools for Designers

b. 35 Great Resources for Google Material Design