What similarities do Google Ads, Xianyu (by Alibaba), Reflectly, and SpaceX Go share apart from being amazing mobile applications? They were all developed using Flutter!
Flutter is one of the most effective and popular software development kits out there. But in order to develop high-quality, responsive apps that delight your customers, you’ll need to use the right tools.
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Why use flutter?
If you don’t already know, Flutter, or Flutter SDK, is an open-source UI software development kit by Google. It enables you to develop applications for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, and the web from a single codebase. The framework works with an existing code and allows you to create beautiful, responsive, and natively compiled applications.
Some reasons to use Flutter are:
- Reduced code development time
- Increased time-to-market speed
- Same UI and business logic across all platforms
- Own rendering engine
- Native app-like performance
- Custom, animated UI for all complexity levels
- Ability to go beyond mobile
- Straightforward, platform-specific logic implementation
In a nutshell, if you want to create beautiful, cross-platform applications with native-like performance in quick time, Flutter is your way to go.
Let’s look at the top Flutter app development tools you should use in 2021.
17 top flutter app development tools
Flutter is an open-source toolkit and can be used “as is.” But if you want to truly enhance your Flutter app development process, these Flutter app development tools can help.
Let’s take a look at some of the best Flutter cross-platform mobile app development tools.
1. Codemagic
Codemagic is an efficient Flutter app development tool that enhances your Flutter app development process. The solution enables you to build, test, and deliver mobile applications in a quick time. It allows seamless and continuous integration and delivery for app projects done on the Flutter framework.
Codemagic eliminates the need for configuration for launching your app to the market. Furthermore, it comes with an automation feature that allows you to test and create your app. It also streamlines the launching process and makes it straightforward and hassle-free.
Key capabilities:
- Eliminate and automate manual intervention
- Up-to-date with the latest developer tools
- Full Apple developer portal integration
- Continuous delivery for 20% faster time-to-market
2. Test magic
Test magic is a Flutter development tool that enables the testing and deployment of Android and iOS applications. It allows you to download and deploy CI/CD builds on connected gadgets.
You can collect feedback and screenshots and upload them to ensure better app functionality. Besides, this tool integrates with Codemagic, enabling you to handle provisioning profiles and add test gadgets.
Key capabilities:
- Entire E2E testing
- The one-script concept for all
- AI-based object identification support
- Support for various databases and file formats
3. Count.ly
Count.ly is a popular open-source product analytics solution that allows you to determine and enhance customer journeys in mobile, web, and desktop applications. With this tool, you can track fundamental KPIs metrics and KPIs that showcase your app’s growth and performance.
This cross-app mobile app development platform focuses on securing your data. It also comes with a paid version, enabling you to host the tool on-premise or in the cloud. The premium version also enables A/B testing, push notifications, and other features.
Key capabilities:
- Single dashboard
- Extensible via plugins
- One-premise on cloud deployment
- In-app usage analytics
4. Supernova
Supernova has recently launched an assistance tool for Flutter. It allows you to import your UI designs to Supernova and export them to Flutter for developing beautiful, responsive, and natively compiled applications. You can also Hire Flutter Developers to work on Supernova to enhance your app’s design, experience, and usability.
Supernova allows you to run a Flutter app side by side and make changes in real-time. It further enables you to import Sketch or Adobe XD file and export it to Flutter to change your app’s UI design.
Key capabilities:
- Forward design to Flutter
- Smart prototyping
- Responsive, production-ready layouts
- Seamless iteration
5. Panache
Panache is a Flutter material editor tool that helps you create material themes for your Flutter applications. You can customize the colors, shapes, design, and other theme characteristics and export them to your Drive folder as the .dart file.
You can hire Flutter developers for utilizing Panache to create personalized and visually-appealing materials and themes for your app. Panache is entirely free and open-source and allows you to assess the codes. Currently, more than 40 million developers and testers use Panache.
Key capabilities:
- Create beautiful material themes
- Customize widget colors and shapes
- Completely free and open-source
- Access the codes after completing the coding structure
6. Sylph
Sylph is an open-source command-line tool used to run Flutter integration and end-to-end tests Android and iOS cloud pools. The tool runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, and CI environment.
Developed by Maurice McCabe, this tool works seamlessly with AWS Device Farm and supports hundreds of iOS and Android devices.
Key capabilities:
- Develop a testable iOS debug app
- Configuration validation
- Configure flavors
- Support for 100+ iOS and Android devices in a single run
7. Appetize
Appetize is a cross-platform mobile app development tool that allows you to run native mobile apps in your browser in HTML or JavaScript format. You can use Appetize to streamline app demos, customer support, training, testing, development, and more.
This tool helps you reduce time-to-market and launch your apps faster. Moreover, it enables both developers and users to keep up with their apps. So, you can use Appetize to simplify the introduction procedure of your Flutter app.
Key capabilities:
- In-browser app previews
- Training and customer support
- Automation and testing
- Enterprise deployments
8. RevenueCat
RevenueCat is an in-app subscription billing and purchase management tool. You can install RevenueCat Purchases SDK for Flutter and manage your app business on any platform without any purchase infrastructure.
The SDK supports Android, iOS, and Stripe. The platform also allows you to analyze app functionality by examining MRR, LTV, and churn.
Key capabilities:
- Seamless in-app subscriptions
- Powerful reporting
- Price testing
- Data integrations
9. Instabug
Instabug is a cross-platform mobile development platform that provides real-time contextual insights for mobile apps. For Flutter app development, you can use Instabug for bug reporting, in-app crash reporting, surveys, and feature requests. You can integrate Instabug’s Flutter SDK in your app and enable real-time bug reporting and experience analysis.
The tool captures screenshots, collects detailed device logs & info, and sends in-depth crash reports. You can then utilize this information to eliminate bugs and improve the user experience.
Key capabilities:
- Bug reporting
- Crash reporting
- App performance monitoring
- User surveys
10. Adobe XD
Adobe declared its new plugin – Adobe XD – at the Flutter Interact event. The plugin allows you to create stunning mobile app designs by providing a straightforward design workflow. It produces a .dart file code that you can place directly in your app codebase.
In addition, the plugin enables wireframing, animating, prototyping, and collaboration all from one place. Adobe has also announced that it will launch new plugins on the platform in the near future.
Key capabilities:
- Layout and design
- Prototyping and animation
- Collaboration and handoff
- Design systems
11. Firebase
Firebase is a Flutter app development platform by Google that helps you develop and run mobile apps successfully. The tool allows you to develop and launch apps across iOS and Android platforms.
With Firebase, you can unify the back-end by putting Firebase APIs together in a single SDK. The tool provides helpful functionalities, including messaging and crash reporting.
Key capabilities:
- Accelerate app development
- Release and monitor performance
- Rich analytics
- A/B testing and messaging campaigns
12. Amplitude
Amplitude is a product intelligence solution for Flutter app developers. It allows you to determine how your consumers are using and interacting with your mobile application. When used for Flutter app development, Amplitude helps you track insightful data and combine it with your app development efforts.
Key capabilities:
- In-depth user insights
- Improve product experiences
- Increase lifetime retention and value
- Speed up product testing
13. AppsFlyer
AppsFlyer is a mobile attribution tool that allows you to streamline your app marketing efforts. It helps you determine where your users are coming from. You can utilize this information to apply app installs to specific marketing campaigns.
AppsFlyer can be your go-to attribution platform if you want to extract accurate data and take a customer-centric business approach. This Flutter app development tool also enables you to determine how your marketing campaign is performing across applications and gadgets.
Key capabilities:
- Attribute customer touchpoints
- Effortless user engagement
- Avoid mobile fraud
- Analyze performance in real-time
14. Android studio
If you hire Flutter app developers, they’ll likely use Android studio. It’s one of the most popular Flutter app development tools out there. Android studio is a product IDE that enables you to develop responsive, effective, and feature-rich applications.
This tool provides features like code completion, editing support, and syntax highlight procedures. It also allows you to create and run applications on an Android emulator or gadget.
Key capabilities:
- Visual layout editor
- APK analyzer
- Fast emulator
- Intelligent code editor
15. Screenshots
Screenshots is an efficient cross-mobile app development IDE for Flutter. It’s a command-line utility that enables you to capture and upload screenshots directly on the stats bar. You can integrate these screenshots into your Flutter application.
These integrated screenshots work transparently and seamlessly in Android and iOS platforms. It starts the required iOS and Android emulators, runs your screen capture tests, and processes the images.
Key capabilities:
- Run tests on any device
- Cloud capabilities
- Support for all CI/CD tools
- One run for frames, clean status bars, and both platforms
16. Visual studio code
Visual code studio is a cross-platform mobile app development platform that facilitates version control, running tasks, and creating and debugging web & cloud apps. This open-source code editor by Microsoft supports Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Source: Visual code studio
Some key features of this tool include smart code completion, snippets, debugging support, code refactoring, embedded GIT, and syntax highlighting. Visual Code Studio is easy-to-use and productive and works seamlessly with Python and C++.
Key capabilities:
- Automatic smart completions
- Debug code from the editor
- Built-in Git commands
- Customizable and extensible
17. Vysor
Vysor is a Flutter app development tool that allows you to reflect mobile app screens onto a computer. You can share the screen using a USB cable without the need for a data connection.
With the Vysor Chrome extension, you can ditch the emulator and share your device across the globe. Vysor makes screen ADB access sharing as simple as sending a link.
Key capabilities:
- Mirror and control Android
- High-quality mirroring
- Drag and drop files
- Take screenshots
Wrapping up
Flutter has emerged as one of the most popular software development toolkits among mobile app developers. With so many open-source Flutter app development tools available, you can make your Flutter app development project quick and efficient. Or, let experts get it done for you. If you want to hire Flutter developers, get in touch with TriState Technology now.
