12 Best Free/Open Source App Development Software Solutions
Wondering how to make a mobile application? Or how to make a mobile app for free? Perhaps how to make a mobile app to promote your business? And what is the cost of making a mobile app? Is there a free app development software? Which is the best free software to build apps? Is there any open-source app development software?
In a world of the internet and smartphone, you can achieve almost everything at the click of a button. While technological advancement has helped many achieve great heights, people who did not advance with the advancing world were left far behind. Nokia is an example of this.
Almost everyone today realizes the importance of having a mobile app for the progress and success of their business. People have become so busy and ease-oriented that most do not even want to open their laptops and want all their work to be done through mobiles. So it is no surprise that hybrid mobile apps have been developed for Gmail, Google, Amazon, and the like.
With around 36.6 thousand mobile apps released through the Apple Store in the month of October alone this year, developing a mobile application is important, now more than ever. But development companies ask for a considerable sum of money. The cost of developing a simple app can cost you around $40,000 to $60,000, and for complex apps, the fee starts at $300,000.
However, you do not have to shell out these huge sums. With free app development software, you can create your own app for business or personal use.
Free software to build apps is ideal if you do not intend to invest money in app development. Also, most apps do not require the developer to be thorough in programming; even a beginner can make one from scratch.
In this article, John Doe, an experienced software engineer who has been in the industry for more than five years and is interested in AI technologies, will take you through the 12 best free app development software you can use to make your own app. He is an expert in the field, and many people reach out for his advice on mobile app development by many people. Consequently, John Doe has come up with this helpful list to assist developers.
You will learn about the best free app development software and the special features that set them apart. You will also know their global ranking, how many people use the app, and the countries they use most.
Introduction
Mobile apps have become a must for any business that wants to flourish. However, not everyone has the funding that developers demand.
In this article, I'll outline 12 free app development software to help you develop your own app cost-effectively without needing to reach out to developers. Since most of these apps don't require you to be familiar with coding languages, you need not worry if you are new to computing.
1. Flutter
Flutter is a free app development software by Google suited for hybrid apps. The user interface of Google allows people to create mobile, desktop, and web apps from a single codebase. Although relatively new, it is written in C, C++, Skia Graphics Engine, and Dart.
The software has a hot reload feature, so you do not have to restart your application to test it. So, the app development process is optimized and stress-free. The app was first released in May 2017.
Key Features
- The app has all the essential platform differences like scrolling, fonts, icons, and navigation.
- Developers can build plug-ins using simple and user-friendly channels. The widgets are fully customizable, so creating native apps is fast and easy.
- To simplify the process, Google provides video tutorials guiding developers through every stage of app development.
- The Flutter community provides several sources that ease the app-making journey for developers.
Global Ranking: 19,983
Total Visits: 4.1M
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market):
- India 10.95%
- Indonesia 5.98%
- China 4.88%
Pricing: Flutter is a free software to build apps.
2. Apache Cordova
It is a very popular open source app development software that allows the construction of hybrid apps. The developer does not need to be familiar with mobile programming languages to use this software. Instead, they can design their apps using languages like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
With Apache Cordova, you can design apps that will work on various platforms from a single code base to target a bigger audience. Nitobi first made Apache Cordova available in 2009. Adobe Systems purchased it in 2011 and rebranded it as PhoneGap. They later released an open-source version and named it Apache Cordova.
Key Features
- Operates on multiple operating systems, including Windows, Android, and iPhone.
- Allows you to manage and view any changes in the app using PhoneGap.
- Integrates easily with various libraries for the development of the app.
- No worries about maintaining SDKs, as compilation happens in the cloud.
- Developers can also use third-party tools.
Global Ranking: 1,673,476
Total Visits: 23.0K
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market):
- USA 16.86%
- Turkey 7.25%
- China 7.12%
Pricing: PhoneGap is a free app development software.
3. Buildfire
Another free app development software, Buildfire, helps develop both iOS and Android apps. The developer can increase their audience base with customized apps without coding experience.
Whether you want an app for religious organizations, education, e-commerce, events, or fitness, Buildfire will help you make a user-friendly app. You can integrate the app with web services, publish apps for free on Google Play and Apple Store, and edit and customize your app.
Making an app with Buildfire is easy, thanks to its drag-and-drop UI function. Founded in 2014, the software currently supports more than 10,000 apps.
Key Features
- The app is suitable for experts as well as newbies in the field of software development.
- It has a lockdown option that offers compliance and app security.
- With the app, you can use pre-built integrations or combine them with third-party APIs.
- You can make a custom app with the software’s SDK developer.
- You can monitor changes and add features.
Global Ranking: #184,890
Total Visits: 278.0K
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market):
- United States 20.43%
- India 13.01%
- Australia 3.05 %
Pricing: Buildfire is a free software to build apps
4. Ionic Framework
Ionic is another free app development software for developing hybrid apps. With just one codebase, the app allows building applications for various platforms, including web, Android, and iOS.
The UI component of the app is user-friendly, making the app development process fast and easy. What's more, you can use the app anywhere. Ionic was founded in 2012 and has a big developer community, preconfigured elements, and over 120 native device features.
Key Features
- Allows for Cordova-based app building.
- Includes typography, mobile components, an extensible base theme, and interactive paradigms.
- Written in JavaScript and the MIT license covers it.
Global Ranking: 48,823
Total Visits: 1.2M
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market):
- India 8%
- USA 6.16 %
- Germany 4.78%
Pricing: Ionic is an open source app development software.
5. Xamarin
Xamarin is a free app development software with tools that allow developers to build apps using different operating systems like Android, iOS, and Windows. Moreover, all of them use a single programming language. Microsoft created the software in 2011, and it has gained popularity as it uses C# programming language.
Xamarin Test Cloud is used to test the app. Additionally, the app also allows for real-time app testing on around 2,000 real mobile devices to monitor and catch app errors as they occur.
Key Features
- Helps you to build amazing cross-platform user interfaces.
- Easy interface with native APIs, components, current backend service, and more.
- Provides many online tutorial videos for beginners to get started.
- Developers receive resources and support from the Xamarin community of developers.
Global Ranking: 2,941,215
Total Visits: 13.4K
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market):
- USA 13.79%
- India 7.28%
- France 6.85%
Pricing: Amarin is an open source app development software that is free of charge.
6. Appcelerator
https://www.axway.com/en/appcelerator-end-of-life
Yet another mobile app development software, Appcelerator, is a leading software and comes in two versions—paid and free. Developers can build apps using JavaScript, a popular scripting language. The app was founded in 2006 and serves the finance, healthcare, government, and retail industries.
Appcelerator supports most operating systems, including browser-based HTML applications, iOS, Android, and Windows. Also, as the codes can be used across different platforms, developing apps requires fewer lines of code.
Key Features
- A preview window allows the developer to view the changes being made.
- It provides time-based and location-based push notifications.
- The drag-and-drop interface allows beginners to create an app easily.
- Supports the creation of dynamic animation.
- Gives direct and full access to Android and iOS APIs using JavaScript.
Global Ranking: 6,464,276
Total Visits: 5K
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market): –
Pricing: Appcelerator is a free app development software.
7. Felgo
Felgo is a free software to build apps that was founded in 2012. It supports many platforms like desktop (Linux and Windows), Android, iOS, and others. Developers can create various operating system applications using a single code base.
Felgo secured the number 1 spot among 40 prominent tools. It has the finest support system and an easy-to-use, time-saving framework.
Felgo supports 3D objects, making it the best software for developing game apps.
Key Features
- Supports gaming as well as business apps.
- Offers long-established abstraction of some specific concepts.
- As it uses custom UI, there is reduced interaction between the runtime environment and the native layer.
Global Ranking: 221,154
Total Visits: 287.3K
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market):
- USA 11.76%
- Iran 10.09%
- Ukraine 5.28%
Pricing: Felgo is an open source app development software that is free of cost.
8. LongRange
https://www.longrangemobile.com/
A native mobile application development tool, LongRange uses RPG, CL, and Cobol. So, the developer does not need professional knowledge of JavaScript, CSS, or HTML. The software allows for the quick development and maintenance of mobile apps.
The software has various functionalities like navigation tabs, form views, commands, and more.
Key Features
- Makes use of mobile features like SMS, GPS, camera, audio, and more.
- Automatic push mobile app updates.
- Native mobile app development using DDS/RPG/CL only.
Global Ranking: 18,786,158
Total Visits: < 5K
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market): –
Pricing: LongRange is a free app development software.
9. Qt
Qt is a cross-platform framework that allows you to develop, design, and deploy mobile applications for various handheld and portable iOS and Android devices at an economical cost.
The open-source and free platform provides a conducive and comprehensive development environment offering developers an excellent experience.
The stable and time-honored solution was initially developed as Mac and Windows software. The software was released in 1994 and has a design studio where developers can import designs from Photoshop. It also has a 3D studio that offers a fantastic workflow for developers and designers.
The free app development software has an extensive set of libraries that finds use in the development of specific apps.
Key Features
- Buggy SSL server workarounds
- Supports IPv6 and dual-mode networks
- Support for opaque private keys
- Provides several add-ons
Global Ranking: 27,748
Total Visits: 2.0M
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market):
- China 20.77%
- Russia 9.03%
- USA 5.27%
Pricing: Qt is a free app development software.
10. Mobincube
A web-based application, Mobincube allows people with no knowledge of computing to develop apps. Its helpful tools let developers customize the tiniest of details, develop advanced functionalities, and create mobile stores.
The app's top-notch interface makes it possible to create any type of software for health, entertainment, education, and e-commerce. The app was developed in 2008 and allows developers to integrate 3rd party solutions into their app.
Key Features
- Allows app deployment on various platforms like Google Play, Amazon, etc.
- Also allows addition of POIs on online maps.
- Complete customization.
- Extremely adaptable.
Global Ranking: 103,205
Total Visits: 496.2K
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market):
- Mexico 20.12%
- Columbia 16.56%
- Peru 9.18%
Pricing: Mobincube is a free app development software
11. Alpha Anywhere
https://www.alphasoftware.com/
Alpha Anywhere was founded in 2013 and provides low-code and no-code environments for rapidly deploying and developing cross-platform mobile and web apps. It helps create apps that can be offline by using JavaScript and HTML.
It is a comprehensive solution that helps in the development of SAS, desktop, web applications, and mobile apps. It also has many tutorial videos that take developers through the app development process and assists them at every step.
Key Features
- Allows development of an offline-capable mobile app.
- Close-grained resource management delegation.
- Enterprise-grade HMAC data encryption and SSL support.
Global Ranking: –
Total Visits: < 5K
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market): –
Pricing: Alpha Anywhere is a free app development software
12. Sencha Ext JS
https://www.sencha.com/products/extjs/
Sencha was founded in 2007 and makes amazingly responsive mobile apps. It achieves this through the use of MVC's best JavaScript framework, increasing customer satisfaction to a great extent.
Mobile apps that use this software improve business due to the apps' unique features fuel analytics and data visualization.
It allows rapid development, management, and design of data-intensive, cross-platform applications compatible with Windows, Android, and iOS.
Key Features
- Native-like, built-in themes for all major platforms
- Enhanced touch events support and excellent animation
- Supported on WebKit browsers
- Works independently with multiple data sources due to a backend data package
- Allows packaging and native API access while using Cordova or PhoneGap
Global Ranking: 235,897
Total Visits: 186.3K
Country Targeting (With % Of The Market):
- India 11.12%
- Germany 10.16%
- USA 8.96%
Pricing: It is a free app development software.
Conclusion
Upon learning how much it will cost to develop a mobile app, many people are deterred from doing so. But one shouldn't have to compromise because a mobile app is now so crucial on the internet and smartphone era that it can make or break a business.
These 12 free software to build apps will help you create your app cost-effectively if the cost of developing an app is the only thing preventing you from doing so.
