Your business wants to develop an app, yet cannot afford it. Contracting out goes beyond your limited budgets, while in-house staff needs the training to produce the desired software product. Surely, many companies are facing the same problem. However, the good news is that you now can have your own apps built on certain software platforms such as Uibackery.io. So, what are the best mobile application development platforms you should consider in 2025? Let’s take a detailed look at today’s article! But first, we’ll learn about what such a platform is.
What Is a Mobile Application Development Platform?
Simply speaking, such platforms are application builders that make application development faster and more accessible to even those without coding skills. These builders often integrate features, typically a drag-and-drop editor, to help you build a mobile app quickly.
For this reason, mobile application development platforms are suitable for those who want to build and deploy apps fast to the market. This demand has fueled the growth of these platforms these days, with a 32% annual growth (2024-2030).
However, they’re not ideal for those who require too complex or custom functionalities. For example, a teacher may use these builders to develop a simple game for his/her students, while an educational center needs to hire specialists to build a custom learning hub. That’s why you need to consider your specific requirements before deciding whether to use these platforms.
15 Best Mobile Application Development Platforms
In this section, we’ll show you 10 excellent mobile app development platforms in 2025 that are suitable for individuals, organizations, or SMEs. These app builders will help you develop an in-house mobile app from basic templates and configurations as required. Let’s dive in!
1. ShoutEm – The best software platform for mobile app development
Shoutem is a cross-platform mobile app development platform using React Native with an enormous amount of UX/UI templates: over 40 screen types, more than 200 layouts, and roughly 40 extensions/features. It allows you to build impressive applications with no coding knowledge. Indeed, by only dragging and dropping available features, you can:
- Customize layouts
- Add built-in extensions (e.g., Photos, Events, Maps, or Articles)
- Pick up many monetization options (e.g., mobile advertising, eCommerce, or coupons)
- Integrate applications into various content sources such as WordPress, YouTube, and Vimeo to facilitate the advertisement of your applications
- Analyze the behaviors of your customers or visitors with its built-in analytics to optimize services and increase sales.
With applications built on ShoutEm, you can easily upload them to both iTunes and CH Play. Any new content will be automatically updated in those stores as well. Some remarkable apps made on ShoutEm are Gig Pic (photo sharing) and Golf News Net (golf news publishing).
Despite being able to create easily managed software with customized functions, ShoutEm is unsuitable for those who would like graphically intensive applications (e.g., video games).
Pricing: Starts at $49/ month (billed annually) but with just Android/HTML5 apps. If you want to create a cross-platform application for both iOS and Android, the price will be $79/ month at a minimum.
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2. OutSystems
As reported by Gartner, the top-tier research and advisory company, OutSystems is the leading low-code application platform (LCAP). The platform provides enterprise development and management solutions fast, but it doesn’t suit individuals, small firms, or those with a shoestring budget.
OutSystems operates in cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. It allows you to easily build your own full-stack and cross-platform applications, manage application performance (e.g. small caching to the large database), and integrate with other external systems to facilitate business management.
According to Beatriz Clarke, STEMCELL’s applications development manager, you can also find “pre-built connectors and modules” in OutSystems Forge to save much time building applications. More importantly, OutSystems ensures the confidentiality of business data.
Pricing: OutSystems provides a 10-day free trial called Evaluation Edition. Meanwhile, its OutSystems Developer Cloud (ODC) starts at $36,300/year, and advanced add-ons require extra charges.
3. AppInstitute
AppInstitute is the best application development platform option for small businesses in different industries. Helping build native applications for iPhone, Android, and web, AppInstitute has been used to invent over 30,000 applications by simple drag-and-drop manipulation.
Further, the platform offers a wide range of available features and functionalities like app templates, push notifications, news tickers, product shopping, and more. Additionally, it provides monetization options (e.g., Loyalty programs or Online payments) and analytics to track customer retention and revenues.
“Easy to use” is a common comment of many users who have no technical experience. However, if you would like a tool that provides highly customized backend data, this platform is not for you.
Pricing: Starts at $39/month (billed annually) with a free trial.
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4. Good Barber
Again, without technological knowledge, you can easily invent a shopping or content application on GoodBarber. The platform supports building iOS native applications using Objective-C, Android native applications in Java, and progressive web applications (PWA) with the underlying use of Angular. It targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially those who like to access the source code and various plug-ins to optimize their custom applications.
The platform’s main product platform is shopping and content applications. So it provides relevant features like one-click payment, permanent cart, push notifications, CMS (Content management system), or chat box. Also, you can monetize through external advertisement sources like Admob or MobPartner or internal advertisement campaigns. Especially, the apps are fully equipped with SEO and SSL security.
However, we don’t recommend this platform if you plan to develop applications with extensive eCommerce integration.
Pricing: A content-sharing app costs at least €25 /month, while an eCommerce one costs €40/ month. In case you want to build as many applications as you want, you need to choose the Reseller plan with €215/month at a minimum.
FURTHER READING: |
1. 30 Amazing Mobile App Design Software Tools |
2. Top 20 Mobile App Design Tools |
3. 7 Most Popular Mobile App Development Tools |
5. Yapp
“I say this to anyone looking at event apps in the association management profession. Yapp is by far the best solution we have come across to engage our attendees during events and reduce our overall event printing cost,” said John Meidl, Events and Membership Manager at NCPeds (North Carolina Pediatric Society).
Like Meidl, other clients who want to build applications for events, meetings, conventions, and organized teams also give high recommendations to the platform. Yet unlike the mentioned creators, the builder is not for those who prefer an eCommerce software development tool with extensive customization and monetization options.
Only by clicking the edit button and then dragging and dropping built-in features, you can easily manipulate distinctive menus and self-design your apps on iOS, Android, and the Web. Providing all functionalities of meeting or event apps, Yapp can help you to hold an event, and track your organized talks or workshops. It can also help share documents, allow anonymous polls, and even protect your apps from unsuitable content or manage who should be involved in your apps by Admin controls.
Pricing: Starts at $399/year for only one app
6. Studio Creatio
Studio Creatio allows non-technical users to use AI to build and deploy enterprise applications like account forms, service performance analytics, or project management. Its user interfaces integrate powerful layout tools, pre-built libraries of visual elements, responsive views, and data models to create a seamless user experience.
Further, you can easily automate complex business processes with human intervention and configure business rules with available templates. This allows you to streamline operations and minimize manual tasks. Also, Studio Creatio includes a rich library of integrations that smoothly connect your apps with external systems to remove data silos and build unified workflows.
With all these capabilities, Creatio is positioned as the leader in low-code platforms for citizen developers in the 2024 Forrester WaveTM.
Pricing: Studio Creatio offers three pricing plans. They include Growth at $25/user/month for SMB clients, Enterprise at $55/user/month for corporations, and Unlimited at $85/user/month for advanced enterprise cases.
7. AppMachine
The strength of AppMachine is the automation and is completely suitable for those who already have a website, as it will scan all the contents on your website to build apps for iOS and Android. It has more than 35+ pre-coded, snap-together Building Blocks, skin selections, and design features to choose from.
The only task you need to do is fill in all the App Store information; AppMachine will do the rest! Yeah, you hear it right. AppMachine will submit your apps to the App Store and then provide you a QR code and app site to get your app promoted easily.
People just need to scan QR codes or use the app site on their smartphone to download your app directly from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. In the process, you can check the status right on your smartphone, PC, Mac, or tablet and update quickly through the CMS.
Pricing: AppMachine offers three pricing plans. They include Instant at $15/month for one web-based app, Professional at $63/month for one cross-platform app, and Agency at $159/month for five cross-platform apps.
8. Tulip
Tulip is a powerful solution for building applications to streamline operations and increase productivity in discrete manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.
One striking feature of Tulip is its simple and intuitive app editor that allows you to configure pre-built applications for common use cases without the need to code. If you find no useful templates for your business case, you can build everything from scratch by simply dragging and dropping visual elements.
You can even use Analytics to build real-time dashboards from your production data, which helps track your production progress effectively. Tulip even allows you to create and trigger automated notifications via email or SMS to keep your team updated about app building.
The platform also comes with composable MES and pre-built integrations that connect your app with external systems like NetSuite or Snowflake easily. Especially, with Tulip Edge Devices, you can connect your app bi-directionally with any machine and automate workflows.
Pricing: Starts at $100/month (billed annually)
9. Appery
Appery is a cloud-based mobile app development platform that is trusted by over 500,000 users. If you have an idea and want to turn it into a real mobile app, Appery is the right place.
The highlight features of Appery are the API Express and multi-platform support. While the API Express enables enterprises to easily and securely integrate apps with any back-end system, Appery also offers on-site tutorials and support for different mobile platforms like iOS, Android, and Windows Phones.
Moreover, Appery uses the drag-and-drop interface to build the UI with 30 out-of-the-box jQuery Mobile themes. It also offers advanced customization for developers with jQuery Mobile, AngularJS, Bootstrap, and Ionic.
Pricing: Starts at $25/month for 2 apps and 50,000 platform APIs. They also offer custom plans and deployment options.
10. AppSheet
AppSheet helps you create cross-platform apps easily without any coding. Its intuitive user interface allows you to build with a Blank app, Google Gemini (an AI-powered chatbot), existing data sources (e.g., Google Sheet), and pre-built templates. AppSheet offers a wide range of flexible features to create powerful solutions that help your work get done, like simple inventory management, a project tracker, or a Kanban board.
Beyond these basic features, AppSheet offers automation features to streamline your workflows based on schedules or events, for example, automatically sending emails. This frees up your time for more important tasks. Once your app is done, you can get valuable insights into its performance and user engagement to make informed decisions and optimize its effectiveness.
Pricing: AppSheet offers Starter, the most basic pricing plan, at $5/user/month for basic application and automation features. If you need more advanced functionalities, choose Core or Enterprise Plus for $10/user/month at a minimum.
11. Appian
According to Gartner, Appian is the leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Enterprise Low-Code Application Platforms. It’s also a leading platform for process mining and complex internal use cases. Accordingly, you can create an app of a simple intuitive architecture – from a productive low-code design environment to a fully managed cloud.
With Appian, you can unify data across systems (e.g., SAP or Microsoft) to create codeless data models within seconds. Further, it offers AI, business rules, and system bots to automate any process end-to-end without the need for custom code.
Pricing: You can sign up for a free trial plan and then upgrade to $90/user/month for standard licensing or a custom plan if needed.
12. UI Bakery
UI Bakery is one of the best low-code platforms for mobile application development. It allows you to create internal tools, customer portals, vendor apps, admin panels, and dashboards fast. Accordingly, you can easily integrate data from more than 30 databases, HTTP APIs, and third-party tools. With its drag-and-drop responsive editor, you can use over 75 pre-built components (e.g., buttons or forms) to customize app interfaces.
Besides these functionalities, you can use UI Bakery Actions to build no-code or code business logic. You can even use Git integration to work in parallel and implement Gitflow:
Pricing: UI Bakery offers a free forever plan for up to five users. Meanwhile, paid pricing packages start at $5/user/month and $10/developer/month (billed annually) if you want to add more than five people to the platform.
13. Mendix
Unlike many platforms, Mendix uses its AI assistant, Maia, to develop smart mobile applications quickly. Accordingly, Maia Chat integrated into Mendix IDE provides you with contextual advice and real-time recommendations to build application UI, logic, and workflows. It even automates some tasks and creates software components to improve development speed and accuracy. Further, Mendix offers a range of reusable GenAI capabilities you can integrate into your app to make it smarter.
Mendix also allows you to extend your app with your tech stack, custom code, and open APIs. Additionally, you can connect your application with external data sources in the Mendix IDE. Once your app is done, you can easily operate and deploy it with any Mendix’s cloud options like public or private clouds.
Pricing: Mendix offers a forever-free plan to build either an Agile project or a collaborative app. Paid pricing packages start at €52.5/month for one app with more features.
14. NewgenONE
The NewgenONE platform is widely used to develop applications that manage enterprise content, records, intelligent documents, and much more. This platform offers pre-built components and templates to easily create rich and interactive applications for your specific needs.
Further, NewgenONE enables smooth integration between your application and external databases to ensure easy data access. It also has built-in data modeling to develop simple and complex data objects while integrating security functionalities (e.g., masking or encryption) to keep your data consistent and secure.
The highlight feature of NewgenONE is its AI capabilities that swiftly automate end-to-end customer workflows, content lifecycle management, and more.
Pricing: Not disclosed
15. Retool
If you’re looking for the best platform to develop internal software and applications, don’t ignore Retool.
The platform allows you to leverage and customize more than 100 React components and a full IDE to develop your desired software. You can also customize your application in your way by writing code in SQL or JavaScript, and then deploying the app to Retool’s cloud or your own infrastructure.
Further, Retool offers pre-built components for common AI actions, which allows for seamless integration between your app and AI capabilities.
Pricing: Retool offers a free forever plan for up to five users for unlimited web & mobile apps. Meanwhile, paid pricing packages start at $10/standard user/month plus $5/end user/month (billed annually) if you want to add more than five people to the platform.
Final Thoughts
Apparently, the advent of app makers has turned applications accessible and friendly to users, even when they lack programming skills. In the ever-changing world of no or low-code application-building tools, the 15 mobile application development platforms mentioned in the blog post are typical examples. To optimize your personal or business uses, you should do careful research on which one is the best application development software platform. If not, your money and time will be wasted. Do you find this article useful and wanna receive similar content? Subscribe to our blog post and follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn!
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