Gone are the days when mobile phones were mere means of communication. Today, our smartphones and tablets can handle so much more, thanks to the abundance of mobile apps of all sorts.
These convenient portable gadgets can even be used as tools to build and edit new pieces of software. Surely, serious companies and entrepreneurs still need custom mobile app development delivered by industry professionals who do the lion’s share of the work in a traditional way. But even for them, dev mobile apps often come in handy.
Now, when remote work has become the new norm, these apps are especially relevant. In the following article, you’ll find a list of some of AppStore’s staples that most developers love.
Here they are, in short:
- Textastic
- Pythonista
- Penultimate
- SSH Term Pro
- Adaptivity
- Working Copy.
Now, let’s take a closer look at each of the items.
1. Textastic
Let’s start with one of the most popular, powerful, and user-praised programming apps for iPhone and iPad – Textastic. This code editor by Alexander Blach currently has an overall rating of 4.8 in the AppStore. It holds an honorable 7th place in the Developer Tools section.
There are plenty of reasons why you should definitely like Textastic. The main one is its versatility. This code and markup editor supports syntax highlighting of more than 80 programming languages and can easily connect to your Dropbox, Google Drive, and to the various types of servers like FTP, SFTP, and more.
What’s more, it comes with an extended keyboard with an additional set of keys typically used by coders which makes programming on the go even more convenient. And it only costs $9.99!
2. Pythonista
Another piece of software that particularly stands out among popular apps for programmers is Pythonista. This Python IDE designed especially for iPad by omz:software proudly uses its name with permission of Python Software Foundation. It has over a thousand positive reviews on AppStore.
Users particularly praise its accessibility and user-friendly interface which make it a perfect solution for professional and educational purposes alike. The app provides syntax highlighting, smart-code completion, and an extended keyboard designed specifically for Python. It also comes with libraries for 2D graphics and sound effects as well as ready-to-run sample programs.
However, some professionals note that the app has its drawbacks like the lack of important modules. Still, most agree that it’s a great programmer app to use on portable devices and it’s also perfect for students and beginners due to its accessibility. All this comes with a price tag of $9.99.
3. Penultimate
This one cannot technically be considered developer software as it’s actually an app for digital handwriting on iPad. Still, it can also be used for more than just keeping your thoughts and ideas in order.
What some developers use Penultimate for is creating custom flowcharts and diagrams – here, you can simply draw them with a precision-point stylus (Jot Script Evernote Edition). What’s also important to know if you plan to use this app as a digital notebook is that it’s totally compatible with Evernote (but you’ll obviously need an Evernote account to use this feature).
If you want to try it out, Penultimate is available for free. But you can use Evernote Premium ($69.99 per year) or Evernote Plus ($3.99 per month/$34.99 per year) subscription to get more advanced features.
4. SSH Term Pro
Last year, the coronavirus pandemic demonstrated clearly how important it is to be able to work remotely. So, now system administrators and developers value such apps as SSH Term Pro more than ever.
It’s one of your average geek iPhone apps. It’s an essential tool for every developer and administrator who wants to have full control of the system when not at the desk. SSH protocol utilized here is a perfect way to keep your data safe, so you can check how that script that’s been running on your office computer is doing directly from your couch.
The app can run on an iPad, too, and costs 10.99 euros in AppStore. The reviews, however, are mixed because of some bugs that surface now and then after the updates – so, be careful.
5. Adaptivity (A)
It’s not often that you see a 5-star app in AppStore, right? Well, Adaptivity is exactly that app! Being one of the most useful dev iPhone apps, it also runs on iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and iMessage, and provides some indispensable features for everyone wanting their work to look nice.
Basically, what it does is helps visualize how different layout elements, margins, fonts, and readable content areas look in various situations. You can also visualize such elements as:
- System colors;
- System images;
- System materials;
- Dynamic Typestyles.
Sizes can be displayed in either points or pixels, it has external display support and many more useful features that every developer or designer would appreciate. All this comes at a price of just $4.99, so it’s definitely a worthy try – at less.
6. Working Copy
Another top-rated (4.8 stars) AppStore item is a staple among dev iPhone apps that also works on iPad. Basically, it’s a Git client that helps access Git repositories from any remote location which is perfect for developers who often work on the go.
Work Copy allows for editing code (with syntax highlighting), merging history, visualizing branches, and a lot more. In fact, it can work as a total equivalent of a desktop client – that’s why developers around the world love it so much.
The app’s basic version is free, but you’ll need to pay $19.99 to get full (and permanent) access to pro features. For this money, you’ll also have access to any new pro features released within a year from the date of your payment.
Wrapping Up
Here, we’ve listed some of AppStore’s best dev apps. At the moment, they have the best ratings and testimonials – but things change rapidly.
So, everyone interested in development should always keep an eye on the trends and check AppStore for some new exciting apps. These days, the industry is booming, so don’t miss out on something important!
