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Top 20 Developer Tools SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store
Last update: 5 May 2026 CET
App Store

Top 20 Developer Tools SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store

We at 42matters have identified the 20 most popular Developer Tools SDKs leveraged by iOS apps available on the iOS app market.

Developer Tool SDKs help developers build sophisticated mobile apps. Technology vendors and platform providers develop these SDKs — which include programming libraries, APIs, sample code, documentation, and other tools — for third-party app developers that want to build mobile apps that leverage the features and functionalities of their technologies or platforms.

This list is based on our analysis of the millions of mobile applications – and the 2,300+ SDKs they use – that constitute the vast inventory of the Apple App Store. The accompanying data provides readers with a glimpse into the rich mobile application insights generated by the 42matters technology. This data is also available via our APIs, file dumps, Explorer, and SDK Explorer.

The intended purpose of this article is to assist app builders in their search for the perfect Developer Tools SDK to leverage in their app, as well as to give SDK developers insight into their biggest competitors and potential customers. This data collected by our technology may also serve as a useful tool for folks researching the wider mobile app market.

The 20 most widely-integrated developer tools SDKs:

1st

Apple Core Foundation

Check “Apple Core Foundation” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 99.96% have integrated Apple Core Foundation. This accounts for 100.00% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
1.91m
App Store
App Share
99.96%
App Store
Apps
1.72m
Games
191.79k
Total Downloads
549.66b
App Store
Download Share
100.00%
App Store
App Downloads
414.74b
Game Downloads
134.92b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple Core Foundation.

2nd

Apple AVFoundation

Check “Apple AVFoundation” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 75.79% have integrated Apple AVFoundation. This accounts for 95.00% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
1.45m
App Store
App Share
75.79%
App Store
Apps
1.28m
Games
173.35k
Total Downloads
522.18b
App Store
Download Share
95.00%
App Store
App Downloads
389.73b
Game Downloads
132.45b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple AVFoundation.

3rd

Apple WebKit

Check “Apple WebKit” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 70.51% have integrated Apple WebKit. This accounts for 93.80% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
1.35m
App Store
App Share
70.51%
App Store
Apps
1.22m
Games
132.46k
Total Downloads
515.58b
App Store
Download Share
93.80%
App Store
App Downloads
386.68b
Game Downloads
128.90b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple WebKit.

4th

Google Firebase

Check “Google Firebase” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 50.49% have integrated Google Firebase. This accounts for 65.69% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Firebase is Google's mobile platform SDK that helps you quickly develop high-quality apps and grow your business.

Total Apps
967.02k
App Store
App Share
50.49%
App Store
Apps
879.74k
Games
87.28k
Total Downloads
361.10b
App Store
Download Share
65.69%
App Store
App Downloads
255.74b
Game Downloads
105.36b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Google Firebase.

5th

Apple Accelerate

Check “Apple Accelerate” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 48.57% have integrated Apple Accelerate. This accounts for 77.59% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
930.26k
App Store
App Share
48.57%
App Store
Apps
862.78k
Games
67.48k
Total Downloads
426.48b
App Store
Download Share
77.59%
App Store
App Downloads
312.20b
Game Downloads
114.28b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple Accelerate.

6th

Firebase Installations

Check “Firebase Installations” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 41.35% have integrated Firebase Installations. This accounts for 62.07% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
791.98k
App Store
App Share
41.35%
App Store
Apps
736.47k
Games
55.51k
Total Downloads
341.18b
App Store
Download Share
62.07%
App Store
App Downloads
244.99b
Game Downloads
96.18b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Firebase Installations.

7th

Apple Core Data

Check “Apple Core Data” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 30.64% have integrated Apple Core Data. This accounts for 51.72% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
586.88k
App Store
App Share
30.64%
App Store
Apps
559.00k
Games
27.88k
Total Downloads
284.32b
App Store
Download Share
51.72%
App Store
App Downloads
241.52b
Game Downloads
42.80b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple Core Data.

8th

Promises by Google

Check “Promises by Google” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 27.32% have integrated Promises by Google. This accounts for 21.67% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
523.37k
App Store
App Share
27.32%
App Store
Apps
495.46k
Games
27.91k
Total Downloads
119.11b
App Store
Download Share
21.67%
App Store
App Downloads
83.09b
Game Downloads
36.02b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Promises by Google.

9th

Apple Metal

Check “Apple Metal” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 23.58% have integrated Apple Metal. This accounts for 60.82% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
451.68k
App Store
App Share
23.58%
App Store
Apps
339.44k
Games
112.24k
Total Downloads
334.32b
App Store
Download Share
60.82%
App Store
App Downloads
214.24b
Game Downloads
120.08b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple Metal.

10th

Apple Swift Framework

Check “Apple Swift Framework” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 21.95% have integrated Apple Swift Framework. This accounts for 10.93% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Apple Swift Framework is a powerful and intuitive programming language for macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS and beyond.

Total Apps
420.36k
App Store
App Share
21.95%
App Store
Apps
374.34k
Games
46.02k
Total Downloads
60.06b
App Store
Download Share
10.93%
App Store
App Downloads
36.11b
Game Downloads
23.95b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple Swift Framework.

11th

Firebase Remote Config

Check “Firebase Remote Config” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 14.26% have integrated Firebase Remote Config. This accounts for 38.86% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
273.09k
App Store
App Share
14.26%
App Store
Apps
244.94k
Games
28.14k
Total Downloads
213.61b
App Store
Download Share
38.86%
App Store
App Downloads
160.91b
Game Downloads
52.70b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Firebase Remote Config.

12th

Firebase App Check

Check “Firebase App Check” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 12.11% have integrated Firebase App Check. This accounts for 12.18% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
232.02k
App Store
App Share
12.11%
App Store
Apps
219.12k
Games
12.90k
Total Downloads
66.95b
App Store
Download Share
12.18%
App Store
App Downloads
52.31b
Game Downloads
14.64b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Firebase App Check.

13th

Expo

Check “Expo” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 9.88% have integrated Expo. This accounts for 1.59% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
189.16k
App Store
App Share
9.88%
App Store
Apps
184.71k
Games
4.45k
Total Downloads
8.73b
App Store
Download Share
1.59%
App Store
App Downloads
8.55b
Game Downloads
178.00m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Expo.

14th

Apple Vision

Check “Apple Vision” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 9.46% have integrated Apple Vision. This accounts for 25.43% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
181.27k
App Store
App Share
9.46%
App Store
Apps
178.91k
Games
2.36k
Total Downloads
139.76b
App Store
Download Share
25.43%
App Store
App Downloads
139.11b
Game Downloads
651.52m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple Vision.

15th

Apple Core Bluetooth

Check “Apple Core Bluetooth” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 8.85% have integrated Apple Core Bluetooth. This accounts for 16.56% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
169.49k
App Store
App Share
8.85%
App Store
Apps
161.81k
Games
7.68k
Total Downloads
91.05b
App Store
Download Share
16.56%
App Store
App Downloads
86.45b
Game Downloads
4.60b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple Core Bluetooth.

16th

react-native-device-info

Check “react-native-device-info” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 7.91% have integrated react-native-device-info. This accounts for 3.59% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

The react-native-device-info SDK offers device information for React Native for iOS and Android.

Total Apps
151.49k
App Store
App Share
7.91%
App Store
Apps
150.65k
Games
842
Total Downloads
19.75b
App Store
Download Share
3.59%
App Store
App Downloads
19.43b
Game Downloads
317.86m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use react-native-device-info.

17th

Protobuf

Check “Protobuf” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 6.45% have integrated Protobuf. This accounts for 16.80% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Protocol Buffers (a.k.a., protobuf) are Google's language-neutral, platform-neutral, extensible mechanism for serializing structured data.

Total Apps
123.51k
App Store
App Share
6.45%
App Store
Apps
116.77k
Games
6.74k
Total Downloads
92.35b
App Store
Download Share
16.80%
App Store
App Downloads
84.86b
Game Downloads
7.49b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Protobuf.

19th

Apple Speech

Check “Apple Speech” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 3.30% have integrated Apple Speech. This accounts for 10.87% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
63.28k
App Store
App Share
3.30%
App Store
Apps
62.71k
Games
566
Total Downloads
59.76b
App Store
Download Share
10.87%
App Store
App Downloads
57.82b
Game Downloads
1.94b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple Speech.

20th

Apple Core ML

Check “Apple Core ML” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 2.86% have integrated Apple Core ML. This accounts for 32.86% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
54.74k
App Store
App Share
2.86%
App Store
Apps
32.32k
Games
22.42k
Total Downloads
180.63b
App Store
Download Share
32.86%
App Store
App Downloads
109.75b
Game Downloads
70.88b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple Core ML.

Browse iOS and Android SDKs With the SDK Explorer

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  • SDK IntelligenceSDK Intelligence

    See how many apps integrate specific SDKs, how many times these SDKs have been downloaded, developer details, similar SDKs, and more.

  • New Installations and Removals HistoryNew Installations and Removals History

    Analyze installation and removal trends for SDKs. Discover which apps have removed or integrated specific SDKs in a given timeframe.

  • Market Share per Google Play and Apple App Store CategoryMarket Share per Google Play and Apple App Store Category

    See which app categories or genres are most likely to use specific SDKs. Detect SDK market share per category.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does 42matters collect this data?'

We’ve developed a number of machine learning algorithms that scan millions of mobile and connected TV (CTV) applications on a regular basis. In addition, we collect ground truth app performance intelligence and use this data to build statistical models that estimate the performance of apps for which we do not have ground truth data.

What SDK data does 42matters collect?'

We track over 2,300 of the most popular SDKs integrated in iOS and Android apps. We collect a variety of SDK insights (title, platform, ID, category, and developer website); performance metrics (the number of apps that have installed each SDK, installation and removal trends, and app downloads); market share statistics (including market share per app category); and more!

How can I access 42matters’ SDK data?'

The most direct way is to use our SDK Explorer, which is a visual, web-based research platform that enables you to peruse all 2,300+ SDKs that we track. It’s great for market research, lead generation, competitor analysis, etc. However, more technically-inclined folks might prefer our APIs and File Dumps, which enable you to query info for specific apps or SDKs. You can also use our other research platform (the Explorer) to view integrated SDKs by app.

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to generate app publisher leads?'

Absolutely! We actually wrote about this on our blog. We focused on ad network SDKs, but the examples are applicable to most SDK types. To summarize, you can use the Explorer’s advanced filtering capabilities to home in on best-fit app publishers, leverage the SDK Explorer to see which apps use your competitors’ SDKs, and use our APIs and file dumps to build custom lead generation processes.

What data does 42matters provide on mobile apps?'

A ton! We track 17+ million apps across Google Play, the Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore, Tencent Appstore, and Huawei AppGallery. Our solutions provide access to app details (developer insights, metadata, ASO keywords, contact information, etc.); performance metrics (downloads, MAUs, ratings, reviews, top chart rankings, etc.); technical insights (integrated SDKs, permissions, required capabilities, etc.); content details (categories, genres, IAB categories, content ratings, etc.); compliance information (app-ads.txt, privacy policies, store status, etc.) and much, much more!

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to find SDKs for my app?'

Definitely. The SDK Explorer enables you to sort SDKs by category, identify similar SDKs, analyze SDK reliability, and more. In addition, you can use the Explorer to monitor your competitors, including which SDKs they add and remove, their current tech stacks, and SDK changelogs. This means you use our solutions not only to find the right SDK for a particular purpose, but also which SDKs you might need to keep up with your rivals.