42matters is now part of the Similarweb family. Learn more here
Explorer
No access
Do you want access?Talk to Sales
Platform
Category
Top 20 Developer Tools SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store
Last update: 13 Feb 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
1.78m
App Store
App Share
99.96%
App Store
Apps
1.60m
Games
183.23k
Total Downloads
539.93b
App Store
Download Share
100.00%
App Store
App Downloads
408.41b
Game Downloads
131.52b

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, 76.21% have integrated Apple AVFoundation. This accounts for 94.76% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
1.36m
App Store
App Share
76.21%
App Store
Apps
1.19m
Games
166.46k
Total Downloads
511.67b
App Store
Download Share
94.76%
App Store
App Downloads
383.68b
Game Downloads
128.00b

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, 70.94% have integrated Apple WebKit. This accounts for 93.64% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
1.27m
App Store
App Share
70.94%
App Store
Apps
1.14m
Games
125.15k
Total Downloads
505.63b
App Store
Download Share
93.64%
App Store
App Downloads
381.07b
Game Downloads
124.56b

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, 51.39% have integrated Google Firebase. This accounts for 65.53% 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
917.20k
App Store
App Share
51.39%
App Store
Apps
832.57k
Games
84.63k
Total Downloads
353.83b
App Store
Download Share
65.53%
App Store
App Downloads
251.41b
Game Downloads
102.42b

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

5th

Firebase Installations

Check “Firebase Installations” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 41.73% have integrated Firebase Installations. This accounts for 61.96% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
744.85k
App Store
App Share
41.73%
App Store
Apps
691.70k
Games
53.15k
Total Downloads
334.56b
App Store
Download Share
61.96%
App Store
App Downloads
240.20b
Game Downloads
94.35b

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

6th

Apple Core Data

Check “Apple Core Data” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 31.77% have integrated Apple Core Data. This accounts for 51.71% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
567.13k
App Store
App Share
31.77%
App Store
Apps
539.61k
Games
27.52k
Total Downloads
279.21b
App Store
Download Share
51.71%
App Store
App Downloads
237.07b
Game Downloads
42.14b

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

7th

Promises by Google

Check “Promises by Google” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 28.02% have integrated Promises by Google. This accounts for 22.18% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
500.13k
App Store
App Share
28.02%
App Store
Apps
472.79k
Games
27.34k
Total Downloads
119.75b
App Store
Download Share
22.18%
App Store
App Downloads
84.32b
Game Downloads
35.43b

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

8th

Apple Swift Framework

Check “Apple Swift Framework” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 24.37% have integrated Apple Swift Framework. This accounts for 13.08% 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
434.91k
App Store
App Share
24.37%
App Store
Apps
387.10k
Games
47.81k
Total Downloads
70.64b
App Store
Download Share
13.08%
App Store
App Downloads
44.72b
Game Downloads
25.92b

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

9th

Firebase Remote Config

Check “Firebase Remote Config” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 14.18% have integrated Firebase Remote Config. This accounts for 38.69% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
253.15k
App Store
App Share
14.18%
App Store
Apps
226.39k
Games
26.76k
Total Downloads
208.91b
App Store
Download Share
38.69%
App Store
App Downloads
157.36b
Game Downloads
51.55b

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

10th

Firebase App Check

Check “Firebase App Check” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 11.74% have integrated Firebase App Check. This accounts for 11.92% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
209.46k
App Store
App Share
11.74%
App Store
Apps
197.96k
Games
11.51k
Total Downloads
64.34b
App Store
Download Share
11.92%
App Store
App Downloads
50.51b
Game Downloads
13.83b

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

11th

Apple Core Bluetooth

Check “Apple Core Bluetooth” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 9.22% have integrated Apple Core Bluetooth. This accounts for 16.47% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
164.53k
App Store
App Share
9.22%
App Store
Apps
156.99k
Games
7.54k
Total Downloads
88.94b
App Store
Download Share
16.47%
App Store
App Downloads
84.30b
Game Downloads
4.65b

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

12th

Expo

Check “Expo” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 8.41% have integrated Expo. This accounts for 1.39% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
150.12k
App Store
App Share
8.41%
App Store
Apps
147.25k
Games
2.88k
Total Downloads
7.51b
App Store
Download Share
1.39%
App Store
App Downloads
7.36b
Game Downloads
150.42m

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

13th

react-native-device-info

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

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 7.93% have integrated react-native-device-info. This accounts for 3.51% 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
141.53k
App Store
App Share
7.93%
App Store
Apps
140.77k
Games
759
Total Downloads
18.93b
App Store
Download Share
3.51%
App Store
App Downloads
18.64b
Game Downloads
282.89m

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

14th

Protobuf

Check “Protobuf” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 7.08% have integrated Protobuf. This accounts for 17.25% 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
126.34k
App Store
App Share
7.08%
App Store
Apps
119.60k
Games
6.74k
Total Downloads
93.14b
App Store
Download Share
17.25%
App Store
App Downloads
84.95b
Game Downloads
8.18b

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

16th

Apple Core ML

Check “Apple Core ML” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 2.82% have integrated Apple Core ML. This accounts for 33.19% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
50.27k
App Store
App Share
2.82%
App Store
Apps
29.38k
Games
20.90k
Total Downloads
179.19b
App Store
Download Share
33.19%
App Store
App Downloads
112.54b
Game Downloads
66.65b

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

17th

Mantle

Check “Mantle” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 2.68% have integrated Mantle. This accounts for 3.54% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Mantle is a Software Development Kit (SDK) that makes it easy to write simple model layers for your Cocoa or Cocoa Touch mobile applications or games.

Total Apps
47.80k
App Store
App Share
2.68%
App Store
Apps
47.14k
Games
665
Total Downloads
19.09b
App Store
Download Share
3.54%
App Store
App Downloads
17.78b
Game Downloads
1.31b

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

18th

RxSwift

Check “RxSwift” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 2.22% have integrated RxSwift. This accounts for 5.12% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

The RxSwift SDK offers a framework for interacting with the Swift programming language.

Total Apps
39.56k
App Store
App Share
2.22%
App Store
Apps
39.28k
Games
283
Total Downloads
27.66b
App Store
Download Share
5.12%
App Store
App Downloads
27.40b
Game Downloads
262.50m

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

19th

ML Kit by Google

Check “ML Kit by Google” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 2.19% have integrated ML Kit by Google. This accounts for 2.15% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

Total Apps
39.15k
App Store
App Share
2.19%
App Store
Apps
38.98k
Games
165
Total Downloads
11.62b
App Store
Download Share
2.15%
App Store
App Downloads
11.61b
Game Downloads
12.21m

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

20th

CocoaLumberjack

Check “CocoaLumberjack” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing developer tools SDKs, 1.75% have integrated CocoaLumberjack. This accounts for 4.52% of app downloads within the developer tools SDK category.

CocoaLumberjack is a fast and simple, yet powerful and flexible, logging framework SDK for Mac and iOS.

Total Apps
31.29k
App Store
App Share
1.75%
App Store
Apps
30.95k
Games
343
Total Downloads
24.39b
App Store
Download Share
4.52%
App Store
App Downloads
23.01b
Game Downloads
1.38b

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

Browse iOS and Android SDKs With the SDK Explorer

Browse background top image

  • 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.

Browse background bottom imageBrowse right section image
Schedule a demo

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.