9 Best Android Studio Alternatives For App Development

Android studio is the integrated development environment on which Android applications are built for Google’s operating system – android.

Android Studio has many features, including a visual layout editor, APK analyzer, fast emulator, intelligent code editor, flexible build system, real-time profilers, etc. 

There is hardly any integrated development environment that is more versatile than Android Studio. They also have tons of material and tutorials on their website to start your development projects from scratch.

If you love what Android studio offers and want to explore more search-integrated development environments, you have come to the right place. 

We tried highlighting a few factors to help you decide which is the best platform for your development needs.

Some websites can also provide insights on which Android studio alternative is suitable for small, medium, or big businesses.

Let’s dig in without further delay.

Best Android Studio Alternatives For Efficient App Development

1. IntelliJ IDEA 

IntelliJ IDEA (Download Here) is an Android studio alternative designed considering the programmer’s productivity. It is developed by JetBrains and is a free/commercial Java IDE.

Routine tasks like coding are handled by IntelliJ IDEA, which leads to accelerated development. It also allows the programmer to focus on functionality.

You can access IntelliJ IDEA in two versions called Community and Ultimate. The Community version is a free and open-source alternative, whereas the Ultimate version is a paid alternative. 

Some of the advantages of using IntelliJ IDEA are:-

• It supports many languages like Scala, golang, Clojure, bash, and Groovy, to name a few. 
• It also has excellent development environment support. 
• However, the most significant advantage is smart contextual assistance with features like auto-completion and the option to import suggestions. 
• It can also propose refactorization by detecting the errors on the fly. 
• The user interface is very slick and intuitive, with many customization options. 
• You rarely encounter problems like slowness or file corruption with IntelliJ IDEA. It is very stable and robust, with minimal crashes. 
• It has a very powerful debugger. 
• It also has built-in Git support and Gradle support.
• The documentation is worded and easy to navigate.
• If you are a student, you can access the ultimate version of IntelliJ IDEA free of cost for up to a year if you have a registered account with a .edu mail account. 
• Whatever task a developer has to cover, there are tons of plugins available for each by JetBrains themselves. 
• It also has embedded database support, which means you can run an SQL script, view tables, or create a connection to an in-memory. 
• At $24 a month, you can access all JetBrains products. So it is quite pocket-friendly. 

IntelliJ IDEA also has some disadvantages:-

• It is not possible to open multiple projects in the same window 
• It takes up a lot of RAM space
• The startup may be slow 
• The unpaid version is not open source 

2. Microsoft Visual Studio 

Microsoft Visual Studio (Download Here) is an Android studio alternative developed by Microsoft.

You can build computer programs, websites, web services, and web applications using platforms like windows forms, stores, Microsoft Silverlight, and Windows API.

You can produce both managed codes and native codes. It also has multi-language support. 

Some of the advantages of Microsoft Visual Studio:-

• It has features like auto-completion and provides you with hints with the help of JavaScript IntelliSense 
• It has debugging tools for Typescript and JavaScript. 
• It is almost ready to use, and there’s no need to add any configuration plugins. 
• It also has embedded Git control, which helps in Data integrity, speed, and non-linear workflows. 
• Visual Studio also has typescript integration 
• It is updated very frequently 
• It is a cross-platform tool
• Performing tasks is very simple, and you can view the list of available tasks because of integrated task runners. 
• It is open-source and released under the MIT license 
• It is swift and powerful 
• It is easy to find tutorials because of the massive community behind it 
• It has features like JavaScript type checking
• You don’t have to open code in a new tab to view or edit it 
• Any new features and development are actively communicated 
• It also supports the Emmet syntax 
• Most of the extensions are written in JavaScript or Typescript 

Some of the cons of Visual Studio are:-

• The code check and autocomplete option on Webstorm is more powerful 
• The launch time is not the best, comparatively 
• When you are working on a big project, the file search can be slow 
• The auto-import option is not the best in its league 
• There is no rebasing or visualization when it comes to the embedded Git 
• It is not the best tool when it comes to deep programming 
• It does not have a suitable Java Script style analyzer 

3. Qt Creator 

Qt Creator is a QMl, javaScript, and C++ integrated development environment for the Qt framework. It comes equipped with a visual debugger, forms designer, and a GUI layout.

You can find editors’ features like auto-completion, highlighting, and plugins. Linux and FreeBSD use the C++ compiler from the GNU compiler. It supports different platforms like Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. 

Some of the advantages it provides are:-

• The code model is similar to the compiler, which helps in excellent code completion and syntax highlighting. 
• The user interface is very responsive 
• There is no need to use the mouse for power users 
• It supports Cmake
• Most of the space is dedicated to the code 
• It also integrates very well with non-IDE workflows without any unique configuration. You can build your project on the command line. 
• No code is required to make the user interface. 
• You can create a window-based user interface using the graphical editor 

Some of the disadvantages of Qt Creator are:-

• It does not have the best-refactoring features. Other tools like ReSharper and CLion provide better refactoring. 
• It does not support the latest C++ standards. 
• The multi-window feature is not great. 
• It does not have project file support, although it works well as a general-purpose IDE

4. Codeanywhere 

Codeanywhere is a robust and flexible integrated development environment supporting JavaScript, PHP, HTML, and 72 other languages. It can also be used for coding.

It offers Zen coding support, code completion, linting, and multiple cursors. Codeanywhere can also be customized according to your style and needs.

This complete web development toolset lets you finish your projects anywhere on any device. Codeanywhere currently has over 1500000 developers. 

Some of the features are as follows:-

• You can compile your code without leaving your browser and SSH to a different server from your browser. 
• The built-in terminal console can be used to run any command 
• You can access Codeanywhere containers through the SSH terminal through direct port access. 
• It also has features to share your code with friends or show your latest code at the hackathon. You can share files, folders, or entire projects with developers worldwide. You can also modify the permissions for each share. 
• It also offers a feature to generate shared links. Anybody with the link will get a preview of your project on the Codeanywhere website. 

It offers features like live pair programming, which allows real-time collaboration. You can scroll to the current cursor position of your fellow collaborator by clicking on the icon. There is no cap on the number of collaborators. 

It has a practical differential feature by which you can look at the different revisions and switch between them. Changes are also possible while collaborating; you can see who made the latest revision. 

You can organize and store your files according to your needs, like oK Google Drive or Dropbox, without opening multiple programs. You can save the changes directly to the remote servers. Files or folders can also be copied from one server to another. 

The data and folders can be deleted or edited, and there is a provision to change permissions.

With Codeanywhere, you can move your development environment to the cloud. Codeanywhere has many pre-built environments using which you can develop your environment. The pre-built environment ranges from Ruby, JS, WordPress, Node, PHP, etc. 

You don’t have to wait for days to configure your development server. You can keep the containers running even when code anywhere is inactive by using a function that is always called on. Each of the built environments comes with its own disk space and memory. 

You can use either Ubuntu or CentOS as the operating system. You can add multiple containers in a single project without any issues.

Various Run configurations can be used for a single container, and you can define the commands batch, and environment variables and preview the link.

Other advantages include bitbucket integration, full terminal access, GitHub integration, SFTP access, Dropbox and Google Drive support, unlimited revisions, and one-drive integration.

5. Eclipse Che 

Eclipse Che is an integrated development environment that runs on Kubernetes. It has the provision of multiple containers, and by using eclipse Che factories, you can replicate with a single click. You can create your custom stacks using the pre-built stacks. 

It supports tooling protocols like Debug Adaptor Protocol or Language Server Protocol. It also has a plugin mechanism that is compatible with the extensions of the visual studio code.

It also comes with our software development kit using which you can create cloud developer platforms. 

Eclipse Che is a platform that can accelerate developer and project onboarding. 

It runs on your browser without the need for any installation. You can invite anybody on your team to contribute to your project, and there will be no inconsistency from system to system. The codes work the same way in everybody’s environment. It also provides enterprise readiness for built-in security. 

Che provides container-based workspaces with all the tools required to build an application code and an app.

Che provides browser-based IDEs with the following features. 

• You can customize the layout according to your wish using the drag-and-drop option. 
• Debugger tools 
• Language tools 
• Most of the functions can be done using your keyboard 
• Task support 
• The editor is fast and responsive 

Eclipse Che is very extensible. 

• You can build cloud-native tools with an enjoyable experience for developers. 
• You can add plugins to the IDE, and these plugins have their dependencies inside containers. 
• With a dedicated set of tools, you can create your pre-configured workspaces using stacks 
• There is also a Marketplace option to distribute tools to users and communities 

6. NetBeans IDE 

NetBeans IDE helps you build HTML5 applications, web applications, Java desktop applications, and mobile applications.

If you are a PHP or C++ developer, it offers you great tools. NetBeans IDE has a large number of developers and users all across the globe. 

NetBeans IDE provides the best support if you are a Java Technologies user. All your applications can be upgraded to Java 8 constructs with its code analysis, editors, and converters.

If you want to search for multiple applications simultaneously, you can do it using batch analyses and converters. The Java editor on NetBeans IDE is continually improving. It has many tools, templates, and samples rich with many features. 

The code editing on NetBeans IDE is smart and fast 

You can match words, brackets, and indent lines with the NetBeans editor. You can search the code both semantically and syntactically. You can also refactor the code with the help of many different tools.

Moreover, you can also get tips for coding, coding generators, and code templates. It supports many languages like c++, HTML, PHP,, XML, groovy, javaScript,JSP add Javadoc. 

Easy project management 

Maintaining thousands of lines of code, files, folders, and applications can be challenging. NetBeans iD provides many tools to set up and manage your applications efficiently.

You can view your data in many formats and multiple Windows. This helps you go through your data quickly and complete your work faster.

Since the code is very well organized, anybody who joins your team can have a good handle on your building applications. 

Rapid user interface development 

• It provides drag and drops options and an editor. You can develop GUIs for PHP, Java EE, HTML5, and Java SE using this. 
• NetBeans GUI builder supports in-place editing and helps you with the spacing and alignment for Java SE applications. 
• The GUI builder is very intuitive and easy to use 

Write Bug-Free Code

• The longer a bug remains unfixed, the cost of buggy code increases. NetBeans provides tools for identifying and finding a solution for common errors in Java code. You can add field watches, place breakpoints in your code, take snapshots, run into methods, and even step through your code. 
• You can optimize your application’s memory usage and speed with the NetBeans profiler. You can build scalable and reliable java ee, Java FX, and Java SE applications. 
• You can debug the user interfaces without looking at the source code with the help of a visual debugger provided by NetBeans IDE. 
• You can jump back into the related source code by clicking on the user interface elements and taking GUI snapshots of your applications.

Support for multiple languages 

NetBeans supports languages like PHP and C/ C++ and provides tools and editors for related Technologies and frameworks.

It also has editors and tools for groovy, Javadoc, PHP, HTML, JSP, and JavaScript. 

Cross-Platform Support 

NetBeans IDE can be installed on Operating systems like Windows, Mac OS on Linux, which Hawa supports Java. 

Rich Set of Community-Provided Plugins 

A lot of users are developing new plugins all the time. NetBeans IDE community is vast and active. If you feel that a particular feature is missing in NetBeans IDE, you can develop an application of your own and improve it. 

Some of the features on the latest NetBeans IDE release are as follows. 

Node.js Application Development

• New Node.js project wizard
• Enhanced JavaScript Editor
• New support for debugging Node.js applications 
• New Node.js Express wizard
• Further support for running Node.js applications

HTML5/JavaScript Enhancements

• New support for Gulp
• New Jade Node Template Engine support
• Enhanced support for Grunt
• Projects recognized via package.json, bower.json, composer.json 
• New Shadow DOM support via NetBeans Chrome plugin
• Enhancements for AngularJS and KnockoutJS
• New support for Mocha and Selenium

Java Enhancements

• Enhanced Code Completion(“IntelliSense”)
• Enhanced ordering rules in the Options window
• Performance improvements for Java navigation tools:
• “Go To Type” (Ctrl-O)
• “Go To File” (Alt-Shift-O)
• “Go To Symbol” (Ctrl-Alt-Shift-O)
• More expressive Navigator shows overridden & implemented methods
• “Find Usages” can include dependencies (details)

Java EE Enhancements

• Community-contributed support for WildFly 9 and WildFly 10 
• Support for remote Oracle WebLogic Server

PHP Enhancements

• New support for Phing
• New Symfony installer integration
• Enhanced integration with Composer
• Code coverage added to Nette Tester

C/C++ Enhancements

• New mixed C++/Java development support
• C++ Editor enhancements
• Reverse engineering (Call Graph) enhancements
• Enhancements to New Project Wizard
• SVN, Git, and Mercurial support in Remote mode
• New audits, hints, and refactorings

Profiler Redesign & Improvements

• Redesigned user interface
• New features: 
  • Live forward and reverse call trees in CPU results
  • Monitoring CPU utilization
  • Thread dumps from profiled application
  • Live allocation trees in Memory results
• Engine improvements: 
  • Faster connection to the profiled application
  • Memory profiling for selected classes
  • Limited outgoing calls from profiled methods
• Improved integration into the IDE
• Simplified profiler setup

Miscellaneous

• JRE bundled with the following NetBeans bundles: 
  • HTML5/JavaScript
  • PHP
  • C/C++
• Enhancements to Git support

7. Xamarin 

Xamarin is an open-source platform for building iOS and Android apps using C# and .Net and a cross-platform application available for free.

With the help of native API access and.net, you can build native apps on iOS, Android, Mac OS, and TV OS. If you go to their website, you can learn all about Xamarin with the help of tutorials. 

The apps developed using this platform will behave as expected as a native platform since it is also a cross-platform work where you can share more than 75% of your code. You can write once and use it anywhere. 

The Xamarin community is about 60000 strong, including more than 3700 companies. It can be used commercially without any licensing cost.

The community summary can help you with product samples, tutorials, answering queries, and authoring books. 

You can also access the required resources at the Xamarin Universal project. You can stay updated with the latest updates by subscribing to their YouTube channel or blogs.

The Xamarin community is the most active, and you can get answers to your questions swiftly.

8. RAD studio 

RAD Studio is an Android studio alternative in that you can build Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Android applications.

You can design, develop, and debug applications and share code with other team members.

It helps in better understanding and testing the products. Some of the features are as follows. 

A responsive user interface can be designed; once done; you can customize the platform without the need for design duplication.

Using the LiveBindings Designer, you can connect the Interface elements to the data sources. For improved user experience, native controls are provided. Responsive designs for desktops, tablets, and smartphones can be added.

📗FAQ

Conclusion 

If you are an Android studio user who loves its features and would like to explore more such applications, we are here to help. We tried to give you some of the choices that we think are best and tried to cover some of the pros and cons for you through our list of alternatives. 

I hope this helps you to choose the best-integrated development platforms for your next development project.

There are many factors to be considered while going for an Android studio alternative, like startup speed, price, operating system support, multi-language support, and community support, as the user application varies widely from user to user.

There may be another excellent android Studio Alternatives we might have missed out on. So let us know in the comments which are your favorite from the list!

You can also compare different features, functionalities, and compatibility with different operating systems. You can choose the best suits your needs based on your needs and budget for your android studio alternative.

This article will be an excellent guide to selecting the best Android studio alternative for your next development project!