Best Software Development Tools Shortlist
Here’s the shortlist of the best tools that I’ll cover in this article.
- 9. Codenvy — Best for providing a secure and zero-configuration cloud-native software development environment
The software industry is massive, fast-changing, and ever-growing. Developers rely on software development tools to build fast, secure solutions. There is fierce competition in the software space. And using the best software development tools makes a huge difference.
Choosing the best tools to add to your team’s tech stack can be challenging. This is because there is a wide range of tools in the market. And searching the software marketplace to find suitable tools for your project is time-consuming.
I created this article to help you pick the best tool quickly. I have curated a list of the 10 best software development tools. If you are looking to ‘kill’ your next project with industry-standard tools, you are in the right place. Keep reading!
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What are Software Development Tools?
Software development tools, also known as programming tools, are computer programs that are used by developers to code, assess, manage, and support other applications or programs. They are programs that developers use to create other software.
They are tools specially designed to help teams facilitate, automate, streamline, and speed up software creation processes.
How I Selected The Best Software Development Tools
Perhaps you're wondering how I selected the best software development tools for this list. To build this top 10 list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of software development tools with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of software development experience to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
If you have general questions about software development tools or how to pick the best software development tool for your organization, take a look at our frequently asked questions section below. Or, you can skip directly to my detailed software summaries, if that's what you need the most.
Selection Criteria
Here’s a summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best software development tools for this article:
User Interface
Every tool on this list has a responsive, simple, and intuitive user interface. The tools have well-designed interfaces, making it very easy for new users to navigate. The navigational buttons are super responsive and strategically positioned to aid ease of use. In addition, the interfaces are aesthetically appealing.
Usability
No matter how powerful a tool is, it won’t be very helpful if users are struggling to apply the features. I picked programming tools that are not sophisticated or too technical to use.
Developers need tools that streamline coding and make development less cumbersome. As a result, all the tools on the list are simple to use. You don’t need weeks of tutorials to get started. It’s easy to figure out how the tools work and get started with projects.
Software Integrations
Software development is vast and requires the use of many tools & frameworks. One of the challenges developers face is using many tools at the same time. Shuttling between tools is mentally tasking and time-consuming. The solution to this problem is integration.
Integrating other tools with your major software development program enables you to have access to your toolset from one platform. It gets rid of the need to move from one tool to another when building software. Consequently, I looked out for tools that can be integrated with a wide range of software development programs and productivity tools.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, three important factors were considered: affordability, flexibility, and transparency. As you go through my list of the best 10 software development tools, you are sure to find tools that suit your budget and project.
Overviews Of The 10 Best Software Development Tools
You can use the simple overviews of each tool below to understand how each tool stands out from other software development tools.
GitHub
Best for automating build, test, and deployment workflow with secure CI/CD
GitHub is a Git repository hosting service that provides web-based coding and collaboration capabilities developers use to build, test, and deploy applications.
Why I picked GitHub: Trusted by millions of users across the globe, GitHub is an outstanding tool that is designed for collaboration. GitHub boosts productivity and offers features for high-quality software development. GitHub’s unlimited repositories, open source community, automation capabilities, and version control system increase developer velocity and help your team to work together efficiently.
GitHub’s built-in security features make the tool stand out. The platform enables you to secure your code in minutes and stay compliant with regulations. With GitHub Actions, you can automate your build, test, and deployment processes with super-secure CI/CD. It has an AI-powered solution, GitHub Copilot, that makes development 55% faster.
GitHub Standout Features and Integrations
Features include collaboration capabilities, built-in security, a complete dev environment, code scanning, workflow automation, unlimited repositories, and version control.
Integrations include Slack, GitKraken, Atom, Disbug, Jira, Azure Boards, Codetree, Nessus, and GitHub Scanner.
GitHub costs $3.67 per user/month and offers a free plan for individuals and organizations.
Pros
- Large open-source community
- A wide range of integrations
- Reliable backup
- Good collaboration features
- Great documentation
Cons
- Security risks
- The subscription fee can add up fast
- A steep learning curve
Bitbucket
Best git solution for developers using Jira
Bitbucket Cloud, optimized for developers using Jira, is the native Git tool in Atlassian’s Open DevOps solution that offers outstanding Jira integration and built-in CI/CD.
Why I picked Bitbucket: Millions of developers build on Bitbucket because of its outstanding capabilities, including ease of collaboration across multiple teams. This powerful Git solution enables you to seamlessly manage your Jira issues using the built-in Jira user interface. As a result, it helps minimize context-switching.
Bitbucket has code review features, which help you find and resolve issues before deploying your software. With the in-built CI/CD and Bitbucket Pipelines, you can increase developer velocity by automating workflows.
Bitbucket Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a built-in Jira interface, code review capabilities, automated deployments, automatic security scans, automated issue tracking, and collaboration capabilities.
Integrations include Jira, IronGit, Makerflow, Mergetastic, Fleep, Atlas Bot, Bucket Board, CircleCI, CloudCannon, and Code Dog.
Bitbucket costs $15/month for 1 - 5 users and offers a freemium plan.
Pros
- Teams that integrate Jira release faster
- Flexible pricing
- Shipping of high-quality codes
- Ease of collaboration across multiple teams
Cons
- The support platform needs to improve response time
- Users encounter configuration challenges sometimes
- Lacks some features that top alternatives have
Apache NetBeans
Best development environment and app framework for refactoring code
Apache NetBeans provides a code environment and smart tools for building applications in multiple languages.
Why I picked Apache NetBeans: It has outstanding features that allow you to implement code refactoring easily and highlight source code syntactically and semantically. Apache NetBeans offers wizards, templates, and editors that help speed up development and enable the use of multiple languages.
Apache NetBeans can be run on OSs that support Java - it’s cross-platform. In other words, it can be installed on popular operating systems like BSD, Mac OSX, Windows, and Linux. Moreover, the concept of Write Once, Run Anywhere applies to the Apache dev environment.
Apache NetBeans Standout Features and Integrations
Features include cross-platform tools, code refactoring, editors, wizards, and templates.
Integrations include DataMelt, CSS, JRebel, Zulu Enterprise, Java, PHP, Payara Enterprise, JavaScript, C++, and XRebel.
Apache NetBeans offers customized pricing upon request.
Pros
- Cross-platform
- Great community support
- Simple user interface
- Lightweight runtime
- Easy to install
Cons
- Learning how some features work takes time
- It’s slow to load sometimes
Jira
Best issue and project tracking tool for agile teams
Jira is a leading project management tool that developers use to plan, automate, and track software development processes.
Why I picked Jira: It has project management features that help developers to stay organized, work fast, and collaborate effectively. The project planning capabilities help you break ideas into easy-to-manage chunks across teams.
Jira Software’s Open DevOps takes care of necessary automation and integrations while your team focuses on developing, deploying, and managing applications. This solution sets the foundation for DevOps right and helps you focus on things that matter.
Jira Standout Features and Integrations
Features include customizable templates, complete visibility in the DevOps process, No-code automation, Issue management, tracking & reporting, and reliable security.
Integrations include ScriptRunner, Jira Misk Custom Fields (JMCF), Deep Clone, BigPicture, Zephyr Scale, Xporter, Worklogs, Asset Management for Jira, and Calendar for Jira.
Jira costs $7.75 per user/month with a 7-day free trial.
Pros
- Good security
- Highly customizable
- Easy bug tracking
- Integrations
Cons
- Steep learning curve - for some features
- Not as intuitive as some top Jira alternatives
App Builder
Best dev environment for fast development of complete enterprise apps
App Builder is a low-code platform that helps software teams to build enterprise apps faster using pre-built app templates and drag & drop features.
Why I picked App Builder: It gets rid of the complexity that comes with UI design and streamlines the entire software building process. App Builder makes fast app development possible with high-end tools, including 60+ UI controls.
App Builder allows you to deliver your app 80% faster - using customizable templates and responsive screen layouts. The platform is compatible with popular design tools like Sketch, Figma, and Adobe XD. You can import your designs and turn them into an HTML code with a few clicks.
App Builder Standout Features and Integrations
Features include WYSIWYG drag & drop capabilities, pre-built templates and starter layouts, 60+ UI controls, high-speed RAD development, integrations, and real-time source code preview.
Integrations include Fitter, Stacker, GoodBarber, AppSheet, Interfaces by Zapier, Softr, Tadabase, Typebot, Amazon Honeycode, and Kaspr.
App Builder’s pricing starts from $1,095 per developer.
Pros
- What you see is what you get
- Low-code features
- Production-ready code
- Fast development
Cons
- Not suitable for users that want to improve their coding skills
- Subscription is expensive
Dreamweaver
Best website design tool for developing and managing dynamic websites
Dreamweaver, a product by Adobe, provides web design tools that enable developers to build websites for any browser or device.
Why I picked Dreamweaver: This software supports multiple languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more) and allows you to build web services for any browser or device. Dreamweaver has a good coding engine that enables fast and flexible coding of dynamic pages.
With the code hints feature and visual aids, you can significantly reduce errors and speed up the development process. There are customizable starter templates you can use to quickly build web pages, like e-commerce pages, HTML emails, About pages, and blogs.
Additionally, this tool is part of Creative Cloud. As a result, you can import resources from your Creative Cloud Libraries and Adobe Stock.
Dreamweaver Standout Features and Integrations
Features include multiple programming languages, flexible and speedy coding, a simplified coding engine, code debugging, customizable templates, multi-monitor support for Windows, integrations, and tutorials.
Integrations include Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Photoshop, Arlo for Training Providers, SalesCart, CSS, Diib, POS2Net, Adobe Comp, Adobe Stock, and OpenText xPression.
Dreamweaver’s pricing starts from $22.56 per month with a 30-day free trial of Adobe Stock.
Pros
- Flexible pricing
- Easy debugging
- Code suggestions
- Seamless integrations
Cons
- Some users have challenges with global styling
- You don’t get what you see always
- Learning the interface takes time
Microsoft Visual Studio
Best IDE for .NET and C++ developers on Windows
Trusted by many, Visual Studio is a comprehensive development platform that offers a wide variety of tools for coding, debugging, and deploying applications.
Why I picked Visual Studio: It is one of the most complete IDEs with three major solutions: Visual Studio for Windows, Visual Studio for Mac, and Visual Studio Code. Visual Studio Code is a source code editor that is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Visual Studio Code is ideal for JS & web developers and comes with an extensive range of extensions to support other languages and runtimes. Microsoft Visual Studio provides outstanding capabilities, such as compilers, code completion features, and graphical designers.
It is a very fast IDE that enables you to code faster on any platform/device. There are collaboration tools to enable your team members to work together in real-time. Best of all, you can identify and resolve issues before they happen.
Microsoft Visual Studio Standout Features and Integrations
Features include IDE for Windows, IDE for Mac, code completion tools, compilers, extensions, issue tracking, and graphical designers.
Integrations include Microsoft Teams, TeamSupport, Targetprocess, Time Doctor, Condenvy, Flock, LambdaTest, TMetric, ClicData, and BrowserStack.
Microsoft Visual Studio starts at $45 per month and offers some free tools to individuals.
Pros
- Cross-platform tools
- High developer agility and productivity
- Real-time collaboration
- It’s easy to start and run a fresh project
- A comprehensive IDE
Cons
- It lags sometimes
- Code compilation error alerts can be misleading sometimes
- Licensing is a bit expensive
Azure
Best for providing the latest AI models and complete dev tools
Azure, built by MicroSoft, provides innovative software dev tools that help software engineers build future-ready, super-secure cloud solutions.
Why I picked Azure: Microsoft Azure offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model, enabling users to only pay for the resources they provision. This flexibility allows you to have better control of your budget.
Azure integrates with ChatGPT through Azure OpenAI Service. You can use ChatGPT to build smart apps that offer conversational features, like writing assistance, contextual chatbots, summarization capabilities, and coding assistance.
Additionally, Azure provides the latest AI models, helping you to build custom machine learning models. The AI models include complex speech, vision, decision-making, and language models.
Azure Standout Features and Integrations
Features include complete dev tools, AI models, ChatGPT integration, load testing, and a wide range of Azure solutions.
Integrations include AzurePing, Cloud Explorer for Visual Studio, Cloud Combine, SQL Database Migration Wizard, Azure Blob Studio, Microsoft Azure Storage Connected Service, Graphic Engine VSExtension, Docker, and Azure Grid.
Azure offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model and a free account.
Pros
- High availability
- Flexible pricing
- Scalability
- Data security
Cons
- Requires high-level management and maintenance
- Needs high-level tech expertise
Codenvy
Best for providing a secure and zero-configuration cloud-native software development environment
Condenvy is a cloud-based application development software that helps developers to build solutions and collaborate on projects from anywhere - without installing software.
Why I picked Codenvy: It provides a complete, Kubernetes-native development environment, which includes a code editor, debugger, profiler, and building manager. Condenvy provides everything you need to build and ship high-quality applications.
Codenvy is a future-fit coding platform with an integrated set of tools for administering builds, source code repositories, deployments, and testing. It uses cloud technologies (Kubernetes and containers) to offer users consistent, super-secure, and zero-configuration software development space.
Codenvy Standout Features and Integrations
Features include one-click developer workspaces, near-instant onboarding, enterprise integration, and collaboration capabilities.
Integrations include GitHub, Jira, Microsoft Visual Studio, Microsoft Azure, and BitBucket.
Codenvy offers customized pricing upon request.
Pros
- Easy to manage and monitor workspaces
- Team members can contribute code from remote locations
- Speedy software development
- Collaborative Kubernetes-native tool
Cons
- Premium support is only available for the paid plan
- Developers complain of occasional lagging
AWS Cloud9
Best cloud IDE for code debugging
AWS Cloud9, a top integrated development environment (IDE), provides all the tools you need to write, run, and debug your code - using a browser.
Why I picked AWS Cloud9: It offers a complete dev environment, including a code editor, debugger, and terminal. Cloud9 supports popular coding languages, making it easy for users to start projects without the need to install files or run extra configurations.
AWS Cloud9 is cloud-based. There is no need to install a local IDE. This allows your team members to work from anywhere. Cloud9 enhances collaboration since your teams can work together in real-time. With a few clicks, team members can share the dev environment and stay in touch in real-time with a messaging feature.
You can speed up development with some time-saving features, such as code hinting, step-through debugging, and code completion.
AWS Cloud9 Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a code editor, debugger, support for multiple programming languages, and collaboration in real-time.
Integrations include DronaHQ, SaaS customer intelligence 360, NewGenEducationApp, Ataccama ONE, Privitar, VidPowr, TouchBase, AWS, Python, and CSS.
AWS Cloud9 offers customized pricing and allows users to get started for free.
Pros
- Build applications with ease
- Autocomplete feature
- Code with browsers - like Google Chrome
- Comprehensive dev environment
- Free AWS training
Cons
- Constant connection to the internet is required
- Documentation can be hard to understand
- It takes time to get used to the interface
The 10 Best Software Development Tools Summary
| Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GitHub Best for automating build, test, and deployment workflow with secure CI/CD | Free plan available | Starts from $3.67/user/month | Visit Website |
| 2 | Bitbucket Best git solution for developers using Jira | Free plan (5 users) | From $3/user/month | Visit Website |
| 3 |  Apache NetBeans Best development environment and app framework for refactoring code | Not available | Customized price upon request | Visit Website |
| 4 |  Jira Best issue and project tracking tool for agile teams | 7 days free trial | From $7.75 per user/month | Visit Website |
| 5 |  App Builder Best dev environment for fast development of complete enterprise apps | Not available | Starts from $1,095/developer | Visit Website |
| 6 |  Dreamweaver Best website design tool for developing and managing dynamic websites | 30 days free trial | Starts from $22.56/month | Visit Website |
| 7 |  Microsoft Visual Studio Best IDE for .NET and C++ developers on Windows | Not available | From $45 per month | Visit Website |
| 8 |  Azure Best for providing the latest AI models and complete dev tools | Free | Offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model | Visit Website |
| 9 |  Codenvy Best for providing a secure and zero-configuration cloud-native software development environment | Not available | Customized price upon request | Visit Website |
| 10 |  AWS Cloud9 Best cloud IDE for code debugging | Free | Customized price upon request | Visit Website |
Other Options
Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best software development tool list:
- UltraEdit - Highly configurable text editor designed for customers ranging from individual programmers and startups to large enterprises.
- PTC Implementer - Change management and development process management tool for developers and IT managers.
- Quixy - Drag-and-drop no-code app development and business process management capabilities for users across industries.
- Testrail - Test case management, test planning, test execution, and reporting & analytics solutions for QA teams.
- Embold - Code review & quality monitoring, refactoring support, and security & compliance solutions for developers and QA teams.
- GeneXus - Streamlines how developers build, maintain, and evolve software systems with deterministic code generators and AI-powered tools.
- Retool - Provides drag & drop app building blocks for developers in companies of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500s.
- Zoho Creator - A low-code application development tool that enables developers to design, build, and deploy business solutions.
- DHTMLX - Helps developers to boost development speed with JavaScript UI libraries.
- Delphi - A cross-platform software development environment that provides developers with the tools to design, develop, debug, and deploy native apps 5X faster.
- Studio Creatio - A no-code tool that uses workflow automation, integrations, and AI/ML models to help developers build applications with just a few clicks.
- Bootstrap - Provides developers with a feature-rich front-end toolkit for developing fast, responsive websites and web apps.
- GW Apps - A no-code platform that helps citizen developers and IT teams to build web applications faster and manage their data & business processes properly.
- Node.js - An open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment designed to enable software teams to build scalable network applications.
- CodeCharge Studio - Provides visual, rapid web application development and reporting capabilities for software development teams.
- CodeLobster - Offers free cross-platform IDE that streamlines and simplifies the development process for PHP/HTML/CSS/JavaScript developers.
- AngularJS - A structural framework for dynamic web apps that lets software engineers extend HTML vocabulary for their applications.
People Also Ask
Here are a few popular questions answered for your convenience!
What are the Key Features of Software Development Tools?
What Other Testing Resources Do I Need?
Build Faster And Ship High-Quality Code With The Best Software Development Tools
If you are looking to build successful, high-performing software, your choice of software development tools plays a vital role. The tool you use significantly determines the quality of the software, how fast you deliver it, and the cost of development.
Settle for a software development tool that has all the capabilities needed for your project. A good tool has a comprehensive dev environment, future-fit technologies, compatibility with multiple OSs, integrations, and more. That said, carefully explore the tools above to find the one that suits your needs and budget.
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