Apple Xcode Reviews

Name: Apple Xcode
Brand: Apple
Rating: 3.8 (7 reviews)

Vendor: Apple

3.8 out of 5

7 reviews
85% willing to recommend

What is Apple Xcode?

Apple Xcode is a comprehensive suite of developer tools for producing programs for the Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Xcode creates a streamlined workflow for user interface design, coding, testing, debugging, and app store submission.

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Apple Xcode is the #12 ranked solution in top Mobile Development Platforms. PeerSpot users give Apple Xcode an average rating of 7.6 out of 10. Apple Xcode is most commonly compared to OutSystems: Apple Xcode vs OutSystems.

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Mobile Development Platforms

June 2025

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Featured Apple Xcode reviews

Daniel Bell

Sr |OS Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees

The scalability of Apple Xcode is good. It can scale to any engineer team size. I have worked at a company using this solution with 30 iOS engineers and the current company I work at has four engineers. Our numbers are growing and we will increase usage of the solution.

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Dheeraj Upadhyay

Lead Software Engineer at UKG

We use Apple Xcode to utilize the capability of the iOS simulator. Using Apple Xcode, we connect our mobile apps with the simulators to test the feature on the iOS simulators. We can configure different simulators, and with the help of Apple Xcode, we can connect over real devices and publish the…

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Haresh Ghatala

Senior Lead Mobile App Developer at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees

We use this solution to develop software for Apple OS We like the ease of access and navigation that this solution provides. We would like a 'light' version of this solution to be developed, as it currently uses a lot of memory space. We would also like there to be a short-key to copy and paste…

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Apple Xcode mindshare

As of July 2025, the mindshare of Apple Xcode in the Mobile Development Platforms category stands at 2.4%, down from 3.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

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Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

Apple Xcode excels with built-in code error checking and fix suggestions. Users appreciate its ease of access and navigation. Automatic reference counting, multiple device layout support, and simulators enhance functionality. Debugging and code management stand out as key attributes. The platform is consistently up to date, offering a comprehensive and relevant toolset. It effectively supports Android setup, showcasing its versatility and intelligent design in modern development environments.

"The tool's most valuable features are debugging and code management."
"It is stable and user-friendly."
"We like the ease of access and navigation that this solution provides."

Room for Improvement

Apple Xcode requires better support for dynamic features in its drag-and-drop system. Users find that the documentation for App Store deployment needs expansion. The tool's size impacts computer performance, highlighting the necessity for an automatic cleanup mechanism. A lightweight version would enhance performance alongside the addition of keyboard shortcuts for common tasks. The simulator should be enhanced and compile times reduced. Simplifying the interface and improving the system's stability would benefit developers.

"It consists of multiple components and needs a simplified process. This particular area could be more stable."
"It is a bit challenging to sign in."
"We would like a 'light' version of this solution to be developed, as it currently uses a lot of memory space."

Pricing

Apple Xcode is available for free download with no hidden charges, offering an open-source solution on Apple OS. Many users mention the necessity of an annual renewal for enhanced features, potentially costing hundreds of dollars monthly. A corporate license is available but often relevant only to CFOs or software department heads. An Apple Developer license is essential to access comprehensive tools and features, although there are no direct licensing fees for Xcode itself.

"We don't have to pay for Apple Xcode's licenses."
"You can start off using Apple Xcode for free but if you start using some more of their enhanced features, it's going to be hundreds of dollars a month. There are corporate licenses but most individual users will not be worried about the corporate license, only your CFO will or the person in charge of the software department."
"There are no licensing costs for Xcode and no hidden charges. You just download it."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use Apple Xcode for developing mobile applications, consumer apps, and games within Apple's ecosystem. It is employed for native Mac and iOS app development using Swift libraries and SpriteKit. Users utilize Xcode to leverage the iOS simulator, allowing them to test app features on simulators and real devices. Xcode is vital for connecting apps with simulators and publishing locally built applications, ensuring compatibility and functionality on iOS devices.

Service and Support

Customers seldom engage directly with Apple support for Xcode, as issues can often be resolved by reinstalling it. However, when contacted, Apple's support team responds within 48 hours, demonstrating knowledge and follow-up via email or forums. Users rarely experience connectivity issues with the support team. Some rely on support for other Apple products, which is perceived positively. Most do not use technical support frequently.

Deployment

Apple Xcode's initial setup is commonly described as straightforward and easy, involving a simple download and local installation. Many users find it routine, with some noting it as a plug-and-play experience. Once installed on iOS development environments, individual developers manage their own usage. The process typically takes about an hour to complete, requiring just a download and installation of the application.

Scalability

Apple Xcode shows diverse adaptability in team scalability. Some entities report limited scalability options while others highlight its ability to accommodate various team sizes, ranging from small to large groups, including 30 or more engineers. While some are uncertain about future scaling possibilities, several organizations emphasize its robust and scalable nature. Decisions to expand usage often depend on client requirements, with numerous users utilizing it extensively in their operations.

Stability

Apple Xcode tends to be reliable most of the time, though it occasionally experiences minor issues. Users report that in the past, it was consistently steady, but new features have occasionally led to rare instability. Some find it user-friendly with comprehensive simulator information, yet there are challenges like signing in and connecting real devices. The experience with Apple's SDKs is commended, although there are potential enhancements regarding certain configurations.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

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Learn more about Apple Xcode

Xcode is an IDE (integrated development environment) designed for both novice and expert developers to use, and it is the only tool that is officially supported for designing and uploading programs to Apple's app store. Xcode contains all of the tools required to construct an app in a single software package, including a text editor, a compiler, and a build system. It includes a number of tools to speed up the development process so that seasoned developers may produce apps with lightning speed and beginners can create apps with ease.

As a code editor, Xcode supports a wide range of programming languages, including C, C++, Objective-C, Objective-C++, Java, AppleScript, Python, Ruby, ResEdit, and Swift.

It employs the Java, Carbon, and Cocoa programming models.

Apple XCode Features

Apple XCode has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

The new single target supports many platforms and conditionally includes dependencies, code, resources, and build parameters for particular systems.

Downloadable simulator runtimes for the most recent versions of watchOS and tvOS.

To improve parallelism and spot build performance concerns, a new assistant editor can build logs and display the build timeline.

Regex support, including syntax highlighting and playgrounds inline results for rapid iteration.

Support for iPadOS DriverKit driver development.

Asset catalog allows you to upload a single 1024 x 1024 pixel app icon, and it will be automatically resized for the target.

Debugging: The memory graph debugger now shows all incoming and outgoing memory graph references.

Documentation: Swift-DocC facilitates the creation of documentation for Objective-C and C APIs. The Swift-DocC documentation that Xcode 14 generates is now compatible with the majority of managed hosting services, including GitHub Pages.

Instruments: The new Swift Concurrency template tracks the application and behavior of Swift's concurrency primitives. The new Hang Tracing tool demonstrates when the main thread of an app is unable to handle incoming events.

Localization: Swift localization packages can be exported.

Organizer: New diagnostic reports on app hangs.

Previews: New design supports automatically generated variants for appearance, accessibility, sizes, and more. It is interactive by default.

Source editor: Enhanced code completion with top-level initializers, overloads consolidated into a single row, and a better default argument experience. As you scroll, code structure pins to the top of the source editor. Jump to definition and callers includes a brand-new user interface that assists you in distinguishing between overloads and call locations.

Swift packages in Xcode, command and build plug-in integration.

Reviews from Real Users

A founder of a tech vendor writes of the solution, “It was essential. You can't develop mobile apps for the Apple platforms without it. I would rate it a nine out of 10 for its consistency. It keeps evolving.”