Swift has long been an undisputed go-to option for building iOS, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch apps. According to the PYPL Index, it currently ranks the 11th most popular programming language worldwide. As suggested by its name, Swift offers a fast development process. It is powerful and intuitive and is known for its concise syntax, which reduces the amount of code developers need to write and maintain. Swift's performance is impressive, outperforming its predecessor, Objective-C. It uses Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) for memory management and enhances productivity with features like optionals, type inference, and error handling, which help developers write safer and more efficient code. The language supports modern programming paradigms such as closures and generics, enabling more flexible and reusable code. It also has a gentle learning curve and a large, rather vibrant developer community.
Swift frameworks are essential toolkits that developers use for iOS app development. Actually, part of the language's popularity can be credited to the easy availability of Swift frameworks and libraries that developers can use to create iOS apps. They serve as a foundation and building blocks that can be used for developing an app, so developers don't have to create code from scratch. They significantly simplify development by providing ready-made functionality, along with improving code quality and maintainability, speeding up the development process, and providing better performance.
Let's take a look at the top 10 frameworks and libraries that are essential for modern iOS development. Whether building a complex app or a simple tool, these frameworks will help you write cleaner code and speed up your workflow.
1. SwiftUI
SwiftUI continues to dominate as Apple's modern declarative framework for building beautiful and intuitive user interfaces for any devices running on Apple OS. It allows developers to build layouts efficiently and describe the desired UI outcomes with concise and readable code. The declarative syntax enhances clarity and gives developers more control over interface behavior and performance. SwiftUI's live preview feature allows real-time modifications that improve productivity by showing UI changes. It also supports smooth integration with UIKit for iOS and AppKit for macOS, allowing developers to bridge legacy codebases with the new framework.
Key Features:
The declarative syntax for clean and concise code
Live previews in Xcode for real-time UI updates
Seamless integration with UIKit and AppKit
Regular updates from Apple and growing capabilities
Enhanced productivity with reusable and responsive UI components
Despite its strengths, SwiftUI has limitations. Features introduced in newer iOS versions might not work with older operating systems. While the framework has grown robust, it still may not cover every advanced use case compared to UIKit. However, Apple is heavily promoting SwiftUI as the future of UI development and continues to add new features and enhancements with each update. So SwiftUI will definitely continue to evolve in 2025, making UI design faster, more efficient, and easier to implement.
2. Combine
Combine is Apple's framework for reactive programming, providing a declarative Swift API for processing asynchronous and event-driven code. It is perfect for managing continuous streams of data or complex dependencies in apps. Introduced by Apple in 2019, it is designed specifically for use with Swift and integrates deeply into the Swift programming language and Apple's ecosystem. It provides a unified approach to handling asynchronous streams of values, such as user input, data updates, network responses, and timer events. It includes a rich set of operators to transform, filter, merge, and combine data streams. Additionally, Combine includes robust error-handling mechanisms, allowing developers to manage and recover from stream errors. It works seamlessly with other Apple frameworks like Foundation and SwiftUI and platform features, making it ideal for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS development.
Key Features:
Functional reactive programming model
The declarative syntax for clean and concise code
Unified handling of asynchronous events
Provides powerful operators to transform, merge, or filter data streams
Built-in tools for managing errors in data streams
Tight integration with SwiftUI
While RxSwift has broader platform compatibility and more mature tooling, Combine is an essential tool for developers focused on Apple platforms, especially in conjunction with SwiftUI, where it shines as part of the reactive programming toolkit. With more apps relying on real-time data and seamless user interactions, Combine's ability to manage asynchronous operations with minimal code will remain a game-changer for developers working on apps that require live updates.
3. URLSession
URLSession is Apple's native networking library used for making HTTP requests and handling various networking tasks in iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS apps. It supports built-in features like redirects, cookies, and caching, along with modern protocols like HTTP/2 for enhanced performance. It supports different types of tasks like fetching and uploading data to a server, downloading files and saving them locally, uploading large files to a server, and handling streaming data over a network. It is designed to work asynchronously, ensuring smooth user interfaces without blocking the main thread. It also has integrated security, i.e., supports SSL/TLS and automatically handles certificate validation and encryption. Suitable for complex or highly customized tasks, like custom protocols, authentication, or handling non-standard APIs. Ideal for projects where it is necessary to control every detail or minimize third-party dependencies.
Key Features:
Lightweight and native, integrated into Apple's ecosystem
Customizable to handle a wide range of networking scenarios
Supports background downloads/uploads and resumes tasks after interruptions
Built-in encryption and security features reduce the risk of vulnerabilities.
Built-in caching and cookie management optimize repeated requests and manage user sessions
While URLSession requires more boilerplate code for common tasks (e.g., JSON parsing, request retries, and error handling) compared to frameworks like Alamofire, it excels in providing a secure, native, and lightweight solution tailored to Apple's platforms. Although Alamofire remains popular due to its ease of use and extensive community support, everything Alamofire does can be achieved using URLSession, including synchronous and asynchronous networking. As part of the Swift standard library, URLSession guarantees long-term support and alignment with Apple's ecosystem.
4. Core ML
Core ML is Apple's machine learning framework, designed to help developers integrate machine learning models into iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS apps. Core ML allows the integration of various machine learning models like, deep learning, tree ensembles, support vector machines, etc. It is also possible to import models trained in popular frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Scikit-learn, converting them into Core ML-compatible formats. The framework even includes tools for converting models into a format that works with it. One of the biggest advantages of Core ML is its ability to run machine learning models on the device itself, which ensures lower latency, increased privacy with no need to send data to external servers, and reduced reliance on internet connectivity. Core ML supports a wide range of models, including vision models (e.g., object recognition, face detection), natural language models (e.g., text classification, sentiment analysis), and audio models (e.g., speech recognition, sound classification). It is perfect for apps dealing with photos, videos, or AR involving voice interaction as well as for apps that provide personalized experiences, like recommendations based on user behavior.
Key Features:
Tightly integrated within the Apple ecosystem, making it compatible with other Apple technologies
Works with supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement, and deep learning models
Runs models locally for faster performance and better privacy.
Adheres to high user privacy standards, keeping sensitive data secure.
Can be used to implement custom ML solutions using existing models.
The library's limitations are that it may struggle with very large models, and compressing models can lead to inaccuracy and reduced performance. While TensorFlow is one of the most popular libraries for machine learning and provides greater flexibility in model training and handling a wide range of tasks, Core ML is generally a better choice for seamless integration, optimized performance, and simplicity when developing for iOS.
5. ARKit
ARKit is the framework from Apple that is designed to build augmented reality apps and games for iOS devices. It enables adding digital content to real-world scenes by blending the virtual and physical worlds with the device's hardware, such as the camera, sensors, and LiDAR. The framework offers tools like motion tracking, surface detection, light estimation, and environmental understanding to accurately position and render virtual objects in real-world environments. AR features added to apps help enhance user interaction and create immersive experiences. ARKit works seamlessly with RealityKit, Apple's framework for building 3D augmented reality experiences. Together, they provide tools for rendering high-quality 3D models and environments. ARKit 6 has introduced 4K video, opening new possibilities for professional video editing, film production, social media, and more.
Key Features:
Allows for motion tracking, surface detection, light estimation, and environmental understanding
Integrates with RealityKit for high-quality 3D rendering and AR experiences
4K video support for professional editing and social media
LiDAR integration
AR will continue to be a critical feature for apps in sectors like gaming, retail, healthcare, and education. With ARKit's enhanced features, including better environmental understanding and support for AR hardware, developers can create highly interactive, realistic AR experiences. So in 2025, ARKit will continue to be a one of the popular tools for creating cutting-edge AR apps.
6. Core Data
Core Data is Apple's native framework for data persistence and object graph management. It abstracts the complexity of data persistence by integrating seamlessly with Apple's ecosystem. By providing an object-oriented interface for storing and retrieving data, the framework organizes data as objects (instances of the app's data model entities) and tracks relationships and dependencies between them. It handles saving, fetching, and querying the data. It also offers powerful features like data versioning, migration, undo/redo functionality, and iCloud synchronization, making it an excellent choice for apps that require efficient and scalable data management. Core Data supports several storage backends, including SQLite (relational database), binary, and in-memory stores. It is ideal for iOS apps that need complex data models, advanced queries, and tight integration with Apple's platform.
Key Features:
Seamless integration with Apple frameworks like SwiftUI, UIKit, and CloudKit
Offers predicate-based filtering and sorting for efficient data retrieval
Tracks and manages relationships between objects
Handles schema changes, ensuring smooth app updates
Data migration and versioning
iCloud sync enables seamless data synchronization across devices.
Realm, Core Data's main competitor, is a lightweight and developer-friendly database solution known for its speed and simplicity. It was a popular alternative to Core Data due to its minimal boilerplate code and easy setup. However, Realm's long-term support is uncertain as its development recently has switched to open-source maintenance and now depends on volunteer contributions. While Realm still shines in projects requiring ease of use and cross-platform compatibility, its reduced development support makes Core Data a safer choice for long-term iOS projects.
7. Swift Charts
Swift Charts is a proprietary library Introduced by Apple in 2022 for building declarative, data-driven charts in iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS apps. The framework is designed to integrate seamlessly into the Swift ecosystem, especially when paired with SwiftUI, offering a straightforward way to create and customize charts. It is included in the iOS SDK starting from iOS 16, macOS 13, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16, so it is perfect for modern Apple platform apps. Its declarative syntax reduces boilerplate code and simplifies chart creation. The framework supports various chart types like bar charts, line charts, scatter plots, heat maps, etc. It also provides robust tools for styling, animating, and interacting with charts, as well as accessibility features like VoiceOver support, making charts usable by a wider audience.
Key Features:
Seamless integration with SwiftUI and Apple frameworks like Combine and Core Data
Declarative syntax, enabling simple and intuitive chart definitions
Support for various chart types, animations, and interactivity
Accessibility features, including support for VoiceOver
Long-term support and updates as an Apple-maintained framework
While the open-source Charts library offers extensive customization options and has been widely used in the iOS development community, implementing some of its custom features or configurations can be time-consuming or require additional coding effort. For developers building apps exclusively for Apple platforms and working with SwiftUI, Swift Charts is a strong alternative due to its deep integration, ease of use, and expected long-term support from Apple.
8. Lottie
Lottie is a powerful library for rendering vector-based animations in real time. It loads and renders animations and vectors exported in the bodymovin JSON format. Bodymovin JSON can be created and exported from After Effects with bodymovin, Sketch with Lottie Sketch Export, and from Haiku. This approach allows developers to seamlessly integrate stunning animations into their apps without compromising performance. Lottie also provides an easily accessible API for displaying animations and supports various animations, including vector graphics, shapes, and text. It also supports animations with transparent backgrounds, allowing developers to easily add animations to their apps without extra work. Lottie is cross-platform, used in iOS, Android, and web development, and is a perfect choice for adding high-quality animations to iOS apps. Integrating Lottie into the project can significantly enhance user engagement by making the app feel more dynamic and visually interesting.
Key Features:
Rich, visually appealing animations with fine detail
Supports vector and transparent animations
Cross-platform compatibility with iOS, Android, and web projects.
Simple to implement in Swift projects, allowing for rapid design iteration and customization.
It is worth mentioning that Lottie primarily supports 2D animations, and more advanced 3D effects or transitions require alternative solutions or custom implementation. Future updates could potentially introduce support for 3D animations or integration with newer design tools capable of producing 3D JSON animations. As the demand for visually engaging user interfaces grows, Lottie will likely see wider adoption, especially when combined with frameworks like SwiftUI.
9. Kingfisher
Kingfisher is a lightweight, pure-Swift library for downloading and caching images from the web. Ideal for lazy loading images in iOS apps. Kingfisher supports various image formats and offers powerful image-processing capabilities, such as cropping, resizing, filtering, and adding custom transitions to align with the device's UI. Downloading and caching occur asynchronously. Downloaded images are cached in memory and on disk, significantly improving the app performance by balancing optimal image load with app performance. While images load in the background, the app remains responsive, enhancing the user experience. It is a reliable solution for apps that display dynamic, remote-sourced images, providing features like placeholder images, error handling, and smooth animations for a polished user experience. Using Kingfisher allows creating apps with stunning visuals without sacrificing performance. Its latest versions fully support SwiftUI, making the integration smoother than ever.
Key Features:
Asynchronous image loading and caching
Support for various image formats and processing
Built-in support for animations
Offers different powerful image-processing capabilities
Offers graceful loading and error management with placeholder images
Kingfisher has some limitations, such as a potentially complex configuration process due to
dependencies on other frameworks, and it has relatively limited support from the developer community compared to larger libraries. However, it has established itself as a go-to solution for those seeking lightweight tools with excellent Swift integration. While alternatives like SDWebImage offer similar functionalities, Kingfisher remains favored for its simplicity and performance. Looking ahead to 2025, Kingfisher is likely to stay popular, particularly for apps that require advanced image-handling capabilities beyond what Apple's native tools can provide. However, Apple's continued improvements to native frameworks, such as the functionality of URLSession and AsyncImage in SwiftUI, may reduce the demand for Kingfisher in simpler use cases where native solutions are sufficient.
10. MapKit
MapKit is Apple's framework for adding interactive maps, geolocation, and user navigation features into iOS apps. MapKit uses Apple Maps, which adheres to Apple's strong privacy and security standards. With MapKit, it is possible to display maps in standard, satellite, or hybrid views for different app requirements and enhance them with custom pins, markers, and overlays to highlight locations or routes. Its geolocation services allow apps to retrieve the user's current location, search for places nearby, and perform geocoding (converting addresses to coordinates) or reverse geocoding (coordinates to addresses). Additionally, it enables the calculation of routes and directions for driving, walking, or public transportation and handles data such as distance, travel time, and estimated arrival. MapKit is particularly useful for travel, navigation, and any app offering location-based services.
Key Features:
Native integration with high privacy and security standards
Interactive maps with annotations and overlays
Geolocation services with routing and directions
Route calculation and navigation for driving, walking, and public transit.
No API key required.
While MapKit is highly functional, it might not offer as much flexibility for advanced mapping needs as third-party mapping frameworks like Google Maps. For instance, Google Maps may provide more detailed mapping, such as street view and broader international data. However, MapKit is free to use for any iOS app. In contrast to Google Maps API, MapKit doesn't require an API key for basic usage. It reduces the complexity of setting up your app and avoids the risk of running into issues related to API key management or rate limits.
Conclusion
In 2025, SwiftUI will continue to be the foundation for most new iOS projects. While SwiftUI is robust and covers a variety of use cases, you may need additional frameworks or libraries depending on the complexity of your app and specific needs, such as networking, storage, or animation. When choosing frameworks, it is important to first consider native solutions (such as Combine or Swift Charts) to take advantage of their deep integration with iOS. Third-party options can be considered when additional functionality or flexibility is needed. As native solutions continue to evolve, the reliance on third-party libraries will likely decrease, resulting in more stable and maintainable codebases. Carefully evaluate a framework based on community support, documentation, and compatibility with your project's requirements to make the most suitable decision.
AI certifications offered by various institutions and online platforms can equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge and enhance your resume. Such certifications may play a deciding role in the hiring process as they are a reliable indicator of a successful employee.
Read moreYour guide to hiring remote developers from LATAM: steps, benefits, and tips to access top tech talent in Latin America for your business needs.
Read moreThe role of a business analyst covers a wide range of tasks that heavily depend on the project requirements and the team dynamics. Their activities span from gathering initial project requirements to overseeing documentation and backlog and handling specialized tasks such as schematic presentations and API documentation generation.
Read more