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Top 20 Backend and Cloud SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store
Last update: 7 May 2025 CET
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Top 20 Backend and Cloud SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store

We at 42matters have identified the 20 most popular Backend and Cloud SDKs leveraged by iOS apps available on the iOS app market.

Backend and Cloud SDKs provide developers with an easy way to add backend and cloud functionalities to mobile apps that require server-side processing or cloud-based services. These SDKs may include features such as serverless computing, storage, database integration, messaging, and similar capabilities.

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 Backend and Cloud 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.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 33.97% have integrated Amazon AWS. This accounts for 21.33% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

The Amazon Web Services SDK offers reliable, scalable, and inexpensive cloud computing services.

Total Apps
28.86k
App Store
App Share
33.97%
App Store
Apps
28.31k
Games
549
Total Downloads
13.96b
App Store
Download Share
21.33%
App Store
App Downloads
11.26b
Game Downloads
2.70b

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 19.21% have integrated GCDWebServer. This accounts for 12.60% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

GCDWebServer is a modern and lightweight, GCD-based HTTP 1.1 server SDK designed to be embedded in iOS, macOS, and tvOS apps.

Total Apps
16.32k
App Store
App Share
19.21%
App Store
Apps
15.21k
Games
1.11k
Total Downloads
8.25b
App Store
Download Share
12.60%
App Store
App Downloads
7.91b
Game Downloads
343.18m

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 16.20% have integrated Amazon AWS Cognito Federated Identities. This accounts for 9.32% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
13.76k
App Store
App Share
16.20%
App Store
Apps
13.37k
Games
398
Total Downloads
6.10b
App Store
Download Share
9.32%
App Store
App Downloads
4.12b
Game Downloads
1.98b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Amazon AWS Cognito Federated Identities.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 15.37% have integrated Huawei Mobile Services HMS. This accounts for 12.94% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
13.06k
App Store
App Share
15.37%
App Store
Apps
12.97k
Games
91
Total Downloads
8.47b
App Store
Download Share
12.94%
App Store
App Downloads
8.18b
Game Downloads
291.91m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Huawei Mobile Services HMS.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 10.73% have integrated Alibaba Cloud Aliyun OSS. This accounts for 14.66% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Alibaba Cloud Object Storage Service (OSS) is an encrypted, secure, cost-effective, and easy-to-use object storage SDK that enables you to store, back up, and archive large amounts of data in the cloud, with a guaranteed durability of 99.9999999999%(12 9’s).

Total Apps
9.11k
App Store
App Share
10.73%
App Store
Apps
8.97k
Games
140
Total Downloads
9.60b
App Store
Download Share
14.66%
App Store
App Downloads
8.85b
Game Downloads
751.29m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Alibaba Cloud Aliyun OSS.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 9.29% have integrated Parse. This accounts for 1.80% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Parse is the most used open-source framework for developing application backends.

Total Apps
7.89k
App Store
App Share
9.29%
App Store
Apps
7.28k
Games
610
Total Downloads
1.18b
App Store
Download Share
1.80%
App Store
App Downloads
1.12b
Game Downloads
53.57m

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 7.41% have integrated Yandex DivKit. This accounts for 26.73% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
6.29k
App Store
App Share
7.41%
App Store
Apps
1.41k
Games
4.88k
Total Downloads
17.50b
App Store
Download Share
26.73%
App Store
App Downloads
2.61b
Game Downloads
14.89b

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 4.72% have integrated Amazon AWS Kinesis. This accounts for 6.16% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
4.01k
App Store
App Share
4.72%
App Store
Apps
3.64k
Games
369
Total Downloads
4.03b
App Store
Download Share
6.16%
App Store
App Downloads
2.08b
Game Downloads
1.95b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Amazon AWS Kinesis.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 3.82% have integrated Amazon Simple Notification Service SNS. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
3.25k
App Store
App Share
3.82%
App Store
Apps
3.23k
Games
20
Total Downloads
414.78m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
359.15m
Game Downloads
55.62m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Amazon Simple Notification Service SNS.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 3.74% have integrated Tencent Cloud. This accounts for 11.73% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
3.18k
App Store
App Share
3.74%
App Store
Apps
3.03k
Games
147
Total Downloads
7.68b
App Store
Download Share
11.73%
App Store
App Downloads
4.67b
Game Downloads
3.01b

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 3.68% have integrated Amazon AWS Amplify Framework. This accounts for 3.87% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
3.13k
App Store
App Share
3.68%
App Store
Apps
3.11k
Games
21
Total Downloads
2.54b
App Store
Download Share
3.87%
App Store
App Downloads
2.54b
Game Downloads
623.04k

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Amazon AWS Amplify Framework.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 1.75% have integrated WindVane by Alibaba. This accounts for 7.13% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
1.49k
App Store
App Share
1.75%
App Store
Apps
1.49k
Games
2
Total Downloads
4.67b
App Store
Download Share
7.13%
App Store
App Downloads
4.66b
Game Downloads
6.58m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use WindVane by Alibaba.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, <1% have integrated NIFTYCloud Backend. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

The NIFTYCloud Backend SDK provides the functions required for cloud application development, eliminating the need for troublesome server development.

Total Apps
611
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
559
Games
52
Total Downloads
15.13m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
6.48m
Game Downloads
8.65m

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, <1% have integrated Contentful. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
374
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
372
Games
2
Total Downloads
246.30m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
246.26m
Game Downloads
41.01k

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, <1% have integrated Nakama by Heroic Labs. This accounts for 3.09% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
345
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
17
Games
328
Total Downloads
2.02b
App Store
Download Share
3.09%
App Store
App Downloads
216.03k
Game Downloads
2.02b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Nakama by Heroic Labs.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, <1% have integrated MKiCloudSync. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

MKiCloudSync is a clean and simple SDK class to sync NSUserDefaults to iCloud.

Total Apps
298
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
251
Games
47
Total Downloads
164.70m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
123.40m
Game Downloads
41.30m

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, <1% have integrated Microsoft Azure. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Azure is a cloud computing service SDK created by Microsoft for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers.

Total Apps
208
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
200
Games
8
Total Downloads
92.70m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
92.06m
Game Downloads
640.57k

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, <1% have integrated Netcetera 3DS. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
195
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
195
Games
0
Total Downloads
465.52m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
465.52m
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Netcetera 3DS.

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, <1% have integrated SAP Cloud. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
89
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
88
Games
1
Total Downloads
24.52m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
24.52m
Game Downloads
0

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, <1% have integrated Cloudrail. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

CloudRail is an API integration SDK that speeds up the process of integrating third-party APIs into applications and maintaining them. It does so by providing libraries for multiple platforms featuring abstraction layers that combine similar services behind a common interface.

Total Apps
88
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
72
Games
16
Total Downloads
16.51m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
840.08k
Game Downloads
15.67m

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

Browse iOS and Android SDKs With the SDK Explorer

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  • 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.

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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.