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Top 20 Backend and Cloud SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store
Last update: 21 Oct 2024 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, 33.87% have integrated Amazon AWS. This accounts for 23.93% 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
33.38k
App Store
App Share
33.87%
App Store
Apps
32.77k
Games
604
Total Downloads
14.40b
App Store
Download Share
23.93%
App Store
App Downloads
11.61b
Game Downloads
2.80b

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 21.09% have integrated GCDWebServer. This accounts for 15.07% 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
20.78k
App Store
App Share
21.09%
App Store
Apps
19.54k
Games
1.24k
Total Downloads
9.07b
App Store
Download Share
15.07%
App Store
App Downloads
8.73b
Game Downloads
338.89m

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 16.58% have integrated Amazon AWS Cognito Federated Identities. This accounts for 10.91% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
16.34k
App Store
App Share
16.58%
App Store
Apps
15.90k
Games
433
Total Downloads
6.56b
App Store
Download Share
10.91%
App Store
App Downloads
4.46b
Game Downloads
2.11b

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 16.20% have integrated Huawei Mobile Services HMS. This accounts for 14.16% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
15.97k
App Store
App Share
16.20%
App Store
Apps
15.86k
Games
108
Total Downloads
8.53b
App Store
Download Share
14.16%
App Store
App Downloads
8.20b
Game Downloads
327.06m

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 10.92% have integrated Alibaba Cloud Aliyun OSS. This accounts for 15.82% 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
10.76k
App Store
App Share
10.92%
App Store
Apps
10.62k
Games
147
Total Downloads
9.52b
App Store
Download Share
15.82%
App Store
App Downloads
8.57b
Game Downloads
955.39m

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 9.76% have integrated Parse. This accounts for 2.45% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

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

Total Apps
9.62k
App Store
App Share
9.76%
App Store
Apps
8.90k
Games
721
Total Downloads
1.47b
App Store
Download Share
2.45%
App Store
App Downloads
1.42b
Game Downloads
58.61m

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 4.94% have integrated Yandex DivKit. This accounts for 22.26% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
4.87k
App Store
App Share
4.94%
App Store
Apps
1.20k
Games
3.67k
Total Downloads
13.40b
App Store
Download Share
22.26%
App Store
App Downloads
2.93b
Game Downloads
10.47b

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 4.20% have integrated Amazon AWS Kinesis. This accounts for 7.22% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
4.14k
App Store
App Share
4.20%
App Store
Apps
3.77k
Games
374
Total Downloads
4.34b
App Store
Download Share
7.22%
App Store
App Downloads
2.29b
Game Downloads
2.05b

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 3.76% have integrated Amazon Simple Notification Service SNS. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
3.70k
App Store
App Share
3.76%
App Store
Apps
3.68k
Games
26
Total Downloads
448.69m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
398.38m
Game Downloads
50.31m

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 3.50% have integrated Tencent Cloud. This accounts for 12.66% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
3.45k
App Store
App Share
3.50%
App Store
Apps
3.30k
Games
151
Total Downloads
7.62b
App Store
Download Share
12.66%
App Store
App Downloads
4.69b
Game Downloads
2.93b

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 3.05% have integrated Amazon AWS Amplify Framework. This accounts for 3.17% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
3.00k
App Store
App Share
3.05%
App Store
Apps
2.98k
Games
18
Total Downloads
1.91b
App Store
Download Share
3.17%
App Store
App Downloads
1.91b
Game Downloads
541.79k

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

Among all apps utilizing backend and cloud SDKs, 2.08% have integrated WindVane by Alibaba. This accounts for 7.04% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

Total Apps
2.05k
App Store
App Share
2.08%
App Store
Apps
2.05k
Games
1
Total Downloads
4.24b
App Store
Download Share
7.04%
App Store
App Downloads
4.23b
Game Downloads
5.94m

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
733
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
673
Games
60
Total Downloads
21.51m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
12.42m
Game Downloads
9.09m

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
371
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
369
Games
2
Total Downloads
247.89m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
247.87m
Game Downloads
21.38k

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

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
322
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
267
Games
55
Total Downloads
161.11m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
122.15m
Game Downloads
38.97m

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
251
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
242
Games
9
Total Downloads
92.84m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
91.61m
Game Downloads
1.23m

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
162
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
162
Games
0
Total Downloads
482.53m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
482.53m
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 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
122
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
100
Games
22
Total Downloads
18.33m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
992.96k
Game Downloads
17.33m

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

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
87
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
87
Games
0
Total Downloads
142.18m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
142.18m
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 Neumob. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the backend and cloud SDK category.

The Neumob SDK reduces mobile app errors, speeds up app performance, and boosts conversions.

Total Apps
3
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
3
Games
0
Total Downloads
8.89k
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
8.89k
Game Downloads
0

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

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.