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Top 20 Networking SDKs Used in Android Apps on Google Play
Last update: 31 May 2025 CET
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Top 20 Networking SDKs Used in Android Apps on Google Play

We at 42matters have identified the 20 most popular Networking SDKs leveraged by Android apps available on the Android app market.

Networking SDKs are developer tools that provide networking functionalities for mobile apps. They enable developers to build apps capable of communicating with servers or other devices over a network, without having to build these capabilities from scratch. Network SDKs typically facilitate network requests, response handling, authentication, and more.

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 Google Play 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 Networking 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 networking SDKs, 85.83% have integrated OkHttp. This accounts for 80.23% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The OkHttp SDK is Square’s meticulous HTTP client for Java and Kotlin.

Total Apps
1.05m
Google Play
App Share
85.83%
Google Play
Apps
974.68k
Games
77.46k
Total Downloads
987.74b
Google Play
Download Share
80.23%
Google Play
App Downloads
667.18b
Game Downloads
320.56b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 65.78% have integrated gson. This accounts for 73.77% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

gson is a Java library SDK that can be used to convert Java Objects into their JSON representation. It can also be used to convert a JSON string to an equivalent Java object.

Total Apps
806.34k
Google Play
App Share
65.78%
Google Play
Apps
745.08k
Games
61.26k
Total Downloads
908.22b
Google Play
Download Share
73.77%
Google Play
App Downloads
651.06b
Game Downloads
257.16b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 28.48% have integrated Retrofit. This accounts for 20.93% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Retrofit is an SDK that offers a type-safe HTTP client for Android and the JVM.

Total Apps
349.18k
Google Play
App Share
28.48%
Google Play
Apps
338.52k
Games
10.66k
Total Downloads
257.69b
Google Play
Download Share
20.93%
Google Play
App Downloads
211.91b
Game Downloads
45.78b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 12.44% have integrated Volley. This accounts for 16.25% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Volley is an HTTP library SDK that makes networking for Android apps easier and, most importantly, faster.

Total Apps
152.46k
Google Play
App Share
12.44%
Google Play
Apps
145.22k
Games
7.24k
Total Downloads
200.06b
Google Play
Download Share
16.25%
Google Play
App Downloads
158.16b
Game Downloads
41.90b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 12.35% have integrated gRPC. This accounts for 15.08% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

gRPC is a modern open source, high-performance RPC framework SDK that can run in any environment. It can efficiently connect services in and across data centers with pluggable support for load balancing, tracing, health checking, and authentication.

Total Apps
151.41k
Google Play
App Share
12.35%
Google Play
Apps
143.45k
Games
7.96k
Total Downloads
185.70b
Google Play
Download Share
15.08%
Google Play
App Downloads
164.56b
Game Downloads
21.13b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 5.44% have integrated Apache HttpComponents. This accounts for 7.26% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The Apache HttpComponents project SDK is responsible for creating and maintaining a toolset of low level Java components focused on HTTP and associated protocols.

Total Apps
66.63k
Google Play
App Share
5.44%
Google Play
Apps
63.71k
Games
2.92k
Total Downloads
89.41b
Google Play
Download Share
7.26%
Google Play
App Downloads
74.79b
Game Downloads
14.62b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 4.90% have integrated WebRTC. This accounts for 9.66% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

With WebRTC, you can add real-time communication capabilities to your mobile apps. It supports sending videos, voice, and generic data between peers, allowing developers to build powerful voice- and video-communication solutions.

Total Apps
60.09k
Google Play
App Share
4.90%
Google Play
Apps
59.85k
Games
239
Total Downloads
118.87b
Google Play
Download Share
9.66%
Google Play
App Downloads
116.88b
Game Downloads
1.99b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 4.54% have integrated Socket.io. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Socket.IO is an SDK that enables real-time, bidirectional and event-based communication. It works on every platform, browser or device, focusing equally on reliability and speed.

Total Apps
55.66k
Google Play
App Share
4.54%
Google Play
Apps
55.41k
Games
252
Total Downloads
11.12b
Google Play
Download Share
<1%
Google Play
App Downloads
10.27b
Game Downloads
852.51m

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 4.54% have integrated Engine.IO. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

The Engine.IO SDK is the implementation of a transport-based, cross-browser/cross-device, bi-directional communication layer for Socket.IO.

Total Apps
55.65k
Google Play
App Share
4.54%
Google Play
Apps
55.39k
Games
256
Total Downloads
11.06b
Google Play
Download Share
<1%
Google Play
App Downloads
10.18b
Game Downloads
886.07m

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 3.28% have integrated Ktor. This accounts for 10.12% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Total Apps
40.22k
Google Play
App Share
3.28%
Google Play
Apps
32.99k
Games
7.24k
Total Downloads
124.57b
Google Play
Download Share
10.12%
Google Play
App Downloads
50.75b
Game Downloads
73.81b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 2.01% have integrated HttpClient by Msebera. This accounts for 2.88% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

HttpClient by Msebera is an SDK that helps you build repackaged, upstream versions of HttpClient and its depdendencies (HttpMime, HttpCore, HttpClient-Cache) for versions 3 to 23 of the Android API.

Total Apps
24.62k
Google Play
App Share
2.01%
Google Play
Apps
20.86k
Games
3.76k
Total Downloads
35.44b
Google Play
Download Share
2.88%
Google Play
App Downloads
17.59b
Game Downloads
17.84b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use HttpClient by Msebera.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 1.71% have integrated Simple Framework. This accounts for 1.53% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Simple Framework is an SDK that brings simplicity, scalability, and performance to server side Java. The primary focus of the project is to provide a truly embeddable Java based HTTP and WebSocket engine capable of handling enormous loads.

Total Apps
20.90k
Google Play
App Share
1.71%
Google Play
Apps
20.62k
Games
278
Total Downloads
18.78b
Google Play
Download Share
1.53%
Google Play
App Downloads
16.84b
Game Downloads
1.94b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, 1.69% have integrated Android Asynchronous Http Client. This accounts for 2.59% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Android Asynchronous Http Client is an asynchronous, callback-based Http client SDK for Android apps. It was built on top of Apache’s HttpClient libraries.

Total Apps
20.66k
Google Play
App Share
1.69%
Google Play
Apps
16.58k
Games
4.08k
Total Downloads
31.94b
Google Play
Download Share
2.59%
Google Play
App Downloads
14.63b
Game Downloads
17.30b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Android Asynchronous Http Client.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated Alibaba Fastjson. This accounts for 3.20% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Fastjson is a Java library SDK that can be used to convert Java objects into their JSON representation. It can also be used to convert a JSON string to an equivalent Java object.

Total Apps
11.13k
Google Play
App Share
<1%
Google Play
Apps
10.04k
Games
1.09k
Total Downloads
39.36b
Google Play
Download Share
3.20%
Google Play
App Downloads
35.72b
Game Downloads
3.64b

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated AndroidAsync. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

AndroidAsync is a low level network protocol library SDK. It has an asynchronous socket, http(s) (client+server) and websocket library for Android.

Total Apps
10.15k
Google Play
App Share
<1%
Google Play
Apps
10.09k
Games
65
Total Downloads
5.78b
Google Play
Download Share
<1%
Google Play
App Downloads
5.40b
Game Downloads
383.84m

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

16th

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated Android Asynchronous Networking and Image Loading. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Ion is an android library SDK for asynchronous networking and image loading.

Total Apps
6.99k
Google Play
App Share
<1%
Google Play
Apps
6.96k
Games
31
Total Downloads
2.01b
Google Play
Download Share
<1%
Google Play
App Downloads
1.77b
Game Downloads
241.35m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Android Asynchronous Networking and Image Loading.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated Store by NYTimes. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Total Apps
3.89k
Google Play
App Share
<1%
Google Play
Apps
3.86k
Games
33
Total Downloads
3.92b
Google Play
Download Share
<1%
Google Play
App Downloads
3.81b
Game Downloads
111.65m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Store by NYTimes.

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated Smack. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Smack is an Open Source XMPP client library for instant messaging and presence. This SDK is a pure Java library and can be embedded into your applications to create anything from a full XMPP client to simple XMPP integrations, such as sending notification messages and presence-enabling devices.

Total Apps
2.84k
Google Play
App Share
<1%
Google Play
Apps
2.81k
Games
27
Total Downloads
4.37b
Google Play
Download Share
<1%
Google Play
App Downloads
4.27b
Game Downloads
95.49m

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated JXMPP. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

JXMPP is an open source Java base library SDK for XMPP. It provides often-used functionalities needed to build an XMPP stack.

Total Apps
2.31k
Google Play
App Share
<1%
Google Play
Apps
2.30k
Games
10
Total Downloads
2.53b
Google Play
Download Share
<1%
Google Play
App Downloads
2.52b
Game Downloads
4.23m

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

Among all apps utilizing networking SDKs, <1% have integrated Tinder Scarlet. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the networking SDK category.

Total Apps
2.02k
Google Play
App Share
<1%
Google Play
Apps
2.00k
Games
17
Total Downloads
1.60b
Google Play
Download Share
<1%
Google Play
App Downloads
1.50b
Game Downloads
92.99m

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

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    Analyze installation and removal trends for SDKs. Discover which apps have removed or integrated specific SDKs in a given timeframe.

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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.