15 Best Tools for Software Development

What is a software development tool?

Software or an application programming interface (API) is a collection of computer programs that developers use to build, debug, and maintain other applications and programs. Software development tools are used by programmers to create other software, according to Goodfirms.co.

According to Hackr.io, there are 6 factors software developers need to consider while selecting tools for software development:

• Applicability to the environment
• Company standards
• Usefulness of software
• Integration with other software
• Prior experience with the software 
• Overhead

1. Jira

Key features:

• Flexible planning that allows you to customize team plans
• Accurate estimation which supports story points, hours, or your own estimation technique
• Value-driven prioritization that prioritizes stories that add the most customer value
• Transparent execution to keep everyone on the same page
• Actionable results by providing extensive reporting functionality
• Scalable evolution by making changes accordingly as the team evolves
  
  

2. Azure

Key features:

• Operate hybrid seamlessly
• Build software according to your terms
• Allow resources and tools migration
  
  

3. GitLab

Key features:

• Manage and optimize software delivery lifecycle with metrics and value stream insight
• Powerful planning tools
• Supports teams design, develop, and securely manage code and project data from a single distributed version control system

4. Atom
   

Key features:

• Cross-platform editing
• Smart autocompletion
• Allow comparison between multiple panes and edit code across files

5. Linx
   

Key features:

• Automate Backend Processes to automate client correspondence
• Build complex applications with pre-built building blocks
• Make configurations seamlessly using Functions and Services
  
  

6. Bootstrap
   

Key features:

• Provides own open source SVG icon library
• Premium themes with new components and plugins, documentation, and powerful build tools
  
  

7. Zoho Creator
   

Key features:

• Turn datasets into charts
• Add AI without coding
• 550+ prebuilt integrations
  
  

8. Docker
   

Key features:

• Works with other software development tools
• Personalize developer access to images with roles based access control
• Deploy applications in separate containers independently and in different languages
  
  

9. Confluence
   

Key features:

• Unlimited spaces and pages
• Add interactivity to pages with extra functionality or dynamic content
• Organize content with a structured page tree that makes finding work easy

10. Axure
    

Key features:

• Unlimited interactive possibilities
• Multi-state dynamic panels create everything from popups to scrollable, swipe-able, mobile screens
• Hand-off to developers with automated redlines, design assets, and CSS inspection.
  
  

11. NetBeans
    

Key features:

• Refractor code with handy and powerful tools
• Apache NetBeans provides editors, wizards, and templates to help create applications in Java, PHP and many other languages
• Can be installed on all operating systems that support Java
  
  

12. Cloud 9
    

Key features:

• Run development environment on a managed Amazon EC2 instance or any existing Linux server that supports SSH
• Provides time saving features: code hinting, code completion, and step-through debugging
• Direct terminal access to AWS
  
  

13. DbSchema
    

Key features:

• No SQL knowledge is required
• Deploy on Different Databases
• Provide the option to design offline
  
  

14. Stack Overflow

Key features:

• Connect with integrations for ChatOps tools (Slack & Microsoft Teams)
• Synchronous collaboration and knowledge retention, enabling engineers to quickly resolve issue
• Supports cross-functional collaboration
  
  

15. IntelliJ IDEA
    

Key features:

• Deep intelligence offers relevant suggestions in every context
• Offers framework-specific assistance
• Able to predicts needs and automates the tedious and repetitive development tasks
  

We hope you will find the tools for software development that suit your needs. Learn about Building Your Career as a Software Engineer and the Top 8 Skills Every Front-end Developer Must Have.