fastlane vs xtool
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Open-source tool that automates iOS and Android app builds, screenshots, signing, and releases.
Open source · MIT
Builds and installs iOS apps from SwiftPM projects on Linux, Windows, and macOS, without Xcode.
The short answer
Choose fastlane if you need…
- iOS developers who repeat the same build and release steps by hand
- Android developers who want scripted release workflows
- Teams that want screenshot generation automated across app versions
- Developers comfortable running command-line tools and editing Ruby-based config files
Choose xtool if you need…
- Developers who want to build iOS apps but do not use a Mac as their main machine
- Swift developers who already organize their projects with SwiftPM
- People comfortable with a terminal who want a scriptable build-and-install workflow
- Developers who want to automate Apple Developer Services tasks from their own Swift code
Side-by-side
| fastlane | xtool | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | CLI | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 42.3k | 14.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | See the README |
| Main language | Ruby | Swift |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 6 days ago |
What each one is
fastlane
fastlane is a Ruby-based tool that helps iOS and Android developers automate repetitive jobs such as generating screenshots, managing provisioning profiles, and releasing apps. It runs on your own computer or server, so your credentials stay local, according to the README. It is licensed under MIT and is not affiliated with Apple.
xtool
xtool is a command-line tool that replaces parts of Xcode, Apple's iOS development app. It lets you build a Swift Package Manager project into an iOS app, sign it, and install it on an iPhone or iPad from Linux, Windows (via WSL), or macOS. It also includes a library for talking to Apple Developer Services from your own code.
Best for
fastlane
- iOS developers who repeat the same build and release steps by hand
- Android developers who want scripted release workflows
- Teams that want screenshot generation automated across app versions
- Developers comfortable running command-line tools and editing Ruby-based config files
xtool
- Developers who want to build iOS apps but do not use a Mac as their main machine
- Swift developers who already organize their projects with SwiftPM
- People comfortable with a terminal who want a scriptable build-and-install workflow
- Developers who want to automate Apple Developer Services tasks from their own Swift code
Strengths
fastlane
- Automates tedious, error-prone release tasks that the README explicitly targets
- Runs locally on your own machine or server, so credentials are not sent to a service
- Open source under the MIT license with a large community (about 42k stars at snapshot)
xtool
- Runs on Linux, Windows via WSL, and macOS, so it is not tied to a Mac
- Uses SwiftPM and open standards rather than an Xcode project format
- MIT licensed and actively maintained, with a recent push date and a large community of stars
Not ideal for
fastlane
- People who only need to publish a single app once and prefer a graphical tool, since fastlane is driven from the command line
- Non-developers, because setup assumes familiarity with the iOS or Android toolchain
- Projects that cannot run Ruby tooling on their build machines
xtool
- People who need the full Xcode graphical interface, storyboards, or Interface Builder, since the README describes it as a command-line replacement
- Teams that need guaranteed compatibility with every Apple toolchain feature, since the README does not describe coverage details
- Complete beginners to programming, since setup involves Apple developer accounts and signing
Trade-offs
fastlane
- Setup and configuration require developer knowledge of Ruby and mobile build tooling
- The README is truncated here, so specific supported actions and platform details are not verified in this entry
- Depends on the Apple and Google developer toolchains, which change over time and can break scripts
xtool
- Depends on Apple Developer Services and signing, which requires an Apple account and can add setup friction
- The README is truncated and gives limited detail on which Xcode features are missing
- Installation instructions are on an external website, so the README alone does not show every step
Getting started
fastlane
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/fastlane/fastlanextool
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/xtool-org/xtoolFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between fastlane and xtool?
fastlane: Open-source tool that automates iOS and Android app builds, screenshots, signing, and releases. xtool: Builds and installs iOS apps from SwiftPM projects on Linux, Windows, and macOS, without Xcode. fastlane suits ios developers who repeat the same build and release steps by hand, while xtool suits developers who want to build ios apps but do not use a mac as their main machine.
Are fastlane and xtool free?
fastlane: Free and open source. xtool: Free and open source.
Is fastlane or xtool more popular?
fastlane has more GitHub stars (42.3k) than xtool (14.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.