fastlane
Mobile development platforms
Continuous delivery tools
Continuous integration tools
Application development software
Mobile development software
DevOps software
CI/CD tools
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is fastlane
fastlane is an automation toolchain for building, signing, and releasing iOS and Android apps. It is used by mobile developers and DevOps teams to script repeatable workflows such as running tests, managing code signing, generating screenshots, and publishing to app stores. fastlane is typically run locally or in CI environments and is configured through a Ruby-based Fastfile and related configuration files. It focuses on mobile release automation rather than providing a full IDE or general-purpose CI server.
Mobile release workflow automation
fastlane provides purpose-built actions for common mobile delivery tasks such as incrementing build numbers, packaging apps, uploading builds, and managing store metadata. This reduces manual steps that are otherwise performed in platform-specific tools and portals. It is particularly useful for teams that ship frequently and need consistent release procedures across environments.
CI-friendly and scriptable
fastlane runs from the command line and fits into most CI systems as a build step, making it easier to standardize pipelines across developers and build agents. Workflows are defined as code (Fastfile), which supports version control and review. This approach aligns well with DevOps practices for repeatability and auditability.
Strong iOS code signing support
fastlane includes tooling to automate iOS certificate and provisioning profile handling, which is a frequent source of build and release friction. Centralizing signing assets and automating retrieval can reduce configuration drift between machines. This is a practical advantage compared with more general application development platforms that do not address mobile signing in depth.
Not a full CI platform
fastlane does not provide built-in build orchestration, agent management, or pipeline visualization typical of dedicated CI servers. Teams still need a separate CI/CD system to schedule jobs, manage runners, and handle approvals. As a result, it is best viewed as a component within a broader delivery toolchain.
Ruby-based configuration learning curve
Workflows are authored in Ruby DSL, which can be unfamiliar to teams standardized on other languages. Complex pipelines can become harder to maintain without consistent conventions and code review practices. Organizations may need to invest in internal templates and documentation to keep Fastfiles consistent.
Mobile ecosystem dependencies
fastlane workflows depend on external tooling and vendor portals (e.g., platform SDKs, store APIs, signing infrastructure), which can change and require updates. Breakages can occur when underlying platform requirements shift, especially around authentication and signing. This can increase maintenance effort compared with more integrated mobile development environments.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source (MIT) | Completely free | fastlane is 100% open-source under the MIT license; install via Bundler/Homebrew/RubyGems; runs on your own machines/CI; integrates with iOS/Android toolchains; no official hosted/paid plan listed on the vendor site. |
Seller details
fastlane (Open Source project; maintained under the fastlane organization on GitHub)
2014
Open Source
https://fastlane.tools/
https://x.com/fastlane_tools
