fastlane
Open-source tool that automates iOS and Android app builds, screenshots, signing, and releases.
- Stars
- 42.3k
- Forks
- 6.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Ruby
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- CLI
What it is
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.
- Generate app store screenshots automatically (the README names screenshot generation as a core task)
- Manage iOS provisioning profiles without manual steps
- Automate releasing an app to the store
- Run repeatable build and release scripts across machines
Great for
- 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
Not ideal for
- 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
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Ruby (version not specified in the provided README) · Xcode for iOS work (inferred from iOS focus; not stated in the README excerpt)
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/fastlane/fastlane - 2
Run it
- Install fastlane using the method described in the official docs at docs.fastlane.tools
- Run the fastlane env command to confirm your setup
- Set up a fastlane project in your app directory and define a lane
- Run your lane from the command line
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the fastlane env command output when asking for help or filing issues, as the README recommends
- Read the official documentation at docs.fastlane.tools for setup and actions
- Check existing GitHub issues before reporting a new problem
- Review the CONTRIBUTING.md file if you want to help improve the project
Downloads
Strengths
- 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)
Trade-offs
- 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
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fastlane (this) | 42.3k | CLI | intermediate | 4 days ago | iOS developers who repeat the same build and release steps by hand |
| react-native | 127k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | Web developers who already know React and want to build mobile apps |
| expo | 53.3k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who want to build iOS and Android apps with React and JavaScript |
| maui | 23.3k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | C# developers who want to target phones and desktops from one codebase |
| framework7 | 18.8k | Framework | intermediate | 6 days ago | Developers who already know HTML, CSS and JavaScript and want to build mobile-style apps |
| Detox | 12.1k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Teams building React Native apps for Android and iOS who want automated end-to-end tests |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.