Introduction
Android development is evolving rapidly, and with every new release of Android Studio and Jetpack, developers need to adapt. Libraries are at the heart of building efficient, scalable, and modern Android apps. Whether you're working with Jetpack Compose or maintaining legacy XML-based UIs, these libraries can significantly reduce development time, eliminate boilerplate, and improve app performance.
Here’s a curated list of top Android libraries every developer should know in 2025.
1. Jetpack Compose
Category: UI Toolkit
Jetpack Compose has matured into the default way to build modern Android UIs. In 2025, it’s no longer optional — it's the standard.
Why use it?
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Declarative UI with Kotlin
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Fewer lines of code
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Integrates seamlessly with Jetpack libraries
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Improved performance and state management
Bonus: Pair it with Compose Navigation and Compose Material 3 for a fully modern UI stack.
2. Retrofit
Category: Networking
Retrofit by Square remains the go-to library for HTTP networking in Android. With coroutine support and seamless integration with Gson, Moshi, and more, it's still king in 2025.
Why use it?
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Clean REST API integration
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Coroutine support
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Interceptors and authentication support
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Works with JSON and XML converters
3. Hilt (by Dagger)
Category: Dependency Injection
Hilt simplifies Dagger for Android and is now officially recommended by Google.
Why use it?
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Zero boilerplate setup
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Works with ViewModels, Fragments, Activities
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Built-in support for Jetpack Compose
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Scoping and lifecycle awareness
4. Coil
Category: Image Loading
Coil (Coroutine Image Loader) is a lightweight and fast image loading library built specifically for Kotlin and Jetpack Compose.
Why use it?
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Fast and memory-efficient
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Compose support
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Kotlin-first
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Extension-friendly for caching and transformations
5. Room
Category: Local Database
Room is still the best way to manage local databases in Android apps, built on SQLite.
Why use it?
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Type-safe queries
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Coroutine + Flow support
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Auto-migrations
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Jetpack integration
6. Ktor Client
Category: Cross-Platform Networking
If you’re exploring KMP (Kotlin Multiplatform), Ktor Client is your go-to for HTTP networking.
Why use it?
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Works across Android, iOS, Desktop
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Coroutine-based
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Supports WebSockets, authentication, logging
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Fully customizable
7. Accompanist
Category: Jetpack Compose Enhancements
This set of libraries provides utilities not yet available in Compose core.
Why use it?
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Paging for Compose
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Insets and system UI control
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Permission handling
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Extended animations
8. Firebase SDK
Category: Backend-as-a-Service
Firebase continues to be the top choice for fast MVPs and production apps alike.
Why use it?
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Authentication, Firestore, Realtime DB
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Analytics and Crashlytics
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Push Notifications
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Performance Monitoring
9. Koin
Category: Lightweight DI
If Hilt feels too heavy, Koin is a simple and effective Kotlin-native dependency injection tool.
Why use it?
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Lightweight and easy to learn
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Great for prototyping
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Compose and ViewModel support
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No annotation processing
10. Paging 3
Category: Pagination
If your app fetches endless lists (like social feeds or product catalogs), Paging 3 is a must.
Why use it?
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Coroutine and Flow support
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Jetpack Compose integration
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Efficient data loading and caching
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Works seamlessly with Room and Retrofit
Honorable Mentions for 2025
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Lottie: For vector animations
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OkHttp: Lower-level HTTP client often used with Retrofit
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Turbine: For Flow testing in Kotlin
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Coroutines Test: For structured testing in coroutine-based apps
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LeakCanary: Memory leak detection
Conclusion
Staying current with the top Android libraries can dramatically increase your productivity and the quality of your apps. In 2025, Kotlin and Jetpack Compose dominate the scene, and libraries are adapting fast. Whether you're a solo developer or part of a large team, these libraries are essential tools in your Android development toolkit.
What are your favorite Android libraries in 2025?
Let us know in the comments or tweet us @ToolyBlog!
