Best Free Reference Apps for iPhone (2026)

Quick answerUpdated July 2026 · Best Latest Apps

The best free reference apps for iPhone in 2026 — starting with Catalog, plus free alternatives compared on features and value.

Best Free Reference Apps

Want a great reference app without paying upfront? These are the best free reference apps for iPhone in 2026, led by Catalog, which is free to download.

#	App	Rating	Price	Verdict
1	Catalog	—	Free	Editor’s Choice
2	Apple Developer Documentation	—	Varies	Alternative
3	SwiftUI by Example	—	Varies	Alternative
4	Hacking with Swift	—	Varies	Alternative
5	Ray Wenderlich Tutorials	—	Varies	Alternative
6	UI Design Kit	—	Varies	Alternative
7	Xcode Previews	—	Varies	Alternative

Catalog

Editor’s Choice

A strong free pick for reference on iPhone.

Pros

Controls — Buttons, menus, segmented controls, sliders, switches, steppers, text fields, search bars, page controls
Pickers — Date picker, color picker, font picker, image picker, custom picker view
SwiftUI — Parallel demos for key SwiftUI components
Tap any component to see a live demo

Cons

Some advanced features may need an in-app purchase.

Catalog at a glance

CategoryReference

PriceFree

Latest version2026.02.02

Updated2026-02-03

RequiresiOS 17.6+

DeveloperAlok Singh

Try Catalog today

Download Catalog on the App Store and see why users keep coming back.

View on the App Store