PocketCode: Current development status

A transparent look at the real state of PocketCode — what we've built, what's missing, and where we're headed. 9 modules and a Pro plan designed to be fair.

PocketCode is a native Android IDE that integrates 9 professional tools in a single app. Code editor with LSP, built-in terminal + SSH, API tester, database manager with PostgreSQL that runs on the phone (64-bit ARM), visual designer, marketplace, multi-provider AI assistance, AI Office, and Workflows.

Built with Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, on a multi-module architecture and Material 3. This isn't a concept: every module below is in the app.

In this post, we want to be completely transparent about where we stand.

What's already built

Code editor

The most mature module in the project:

Language servers (LSP) that install with one tap: TypeScript/JavaScript, Python, HTML/CSS/JSON, Markdown, YAML, Dockerfile, Bash, Vue, Svelte, Astro, GraphQL, MDX, Prisma and Angular, plus CSS helpers (Emmet, CSS variables, Some Sass, CSS Modules, Stylelint (if the project configures it) and UnoCSS; Tailwind if the project ships it). Highlighting for 39 languages, autocompletion, inline diagnostics and parameter hints. Limits: Bash runs without ShellCheck, YAML does not fetch remote schemas, at most 2 helper servers run at once, and Vue, Svelte, Astro, MDX and Angular use the TypeScript package. GraphQL needs a graphql-config file in the project and Angular an angular.json.
Tabs you drag to reorder, a file explorer, multi-cursor, a structure outline, regex search in the open file, Go to Definition, Peek Definition
Refactoring: rename symbol, extract method/variable
Integrated Git with blame, a diff viewer, interactive rebase, cherry-pick, stash, and commit message suggestions (a local heuristic, not an AI model)
Command Palette, 23 themes (4 free, 19 Pro), split view, configurable shortcuts
Emmet, snippets from the Marketplace catalog, code formatting
Inline AI suggestions (ghost text) from the provider you connect

Terminal + SSH

An SSH client plus a built-in local terminal (a BusyBox ash shell):

SSH with password, key pair (RSA, Ed25519, ECDSA; also keys bound to the device) and keyboard-interactive (multi-factor) authentication
An SFTP file browser for navigating, creating folders, renaming and deleting remote files
Port forwarding: local (-L) and remote (-R); the "Dynamic" rule is a plain port forward, not a SOCKS proxy
Local shell (BusyBox ash) with the standard Unix toolbox and node on the PATH (node file.js, no npm). Python, Ruby, PHP, C and the other languages run from the editor's Run button, not as shell commands
Several simultaneous sessions, a 2-pane split view, broadcast input, macros and expect rules (all Pro)

API Tester

An API client inside the app:

6 protocols in a single client: REST, WebSocket, GraphQL, SSE, Socket.IO and MQTT (gRPC is in the code but hidden in this version until it works on Android)
10 auth types in the picker, 8 of them usable: None, Bearer, Basic, API Key, OAuth 2.0, Digest, AWS SigV4 and Custom (Hawk and NTLM are shown as "coming soon" in the app)
Collections, environments with variables, cURL import/export, code generation in 26 outputs
Pro adds the collection runner, performance testing and the mock server

Database manager

Supported database engines: PostgreSQL (on the phone, 64-bit ARM only, or your own server), MySQL/MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis, Supabase, Neon, PlanetScale, Turso, Cloudflare D1, MongoDB Atlas, Upstash Redis and Cloud Firestore. All of them are free; Pro only lifts the limits.

ER diagram of tables and relations, with zoom, pan and a mini-map
SQL console with syntax highlighting and an execution plan view
Schema explorer, backup/restore, test data generator
A red PROD badge on connections you label as production, to prevent accidents

Visual designer

A visual design tool built into the IDE, with 49 components:

Native canvas with zoom, pan, snap-to-grid and alignment guides
Responsive previews (the original size plus 6 widths from 320 to 1440 px), animation presets (fade, slide, bounce, pulse, shake), design tokens
Export in 8 formats: HTML, CSS, SVG, React, Vue, Svelte, ZIP and .pcd (React, Vue and Svelte are Pro)

Marketplace

A curated catalog of resources you can install (it is closed: you can't publish to it):

12 asset types: snippets, pages, buttons, components, themes, prompts, regex packs, plugins, MCP servers, project templates, AI agents and workflows. Plugins and workflows show up in the catalog but can't be installed
Search with filters, ratings, reviews, and a featured carousel
Backend with REST API + Firestore

AI assistance

Integration with multiple AI providers:

4 providers (every one is free with your own key): Google Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic Claude and GitHub Copilot, plus a Custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint (OpenRouter, Groq, DeepSeek, Ollama…). The model list of each provider is read live from the provider
AI Chat with the open file, the project and your mentions as context, five access levels (Auto-edit by default) and agent tools
Engines: Chat (free), Swarmcode and Cortex (Pro; Cortex has 3 free trial missions), plus AI Office (Pro)
BYOK model (bring your own API key) or sign-in with your ChatGPT account (OpenAI, via the bundled Codex CLI, 64-bit ARM phones only) or GitHub (Copilot); Gemini and Claude are API key only. PocketCode is not an AI provider; requests go directly from the device to each provider

Monetization model

The core IDE is free and functional, with limits on the Free plan (one project, for example).

We designed the Pro plan around limits, not around locking the editor: the Free plan keeps the editor, the runners, Git and every AI provider.

Pricing: $6.99/month · $17.99/3 months · $59.99/year (reference prices in USD; Google Play shows the price in your local currency), with a 7-day free trial

Feature	Free	Pro
Projects	1	No plan cap
Full editor with LSP	✅	✅
SSH Terminal	1 host	✅ No plan cap
API Tester	All 6 protocols	+ Collection runner, performance tests, mock server
AI (BYOK)	Every provider, your own key	+ Swarmcode, Cortex, AI Office
DB engines	All (with limits)	Limits lifted
Marketplace	Free items	+ Pro items
Deploy	1 at a time	No plan cap + rollback + live logs
Editor themes	4	23 + import your own

The principle is simple: the Free plan is a real IDE you can use every day, and Pro lifts the limits for those who need more room and more cloud power.

What's missing

Let's be clear: PocketCode is not yet published on Google Play. We're in the final phase:

Formal testing and performance auditing
Battery and memory consumption optimizations
Play Store listing and graphic assets preparation
Website (what you're reading right now)

This site is part of that preparation: built with Next.js 16, full i18n in five languages, blog, and optimized SEO.

Because trust is built through honesty.

We're not going to make up download statistics or fake Play Store ratings. When we launch, the numbers will be real. And this blog is where we'll document every step.

The goal is simple: build a complete Android IDE, and build it right.