What Tools Do Professional Teams Use For Code Reviews?

Every day, millions of lines of code get written for mobile apps around the world. Yet here's something that might surprise you—most professional development teams spend almost as much time reviewing that code as they do writing it. That's right, code reviews have become such a cornerstone of modern mobile app development that quality platforms and development software now revolve around making this process smoother and more effective.

At Glance, we've worked with development teams of all sizes, from scrappy startups building their first mobile app to enterprise teams managing complex platforms. What strikes me most is how the tools teams choose for code reviews can make or break their entire development workflow. It's not just about finding bugs—though that's part of it—it's about maintaining code quality, sharing knowledge, and keeping everyone on the same page.

The best code review tools don't just catch errors; they help teams build better software together while actually enjoying the process

The landscape of code review tools has evolved dramatically over the past few years. Some teams stick with the tried-and-true options built into their version control systems, while others invest in specialised platforms that offer advanced features. The choice isn't always obvious, and what works brilliantly for one team might feel clunky for another. That's why understanding your options—and how professional teams actually use them—makes all the difference.

What Are Code Reviews and Why Do Teams Use Them

Code reviews are basically a quality check that happens before any new code gets added to a mobile app project. Think of it like having a colleague look over your work before you submit it—except in this case, the work is lines of code that make an app function. One developer writes some code, then another developer (or sometimes a whole team) examines it carefully to spot any problems, suggest improvements, or make sure it follows the team's coding standards.

The process is surprisingly straightforward. When a developer finishes working on a feature or fixing a bug, they submit their code changes for review. Other team members then look through the code, checking for things like security vulnerabilities, performance issues, or places where the code could be cleaner and easier to understand. They leave comments and suggestions, and the original developer can make changes based on this feedback.

Why Professional Teams Swear by Code Reviews

Professional mobile app development teams use code reviews for several compelling reasons. They catch bugs before they reach users, which saves time and money down the line. Code reviews also help maintain consistent coding standards across the entire team—when everyone writes code in a similar style, it's much easier for team members to understand and work with each other's code later. Plus, they're brilliant for knowledge sharing; junior developers learn from senior developers' feedback, and even experienced developers pick up new techniques from their peers.

Popular Code Review Tools That Development Teams Choose

When I'm working with development teams on mobile app projects, the conversation about code review tools comes up pretty much every time. And honestly, that's a good thing—it shows teams are taking quality seriously! Over the years, I've seen teams gravitate towards several key platforms that make the whole process smoother.

The most popular choice by far is GitHub, which makes sense given how many mobile app development teams already use it for version control. But it's not the only game in town. GitLab has been gaining ground with its built-in review features, whilst Bitbucket appeals to teams already using other Atlassian development software like Jira.

Most Common Code Review Platforms

• GitHub Pull Requests - Used by most open source and many commercial projects
• GitLab Merge Requests - Popular with teams wanting everything in one place
• Bitbucket Reviews - Great for teams using Atlassian quality platforms
• Azure DevOps - Common in enterprise environments
• Review Board - Specialised tool for larger organisations
• Crucible - Another Atlassian option for detailed reviews

Don't pick a code review tool just because it's popular—choose one that fits naturally with your existing workflow and the other tools your team already uses.

What I find interesting is that most teams don't spend weeks evaluating options. They usually pick whatever integrates best with their current setup and gets the job done without adding friction to their development process.

GitHub Pull Requests: The Tool Most Mobile App Teams Know Best

If you're working on a mobile app project, there's a good chance your team is already using GitHub—and that means you've probably got the most popular code review tool right at your fingertips. Pull requests are GitHub's way of letting developers propose changes to code and get them reviewed before they're merged into the main project.

I've worked with countless mobile app teams over the years, and GitHub pull requests consistently come up as the go-to choice. Why? Well, most teams are already storing their code on GitHub, so it just makes sense to use the built-in review features rather than adding another tool to the mix.

What Makes GitHub Pull Requests Work Well for Mobile Teams

The beauty of GitHub's approach is its simplicity. When a developer finishes working on a feature—let's say adding a new login screen to your app—they create a pull request. This shows exactly what code they've changed, added, or removed. Other team members can then review the changes, leave comments, and suggest improvements.

• Line-by-line commenting makes it easy to discuss specific code changes
• Integration with GitHub Actions means automated tests run on every pull request
• Branch protection rules can prevent code from being merged without approval
• Mobile-specific features like viewing file changes in Xcode or Android Studio

The biggest advantage? Your entire development workflow stays in one place, which keeps things straightforward for busy mobile development teams.

GitLab Merge Requests and Built-in Review Features

GitLab has become a proper powerhouse in the development software world, and for good reason. While GitHub gets most of the attention, GitLab's merge request system is incredibly robust—particularly for mobile app teams that need everything in one place. The platform combines code reviews with project management, CI/CD pipelines, and issue tracking all under one roof.

What makes GitLab stand out is how seamlessly everything connects. When you create a merge request, you're not just reviewing code; you're seeing automated test results, security scans, and quality metrics right there in the interface. For mobile app development teams, this means you can catch performance issues, security vulnerabilities, and code quality problems before they reach production.

Built-in Quality Platforms Integration

The review process itself is quite straightforward. Team members can comment on specific lines, suggest changes, and even apply suggestions directly through the web interface. GitLab's approval rules let you set up mandatory reviews from senior developers or security experts—something that's really useful for mobile app teams where code quality is paramount.

GitLab's integrated approach means we spend less time switching between tools and more time actually improving our code quality

One feature I particularly appreciate is the ability to create draft merge requests. This lets developers share work-in-progress code for early feedback without triggering the full review process. It's a small thing, but it makes collaboration much more natural for distributed teams working on complex mobile applications.

Bitbucket Code Reviews for Teams Using Atlassian Tools

If your team already uses Jira for project management and Confluence for documentation, Bitbucket becomes the obvious choice for code reviews. I've worked with plenty of teams who picked it purely because it slots perfectly into their existing Atlassian workflow—and honestly, that's not a bad reason at all.

Bitbucket's pull request system works much like GitHub's, but with some nice touches that make sense when you're already living in the Atlassian ecosystem. You can link pull requests directly to Jira tickets, which means your code changes connect automatically to the user stories or bug reports that triggered them. No more hunting around to understand why someone made a particular change.

What Makes Bitbucket Different

The inline commenting works well for giving feedback on specific lines of code, and the approval system lets you set rules about who needs to review what. You can require certain people to approve changes to critical files—handy for mobile apps where you want senior developers checking anything that touches payment processing or user authentication.

• Seamless integration with Jira and Confluence
• Branch permissions to protect important code
• Built-in CI/CD with Bitbucket Pipelines
• Free private repositories for small teams

The main downside? If you're not already using Atlassian tools, Bitbucket doesn't offer much that GitHub or GitLab can't do better. But for teams committed to the Atlassian way of working, it's a solid choice that keeps everything connected.

Specialised Code Review Platforms Like Review Board and Crucible

While most mobile app development teams stick with GitHub or GitLab for their code reviews, some prefer dedicated platforms that do one thing really well—code reviews. Review Board and Crucible are two popular choices that focus purely on making the review process smooth and thorough.

Review Board is an open-source platform that works with almost any version control system you can think of. It's particularly good at handling complex reviews where you need detailed discussions about specific code changes. The interface is clean and straightforward, making it easy for team members to spot issues and leave comments. Many development teams choose it because it doesn't try to be everything to everyone—it just does code reviews properly.

Crucible, part of the Atlassian family, integrates beautifully with other Atlassian tools like Jira and Fisheye. If your mobile app team already uses these quality platforms, Crucible feels like a natural extension. It offers pre-commit and post-commit reviews, which gives teams flexibility in how they handle their review workflow.

Consider specialised platforms if your team finds built-in Git tools too basic for your review needs—they often provide better reporting and analytics features.

The main trade-off with these platforms is complexity. They require more setup and maintenance than using your Git provider's built-in tools, but they offer more sophisticated features for teams that need them.

How Professional Teams Pick the Right Code Review Tools

After working with dozens of development teams over the years, I've noticed that choosing the right code review tool isn't just about fancy features—it's about what actually works for your team's workflow. Most teams I work with start by looking at what they're already using for version control; if you're on GitHub, GitHub Pull Requests might be the obvious choice, but that's not always the best choice.

The best teams I've worked with focus on these key factors when making their decision:

Team Size and Workflow Needs

Smaller teams (under 10 developers) often do well with simpler tools like GitHub Pull Requests or GitLab Merge Requests. They don't need complex approval workflows or detailed reporting. Larger teams, though, benefit from specialised platforms like Crucible or Review Board that offer more granular control over the review process.

Integration Requirements

Smart teams look at their existing toolchain first. If you're already using Jira and Confluence, Bitbucket's code reviews make perfect sense. If your team lives in Slack, you'll want a tool that integrates well with your communication platform.

The truth is, there's no perfect tool—just the right tool for your team's specific needs and working style.

Conclusion

After years of working with development teams—both my own and countless client teams—I can tell you that code reviews aren't just nice to have anymore. They're what separates professional mobile app development from the amateur hour stuff you see floating around app stores. The tools we've covered in this guide all do the job, but picking the right one depends on your team's needs and existing workflow.

Most teams I work with end up choosing GitHub Pull Requests because, let's be honest, everyone already knows how to use it. But I've seen brilliant teams using GitLab Merge Requests for their integrated CI/CD pipeline, and others swearing by Bitbucket because they're already knee-deep in Atlassian tools. The specialised platforms like Review Board and Crucible? They're brilliant for teams that need something more tailored, though they require a bit more setup time.

What matters most isn't which development software you choose—it's that you actually use it consistently. I've seen teams with the fanciest quality platforms produce terrible code because they skipped reviews when deadlines got tight. Pick a tool that fits your team's workflow, train everyone properly, and stick with it. Your mobile app users will thank you for it, even if they never know the difference.