Download limits on app sharing services: per link, per app and bandwidth explained
· 5 min read
Every app sharing service limits how much testers can download, but they count it in different ways: installs per link, installs per app, downloads per day, or gigabytes per month. The same test round can fit easily on one service and hit the cap on day three of another. This guide explains the four ways limits are counted, lists what each common service says, and shows how to estimate what your team needs.
A note on sources. Figures for other services are as read on their sites on the dates given, and they change, so check the pages before you rely on them. AppForShare is the tool we make, so read our parts with that in mind.
Four ways to count
Installs per link
Each link allows a number of installs, then stops. Simple to read, but a link that many testers share runs out fast, and every new build starts a new count.
Installs per app
All builds of one app share one count. A busy app with daily builds and a large QA team reaches the cap quicker than the number suggests, because every build installed by every tester counts.
Installs per day
A daily cap protects a free service from one link going viral. It rarely matters for a small team, but it can block a launch day test with many people.
Bandwidth per month
The service counts the bytes testers download. A small app can be installed many times; a large game fewer times. It matches the real cost of serving files, and it does not reset with each build.
What each service says
| Service (date read) | How it counts | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Diawi (Nov 2, 2026) | Installs per app | 2 Free, 10 Starter, 50 Premium, 100 Enterprise; more installs as paid add-ons |
| Zunoy AppShare (Nov 6, 2026) | Downloads per app; each completed install is one download, page views do not count | 50 Free, 75 Starter, 100 Growth, 200 Business |
| ShareIPA (Nov 6, 2026) | Not stated | Not stated |
| InstallOnAir (Nov 3, 2026) | No limit stated | No install limit stated |
| Loadly (Nov 3, 2026) | No strict limit stated | Its help page says limits may come later |
| Pgyer (Nov 3, 2026) | Downloads per version per day | 0 a day before the developer's real name check, 500 a day after it |
| AppForShare | Guest: installs per link and per day. Accounts: bandwidth per month | Guest 20 per link and 4 a day; Free 10 GB, Pro 40 GB, Team 150 GB a month |
"Not stated" means we did not find a number on the pages we read, not that there is no limit.
Estimate what you need
Work it out from three numbers: builds a month, testers who install each build, and the build size.
- Installs a month = builds a month x testers per build. Twenty builds and 10 testers is 200 installs.
- Bandwidth a month = installs x build size. Two hundred installs of a 50 MB build is about 10 GB. Of a 300 MB build, about 60 GB.
Then read it against the cap type. With 200 installs a month on one app, a per app cap of 100 or 200 is reached within the first month. With bandwidth, the same 200 installs of a 50 MB build fit in 10 GB, the AppForShare Free month, or a quarter of Pro's 40 GB. A 300 MB build at the same rate needs Pro plus an add-on, or Team.
What happens at the cap
Check this before you choose: does the service stop installs, charge you, or ask? On AppForShare nothing is billed automatically. When an account reaches its monthly bandwidth, its install links say the owner needs more bandwidth, and the owner gets a notice at 80% and 100%. Pro and Team can buy an add-on of 50 GB for $10, up to 4 a month. Bandwidth resets on the 1st of each month (UTC). Free can use at most a fifth of its month in one day.
Your own limits, on purpose
Sometimes you want a cap: a client demo for five people, or a build that should stop after the review. On AppForShare Pro and Team you can set your own install cap, a stop date or a pause per link, and give each client its own link to the same build with its own cap. Installed apps keep working when a link stops. See link controls.
Which counting suits which team
- A few testers, small builds, now and then: any of them. Free tiers with no stated limit or a generous free bandwidth both work.
- A QA team installing every daily build: per app caps run out first. Bandwidth or a high cap is the safer fit.
- A large game build to a handful of people: per install caps are generous here, and bandwidth fills faster. Check the file size limit first, then the cap.
- A public beta: a per day cap on a free tier will block you. Use a paid plan, TestFlight for iPhones, or a Google Play testing track.
For the plans behind the Zunoy numbers, see Zunoy AppShare pricing in 2026. For Diawi, see Diawi limits.
Common questions
Does a page view count as a download?
It depends on the service. Zunoy AppShare says page views do not count, only completed installs. AppForShare counts the bytes downloaded, so opening a page without installing uses next to nothing.
Does AppForShare limit installs per link?
Only for uploads without an account (20 per link, 4 a day). Accounts are counted by bandwidth, and on Pro and Team you can set your own cap per link.
What happens if I go over?
On AppForShare nothing is charged automatically. Links say the owner needs more bandwidth until the month resets or the owner adds more.
