InstallOnAir limits in 2026: 200 MB, 3 or 7 day links and paid extensions
· 8 min read
InstallOnAir is a free install link service for iOS and Android test builds. You upload an .ipa or .apk, get a link and a QR code, and testers install from the phone. The limits are short and easy to miss: how big a file can be, how long the link lasts, and what you can pay to change that. This guide lists every limit InstallOnAir publishes, explains what the paid options buy, notes what is not offered, and puts the same numbers for AppForShare next to them.
All InstallOnAir figures are as read on their site in November 2026, mainly the pricing page and the FAQ. Their free tier has changed more than once this year, so check those pages before you plan a test round around them.
Guest vs free account
| Guest (no account) | Free account | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $0 |
| Link life | 3 days | 7 days |
| Largest upload | 200 MB | 200 MB, or up to 1 GB with a $2 upload credit |
| Number of uploads | No limit | No limit |
| Installs per link | No limit stated | No limit stated |
| Dashboard (App List) | No | Build history, installs, page views, expiry |
| Extend expiry | Right after upload only | Any time from the App List |
| Email testers | Yes, at upload | Yes, at upload |
Source: installonair.com/pricing and installonair.com/faq, as read in November 2026.
Link life: 3 or 7 days from the upload
InstallOnAir counts link life from the upload. A guest link ends 3 days after you upload, a free account link 7 days after. Installs do not extend it. This is different from Diawi, which counts from the last install (see Diawi limits).
When the time is up, testers see that the build has expired. To keep testing, you upload the build again for a new free link, or you extend it before it runs out. A new upload means a new link, so testers need the new address. What testers see and what to do about it is covered in InstallOnAir link expired.
The rules have moved during 2026. A third party listing, agentdeals.dev, noted in August 2026 that registered builds went from 60 days to 8 days. Our own notes from October 2026 had 2 days for guests and 8 days with an account. In November 2026 it is 3 and 7. If you plan a test round, read the pricing page on the day.
File size: 200 MB free, 1 GB for $2
Both free tiers take files up to 200 MB. That is generous. Most native apps fit, and so do many cross platform builds.
For bigger builds, a free account can buy a $2 upload credit. As read on their site in November 2026, one credit covers one upload up to 1 GB, and unused credits are kept. So a 400 MB game build costs $2 to share once. This is a good fit for an occasional large build, because you do not need a subscription.
If your build is just over a limit, check what is inside before you pay anywhere. Debug symbols, unused architectures and assets for every screen size add a lot. Our guide sharing an IPA or APK over 200 MB lists cuts that do not change how the app behaves.
What the paid extensions buy
InstallOnAir sells expiry extensions per build. They are one time payments, not a subscription, paid through Razorpay.
| Extension | Price |
|---|---|
| +1 month | $1.89 |
| +6 months | $4.99 |
| +1 year | $9.99 |
As read on their site in November 2026: extensions stack on the current expiry date, you can buy them again, and the link and QR code stay the same. No limit is stated on how many builds you can extend. Guests can only extend right after the upload; with a free account you can extend any time from the App List, as long as the link has not expired yet.
This is the cheapest way we know to keep a single link alive for a long time. A year for $9.99 is hard to beat, and you can do it for as many builds as you like.
What is not offered
As read on their site in November 2026, these are not listed on any page we checked (home, features, pricing, FAQ, terms):
- A password per link. Links are described as private and unlisted, and not indexed by search engines.
- An API, CLI, CI plugins or webhooks. Uploads are made in the browser.
- Team accounts or roles.
- Android App Bundles (.aab). The site lists .ipa and .apk.
- A custom domain or white label install page. The home page mentions a branded portal for agencies, but no such feature is listed.
Two smaller notes. The features page says a zipped .app can be uploaded, but the upload form asks for an .ipa or .apk, so we could not confirm it. And the install page, the upload success screen and the dashboard carry Google AdSense and sponsor slots (see their advertise page).
For iOS, the features page lists development, ad hoc and in-house builds, and the free account includes a UDID finder.
The same table for AppForShare
AppForShare is the tool we make, so read this part with that in mind. Our limits are counted a little differently: installs are counted by bandwidth on account plans, and paid links do not run on a timer.
| Guest (no account) | Free | Pro | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $0 | $12/month or $120/year | $39/month or $390/year |
| Largest file | 50 MB | 150 MB | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Link life | 3 days | 7 days from upload; $2 once keeps one link 60 days | While subscribed | While subscribed |
| Installs | 20 per link, 4 per day | 10 GB of downloads a month | 40 GB a month | 150 GB a month |
| Password per build | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android .aab | No | Yes, turned into one APK | Yes, also with your own key | Yes, also with your own key |
| Email the link | No | No | Up to 5 addresses per build | Yes, plus tester groups |
| Install analytics | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| CLI, API, CI plugins | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Third party ads on install pages | None | None | None | None |
A 50 MB build installed 20 times is about 1 GB of bandwidth. Free and guest install pages show one small card about AppForShare itself; Pro and Team pages do not. Every limit is on pricing.
The $2 keep link option, in full: a Free owner pays $2 once from the build page, and that one build's link stays live for 60 days from the payment. Paying again adds 60 days, up to 120 days ahead. It is one extended link per account at a time, and it also works on a link that expired while its file is still kept (7 days after expiry). It is not a subscription.
Where InstallOnAir is ahead, said plainly: bigger free files (200 MB against our 50 MB guest and 150 MB Free), a $2 one off upload up to 1 GB, cheaper extensions for long single links on any number of builds, and free emailing of the link and free install counts. We do not sell a one off large upload; bigger files need Pro.
Which to pick
A one day share
Either tool on its free tier. If the file is between 150 MB and 200 MB and you do not want an account, InstallOnAir takes it for free. If you want a password on the link, use an AppForShare Free account.
A one week test round
Both free accounts give 7 days from the upload. InstallOnAir lets you email the link free. AppForShare Free adds a password, .aab uploads, tester feedback with screenshots from the install page, and install help that tells an iPhone tester why a build will not install before they tap. For iPhone testers, Remember my iPhone shows whether their phone is in the build.
A month long client review
On InstallOnAir, one +1 month extension is $1.89 per build. On AppForShare Free, $2 once keeps one build live for 60 days. If the review has one build, both are cheap, and InstallOnAir costs a little less. If the review has a new build every week, Pro at $12 a month is simpler: every link stays live while you subscribe, and a channel gives the client one link that always opens the newest build. Pro install pages show no third party ads and no AppForShare card.
Builds from CI
InstallOnAir has no API. If your builds come from GitHub Actions, fastlane or another CI, AppForShare Pro has a CLI, a GitHub Action, a fastlane plugin and a Diawi compatible upload API.
For a broader look at free options, including Diawi and Loadly, read free InstallOnAir alternative. If you decide to switch, Move from InstallOnAir has the steps.
Common questions
What is the InstallOnAir file size limit?
200 MB for guests and free accounts, as read on their site in November 2026. A free account can buy a $2 upload credit for one upload up to 1 GB.
How long does an InstallOnAir link last?
3 days without an account and 7 days with a free account, counted from the upload. Paid extensions add 1 month, 6 months or 1 year.
Can I extend an InstallOnAir link after it expired?
Their pricing FAQ says to extend before the link runs out, or upload the build again for a new link.
Does InstallOnAir have a password option?
We found none on their home, features, pricing, FAQ or terms pages in November 2026.
Can I upload an .aab to InstallOnAir?
The site lists .ipa and .apk only. AppForShare Free turns an .aab into one installable APK (see .aab upload).
