Loadly alternative: when a free forever install link is not enough
· 8 min read
Loadly (loadly.io, run by Pgyer) is one of the most generous free build hosts around. Upload an .ipa or .apk, get a link and a QR code, and the link stays up with no end date. For a solo developer sending a build to a friend, that is hard to beat, and we will not pretend otherwise. This article is for the moment a team starts asking more of its build host: who is behind it, what happens to a build you want gone, how it fits into CI, and what testers get when an install fails. AppForShare is the tool we make, so read our parts with that in mind.
A note on sources. Loadly facts below were read on its home page, help pages, terms, privacy policy and API docs on November 3, 2026. Pgyer facts come from pgyer.com on the same day. Nothing was signed up for, so features that only show inside an account are marked as not checked.
What Loadly gives you for free
As listed on November 3, 2026:
- No price at all. The home page says "Completely Free Forever" and lists no paid plan.
- 2 GB per file, the same for every user, per its help page on upload size.
- Links that stay active with no end date. The help page on link life says links last indefinitely.
- No strict install limit. The help page adds that a review team watches usage and that install limits may come in the future.
- Upload without an account. You can drop a file on the home page and get a link without signing up.
- Install gates listed: password, question and answer, a code, login and invite only, plus install windows with a start and an end date.
- An HTTP upload API for scripts, with password, notes, install type and a short link name per app.
Those are real strengths, and on raw free limits Loadly is ahead of most of the field, including us. AppForShare Free takes 150 MB files with 7 day links, and 2 GB files need Pro at $12 a month.
Who runs Loadly
Loadly's terms of service say that by using it you enter into a contract with Xi'an Diance Network Technology Co., Ltd., that the law of the People's Republic of China applies, and that disputes go to arbitration in Xi'an. Pgyer's terms carry the same article with Pgyer's name in place of Loadly's, and Pgyer's about page calls Pgyer a product of the same Xi'an company. Pgyer is one of the oldest beta distribution services in China. Loadly's upload API uses the same paths and field names as Pgyer's, and its home page carries a notice signed by Pgyer. In practice, Loadly is Pgyer's English front.
That is not a reason to avoid it by itself. It is a fact to weigh, the same way you would weigh any vendor's home country and law. Some agencies are asked by clients where unreleased builds are kept and under which law. Loadly's FAQ says its servers are on Cloudflare; where the files themselves are stored is not stated. AppForShare is run by ZenTalk LLC in Houston, Texas, under US law, and files sit in a private Google Cloud Storage bucket in the US (us-east4), served only through signed, short lived links.
Five things a team needs that a free host does not promise
1. Removing a build when you want it gone
Loadly's help page on deleting says that apps uploaded without an associated Loadly account cannot be disabled or deleted manually. Put that next to links that never expire, and an anonymous upload stays reachable for anyone with the link unless Loadly staff take it down. If a build with a test server address or an unreleased feature leaks, that matters. Builds uploaded with a Loadly account can be deleted from the dashboard, so if you stay, always upload signed in.
On AppForShare every upload can be removed by its owner. A guest upload expires after 3 days on its own. A deleted build can be restored for 7 days, then the file is removed for good.
2. A vendor you can reach with known limits
A free service with no revenue line has to pay for bandwidth somehow. Loadly's terms say free services rely on advertising revenue and allow personalised ads with an email opt out. We saw no ads on the pages we read, so we do not claim the install pages carry them. The install limit page is also honest that limits may come later. Neither is wrong; they are the normal terms of a free service. A paid plan with published limits is a different promise: you know what you get and what it costs.
3. CI tools beyond a raw API
Loadly offers an HTTP API and no CLI or plugin of its own, as read on November 3, 2026; two community fastlane plugins exist on RubyGems. Pgyer, under the same company, is much further along on pgyer.com, with a CLI that includes an MCP server, a fastlane plugin, a Jenkins plugin, a GitHub Action and a Gradle plugin. Whether those work against Loadly accounts is not documented.
AppForShare Pro and Team have a CLI, a GitHub Action, a fastlane plugin, a Diawi compatible upload API and an MCP server for AI coding assistants. Each upload can return the store readiness result, and the CLI can fail the pipeline when a build is blocked. See upload from CI.
4. Store work around the test build
A test build is a step toward the stores. Every AppForShare account build is checked against current App Store and Google Play rules, such as SDK and target API levels, privacy manifests and 16 KB pages, with a fix for each issue. It is guidance, not a promise of approval. Pro and Team add release status, a reviews inbox and a listing editor for connected apps. Loadly lists "auto sync with App Store and Google Play", but what that does is not documented on its pages.
5. Help for testers and feedback back to you
When an iPhone install fails, the tester usually sees a vague message. AppForShare install pages warn before the tap when the iOS version is too old, the profile has ended or the build is App Store signed, and list fixes for common failures (see install help). Testers can check their iPhone once with the free UDID finder and tap Remember this device, and every iOS install page then says whether the build includes it. Testers send feedback with up to 5 screenshots from the install page, or from inside the test build through a link, with no SDK and no sign in (see tester feedback). Loadly lists user feedback; its details sit inside an account we did not open.
Side by side
Loadly figures as listed on November 3, 2026. AppForShare figures from our pricing page.
| Loadly | AppForShare | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no paid plan | Free; Pro $12 a month; Team $39 a month with 5 seats |
| Largest file | 2 GB | 50 MB guest, 150 MB Free, 2 GB Pro, 4 GB Team |
| Link life | No end date | 3 days guest, 7 days Free, while you subscribe on Pro and Team |
| Delete an upload | Not possible for uploads made without an account | Always, with 7 days to restore |
| Android .aab | Not listed (.ipa and .apk) | Free and up, turned into one APK |
| CI | HTTP API | CLI, GitHub Action, fastlane, Diawi compatible API, MCP (Pro and Team) |
| Operator and law | Xi'an Diance (Pgyer), Chinese law | ZenTalk LLC, Texas, US law |
| ID documents | Privacy policy says ID card photos are submitted; enforcement not seen | None asked |
Where Loadly is ahead
Said plainly. Loadly gives 2 GB files and links with no end date at no cost, states no install cap and allows unlimited builds. It offers a start date on install windows, which we do not have, and puts the app icon inside the QR code. Pgyer, its sister service, has install pages in more languages than our 7, HarmonyOS builds and a CDN inside China. If you share large builds rarely, with people you trust, and none of the points above worry you, Loadly is a reasonable choice and you may not need to move.
When to switch, and how
Switching makes sense when builds go to clients, when you need to pull a build back, when uploads run from CI, or when you want store checks and tester feedback in one place. The move is mostly a re-upload:
- Upload the builds still in testing. Loadly links stay on Loadly; nothing moves on its own.
- Give testers one channel link instead of a permanent link per build. A channel such as Beta always opens the newest build you put into it (Pro and Team).
- Map install settings. A password per build works on Free; an end date becomes a stop date on Pro.
- Swap the API call for
npx appforshare uploadwith an API token. - Delete what you uploaded to Loadly with an account, so old links stop handing out old builds.
The short guide is Move from Loadly, the longer checklist is moving test builds off Loadly, and the full table is AppForShare vs Loadly.
Common questions
Is Loadly really free?
As listed on November 3, 2026, yes: no paid plan is listed. Its terms say free services rely on advertising revenue, and its install limit page says limits may come later.
Is Loadly the same company as Pgyer?
Loadly's terms name Xi'an Diance Network Technology Co., Ltd., which Pgyer's about page names as Pgyer's company. The terms text, the API and a notice on Loadly's home page all point the same way.
Why would I pay when Loadly is free?
You might not. AppForShare Free covers short tests. Paid plans are for links that stay live while you subscribe, CI uploads, store work and tester management.
Can AppForShare host zip or video files like Loadly?
No. AppForShare takes app builds only: .ipa, a zipped .app, .apk and .aab.
