Loadly vs Diawi vs AppForShare: free limits, link life and API
· 6 min read
Loadly (loadly.io, run by Pgyer), Diawi and AppForShare do the same core job: you upload an .ipa or .apk and get an install link and a QR code that testers open on the phone. Search for a free Diawi alternative and Loadly often comes up first, because its free limits are far larger. This comparison uses each vendor's own published numbers with the date we read them, so you can check them yourself. AppForShare is the tool we make; read our parts with that in mind.
Sources: Loadly's home page and help pages, read November 3, 2026. Diawi's features and services page and knowledge base, read November 2, 2026. AppForShare's pricing page.
A note on comparison tables you may find
Loadly's home page has its own table comparing it with Diawi. As read on November 3, 2026, that table lists Diawi's free tier as 75 MB, 1 day and 10 installs. Diawi's own features page, read a day earlier, lists the free account as 20 MB, 1 day and 2 installs per app. Free tiers change, so tables on any vendor's site, ours included, go stale. When numbers disagree, trust the vendor's own pricing page and its date.
Free limits side by side
| Loadly | Diawi free account | AppForShare guest | AppForShare Free | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no paid plan | Free; paid from EUR 2.99 a month | Free, no account | Free account |
| Largest file | 2 GB | 20 MB | 50 MB | 150 MB |
| Link life | No end date | 1 day, counted from the last install | 3 days | 7 days |
| Installs | No strict limit stated | 2 per app | 20 per link, 4 a day | 10 GB of downloads a month |
| Password | Listed | Upload option | No | Yes, per build |
| Android .aab | Not listed | Not supported, per its knowledge base | No | Yes, turned into one APK |
| API on the free tier | Yes, HTTP API | No, from Starter | No | No, from Pro |
On free limits alone, Loadly wins by a wide margin. Diawi's free account is the smallest of the three. AppForShare Free sits in the middle on size and link life, and adds a password per build, .aab uploads and install help on the page.
Link life rules
The three services count link life in very different ways, which matters more than the headline number.
- Loadly says links stay active with no end date. Its help page also says uploads made without an account cannot be disabled or deleted, so an anonymous upload stays online unless Loadly removes it.
- Diawi counts availability from the last install, or from the upload if nobody has installed yet, per its knowledge base page on link duration. An actively used link lives longer than the plan table suggests. Paid add-ons extend a link by a month or a year.
- AppForShare counts from the upload on guest (3 days) and Free (7 days), and keeps links live for as long as you subscribe on Pro and Team. On Free, $2 once keeps one link live for 60 days. Every upload can be removed, and deleted builds can be restored for 7 days.
Whatever the link does, an iOS build stops installing when its provisioning profile ends. We explain why in an IPA or APK link that never expires.
Paid plans
Loadly has none. Diawi's paid plans, in EUR per month as read November 2, 2026: Starter 2.99 (50 MB, 3 days, 10 installs), Premium 29.99 (250 MB, 7 days, 50 installs), Enterprise 299.99 (1.2 GB, 15 days, 100 installs), with pay as you go add-ons for installs, link life, upload size, a custom address and a custom domain. AppForShare Pro is $12 a month (2 GB files, links live while you subscribe) and Team is $39 a month with 5 seats (4 GB files). See Diawi limits for every Diawi tier.
API and CI
- Loadly gives a free HTTP API: POST form data with an API key, with fields for password, notes, install type, install dates and a short link name. There is no Loadly CLI or plugin of its own, as read on November 3, 2026; two community fastlane plugins exist. Pgyer, the company's Chinese service, has its own CLI with an MCP server and plugins for pgyer.com.
- Diawi has an upload and status API from Starter. It has no official CLI or plugin; community plugins exist, and the community Jenkins plugin has an open advisory about storing credentials in plain text (see Diawi Jenkins plugin advisory).
- AppForShare Pro and Team have a CLI, a GitHub Action, a fastlane plugin, an MCP server and a Diawi compatible upload API: an existing Diawi script works by changing the URL and the token. See Diawi API with curl.
If you need a free API and nothing else, Loadly is the only one of the three that offers it. If your scripts already call Diawi, our Diawi compatible endpoint keeps them working.
iPhone testers
All three handle ad hoc builds, so every iPhone has to be in the build's profile. Diawi's install page warns a tester whose device, identified in its web app, is missing from the build. Loadly has a free UDID page. AppForShare has a free UDID finder with Remember this device: every iOS install page then says whether that iPhone is in the build, before the tester taps Install. Pro adds an onboarding link per app and one click registration on Apple. Our install pages also warn when the iOS version is too old or the profile has ended (see install help).
Who runs each one
Loadly's terms name Xi'an Diance Network Technology Co., Ltd., the company behind Pgyer, with Chinese law and arbitration in Xi'an. Diawi is a French service, with prices in euros. AppForShare is run by ZenTalk LLC in Houston, Texas, with files on Google Cloud Storage in the US. Which matters depends on your clients; it is worth knowing before you send unreleased work.
Which to pick
- Big file, no budget, no client involved: Loadly. Upload signed in so you can delete it later.
- Old scripts that call Diawi: stay on Diawi Starter, or point the script at our Diawi compatible API on Pro.
- A week of testing with a password and an .aab: AppForShare Free.
- Builds from CI, one lasting link, store checks and tester feedback: AppForShare Pro or Team.
Full tables: AppForShare vs Loadly and AppForShare vs Diawi.
Common questions
Is Loadly better than Diawi?
On free limits, yes, by far: 2 GB and no end date against 20 MB and 1 day, as each vendor lists them. Diawi has paid plans and add-ons; Loadly has none.
Does Diawi support .aab files?
No, per its knowledge base. Neither does Loadly list them. AppForShare turns an .aab into one installable APK on Free and up.
Which one has a free API?
Loadly. Diawi's API starts at Starter, and AppForShare's CI tools start at Pro.
