Pgyer alternative for teams outside China
· 6 min read
Pgyer (pgyer.com, also known by its Chinese name, which means "dandelion") is one of the oldest beta distribution services in China, and its English sister site Loadly (loadly.io, run by Pgyer) shows up in many "free Diawi alternative" lists. If your testers are inside China, Pgyer is built for you. If your team sits in Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria or Brazil and your testers do too, a few of its rules fit less well. This article lays out what Pgyer does well, what a team outside China runs into, and how the alternatives compare on test builds only. AppForShare is the tool we make; we keep our own claims to what is on our pricing and docs pages.
Pgyer facts were read on its distribution and price page, its real name verification page (in Chinese), its terms and its public GitHub, npm and RubyGems pages on November 3, 2026.
What Pgyer does well
- Price. The distribution page says there is no paid plan and no trial period. Files up to 2G, builds kept 5 years, unlimited builds. Paid add-on services exist (publishing to Chinese Android stores, app testing, software copyright help), but plain distribution is free.
- Tools. An npm CLI,
@pgyer/cli, with a built in MCP server for AI assistants such as Claude Code, Cursor and Codex; a fastlane plugin with a long download history; a Jenkins plugin, a GitHub Action and a Gradle plugin; and a published agent skill. On tooling, Pgyer is one of the most complete services in this space. - Platforms. Android, iOS and HarmonyOS (.hap) builds, with a merged QR code that sends each phone to its own build.
- Install options. Public, password, question and invite installs, install windows with start and end dates, custom short links, and install pages in 10 or more languages.
- Delivery inside China. China, overseas and global CDN options, which matter for testers inside China.
- Chinese work chat. Webhooks for WeCom, DingTalk and Feishu (Lark), plus a generic URL.
If several of those are must haves, especially HarmonyOS or testers in China, Pgyer is likely the better fit and the rest of this article matters less.
What a team outside China runs into
Real name checks before testers can download
Pgyer's verification page says developer accounts must pass real name checks under Chinese rules on app distribution. Until the check passes, each version allows 0 downloads a day; after it, 500 a day. Testers who install need no account. For a personal account the page asks for a phone number, email, real name, ID card number, a photo of the ID card and a photo of you holding it. Companies add a business license, the legal representative and a registered address. Foreign developers upload a passport, which is reviewed by hand.
That is a fair rule for a service under Chinese law, and Pgyer is open about it. It still means a freelancer in Lahore who wants to send one build to a client this afternoon starts with an identity review. Loadly's privacy policy describes the same documents; we did not see Loadly ask for them during upload, so whether it enforces the rule is not known. Our longer explainer is Pgyer real name verification for foreign developers.
Law and data
Pgyer's terms name Xi'an Diance Network Technology Co., Ltd., with the law of the People's Republic of China and arbitration in Xi'an. Loadly's terms say the same. For many teams that is fine. For an agency whose client contract asks where unreleased builds are kept and under which law, it is a question to settle before the first upload.
Webhooks your team may not use
Pgyer's webhook types are WeCom, DingTalk, Feishu and a generic URL. There is no Slack, Microsoft Teams or Discord type listed. A generic webhook can feed any of them with some glue, but it is work.
Test builds side by side
Pgyer figures as listed on November 3, 2026. AppForShare figures from our pricing page.
| Pgyer | AppForShare | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, paid add-on services | Free; Pro $12 a month; Team $39 a month with 5 seats; lower regional prices in many countries |
| Largest file | 2G | 150 MB Free, 2 GB Pro, 4 GB Team |
| How long builds stay | 5 years | 7 days Free, while you subscribe on Pro and Team |
| Before testers can download | Real name check with ID documents | Email or Google sign in; a guest upload needs no account |
| Platforms | Android, iOS, HarmonyOS | iOS, Android, .aab turned into an APK |
| CLI and MCP | CLI with MCP server, fastlane, Jenkins, GitHub Action, Gradle | CLI, GitHub Action, fastlane, MCP server, Diawi compatible API (Pro and Team) |
| Chat notices | WeCom, DingTalk, Feishu, generic | Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Discord, generic (Pro and Team) |
| Install page languages | 10 or more | 13: English, Simplified Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Turkish, Vietnamese, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Indonesian, Spanish, Arabic |
| Feedback | Pgyer SDK and user feedback | Install page and in-app link with screenshots, no SDK |
| Operator and law | Xi'an Diance, Chinese law | ZenTalk LLC, Texas, US law |
On tooling the two are close: both have a CLI and an MCP server, and Pgyer has more CI plugins published today. Our Gradle plugin is on the Gradle Plugin Portal, and a Jenkins plugin is coming. Where AppForShare differs is around the build: install help before the tester taps Install, a store readiness check on every account build, tester feedback without an SDK, tester groups and a client portal for agencies.
Other options outside China
- TestFlight for iOS only, when you can wait for beta review and testers are fine installing Apple's app. See TestFlight alternatives.
- Firebase App Distribution when your app already lives in a Firebase project and testers have Google accounts. See Firebase App Distribution alternatives.
- Diawi for a quick link with small free limits. See Diawi limits.
- AppForShare when you want a link without ID checks, store checks on each build, and tester and client tools around it. Compare it with Pgyer's English site on AppForShare vs Loadly.
When Pgyer is the right choice
Pick Pgyer when your testers are in China, when you ship HarmonyOS builds, when your team lives in WeCom, DingTalk or Feishu, or when you want free 2G files kept for years and are fine with the real name check. Pick something else when you need to share a build today without an identity review, when your client needs US or other non Chinese law on the contract, or when your notices go to Slack or Teams.
Common questions
Is there an English version of Pgyer?
Pgyer's site comes in many languages, including English, and Loadly (loadly.io) is run by the same company as an English front with the same upload API.
Can a foreign developer use Pgyer?
Yes. Its verification page says foreign developers upload a passport for manual review. Until the check passes, downloads are capped at 0 a day per version.
Does AppForShare ask for ID documents?
No. Accounts sign up with email or Google, and a guest upload needs no account at all.
Does AppForShare support HarmonyOS?
No. AppForShare takes iOS and Android builds only.
