Updraft pricing in 2026: the $5 base fee, $5 per GB and what each plan adds
· 7 min read
Updraft prices its paid plans in two parts: a monthly fee and a charge for every gigabyte of builds you keep stored. That makes it cheap for a small app with a few builds and more expensive as builds pile up. This guide lays out the plans as listed, explains the storage formula with three worked examples, covers the install caps and the FAQ wording around them, and prices the same jobs on AppForShare.
Every Updraft figure below is as listed on getupdraft.com/pricing and its docs on November 9, 2026, in US dollars. Updraft is run by Apps with love AG in Bern, Switzerland. Check the page again on the day you decide. AppForShare is the tool we make, so read our parts with that in mind.
The plans
| Starter | Pay as you go | Professional | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | Free | $5 | $49 | Quote |
| Storage | 500 MB | $5 per GB stored a month | $5 per GB stored a month | Custom |
| Projects and builds | 1 project, 3 builds | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Installs a month, as listed | 100 | 1,000 | 1,000 | Custom |
| Users and testers | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Largest file | None stated | None | None | None |
| Support | None | Contact form | Contact form | Help desk |
Starter says "no trial period": the free plan is how you try it. Billing is monthly; we found no yearly price.
What each plan adds
- Every plan, Starter included: install links and QR codes, testers and groups by email, CSV import, private apps, roles and permission groups, two step sign in that the owner can require, the API and CI plugins, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Webex and webhooks, the SDK for feedback and in-app updates, a subdomain and a logo.
- Pay as you go: unlimited projects and builds, and one link that serves an iOS and an Android build.
- Professional: re-signing of .ipa and .aab files, and upload to the App Store (TestFlight) and Google Play.
- Enterprise: single sign on with SAML and OpenID, your own storage bucket, automatic clean up of old builds, your own SMTP server and email templates, a support budget.
How the storage charge works
Updraft's FAQ gives an example: 1 GB stored for a whole month costs the $5 fee plus $5, so $10, and under 500 MB you pay only the $5 fee. Storage is billed on use, "down to the minute", so a build you keep for half a month costs about half.
One detail is not clear. Their docs page on paid plans says "every MB over the free plan limitation of 500 MB is calculated", which suggests the first 500 MB may be free on paid plans. The FAQ example of $10 for 1 GB fits the simple formula instead. We use the simple formula below, $5 + $5 x GB stored, and give the lower figure in brackets in case the first 500 MB is free. The difference is $2.50 a month at most. Ask Updraft which rule applies to you.
Worked examples
Each example keeps that amount of builds stored for a full month.
| Stored | Updraft Pay as you go | Updraft Professional | AppForShare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 MB | $5 (under 500 MB, fee only) | $49 | Free if each file is under 150 MB and 7 day links suit you; otherwise Pro, $12 |
| 5 GB | $30 ($27.50) | $74 ($71.50) | Pro, $12 |
| 25 GB | $130 ($127.50) | $174 ($171.50) | Pro, $12 (25 GB is the Pro limit; Team, $39, has 150 GB) |
- 400 MB: a solo developer with one small app and a few builds. Updraft Pay as you go at $5 is cheaper than any paid AppForShare plan, and Starter may be enough if one project and three builds fit.
- 5 GB: a small team keeping a few weeks of daily builds of a 100 MB app. Updraft is $30 a month on Pay as you go; AppForShare Pro is $12, or $10 a month on the yearly plan.
- 25 GB: an agency with several client apps and their history. About $130 a month on Updraft Pay as you go, $12 on AppForShare Pro. If you want room to grow, Team at $39 holds 150 GB.
On both services, deleting old builds lowers storage. On Updraft that lowers the bill; on AppForShare Pro and Team, automatic clean up keeps you inside the plan.
Install caps and the FAQ wording
The pricing table lists 100 installs a month on Starter and 1,000 on Pay as you go and Professional. The FAQ says something else: "No. Updraft has no limit for number of downloads", and about the Starter plan: "What is happening if I reach the Starter plan limitation? You can still fully use Updraft. We will inform you". An older changelog entry (2022) mentions an "App download limitation for free plan users". We could not tell whether installs past the listed number are refused, so treat the table as the number to plan around and ask them if you expect more.
AppForShare does not count installs. It counts bytes downloaded each month: 10 GB on Free, 40 GB on Pro and 150 GB on Team. A 50 MB build installed 1,000 times is about 50 GB, over Pro's 40 GB; Pro can add 50 GB for $10 (up to four times a month), or Team covers it. Nothing is added or billed automatically.
The same jobs on AppForShare
| Free | Pro | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly, USD | $0 | $12 ($120 a year) | $39 ($390 a year), 5 seats, then $6 a seat |
| Regional price | $0 | $5.99 | $19.99 |
| Storage | 2 GB | 25 GB | 150 GB |
| Downloads a month | 10 GB | 40 GB | 150 GB |
| Largest file | 150 MB | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Re-sign iOS builds with a new profile | No | By hand | By hand, and automatic inside Hands free |
| TestFlight and Google Play upload | No | Yes | Yes |
| Single sign on, EU or own storage, tester email through your mail server | No | No | Yes |
| Automatic clean up, desktop builds | No | Yes | Yes |
Prices are charged in US dollars. Regional prices are offered in many countries, and the card's country decides which price applies. A first Pro subscription can start with a 7 day Pro trial.
Where each one is cheaper
Updraft is cheaper when you store under 1 GB ($5 to $10 a month), and when many people need their own sign in: users are unlimited on every plan. On AppForShare, Team includes 5 seats and each extra seat is $6, though testers never need a seat.
AppForShare is cheaper once you keep a few GB of builds, and for the store and signing work: re-signing and TestFlight or Google Play upload are on Pro at $12, against $49 plus storage on Updraft Professional. Single sign on and your own storage are on Team at $39, where Updraft prices them on quote. The full comparison is on AppForShare vs Updraft, and the feature side is in Updraft alternative.
Common questions
How much does Updraft cost?
As listed on November 9, 2026: Starter is free (1 project, 3 builds, 500 MB), Pay as you go is $5 a month plus $5 per GB stored, Professional is $49 a month plus $5 per GB, and Enterprise is priced on quote.
Is the first 500 MB free on paid plans?
Possibly. One docs page suggests it, while the FAQ example ($10 for 1 GB) fits a simple $5 plus $5 per GB. Ask Updraft before you budget on it.
Does Updraft have a yearly plan or a trial?
We found no yearly price, and the page says Starter has "no trial period". AppForShare has yearly plans and a 7 day Pro trial.
Which AppForShare plan matches Updraft Professional?
For re-signing and store upload, Pro at $12 a month. For single sign on and your own storage, which Updraft has on Enterprise, Team at $39.
See AppForShare pricing for every limit, and moving from Updraft for the steps.
