AppForShare vs Firebase App Distribution
Firebase App Distribution is Google's free pre-release service. It takes .ipa, .apk and .aab files up to 2 GB, has a CLI, a Gradle plugin and fastlane support, and works well with Crashlytics.
Its testers are invited by email and sign in with a Google account, with up to 500 testers per project. AppForShare skips that step: anyone with the link (and the password, if you set one) installs straight from the phone browser.
Pick AppForShare if
- Your testers are clients or outside QA who should not need a Google account or an invite flow.
- You want a shareable link and QR code you can paste anywhere.
- You want a custom domain and white label install page.
- You want links that stay live while you subscribe instead of a fixed retention window.
Pick Firebase App Distribution if
- You want it free with large files and do not mind the tester sign in.
- You already use Firebase and want Crashlytics or feedback sent from inside the app.
- You want testers to get the device specific APKs Google Play would make from your .aab. AppForShare turns an .aab into one universal APK.
Side by side
- Platforms
- AppForShare
iOS (.ipa) and Android (.apk, or .aab turned into an APK for testers with a free account)
- Firebase App Distribution
iOS (.ipa), Android (.apk and .aab)
- Price
- AppForShare
Free, Pro $12/month with a 7 day free trial, Team $39/month (5 seats). Yearly = 10 months. Lower regional prices in many countries.
- Firebase App Distribution
No cost on Spark and Blaze plans
- Largest file
- AppForShare
50 MB without an account, 150 MB Free, 2 GB Pro, 4 GB Team
- Firebase App Distribution
2048 MiB
- Build life
- AppForShare
3 days without an account, 7 days Free, as long as you subscribe on Pro and Team
- Firebase App Distribution
Releases older than 150 days are removed
- Testers
- AppForShare
Open the link on the phone and install. No tester account, no extra app. Tester groups and install status with reminders on Team.
- Firebase App Distribution
Email invite, Google account sign in. Max 500 testers per project, 200 per group.
- iOS builds
- AppForShare
Ad Hoc, Enterprise and Development builds, installed over the air. Not App Store or TestFlight builds.
- Firebase App Distribution
Ad Hoc builds with tester UDIDs, or Enterprise
- CI uploads
- AppForShare
CLI, GitHub Action and Fastlane plugin, with the store readiness result in the pipeline (Pro and Team)
- Firebase App Distribution
Firebase CLI, Gradle plugin, fastlane, REST API
- Crash reports and feedback
- AppForShare
No crash reports (no in-app SDK). Tester feedback with screenshots from the install page on every plan.
- Firebase App Distribution
Crashlytics and in-app feedback
- Branding
- AppForShare
Custom domain and white label install page (Team)
- Firebase App Distribution
No
- UDID finder
- AppForShare
Free UDID finder built in, saves devices to your account. Pro adds an onboarding link per app and one click registration on Apple
- Firebase App Distribution
Collects UDIDs during tester onboarding
Firebase App Distribution details checked on October 2026 from its public pages (Firebase App Distribution, Firebase limits, Firebase pricing). Plans change; tell us at contact if something here is out of date.
Sign in versus link
Firebase is built around a tester list: you invite people, they accept within 30 days and sign in. That gives good control for in-house teams. AppForShare is built around the link: share it in chat, email or a QR code and testers install. On Team, private projects add the control back: only invited testers can open them and they are emailed when a new build lands.
Questions
- Does AppForShare support .aab files?
- Yes, with a free account. The .aab is turned into one universal APK testers install from the link, signed with a test key made for your account, or on Pro and Team with a keystore you add.
- Does AppForShare include crash reporting?
- No. AppForShare shares builds and reports installs. Use a crash reporter of your choice inside the app.
- Can I limit who installs?
- Yes. Add a password to any build on Free and up, or use private projects on Team so only invited testers can open them.
Try it with your next build
No account needed for a first upload. Free accounts keep links for longer.