AppForShare vs TestFlight
TestFlight is Apple's own beta service inside App Store Connect. It is free with a paid Apple Developer membership, supports up to 10,000 external testers and needs no UDIDs. For large public iOS betas it is hard to beat.
AppForShare solves a different problem: getting a build onto a few phones right now. There is no beta review, testers need no Apple Account or extra app, and the same link flow works for Android. The trade off is that iOS builds must be signed Ad Hoc, Enterprise or Development.
Pick AppForShare if
- You test on Android and iOS and want one place and one link format for both.
- You cannot wait for Beta App Review before external testers can install.
- Your testers do not want to install TestFlight or sign in with an Apple Account.
- You share builds with clients and want your own domain and branding on the install page.
Pick TestFlight if
- You need more than 100 iOS test devices (the Ad Hoc device limit per membership year).
- You want testers to get updates automatically through an app.
- You are testing the exact build that goes to the App Store.
- You only ship on Apple platforms, including macOS, tvOS or visionOS.
Side by side
- Platforms
- AppForShare
iOS (.ipa) and Android (.apk)
- TestFlight
Apple only: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, watchOS
- Price
- AppForShare
Free, Pro $12/month, Team $39/month (5 seats). Yearly = 10 months.
- TestFlight
No extra fee, needs the Apple Developer Program ($99/year)
- Testers
- AppForShare
Open the link on the phone and install. No tester account, no extra app.
- TestFlight
Install the TestFlight app and use an Apple Account. Up to 100 internal and 10,000 external testers.
- Review
- AppForShare
None. Links work right after upload.
- TestFlight
First build for external testers goes through Beta App Review
- iOS signing
- AppForShare
Ad Hoc, Enterprise and Development builds, installed over the air. Not App Store or TestFlight builds.
- TestFlight
App Store distribution signing. No UDIDs needed.
- Build life
- AppForShare
3 days without an account, 7 days Free, as long as you subscribe on Pro and Team
- TestFlight
90 days
- Device limits
- AppForShare
Ad Hoc: up to 100 devices per device type per Apple membership year (Apple rule)
- TestFlight
Up to 30 devices per tester
- CI uploads
- AppForShare
CLI, GitHub Action and Fastlane (Pro and Team)
- TestFlight
Xcode and App Store Connect tooling
- Install analytics
- AppForShare
Installs by device, OS version, model and country (Pro and Team)
- TestFlight
Install and session metrics in App Store Connect
- Branding
- AppForShare
Custom domain and white label install page (Team)
- TestFlight
No
TestFlight details checked on October 2026 from its public pages (Apple TestFlight, TestFlight overview, Apple Developer Program, Apple device limits). Plans change; tell us at contact if something here is out of date.
Many teams use both
A common setup is AppForShare for daily Ad Hoc builds to the team, clients and QA, and TestFlight for the wider beta just before release. Android builds go through the same AppForShare flow, so QA has one place to look.
The UDID step
Ad Hoc builds only install on devices whose UDID is in the provisioning profile. Send testers to /udid: it installs a signed profile, shows the UDID and lets them email it to you or save it to your account. Add it in the Apple Developer portal, re-sign the build and upload it again.
Questions
- Can I upload a TestFlight build to AppForShare?
- No. A build signed for the App Store or TestFlight cannot be installed from a web link. Export it with an Ad Hoc, Enterprise or Development profile instead. AppForShare does not re-sign builds.
- Do AppForShare testers need an Apple Account?
- No. They open the link in Safari on the iPhone and install. The device UDID must be in the build's provisioning profile.
- Is there a review before testers can install?
- No. The link works as soon as the upload finishes.
Try it with your next build
No account needed for a first upload. Free accounts keep links for longer.