For those who’ve built or are considering making an app, testing their app before publishing it to the app stores is crucial. After all, no serious developer releases a product straight to the public without getting feedback to make final tweaks.
If you built your app for iOS, testing is a breeze. Just register your Apple Developer account with Testflight, and you can begin inviting testers. Did you develop your app for Android and not iOS? No need to worry — plenty of excellent testing options are out there.
However, sieving through each one and selecting the best fit can be time-consuming. If you’re looking for a way to test your app, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss the top 5 Testflight for Android platforms.
What is Testflight?
Testflight is Apple’s testing platform for all apps released in the iOS ecosystem. Testflight was founded as an individual company in 2010. In 2014, Apple acquired the company, making it the primary testing platform for iOS apps only.
Before iOS app developers publish their apps to the Apple App Store, they can test up to 100 app versions on Testflight. Testflight lets two groups test your app: Internal and external testers.
Apple allows no more than 100 internal testers who are your team members. Internal testers have no time limit to test your app. External testers can test your app for up to 90 days, but Apple allows you to have up to 10,000 external testers.
Getting your app on Testflight and finding testers is simple. You just need to create an Apple Developer account, follow the Testflight steps, and send your test app’s link to your testers.
But for those wanting to publish on the Google Play Store, several testing platforms that are just like Testflight for Android are out there.
The Top 5 Testflight For Android Options
- Google Play Console, the best overall Testflight alternative
- Testfairy, the most robust Testflight alternative
- Beta Family, the Testflight alternative with customizable testing methods
- Microsoft Visual Studio App Center, the Testflight alternative for Microsoft users
- Adalo, the best Testflight alternative for anyone who wants to build a no-code mobile app
#1 The Best Overall Testflight Alternative
Google Play Console
What is it?
Google Play Console is Android’s answer to Testflight. It’s the platform you’ll use to test, publish, and monetize your app in the Android ecosystem.
How Does It Stand Out?
Google Play Console provides a comprehensive testing environment with generous testing features. It allows you to test your app in two different releases: Alpha and Beta.
Alpha releases are tests executed by members of your team. Just like iOS’s internal testers, they can provide quick feedback about your app and can access it for longer periods. Beta releases are tests done by external users.
While beta testers may seem the Android version of iOS’s external testers, Android goes the extra mile: You get an unlimited number of beta testers, and although you can send invites to people with a link to your app, Android allows you to temporarily publish your test version (beta version) to the Google Play Console. That’s why we said Google Play Console is generous.
Google Play Console also allows you to test several different versions of your app at once, which will help you determine which iterations work best.
When testing finishes, you’ll get integrated analytics tools that provide insights into performance, usage, and tester feedback.
Pricing
$25 per app.
The Bottom Line
Because it allows you to have an unlimited number of testers, test several versions at once, and is super affordable, Google Play Console is the best alternative to Testflight for Android.
#2 The Most Robust Testflight Alternative
Testfairy
What is it?
TestFairy is a mobile app testing platform similar to Testflight, but for Android apps. It lets you distribute beta versions, collect live app feedback, and analyze app performance and usage.
How Does It Stand Out?
Testfairy offers a unique and robust set of features. For instance, you can get detailed video recordings of tester sessions. Watching these will allow you to watch testers navigate through your app and show you exactly what testers did before a crash or bug occurred.
You’ll also get detailed logs of each testing session, crash reports, and in-app bug reporting tools that help developers gather precise data and feedback.
Testfairy can be integrated with project management tools like JIRA, Slack, and GitHub, allowing you to conveniently fit app fixtures into your workflows. It is also scalable, making it attractive for both small startups and large enterprises.
Pricing
Testfairy crafts pricing plans on a per-case basis. You’ll have to contact them directly for pricing info.
The Bottom Line
With tons of integrations and the capability to zero in on bugs and other issues, Testfairy is the most robust alternative Testflight for Android.
#3 The Testflight Alternative with Customizable Testing Methods
Beta Family
What is it?
Beta Family is designed specifically for Android developers who want to conduct extensive user testing of their apps.
How does it stand out?
Beta Family’s enormous network of nearly 1 million testers really allows for extensive testing of your app. You’ll be able to segment the testers you choose by location, gender, age, and more to help you determine which groups to market to.
To help improve your app, you can also add questionnaires to gather more information about each tester’s experience. You can also tap Beta Family’s tier of “reliable testers,” who have a history of providing valuable feedback to developers.
Pricing
Test one app for free using your own testers.
For $49/month (billed monthly), you can test up to 3 apps and segment testing by demographics.
If you really want to tinker with demographics, try Beta Family’s $399/month version (billed monthly), as it gives you over 10 demographic parameters and lets you test up to 10 apps/month.
The Bottom Line
Beta Family is the Testflight alternative that lets you choose your demographics and draws on a pool of over 1 million testers.
#4 The Testflight Alternative for Microsoft Users
Microsoft Visual Studio App Center
What is it?
Microsoft Visual Studio App Center is not just an app-testing platform; it’s an all-in-one package that executes and manages the complete lifecycle of mobile apps, including building, testing, distributing, and monitoring apps.
How does it stand out?
Visual Studio App facilitates real-time app distribution to beta testers and collaborators, much like TestFlight does for iOS. It offers robust automation capabilities that will help you to automatically test, discover and fix issues, and implement updates.
Because it’s in the Microsoft Ecosystem, Microsoft Visual App Center integrates with Azure’s analytical and diagnostic tools, like Azure Monitor and Azure Application Insights. This can help you optimize your app’s performance and ensure it’s ready to publish on the Google Play Store.
Pricing
Visual Studio’s professional version is $45/month per user (billed monthly).
If you’re an enterprise and need to scale your app, you’ll pay $250/month per user (billed monthly).
The Bottom Line
Because it's in the Microsoft ecosystem and integrates well with Microsoft’s tools, Microsoft Visual App Center is an excellent Testflight alternative for Microsoft users.
#5 The Best Testflight Alternative for Anyone That Wants to Build a No-Code Mobile App
Adalo
What is it?
Adalo is a no-code mobile app-building platform that lets you create your own app. Though it’s not a pure testing platform, it allows you to share your app with users so they can test it for you.
How does it stand out?
Adalo is one of the easiest-to-use, no-code mobile app-building platforms. You don’t need coding, technical, or programming knowledge to create your app. It’s so simple that you can start building your app immediately after creating your Adalo account.
After you finish building your Adalo app, you’ll get a link that lets anyone who has it download and test your app. Adalo allows you to send this link via SMS, copy it, and post it to your socials or send it via DM to people in your network.
Doing this will get your app in front of as many eyes as possible before publishing it on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Pricing
Start using Adalo for $36/month.
The Bottom Line
If you want a simple-to-use app-building platform robust enough to bring any app idea to life and test it before publishing it to the Google Play Store, look no further than Adalo.
