Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Visual Studio App Center VS DeployGate

Compare Visual Studio App Center VS DeployGate and see what are their differences

Visual Studio App Center logo Visual Studio App Center

Continuous everything – build, test, deploy, engage, repeat

DeployGate logo DeployGate

DeployGate enables developers to distribute beta apps to enable beta testing from fellow developers​ and community.
  • Visual Studio App Center Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-24
  • DeployGate Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-15

Visual Studio App Center features and specs

  • Comprehensive Services
    App Center provides a wide range of services including build, test, distribute, and monitor apps, making it a one-stop solution for app lifecycle management.
  • Multi-platform Support
    Supports iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS apps, allowing developers to manage all their apps in one place regardless of the platform.
  • Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
    Offers robust CI/CD pipelines that streamline the development process, helping teams release new features, updates, and bug fixes more efficiently.
  • Automated Testing
    Enables automated UI tests on real devices in the cloud, ensuring that apps function correctly on any device before they are released.
  • Crash Reporting and Analytics
    Provides detailed crash reports and user analytics to help developers understand user behavior and improve app performance.
  • Easy Integration
    Integrates seamlessly with popular version control systems like GitHub, Bitbucket, and Azure Repos, simplifying the workflow for developers.
  • Push Notifications
    Supports sending push notifications to users, helping app owners keep their audience engaged with the latest updates and features.

Possible disadvantages of Visual Studio App Center

  • Cost
    While there is a free tier with limited usage, many advanced features require a paid subscription, which can be expensive for small teams or individual developers.
  • Learning Curve
    Though the platform is powerful, it can have a steep learning curve for new users, especially those not familiar with CI/CD practices.
  • Performance
    Some users have reported performance issues, particularly with the build service, which can sometimes be slow or experience downtime.
  • Limited Customization
    The level of customization for certain features and workflows can be limited compared to other CI/CD tools, potentially restricting advanced users.
  • Platform-specific Limitations
    While multi-platform support is a pro, some advanced features might not be available for all platforms or might work differently, causing inconsistency.
  • Dependency on Microsoft Ecosystem
    Tightly integrated with Microsoft's ecosystem, which might not be ideal for teams using other toolchains and platforms, causing partial or complete lock-in.

DeployGate features and specs

  • Easy Distribution
    DeployGate provides a straightforward process for distributing mobile apps to testers and stakeholders, simplifying the testing phase.
  • User Management
    It offers robust user management features, allowing developers to add or remove users and control who has access to various builds easily.
  • Real-time Feedback
    Developers can receive real-time feedback from testers, which aids in quick identification and resolution of potential issues.
  • Version Control
    DeployGate supports multiple app versions, enabling developers to manage and distribute different versions of their apps efficiently.
  • OTA (Over the Air) Installation
    Apps can be installed over the air without requiring a connection to a computer, providing greater convenience for testers.

Possible disadvantages of DeployGate

  • Cost
    While DeployGate offers a free tier, some advanced features require a paid plan, which can be considered costly for small teams or individual developers.
  • Learning Curve for New Users
    New users might experience a learning curve as they navigate the platform's features and understand how to integrate DeployGate into their workflow.
  • Limited Support for iOS
    DeployGate has limited support for iOS compared to Android, potentially restricting its usability for teams focusing heavily on iOS development.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Services
    Relying on DeployGate means depending on a third-party service for app distribution, which may not be ideal for all development teams.
  • Internet Dependency
    An active internet connection is required to upload builds and for users to download updates, which can be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity.

Analysis of Visual Studio App Center

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Visual Studio App Center is a robust platform that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for mobile app development. Its integration with existing development workflows and extensive support across multiple platforms makes it a good choice for developers looking to enhance productivity and efficiency in their app development process.

Why this product is good

  • Visual Studio App Center is considered good because it offers a wide range of features that help developers streamline their mobile app development processes. It provides an all-in-one service for continuous integration, delivery, and testing. App Center supports building apps in different platforms like iOS, Android, and Windows, and integrates seamlessly with various version control systems such as GitHub, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps. Additionally, it offers features like automated UI testing, real-time analytics, and crash reporting, which aid in improving app quality and user experience.

Recommended for

    Visual Studio App Center is recommended for mobile app developers who require a scalable solution for continuous integration, delivery, and testing. It's particularly useful for teams that develop cross-platform applications and need a unified platform to manage builds, distributions, and monitoring. Developers who are already using Microsoft's ecosystem or those who prefer a cloud-based development environment will find App Center to be especially beneficial.

Visual Studio App Center videos

Visual Studio App Center

More videos:

  • Review - Xamarin University Presents: Ship Better Apps with Visual Studio App Center
  • Tutorial - How to upload a Xamarin.UITest to Visual Studio App Center!

DeployGate videos

How to get the iOS CALM. App from Deploygate

More videos:

  • Review - Updating Smart Tutor Through DeployGate

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Visual Studio App Center and DeployGate)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Development
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Continuous Deployment
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Visual Studio App Center seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 24 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Visual Studio App Center mentions (24)

  • Build for IOS
    Appcenter will allow you to build your app for iOS and install on your device without submitting to the App Store. https://appcenter.ms/. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Github file size limits
    We've been using app center for build distribution (https://appcenter.ms/). Source: about 2 years ago
  • A friend and I have spent way too much time sharing builds so we built this free tool!
    But, https://appcenter.ms/ and others like it are already available with generous free tiers and a lot more features (which you don't have to use, but can grow into), not to mention GitHub actions as others have noted. Does this advantages over existing, standard solutions? Source: about 2 years ago
  • Is there a service to let us run our app remotely on chosen hardware and monitor logging?
    There are lots of choices. Google android device testing. Offhand https://appcenter.ms comes to mind. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Using React Native for a cross-platform app, without a Mac
    You don t need a mac, use microsofts app center to build it. https://appcenter.ms. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

DeployGate mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of DeployGate yet. Tracking of DeployGate recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Visual Studio App Center and DeployGate, you can also consider the following products

TestFlight - iOS beta testing on the fly.

Azure DevOps Projects - Azure DevOps Projects is a platform that lets you create projects and establish a repository for submitting source codes.

Applivery - Mobile Apps distribution system for Continuous deployment, Beta testing, Feedback, Bug reporting & Enterprise App distribution.

AWS CodeDeploy - AWS CodeDeploy is a service that automates code deployments to any instance.

Buildstash - Binary build artifact and release management for software teams. For mobile and desktop apps, games, XR, or embedded - never lose a build again, steer through QA and sign-off, and manage your rollouts to stores.

BMC Compuware ISPW - BMC Compuware ISPW is a comprehensive enterprise change management software that comes with modern mainframe CI/CD tools to have completely secured and streamlined mainframe code pipelines for the whole DevOps lifecycle.