Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Visual Studio App Center VS TestFlight

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

Visual Studio App Center logo Visual Studio App Center

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

TestFlight logo TestFlight

iOS beta testing on the fly.
  • Visual Studio App Center Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-24
  • TestFlight Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-25

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.

TestFlight features and specs

  • Ease of Distribution
    TestFlight simplifies the process of distributing beta versions of your app to testers. You can easily invite testers via email, or they can join via a public link.
  • Integrated with Apple Ecosystem
    As part of the Apple Developer ecosystem, TestFlight seamlessly integrates with Xcode and other Apple tools, making it easier to manage builds and deploy across various Apple devices.
  • User Feedback Collection
    TestFlight allows testers to provide feedback directly through the app, which is consolidated and sent to your Apple Developer account, improving the feedback loop.
  • Crash Reporting
    Built-in crash reporting helps you gather detailed crash logs from testers, enabling quicker diagnosis and resolution of issues.
  • Automated Updates
    Testers receive notifications for automatic updates of new builds, ensuring that they are always testing the latest version.

Possible disadvantages of TestFlight

  • Limited to Apple Devices
    TestFlight can only be used to test apps on Apple devices, limiting its utility if you also need to test on Android or other platforms.
  • Max Tester Limit
    There is a limit of up to 10,000 beta testers per app, which might be restrictive for large-scale beta testing programs.
  • Approval Process
    Each build you distribute through TestFlight must first be reviewed and approved by Apple, which can introduce delays in testing cycles.
  • No In-App Purchases
    TestFlight does not support in-app purchases, so you cannot test purchase flows in your beta builds.
  • Requires Apple ID
    All testers must have an Apple ID to participate in testing, which can be a barrier for some testers.

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!

TestFlight videos

BETAFPV HX100 100FPV Quad Review!✨TestFlight✨

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Visual Studio App Center and TestFlight)
Developer Tools
47 47%
53% 53
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Beta Testing / Mobile App Distribution
DevOps Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Visual Studio App Center and TestFlight

Visual Studio App Center Reviews

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TestFlight Reviews

  1. Deepak Kumar
    · Blogger at EINSSTARK ·
    TestFlight Review

    The TestFlight app allows testers to install and beta test apps on iOS, tvOS, and watchOS devices.

    TestFlight also supports some basic analytics and feedback collection features like tracking downloads and adoption and capturing device details, remote logs, crash reports, and tester feedback.

    Their latest beta update allows users to send screenshots and feedback to developers without leaving the app.

    🏁 Competitors: Gennymotion, TestFairy, Visual Studio App Center

Social recommendations and mentions

TestFlight might be a bit more popular than Visual Studio App Center. We know about 26 links to it since March 2021 and only 24 links to Visual Studio App Center. 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: almost 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: almost 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

TestFlight mentions (26)

  • As Visual Studio App Center closes, a look back, and what to use now?
    Prior to being acquired by Microsoft, HockeyApp was among the two most popular tools for teams managing their "in-house" iOS and Android app distribution, whether sharing in-development app builds to QA testers, or companies wishing to distribute internally without publishing to platforms like Apple's strictly-gatekept App Store. The other platform being TestFlight, itself acquired by Apple in 2014, and shut down... - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Lessons Learned from Building Mobile Apps and Software for Startups
    The goal of your first version is not to impress but to learn. Launch quickly, gather user feedback, and iterate. Publishing a mobile app, even an MVP, can involve delays from app store reviews. Use platforms like TestFlight or Firebase App Distribution to share test versions with users. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Which iOS Performance Testing Tools should be used in 2025?
    4. Testflight TestFlight is another application developed by Apple to let users test their App Clips to collect valuable feedback before releasing them on the App Store. Since it is backed directly by Apple, it has all the features you might need for your iOS performance testing tools. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • As an app developer, how do you get your initial users to test your app and give feedback?
    If you have an Apple Developer account use TestFlight. Source: about 2 years ago
  • React vs React Native: How Different Are They, Really?
    Also since it’s mobile, you can’t avoid manual testing completely, no matter how much you automate. Plan to allocate time for testing setup in each project, since TestFlight and Play Store configuration are non-trivial (especially the former). Once again, EAS makes this easier, so save yourself frustration and use it. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Setapp - Your shortcut to prime apps on Mac, an App Store alternative

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

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.

Appaloosa-Store - Appaloosa helps businesses maximize the deployment of enterprise mobile apps. Deploy your enterprise app store for Apple iOS and Android apps to employees & testers.

TestFairy - Painless Beta Testing

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