Appcircle App Testing Distribution Platform
Appcircle App Testing Distribution Platform provides secure and flexible app distribution for iOS and Android, available as both cloud and self-hosted options. Key features include advanced access control, customizable enterprise app store, SSO integration, detailed installation tracking, and more.
What is Appcircle App Testing Distribution Platform?
Appcircle App Testing Distribution Platform is a core module of the end-to-end Appcircle Mobile CI/CD platform, enabling seamless distribution of pre-release iOS and Android builds to designated test groups. Available both in the cloud and self-hosted, it offers secure IAM/SSO-based access control, customizable distribution profiles, native integrations with other CI/CD tools, detailed install tracking, binary re-signing, multi-channel delivery, and rich reporting. Appcircle also provides an Enterprise App Store for easy and secure in-house distribution, making it ideal for enterprise needs.
Top Mobile App Distribution Platform Alternatives
Appcircle
- Comprehensive mobile app distribution platform.
- Supports self-hosted deployment and cloud options.
- Provides Testing Distribution and Enterprise App Store modules.
- Ideal for enterprises with complex security and distribution requirements.
- IAM & SSO (OpenID & SAML) integration for secure access.
- In-app updates.
- Public links for easy distribution.
- Apple Device Registration & Management [Ad Hoc].
- Enterprise App Store for in-house app distribution.
Others
Applivery
Applivery is integrated with its own ecosystem, requires an Applivery account for access, and supports in-app and forced updates. However, public link distribution is not available, which may limit flexibility for some teams.
Firebase
Firebase is integrated with the Firebase ecosystem, requires a Google account for access, and includes crash reporting and analytics.However, this integration may constrain teams seeking more flexibility outside the Google environment.
FAQs
Appcircle App Testing Distribution Platform
Looking for the right mobile app distribution platform? Discover why Appcircle is the leading choice for secure and reliable app distribution.
Flexible Deployment Options
Every enterprise is unique and may require different deployment options, such as Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, or on-premise solutions. Appcircle addresses these needs with a portable, container-based architecture that aligns with your specific deployment requirements while also preventing cloud vendor lock-in. Whether you choose to deploy on GCP Public Cloud, on-premise, or privately via the AWS and Microsoft Azure Marketplaces, Appcircle meets your requirements.
Distribution Speed & Security
Multi-region secure CDNs ensure your app builds are globally accessible with optimized performance, even in regions with unique internet regulations. With encryption at rest and in transit, your packages are distributed securely.
Built for Purpose
Distribution platforms serve different purposes, such as Testing Distribution or deploying in-house apps to internal users via an Enterprise App Store. Appcircle offers dedicated modules tailored for each of these use cases.
IAM/SSO Integration
Comprehensive security with IAM/SSO integration, including Identity Providers such as Okta, Azure AD, and OneLogin, along with support for authentication protocols like LDAP, OpenID and SAML The platform also supports IAM role mapping (through LDAP and SSO), enabling seamless role and permission assignments based on identity provider groups for enhanced access control.
Apple Ad-Hoc Device Registration
Streamlined UDID registration for Apple devices with configuration profiles. The platform automatically adds device UDIDs to provisioning profiles, simplifying device management for app distribution and testing.
Re-signing Binaries for iOS and Android Apps
Support for re-signing iOS and Android binaries allows developers to re-sign apps with new certificates (iOS) or keystores (Android), ensuring app integrity and security.
CI Integration
Seamless integration with existing CI/CD tools is supported. With ready-to-use plugins for Azure DevOps, GitHub, Fastlane, Jenkins and more, plus API/CLI support, you can easily integrate Appcircle Distribution into your existing CI workflow.
End-to-End Platform
Many distribution tools offer only limited functionality for tasks such as building and publishing to app stores. If you plan to leverage these features, ensure the platform provides robust, comprehensive modules for Build, Signing Identity Management, and Publishing to Stores to fully address your needs.
React Native CodePush Support
Deliver real-time updates to your React Native apps without waiting for app store approvals. Appcircle CodePush feature enables instant OTA deployments, controlled rollouts based on user segments, and seamless rollbacks—ensuring faster releases, better performance tracking, and a more stable user experience.
Appcircle Testing Distribution
It offers the ability to set up customizable and flexible pipelines for Native iOS/Android and Cross-Platform(Flutter and React Native) applications.
It allows certificates, provisioning profiles, and keystores to be securely stored within a vault.
It offers the ability to publish applications to marketplaces such as Google Play, App Store, and Huawei App Gallery, also to platforms like Enterprise App Store, Microsoft Intune, and TestFlight enabling seamless management of the release process with flexible and customizable publish flows.
Supports resigning iOS and Android binaries with new certificates or keystores, simplifying the process of updating or publishing under a different developer account.
Device UDIDs are seamlessly collected and can be automatically synchronized with the Apple Developer Portal. Additionally, devices can be easily added to provisioning profiles.
Separate distribution screen for easy downloading; supports multiple languages, filtering, viewing app version details, managing shared app profiles, and providing publisher info, contact email, privacy policy URL, and terms of service URL.
Easy management of testers and groups, including IAM/SSO (OpenID & SAML) groups; flexible sharing options without email requirements. Provides a feature to create, manage, and group testers based on various criteria like OS versions, features, devices, or organizational needs.
Supports authentication using static credentials.
Supports integration with enterprise identity solutions for tester authentication.
.Supports automatic notifications to specific testing groups, keeping testers informed seamlessly.
Roadmap
Ensure users are running the latest app version with in-app updates.
Force updates for users on specific versions.
Allows creating an Enterprise App Store for internal distribution. Supports custom branding, IAM/SSO (OpenID & SAML) or static login, and In-App Update.
Integration with MDM solutions like Microsoft Intune.
Public Cloud, Private Cloud, On-premise, AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure Marketplace
Fully integrated with the build module, enabling Auto Distribute settings for seamless uploads to test groups. Supports CLI, GitHub, Fastlane, Jenkins, and Azure Integrations.
Native Plugin
Native Plugin
Native Plugin
Native Plugin
OpenID & SAML support
Supports LDAP group/role mapping, enabling seamless integration with your organization's directory services for effective and automated tester group management.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the authors. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors is of their opinion and are not intended to malign any organization, company, individual or anyone or anything. This comparison is based on their review of the product for market research purposes
Switching to another Mobile App Distribution Platform can be a complex decision. Switching to Appcircle is easy,however we've prepared this comparison to help you decide easier.
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