Appcircle Mobile CI/CD Platform

Appcircle is an enterprise-grade mobile CI/CD platform that automates builds, testing, and publishing to app stores. It operates in cloud or self-hosted environments, saving up to 30% of development time, reducing errors, managing signing identities, and preventing security vulnerabilities for faster, more secure app releases.

What is Appcircle Mobile CI/CD Platform?

Appcircle is an enterprise-grade mobile CI/CD platform built to automate the entire lifecycle of iOS and Android app development. It allows teams to automate builds, securely manage signing identities, distribute apps to testers, provide an internal Enterprise App Store for in-house delivery, and handle store publishing from a single dashboard. Appcircle also includes features like app resigning, CodePush support for React Native apps, secure enterprise authentication through SSO and LDAP-based directory integration, detailed reporting, and native integrations with popular tools. Designed to meet enterprise security and compliance needs, Appcircle is available both as a cloud and as a self-hosted solution.

Best Alternatives to Mobile CI/CD Tools

Appcircle

Enterprise-grade all-in-one mobile CI/CD platform.
Supports both self-hosted and cloud deployment options.
Includes Testing Distribution and Enterprise App Store modules.
Ideal for enterprises with complex security and mobile CI/CD requirements.

IAM & SSO support (OpenID & SAML) for secure access control.
Advanced build configuration with customizable workflows.
Offers multi-tenancy for advanced organization management.
Advanced Signing Identities management.
Provides enterprise-grade logs and detailed reporting.

Others

Appflow

Appflow lacks customizable build workflows, does not offer fine-grained access control, and supports only limited deployment options, which may restrict flexibility for larger teams or complex project needs.

Bitrise

Bitrise offers a limited publishing flow, lacks a self-hosted deployment option, and does not include signing identity management, which might impact flexibility and control for some teams.

Codemagic

Codemagic offers more limited customization options, does not support self-hosted deployment, and provides only basic testing distribution capabilities.

Xcode Cloud

Xcode Cloud supports only iOS development, offers a more limited selection of pre-built workflow steps compared to other platforms, and does not provide a self-hosted deployment option.

FAQs

+Does Appcircle offer a self-hosted deployment option for enhanced security and compliance?

+Which platforms and frameworks does Appcircle support?

+Does Appcircle provide an Enterprise App Store for internal app distribution?

+How does Appcircle handle mobile app testing distribution?

+How do you manage environment variables and secrets in mobile CI/CD pipelines?

+How can I simplify iOS code signing processes?

+Does Appcircle support advanced user and team management features?

+How does Appcircle stand out compared to other mobile CI/CD platforms?

+Does Appcircle support OTA (over-the-air) updates for React Native apps?

+Does Appcircle provide release automation?

+How is the pricing model of Appcircle?

Appcircle Mobile CI/CD Platform

Looking for the best mobile CI/CD platform? Discover why Appcircle is the leading choice for your team.

Build

Appcircle’s robust infrastructure and clean build architecture deliver consistently fast, reliable builds. Advanced caching and up-to-date stack management significantly reduce build times and save developer hours. With customizable workflows, 100+ ready integrations and seamless Git connections, teams accelerate mobile app delivery with no YAML complexity.

Learn more about Build

Signing Identities

Centralize all app signing identity management in one secure dashboard with no need to switch to the Apple Developer Portal. Easily generate, renew, and track Certificates, Identifiers, Profiles, Keystores, and Apple device registrations automatically. Proactive expiration alerts, auto renewal, and detailed activity logs keep your mobile CI/CD workflows secure and uninterrupted.

Learn more about Signing Identities

Testing Distribution

Effortlessly distribute iOS and Android binaries, manage testers, and automate your entire app test distribution process. It offers native plugins for CI/CD tools like Fastlane, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and Visual Studio, along with CLI and API support. An intuitive tester portal, multi-channel delivery, SSO/LDAP authentication, and detailed reporting ensure a smooth testing experience.

Learn more about Testing Distribution

Re-sign Binary

Appcircle lets you re-sign iOS and Android binaries manually or automatically. You can update your app’s certificate or keystore, change the app name, icon, version info, entitlements, provisioning profiles, and embedded certificates. This keeps your apps secure and up-to-date without a full rebuild, even when transferring app ownership to a new developer account or updating an existing application, while maintaining full traceability and compliance.

Learn more about Re-sign Binary

Publish to Stores

Automate app store releases and manage submissions to App Store, Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, Microsoft Intune, and TestFlight from a single dashboard—no need to switch between different store platforms like App Store Connect or Google Play Console. Customize publish flows with drag-and-drop design and custom script support. Automate metadata updates and re-signing, keeping everything transparent with detailed activity logs and access controls.

Learn more about Publish to Stores

CodePush

Deliver secure, seamless OTA updates for your React Native apps with Appcircle CodePush. Integrate with your CI/CD pipeline, push real-time changes to users without requiring app store resubmission, manage controlled rollouts, instantly roll back updates, and enhance security with code signing, package diff, code obfuscation, self-hosted options, and enterprise-grade reporting.

Learn more about CodePush

Enterprise App Store

Distribute internal iOS and Android apps securely through your own branded store, without MDM. Support in-app (over-the-air) updates for seamless user experiences. Integrate natively with CI/CD tools like Fastlane, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and Visual Studio. Manage access with SSO/LDAP, use custom domains, and track installs with detailed reports for a secure app delivery experience.

Learn more about Enterprise App Store

Publish to Microsoft Intune

Easily publish your mobile applications directly to Microsoft Intune within your automated release workflow. Register your app with the Microsoft Identity Platform and provide your credentials for secure publishing. Keep your business apps up-to-date by submitting new builds and updating app metadata on Intune, all managed seamlessly through Appcircle’s Publish module.

Learn more about Intune integration

Multi-tenancy

Segment teams into independent sub-organizations to improve security and operational efficiency. Advanced role management lets you assign module-specific permissions to every user, making it easy to control access, manage responsibilities, and maintain security across multiple teams and projects, even as your organization scales.

Learn more about Multi-tenancy

SSO/LDAP Support

Appcircle offers enterprise-grade security with seamless integration to identity providers like Okta, Azure AD, and OneLogin using standard protocols such as OpenID Connect, SAML, and LDAP. The platform enables dynamic role and permission assignments based on identity provider groups, supporting fine-grained access control through role mapping via SSO and LDAP.

Learn more about SSO/LDAP Support

Deployment Options

Every enterprise has unique needs. Appcircle supports Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Hybrid, and on-premise deployments. Its portable, container-based architecture lets you deploy on GCP, AWS, Azure, or within your own Kubernetes, OpenShift, Podman, or Docker environment. Choose the deployment setup that best fits your business requirements.

Learn more about Self-Hosted Appcircle

Ready to use CI Plugins

Seamless integration with your existing DevOps tools is easy with Appcircle. Take advantage of ready-to-use plugins for Azure DevOps, GitHub, Fastlane, Jenkins, and more. With full API and CLI support, you can easily connect Appcircle’s distribution modules to your workflows, automate the entire process, and ensure reliable, scalable app delivery.

Learn more about CI Plugins

Activity Log & Reports

Track every action across all modules with detailed activity logs and enterprise-grade reporting. Appcircle provides full visibility into build, signing, testing, enterprise distribution, and publishing operations, helping you meet security and compliance requirements. Keep your workflows secure, auditable, and fully transparent at every stage.

Appcircle

Mobile Continuous Integration

iOS Builds (Objective-C / Swift) Support

Yes

Android Builds (Java / Kotlin) Support

Yes

React Native Builds Support

Yes

Flutter Builds Support

Yes

.NET MAUI Builds Support

Yes

Hybrid / Ionic Builds Support

Possible by using custom scripts

Unity Builds Support

Apple Silicon Build Machine Support

Yes

Latest Stack Availability

in 24 hours

Supported Git Providers

Azure DevOps Services Cloud, Azure DevOps Server, GitHub, Bitbucket, Bitbucket (Self-Hosted), GitLab, GitLab (Self-Hosted)

Repository Connection Methods

Hooks, repository connection applications

Monorepo Support

Yes

Android Multi-Flavor Dimension Support

Yes

Automated Build Triggers

Push, PR, Tag-based

Prebuilt CI Integrations

Yes

Custom Script Support

Ruby and Bash

Unit & UI Test Support for iOS

Yes

Unit & UI Test Support for Android

Yes

Advanced Caching Mechanism

Yes

Clean Build Architecture

Yes

Automatic Versioning Management

Yes

Environment Variables Management

Text & File-based

React Native CodePush Integration

Yes

Signing Identity Management

CSR File Generation

Yes

P12 Certificate Creation without macOS

Yes

Apple Certificate Management

Yes

Automatic Apple Certificate Renewal

Yes

Apple Identifier Management

Yes

Apple Device Management & Sync to Apple

Yes

Apple Provisioning Profile Management

Yes

Automatic Provisioning Profile Renewal

Yes

Android Keystore Management

Yes

Testing Distribution Support

Changelog and Metadata Customization

Yes

Group-Based Tester Management

Yes

Auto-send New Builds to Testers

Yes

QR Code and Link Sharing

Yes

User-Friendly Testing Portal

Yes

Tester Authentication Options

SSO, LDAP, Static, None

Public / Private Access Control

Yes

Enterprise App Store Support

Upload Binary

Manuel, API, CLI, Ready to use CI Tool Integrations

Changelog and Metadata Customization

Yes

Binary Comparison

Yes

Beta & Live Channel Management

Yes

Customizable Enterprise Portal

Yes

Custom Domain Support

Yes

QR Code and Link Sharing

Yes

Enterprise Portal Authentication Options

SSO, LDAP, Static, None

In-App Update Support

Yes

App Publish Automation Support

Upload Binary

Manuel, API, CLI, Ready to use CI Tool Integrations

Changelog and Metadata Customization

Yes

Binary Comparison

Yes

Customizable Publish Workflows

Yes

Prebuilt Publish Integrations

Yes

Automatic Publishing to Apple App Store

Yes

Automatic Publishing to Google Play

Yes

Automatic Publishing to Huawei AppGallery

Yes

Automatic Publishing to Microsoft Intune

Yes

Release Track & Rollout Configuration

Yes

Binary Re-signing Support

Manual or Automatic Re-signing

Yes

Re-sign Binary Metadata

Update app name, icon, description, etc.

Re-sign Binary Version Info

Yes

Re-sign Binary Entitlements (iOS)

Yes

Re-sign iOS Provisioning Profile

Yes

Re-sign Android Keystore & Sign Config

Re-sign APK/AAB using a new keystore

Re-sign Bundle Identifier (iOS)

Yes

Re-sign Package Name (Android)

Yes

Re-sign Build Number / Version Code

Yes

Re-sign Embedded Certificates (iOS)

Replace embedded signing certificates

Converting AAB to APK

Yes

Enterprise-Grade Features

SSO & LDAP Authentication Support

OpenID Connect and SAML

LDAP Group and Role Mapping

Yes

Fine-Grained Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Yes

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) Support

Yes

Logging and Reporting

Yes

Notification System Support

Email, Slack, MS Teams, and Custom Hooks

API & CLI Access Support

Yes

CI Tool Integrations

Fastlane, Jenkins, Github Actions, MS Azure DevOps

Multiple Deployment Options

Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Hybrid, On-premise (Openshift, Kubernetes, Podman, Docker)

Private Cloud Deployment Support

AWS Marketplace, Azure Marketplace

SLA-Based Enterprise Support

Ticket Center Access, Online

AI Assistant Integration (OpenAI-based)

Yes

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

Click here to view more mobile CI/CD software comparisons.

Switching to another CI/CD tool can be a complex decision. Switching to Appcircle is easy,however we've prepared this comparison to help you decide easier.

Discover more!

We're here to discuss how Appcircle can enhance your mobile development workflow. Feel free to reach out! We usually respond within a business day.

This information was last updated in Q1 2024

Join Our Newsletter

Get informed about news, new releases, and mobile DevOps.