Xcode Cloud
Xcode Cloud is a continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) service built into Xcode, designed to automate the building, testing, and distribution of apps for Apple platforms.
What is Xcode Cloud?
Xcode Cloud is a CI/CD service integrated into Xcode, Apple's official IDE. It is tailored for developers building apps for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Xcode Cloud automates key tasks such as building apps in the cloud, running tests on simulated devices, and distributing builds to testers or the App Store. This service simplifies the development workflow by handling the complexities of integration and delivery, allowing teams to focus more on coding and innovation.
Top Alternatives to Xcode Cloud
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 integration (OpenID & SAML) for secure access control.
- Advanced Build Configuration with customizable workflows.
- Offers multi-tenancy for better workspace organization.
- Advanced Signing Identities management.
- Provides enterprise-grade logs and detailed reporting.
Others
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.
App Center (Deprecated)
App Center has slower build speeds, limited workflow customization, and is primarily focused on testing and analytics rather than offering full CI/CD capabilities.
FAQs
Appcircle vs. Xcode Cloud
Compare Appcircle with Xcode Cloud as Mobile CI/CD and DevOps tools and discover how Appcircle stands out.
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 and helps prevent cloud vendor lock-in. Whether you choose to deploy on GCP Public Cloud, on-premise, or privately through the AWS Marketplace, Appcircle is built to meet your needs.
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.
Appcircle
Xcode-Cloud
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Azure DevOps Services Cloud, Azure DevOps Server, GitHub, Bitbucket, Bitbucket (Self-Hosted), GitLab, GitLab (Self-Hosted)
GitHub, GitHub (Self-Hosted), Bitbucket, Bitbucket (Self-Hosted), GitLab, GitLab (Self-Hosted)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Use workflow steps that are tailored and maintained for mobile development.
Usage between custom pre-action, action, post-action
Yes
No
Yes
No
Ruby and Bash
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
In Roadmap
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Only TestFlight internal and external
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Public Cloud, Private Cloud,
On-premise, AWS (Amazon Web Services), GCP (Google Cloud Platform), Azure
Public Cloud hosted on Apple's infrastructure, no private cloud or on-premise options.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Supports LDAP group/role mapping, enabling seamless integration with your organization's directory services for effective and automated tester group management.
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Fixed, Transparent Pricing
Pricing based on compute hours/month
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 CI/CD tool 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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