Glossary
Glossary term

What Is TestFlight?

Apple's free beta-testing platform for iOS apps, allowing up to 10,000 external testers for 90 days.

TestFlight is Apple's official beta-distribution tool, included free with the $99/year Apple Developer Program. Internal testing allows up to 100 members of your dev team. External testing allows up to 10,000 users invited via email or a public link; Apple still performs a lightweight review of external test builds, but it's much faster than App Store review. TestFlight is essential for catching bugs before submitting to the App Store — most App Store rejections can be avoided by having 10+ real users run the app first.

Common Questions

Is TestFlight free?
Included with Apple Developer Program ($99/year). No additional cost.
How long do TestFlight builds last?
Each build expires 90 days after upload. You can re-upload to extend testing.
Is there an equivalent on Android?
Google Play Console has Internal Testing, Closed Testing (a.k.a. Alpha), and Open Testing (Beta). Functionally similar to TestFlight.

Related terms

Ready to ship an app?

AppBuilder Academy covers every concept in this glossary in context — from TestFlight to App Store submission.

Start AppBuilder Academy