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12 Best Beta Test Management Software In 2023

The Best Beta Test Management Software Tools

Here’s a shortlist of the best software tools to manage your beta testing phase:

  1. 1. UXCam — Best solution for understanding user intent
  2. 2. UserTesting — Best beta testing platform for real-time customer feedback
  3. 3. Instabug — Best beta testing platform for performance monitoring
  4. 4. Rainforest — Best beta testing platform for finding bugs
  5. 5. Zephyr — Best beta test management tool for agile teams
  6. 6. Centercode — Best beta testing solution for managing and engaging testers
  7. 7. TestFairy — Best tool for automated distribution of mobile apps
  8. 8. Ubertesters — Best beta tests software for connecting with professional beta testers
  9. 9. TestFlight — Best beta test management software for big tests
  10. 10. App Center — Best beta test management app for delivering analytics
  11. 11. DeployGate — Best beta testing solution for teams working remotely
  12. 12. TestRail — Best beta test management tool for teams looking for an all-around solution

Would you agree to fly in a brand-new plane that has never been tested? For many of us, the answer would be an emphatic no. And while using a web or mobile app that hasn't been tested might be slightly lower stakes, beta testing is still an essential part of the development process. It helps you better understand your end users and create a better overall user experience.

I spent some time looking at the best beta testing tools on the market today that can support your team’s testing efforts. Keep reading to find a software that will help you launch a better product with confidence!

What Is Beta Test Management Software?

Beta test management tools or beta testing software is a platform that helps you identify bugs and issues in the beta version of your software product before it’s launched to real users. It facilitates the beta stage of your quality assurance (QA) process, and is used by product managers and product development teams.

The software performs tasks like bug tracking, crash reporting, issue tracking, and feedback management. It can run test cases and provide reports on the usability of different product features and functionality. Usually you can also conduct software testing performed by dedicated beta testers or a testing team of real users.

Overviews Of The Best Beta Test Management Software

Below is a brief description of each of the 12 best beta management software tools, along with screenshots to illustrate key features.

1

UXCam

Best solution for understanding user intent

You want to test your software or mobile apps because you want to have an idea of what the user intends to do.

This is the solution that the developers of UXCam promise when they say that their solution captures every micro-interaction on your app, allowing you to replay, analyze and optimize the User Experience.

The tool’s click heatmaps show the parts of your product where users are getting frustrated. UXCam offers a free plan, and pricing for paid plans is available upon request.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.8 96

14-day free trial + free plan available

Pricing upon request

Pros

  • Free trial and free version
  • Heatmaps allow development teams to see where the main frustrations are occurring
  • Great customer service

Cons

  • Sometimes it’s impossible to access videos that have been uploaded
  • Detailed event analytics need to be improved
2

UserTesting

Best beta testing platform for real-time customer feedback

Beta testing is all about getting feedback from real people. This is what the developers of UserTesting promise when they say, “See, hear, and talk to your customers, remotely, as they engage with your products, apps, and messaging.”

This beta testing solution allows you to target the right testers, engage them, create themes based on the testers’ actions, and share the insights with teams that need them. Pricing for UserTesting is available upon request.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.5 566

Free demo available

Pricing available upon request

Pros

  • Setting up the tool is easy
  • Customer support responds relatively fast
  • Provides many templates for quick test deployments

Cons

  • The quality of user video and audio can be low
  • Difficult to integrate with other tools
  • Becomes more expensive as you add participants
3

Instabug

Best beta testing platform for performance monitoring

Instabug focuses on delivering a solution that creates crash and bug reports. The software helps teams monitor the beta testing performance in real time so that development teams can access feedback and act on it as soon as possible.

Pricing for Instabug starts at $124 per month.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3 195

Free plan available

From $124/month

Pros

  • Excellent user interface and easy implementation
  • Feedback and bug reports are easy to analyze
  • Great pricing for small teams

Cons

  • Only allows four members per team on its Pro plan
  • Problem with exporting existing workflows
  • Not easy for the average beta tester that is not technically inclined to report a bug
4

Rainforest

Best beta testing platform for finding bugs

With over 10 million unique tests created, 15,000 unique websites tested, and 3.4 million hours of testing, it’s clear why this beta testing platform has made it onto our list. The tool permits development teams to create and run tests on the cloud.

It promises that anyone can build a test using the platform because there is no need for a code editor or installation. Rainforest pricing starts at $200 per month.

14 Days Free Trial

Pricing upon request

Pros

  • Provides the ability to beta test using a host of devices
  • Great client support team
  • Easy to write up and run tests

Cons

  • Sometimes produces false positives and false negatives
  • The user interface needs to be improved
  • Report features could also be improved
5

Zephyr

Best beta test management tool for agile teams

The team at Zephyr makes a bold promise: Zephyr is the only test management solution your organization will ever need—or ever want. They support this promise by saying, We were the first test management tool to work natively inside JIRA and, along with Atlassian tools, offer a seamless user experience and extensive breadth of functionality.

Zephyr Pricing starts at $10 per month.

30-day free trial

From $10/10 users/month

Pros

  • Great customization to match the beta testing needs of specific teams
  • The user interface makes it easy to navigate
  • Offers a trial version

Cons

  • It can be expensive for smaller teams
  • teamsMajor releases often come with bugs
  • Test executions sometimes load slowly
6

Centercode

Best beta testing solution for managing and engaging testers

For beta testing to deliver the results that will improve the quality of the product you release into the market, you will need to ensure that the people who help you test the product do a great job.

This is where Centercode comes in. It promises to enhance the beta test process by engaging the testers who provide an idea of what needs to be fixed and improved.

Pricing for Centercode is available upon request.

Free version available

Pricing Upon Request

Pros

  • Wide selection of features to meet all the beta testing needs of a development team
  • Great for managing a large number of beta testers
  • Excellent report generation capability

Cons

  • Navigating this beta testing platform is not intuitive
  • Complicated initial setup
7

TestFairy

Best tool for automated distribution of mobile apps

TestFairy is the tool for a streamlined distribution of mobile apps to real users. This usability test software comes packed with almost all the features you can think of. Specific features include crash reporting, video recording of beta testers’ actions while interacting with your product and live support, among other useful features that enhance your beta tests.

TestFairy offers a free plan for a limited number of apps. Pricing for the enterprise plan is available upon request.

14 days free trial

Customized price upon request

Pros

  • Allows for easy tracking of bugs and complaints from real users
  • The support team is available 24/7 to answer queries
  • Allows development teams to help beta testers solve problems in real-time

Cons

  • Slightly expensive when compared to other tools
  • Steep learning curve
  • Needs to improve monitoring of mobile app users
8

Ubertesters

Best beta tests software for connecting with professional beta testers

One of the biggest challenges met by teams that want to test mobile apps or software is that beta testers can sometimes be inexperienced. This is the challenge that Ubertesters attempts to solve by assembling professional beta testers from different parts of the world.

Ubertesters promises to enhance your beta tests by testing anywhere in the world on a variety of devices and operating systems and with many carriers, thus, giving you the confidence of launching a well-tested, quality product which will be highly rated by your customers.

Pricing for Ubertesters starts at $29 per month.

From $990/month (crowd testing); $19/month (QA management)

Pros

  • Excellent customer support
  • An intuitive design that makes beta tests easier to conduct
  • Great customization to enable teams to decide which parts of their mobile apps to focus on

Cons

  • Does not have a web app integration
  • Adding the libraries you need can require more effort
9

TestFlight

Best beta test management software for big tests

TestFlight is an Apple-owned beta testing solution that lives up to the Apple quality that many users expect. This is the tool you need to invite testers for your mobile apps that you want to release on the App Store.

Using a public link or user emails, you can invite up to 10,000 testers to help you determine the parts of your mobile app that need to be improved before a public launch.

TestFlight is free to use.

Pros

  • Simple setup
  • Feedback can be effectively sent through the application
  • Delivers notifications the moment a new test build is available

Cons

  • The process of inviting mobile app testers can be cumbersome
  • It doesn’t support Android
10

App Center

Best beta test management app for delivering analytics

App Center is a Microsoft-developed beta test tool that helps development teams test mobile apps in the cloud. The tool integrates with GitHub, Azure DevOps, GitLab, and Bitbucket.

Once the team is done with the in-house processes and ready for the beta test phase, App Center automatically runs tests and distributes the product to beta testers. App Center pricing starts at $40 per month.

From $40/month

Pros

  • Different pricing plans to meet the needs of different usability test needs
  • One month free trial
  • No contracts

Cons

  • Limited notifications, which poses a challenge for a team with many users
  • Slightly expensive when compared to other usability test software
  • It uses a lot of memory
11

DeployGate

Best beta testing solution for teams working remotely

We live in a time where remote working has become more common. Therefore, a solution like DeployGate, which focuses on fast distribution of beta apps to teams in different locations, seems to be what every beta testing team needs. The tool provides real-time crash reporting, ensuring that you can attend to problems as they occur.

DeployGate offers a free personal plan, as well as a paid personal plan that starts at $15 per month. Plans for organizations start at $99 per month.

From $15 per month. Plans for organizations start at $99 per month

Pros

  • Great for sharing mobile apps with teams and tester
  • Comes with an easy-to-follow guide
  • Tester account creation is automatic

Cons

  • Third-party integrations are limited
  • Does not have in-app bug reporting or feedback
12

TestRail

Best beta test management tool for teams looking for an all-around solution

TestRail beta test management software comes with a host of features that make it possible for quality assurance teams to do all their tasks within a single solution. The developers of this beta test management tool promise a complete web-based test case management solution to efficiently manage, track, and organize your software testing efforts.

Pricing for TestRail starts at $34 per user per month.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3 421

14-day free trial

From $37/user/month

Pros

  • Great integration with other beta testing tools
  • Captures beta test data in real time
  • Great user interface

Cons

  • The billing system is complicated
  • Lack of tutorials for different usability test cases
  • Poor integration with specific tools like Jira

Need Expert Help Selecting The Right Testing Software?

We’ve joined up with Crozdesk.com to give all our readers (yes, you!) access to Crozdesk’s software advisors. Just use the form below to share your needs, and they will contact you at no cost or commitment. You will then be matched and connected to a shortlist of vendors that best fit your company, and you can access exclusive software discounts!

The Best Beta Test Management Software Tools Summary Table

Tool Free Option Price
1
UXCam

Best solution for understanding user intent

14-day free trial + free plan available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
2
UserTesting

Best beta testing platform for real-time customer feedback

Free demo available

Pricing available upon request Visit Website
3
Instabug

Best beta testing platform for performance monitoring

Free plan available

From $124/month Visit Website
4
Rainforest

Best beta testing platform for finding bugs

14 Days Free Trial

Pricing upon request Visit Website
5
Zephyr

Best beta test management tool for agile teams

30-day free trial

From $10/10 users/month Visit Website
6
Centercode

Best beta testing solution for managing and engaging testers

Free version available

Pricing Upon Request Visit Website
7
TestFairy

Best tool for automated distribution of mobile apps

14 days free trial

Customized price upon request Visit Website
8
Ubertesters

Best beta tests software for connecting with professional beta testers

Not available

From $990/month (crowd testing); $19/month (QA management) Visit Website
9
TestFlight

Best beta test management software for big tests

Not available

Visit Website
10
App Center

Best beta test management app for delivering analytics

Not available

From $40/month Visit Website
11
DeployGate

Best beta testing solution for teams working remotely

Not available

From $15 per month. Plans for organizations start at $99 per month Visit Website
12
TestRail

Best beta test management tool for teams looking for an all-around solution

14-day free trial

From $37/user/month Visit Website

Selection Criteria for the Best Beta Test Management Software

If you're wondering how I selected the best beta testing software, here's where I'll break it all down for you. First of all, I started with any beta platform that have high user review and satisfaction ratings. Then, using my experience in QA, I discerned what key criteria were most important for beta test management and compared how each of them stacked up against the rest. Here’s an overview of the evaluation criteria I used in my research:

Key Features

Here are some of the key features and functionality I looked for in the testing solutions that made it onto my list:

  1. Automation: This could be automated testing, workflow automation, real-time notifications, or any other features that speed up the process while reducing manual work.
  2. Segmentation: The ability to run and analyze software testing across different operating systems, such as iOS/Apple, Android, Microsoft, Windows, and other devices.
  3. Data Management and Analytics: Graphs or dashboards to help you measure key metrics, the ability to organize and analyze user feedback, detailed bug reports, etc.
  4. Templates: Some platforms have ready-made templates for various test cases or to help you craft a test plan, speeding up your process so you can start in-app testing more quickly.

Usability

Usability is crucial when selecting beta test management software because the success of a beta test heavily relies on the engagement and feedback of beta testers. If beta testers have a hard time navigating the system, it can lead to low engagement and participation. You want a tool that has a friendly user interface both for your DevOps team and your testing team.

Integrations

Integrations are critical when selecting beta test management software because they allow the software to seamlessly connect and communicate with other tools and systems used in the software development process. I looked for software that connects with popular agile project management software such as Jira and Asana, as well as with issue trackers and version control systems, like GitHub.

Pricing

Pricing is a crucial factor to consider when selecting beta test management software because it directly affects the budget and resources allocated for beta testing. Beta testing is typically a time-limited activity, and the cost of the software can impact the number of testers and the duration of the test.

People Also Ask: Common Questions About Beta Test Management

Let’s answer some common questions quality assurance teams ask about beta test management software.

That’s a Wrap on Beta Test Management Software

From purchasing your product in the app store through the entire customer lifecycle, beta testing can inform each and every element of your customer experience. So it’s essential that you find a beta testing software that suits the needs of your unique team, product, and business model. Hopefully you found a match in my overviews, or at least you have the information you need to make a decision with confidence!

Don’t forget to subscribe to The CX Lead newsletter for more on tools and tricks of the CX trade.

By Hannah Clark

Hannah Clark is the Editor of The CX Lead. After serving over 12 years working in front-line customer experience for major brands, Hannah pivoted to a career in digital publishing and media production. Having gained a holistic view of the challenges and intricacies of delivering exceptional experiences, Hannah aims to help CX practitioners 'level up' their skills by amplifying the voices of today's thought leaders in the space.

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