A free App Center alternative for iOS and Android
Upload your APK or IPA, invite your testers, and every new version reaches them on the same link. No SDK, no distribution groups to rebuild.
Drag & drop your build
or browse files — .apk or .ipa, up to 150 MB
An App Center alternative for sending builds to testers
App Dropper is a free App Center alternative for the part most mobile teams used every day: distribution. You upload an APK or an IPA, you get an install link and a QR code, and your testers install the build on their iOS or Android phone. Invited testers get an email and a push for each new version.
It does not build, test or monitor your app. If you used App Center for those, the map below shows where Microsoft sends you for each one.
The free plan covers builds up to 150 MB, 5 apps with 10 testers each, 1 GB of storage, 5 uploads an hour, and keeps each build for 7 days.
Where each App Center service went
App Dropper replaces one of them. The rest are Microsoft’s own recommendations.
- BuildRetiredAzure Pipelines, or any CI you already use
- TestRetiredBrowserStack App Automate
- DistributionRetiredApp Dropper for builds sent straight to testers. TestFlight and Play Console for store testing
- CodePushRetiredMicrosoft's open source code push server, self hosted
- Analytics and DiagnosticsUntil March 2027Azure Monitor, now in preview
App Center Distribute, piece by piece
What you had in App Center Distribute, and what does that job in App Dropper. The last three rows are things it does not do.
| In App Center | In App Dropper |
|---|---|
| Distribution groups | A tester list on each app, with invite only access |
| Release emails to testers | An email and a push for every new build |
| A page per release | One link per app, newest build first, older ones below |
| Release notes | Notes sent with the upload and shown on the install page |
| Download counts | Install counts on every build |
| appcenter distribute and API tokens | CLI, GitHub Action, Fastlane plugin and REST API |
| In app update prompts | No SDK. The Android tester app shows an Update button |
| Device registration and signing again | Not offered. You register devices with Apple |
| Publishing to the stores | Not offered. Use TestFlight and Play Console |
Moving App Center distribution over
Upload your latest APK or IPA
App Dropper reads the name, icon, version and bundle ID from the file and creates the app.
Invite your testers
Add them by email. Make the app invite only if the build shouldn't be public.
Swap the upload step in CI
Replace the appcenter command with the App Dropper CLI, GitHub Action or Fastlane plugin.
Ship as usual
Each new build lands behind the same link, and testers get an email and a push.
Right after an upload. Nothing here was typed in.
One link instead of release pages
App Center gave each release its own page. App Dropper gives each app one link that always opens the newest build, with older versions listed below it.
An iOS and an Android build with the same bundle ID share that link, and the page offers each phone the right file.
Acme Mobile
com.acme.mobile
v2.3.1 (57)
12 Sepv2.3.0 (54)
3 Sep
Replace the appcenter CLI step
Pick the one that matches your pipeline. CI uploads land in the same app and notify the same testers as a manual upload.
Tokens can only upload builds, for all your apps or just the ones you pick. CI setup guide
npx appdropper upload build.apk
npx appdropper upload MyApp.ipa --notes "$(git log -1 --pretty=%B)"Needs Node 18 or newer. Locally, appdropper login signs you in through the browser. In CI, set an API token as APPDROPPER_TOKEN. CLI reference
- name: Upload to App Dropper
uses: appdropper-io/upload-action@v1
with:
file: build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk
token: ${{ secrets.APPDROPPER_TOKEN }}
release-notes: ${{ github.event.head_commit.message }}On a pull request it also comments the install link and QR code. Full workflow examples
# fastlane add_plugin app_dropper
lane :beta do
build_app(scheme: "MyApp", export_method: "ad-hoc")
app_dropper(release_notes: last_git_commit[:message])
endWith no file argument it uploads whatever the lane just built. Plugin docs
curl -X POST https://appdropper.io/api/v1/uploads \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $APPDROPPER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"file_name": "app-release.apk", "file_size": 42317884, "release_notes": "Fixes the login crash"}'This returns an upload URL. You PUT the binary there, then poll GET /v1/uploads/{id} for the install link. API docs
What App Dropper doesn’t replace
- Windows and macOS app distribution. APK and IPA only.
- UDID collection and signing iOS builds again. You register devices with Apple and rebuild.
- The in app update SDK.
- Analytics and crash reporting.
App Center migration questions
What replaced Microsoft App Center?
No single product. Microsoft points to a different tool for each service: Azure Pipelines for builds, BrowserStack for device testing, Azure Monitor for analytics, and TestFlight and Play Console for store testing. For sending APK and IPA builds straight to testers, App Dropper covers that part.
Is there a free App Center alternative for app distribution?
Yes. App Dropper is a free App Center alternative for the distribution part: you upload an APK or IPA and testers install it from a link or a QR code. The free plan covers builds up to 150 MB, 5 apps with 10 testers each, 1 GB of storage, 5 uploads an hour, and keeps each build for 7 days. Tester invites, email and push alerts and CI uploads are on it.
When was App Center retired?
On March 31, 2025. Build, Test, Distribution and CodePush stopped then. Analytics and Diagnostics were extended and now run until the end of March 2027.
What happened to my App Center distribution groups and testers?
They went with the service. Since March 31, 2025 you can't sign in to App Center or call its API, so groups and tester lists can't be exported now. In App Dropper you add testers to each app by email, and they accept once.
Can I import my App Center apps and testers?
There's no importer, but you don't need one. Upload your latest build and App Dropper creates the app from its bundle ID. Invite testers by email, then point CI at App Dropper. A token that covers all your apps can create a new app on its first upload.
How do I replace the appcenter distribute step in CI?
Swap it for one upload step: the App Dropper CLI, the GitHub Action or the Fastlane plugin, with an API token in the APPDROPPER_TOKEN secret. The build you already produce stays the same. There are setup pages for GitHub Actions, Bitrise, Codemagic and CircleCI.
Do I need an SDK in my app, like App Center's?
No. App Dropper has no SDK, so there is nothing to add to your app. The App Center Distribute module has had no service behind it since the retirement, so you can remove it when you next touch the code.
Does App Dropper build my app like App Center Build did?
No. It distributes a build you already have. Keep building in the CI you use, such as Azure Pipelines, GitHub Actions, Bitrise or Codemagic, and add an upload step at the end.
Does App Dropper distribute APK files?
Yes. Testers open the link on their Android phone and install from the browser. Android asks once to allow installs from that browser. Upload an APK, not an app bundle, because phones can't install an .aab directly.
Does App Dropper distribute IPA files?
Yes, over the air from Safari. The IPA must be signed for ad hoc, development or enterprise distribution. Ad hoc and development builds only install on devices in their profile, and App Dropper shows how many that is on the install page.
Is CodePush still available after App Center?
Microsoft published a version of CodePush that runs on its own, apart from App Center, which you host yourself. App Dropper does not replace CodePush. It delivers full APK and IPA builds, not JavaScript updates.
What App Center features doesn't App Dropper have?
It doesn't distribute Windows or macOS apps, doesn't collect UDIDs or sign iOS builds again for you, and has no in app update SDK. It also doesn't do analytics or crash reporting.
Dates and recommendations from Microsoft’s retirement notice, checked November 2026. App Center and Visual Studio are trademarks of Microsoft. App Dropper isn’t affiliated with Microsoft.
Your next build can go out today.
Comparing other tools as well? See App Dropper as a TestFlight alternative, a Diawi alternative or an Install On Air alternative.