A TestFlight alternative with no review step
Upload an IPA and send the link. Testers install from Safari a minute later, with no App Store Connect record and no review. Android builds go out from the same place.
TestFlight, external testers
- Archive and upload
- Processing
- Beta App Review
- Tester opens TestFlight
- Install
App Dropper
- Upload the IPA
- Link is ready
- Install from Safari
Apple reviews the first build sent to external testers. Internal testers skip review but must be on your App Store Connect team.
TestFlight vs App Dropper
| Feature | App Dropper | TestFlight |
|---|---|---|
| iOS builds | Yes | Yes |
| Android APKs | Yes | No |
| Works without App Store Connect | Yes | No |
| Beta App Review | Never | First build |
| Install without a tester app | Yes | No |
| Builds that never expire | Pro, Studio | No |
| Feedback with screenshots | Yes | Yes |
The catch: ad hoc builds need registered devices
Outside TestFlight, Apple only lets an ad hoc or development build install on devices whose UDIDs are in its provisioning profile. That’s up to 100 devices of each type per year.
App Dropper reads the device list out of your IPA and shows the count on the install page, so an “Unable to Install” error is easy to explain. Adding a device means registering it with Apple and rebuilding. How to register a device
When to keep TestFlight
- Your beta is big. TestFlight takes up to 10,000 external testers.
- You don’t want to collect UDIDs. TestFlight doesn’t need them.
- You want a review pass before submitting to the App Store.
For the daily build to a few people, a client demo or a quick QA pass, a direct link is faster.
TestFlight alternative FAQ
Can I install an IPA without TestFlight?
Yes. Upload the IPA and testers install it from Safari using the link. It has to be signed for ad hoc, development or enterprise distribution, and ad hoc and development builds only install on devices listed in their profile.
Does every TestFlight build go through Beta App Review?
No. Apple reviews the first build you send to external testers; later builds may not need a full review. Internal testers, up to 100 people on your App Store Connect team, don't need a review at all.
Can I send Android builds too?
Yes. APKs and IPAs live in the same dashboard with the same tester list. If an iOS and Android build share a bundle ID, one link serves both and offers each phone the right file.
How long do builds last?
TestFlight builds expire after 90 days. App Dropper keeps builds 7 days on Free, 30 on Pro, 90 on Studio, and Pro and Studio can pin a build so it never expires.
Can I use both?
Yes, and many teams do: App Dropper for daily builds to a small group, TestFlight for the wide beta before release. There's nothing to migrate either way.
TestFlight details from Apple’s documentation, checked October 2026. TestFlight is a trademark of Apple Inc. App Dropper isn’t affiliated with Apple. More on IPA uploads.
Try it with your next IPA
Drag & drop your build
or browse files — .apk or .ipa, up to 150 MB