Alpha vs Beta Testing: All You Need to Know

For any digital asset, the quality has to be of top quality. It is one of the essential responsibilities for that; you have the concept of testing. However, when it comes to Acceptance Testing, things can get seemingly complicated, owing to the different types involved. And while there are three fundamental types, people often find themselves confused between Alpha and Beta testing. As mentioned above, they are both types of Acceptance Testing that seek to help the company ensure its quality before bringing it to the market.

The confusion arises because both involve real people. But that is pretty much where the similarities between the two end. For starters, alpha testing is done before release and is stringently controlled. Whereas with beta testing, it involves a select group of the end-users. It is one of those apps intended for, who provide feedback about every single aspect of the app and verify the app’s features and functionalities. With alpha testing, on the other hand, the process merely involves the simulation of real users’ behavior and engagement with the offering.

Now, let us discuss some of the other key differences between the two at length.

1. When is it done: We’ll start with Alpha because it comes first. Typically, alpha testing is done either when the product is nearly complete or right after system testing is performed. At this point, the company has decided what the outcome will offer and how. Beta testing comes after alpha testing, i.e. when the product is roughly 95 percent done. When you undertake beta testing, there are zero chances of making any changes to the product’s features or functionalities.
2. What it does: With alpha testing, a company intends to gauge the quality of the product it has built and seen that it is ready for beta testing. Here, the key focus is to identify bugs and ensure that the offering works as intended. Beta testing is significantly different from alpha testing in this regard because the primary goal is to appraise its potency and its ability to deliver customer satisfaction. Oh, and with beta testing, you are making sure you are ready for the final step, i.e., launching the product in the market.
3. Duration: Yet another critical differentiator between the two types of acceptance testing is the time it takes to execute such tests. Alpha testing involves multiple testing cycles, whereas, with beta testing, you have a maximum of two testing cycles. However, the duration of these testing cycles is also wildly different between the two. Each alpha testing cycle takes one to two weeks, whereas each beta testing cycle needs four to six weeks.

These two are significantly different from each other and yet, each has an equally vital contribution to make. And if you want to ensure you ace these processes, be sure to find a trusted quality assurance software testing company to help you out with that.