Differences between Alpha and beta testing

In previous posts, we discussed Sanity testing, Smoke testing, Regression testing, Blackbox testing, White box testing, functional and non-functional testing, Unit testing, Integration testing, and System testing. So we have covered almost all testing terminology. Also Discussed when to perform these tests in release and who should do it. In this post, we will discuss Alpha and Beta testing. We will discuss the differences between alpha and beta testing, and when and who will perform these tests.

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Alpha testing -

- Alpha testing is Acceptance testing done by the internal team just before releasing the Product. This is to make sure the product team is delivering with all the features working.  

- Entry Criteria - Alpha testing starts once development and internal testing are done and the product is ready for production.

- Exit Criteria - Alpha testing is marked as complete once the internal team has done acceptance testing and all bugs are resolved. 

Beta testing

- Beta Testing is also a type of acceptance testing that is done by real users. The Idea behind beta testing is to test the product in a real customer's environment and get feedback from real users. 

- Entry Criteria - Beta testing starts once alpha testing is done and the Product is passed for production. 

- Exit Criteria - Depends on the product, once beta users use the product and give feedback. Mostly there is a timeline set for beta testing. 

Differences between alpha and beta testing

Alpha testing	Beta Testing
Alpha testing is performed by an internal team	Beta testing is performed by real users
Whitebox and black box both testing performed	only black box testing is performed
Alpha testing is performed before the release of the final product	Beta testing is performed after the product is released but not enabled for all users
Alpha testing is performed on internal devices and environments	Beta testing is performed on the customer's environment and devices

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