MExchange & testers

Become a beta tester for indie apps.

Beta testing means using an app before it's finished and telling the maker, precisely, what went wrong. On Makers Wall it's how you pay for testing of your own project: every report you write earns the credits that unlock the reports on yours.

Get your first testersSee what’s on the wall
  1. 1 · Post itPaste your link, say what testers should look at. It goes on the wall right away, free.
  2. 2 · Test oneClaim another maker's project and write down what broke. Each report earns 20 credits.
  3. 3 · Read yoursMakers test your project. Each report arrives locked with an excerpt; 20 credits unlock it in full.

Does beta testing pay?

Not here, and rarely anywhere for indie apps. Paid testing panels exist, but they pay little per test and select testers by demographics. On the wall you're paid in credits, which get your own project tested, and in a public count of projects tested on your profile.

If you're not building anything, you can still test: you'll see apps months before launch and makers who listen. Just know that credits only matter once you post a project.

How to start

  1. 1Sign up and add your devices to your profile, so the wall only offers you projects you can run.
  2. 2Pick an open project on the wall and read its public brief.
  3. 3Claim it: the private brief unlocks, with install steps and test accounts, and a chat with the maker opens.
  4. 4Test within the window the maker set (1 to 7 days) and submit your report.

How to write a report that gets used

  • One problem per finding, with the steps to reproduce it.
  • Say what you expected and what happened instead.
  • Give a severity: does it block the user, annoy them, or is it cosmetic?
  • Add a screenshot or a short recording when it fails.
  • End with your honest first impression: what you thought the app was for, and whether you'd keep using it.

Projects open for testing right now

Real projects from the wall. Test one while you wait for your own reports.

See your listing before you sign up

Paste your link. We read the name, the icon and the cover, and show you the card other makers will see on the wall. You only create an account when you publish it.

Free. No card, no account yet.

Questions

Do I need experience to become a beta tester?
No. What makers need is someone who uses the app carefully and writes down what happened. The report form guides you, and your ratings tell you how useful your reports are.
What devices do beta testers need?
Whatever you own. Web projects need only a browser. iOS and Android apps need a phone, Mac and Windows apps a computer. Your profile lists your devices and the wall matches you to projects you can run.
How much time does beta testing take?
As much as you want: you choose which projects to claim and when. Each test has a window of 1 to 7 days set by the maker.
Is Makers Wall really free?
Yes. There is nothing to pay and no card to add. You pay in tests instead: each report you write for another maker earns 20 credits, and 20 credits unlock a full report on your project.
Who tests my project?
Other makers with projects on the wall. They are good at spotting broken flows, confusing copy and bugs. They are probably not your target customers, so treat their reports as a sharp first pass before launch, not as market research.
What if a report is lazy?
You see an excerpt before you unlock it. Once it's unlocked you can accept and rate it, or request changes once with a message. Ratings follow testers around: a report that says "nice app!" earns a low one.

Put yours on the wall.

Free. Test another maker’s project, get honest reports on yours.

Get your first testers