Crowdtesting FAQ: Answers to the Most Common Questions

Discover everything you need to know about managed crowdtesting and real-device testing with our global community of professional software testers.

This FAQ provides clear answers to the most common questions about how crowdtesting works, what services Ubertesters offer, and how we ensure quality, security, and seamless integration within your development process.

What is crowdtesting?

Crowdtesting (or crowdsourced testing) is a managed QA model that uses a global community of real users who test your digital products, such as mobile apps, websites, SaaS platforms, and web applications, on their own devices under real conditions. This approach allows companies to see how products perform in real-world scenarios across multiple devices, networks, and environments.

You can learn more about the concept in our Guide: What Is Crowd Testing.
For additional reading, check out the blog post What Is the Crowd Testing Life Cycle? A Complete Guide or watch this short video on What Is Crowd Testing.

How does crowdtesting differ from traditional QA?

Traditional QA is performed in controlled lab environments with limited devices and pre-defined testing conditions. Crowdtesting, by contrast, engages a diverse pool of real testers around the world, each using their own devices, networks, and environments. This approach helps uncover real-world issues in payments, localization, UX, and connectivity before launch, providing faster feedback, broader coverage, and higher confidence in product quality.

You can learn more about crowdtesting benefits in our blog post Crowdtesting vs Internal QA Team.

Why is crowdtesting important?

Crowd testing enables organizations to involve a diverse group of testers using different devices and environments, at a fraction of the cost and time required for traditional in-house testing.

Key advantages of crowd testing:

  • Flexibility: Run tests anytime, scheduled or on short notice. The crowd is always available, even on weekends and holidays.
  • Device Diversity: Access testers worldwide using virtually any device, OS, browser, or mobile carrier.
  • Scalability: Easily adjust the test scope, from 10 to 100+ testers, to gather meaningful results quickly.
  • Lower Cost: Achieve powerful QA results at a much lower cost than traditional methods.
  • Fresh Insights: Receive unbiased feedback from independent testers who bring a curious, outsider perspective.
  • Faster Releases: Improve time-to-market by boosting pre-launch QA effectiveness.
  • Continuous Testing: Evaluate your product at any development stage to ensure consistent quality and performance.

For more details about the benefits of this approach, see our blog posts Crowd Testing Can Improve Software Quality and Time-to-Market and Boost Your Product’s Quality with Ad-Hoc Testing: Why Crowd Testing Is the Game-Changer.

How does Ubertesters differ from other testing companies?

Ubertesters combines the global reach of a large tester community with the reliability of a fully managed, end-to-end QA service. Every project includes a dedicated Project Manager (PM), senior QA leads, and vetted, performance-rated testers from more than 150 countries.

Unlike other testing companies that provide limited management or self-service access to testers, Ubertesters delivers a fully managed QA experience. We scope each project, manage execution from start to finish, and deliver actionable, ISTQB-standard reports that help development teams identify, reproduce, and fix issues efficiently.

In addition to managed crowdtesting, we also provide full-time remote QA experts on an outsourcing basis, allowing clients to create a hybrid model that combines dedicated QA professionals with on-demand testing at scale.

You can read more About Us or learn more about How We Work.

Which industries benefit most from crowdtesting?

Crowdtesting delivers the highest value in industries that require real-device, real-user validation across multiple regions and environments. These include FinTech and Payments, iGaming and Betting, eCommerce, Travel and Mobility, Media and Streaming, and Telecom or IoT. It is also highly beneficial for regulated applications in Healthcare, Education, and Automotive, where usability or localization testing at scale is essential.

Case study examples:

  • Healthcare – BetterHelp: usability and accessibility testing for a leading online therapy platform.
  • Gaming – 888 Casino: localization and performance testing across multiple markets.
  • Finance – eToro: payment flow validation and multi-device functional testing for a global trading platform.
Why is crowdtesting important for product quality and release speed?

Crowdtesting adds diverse environments and real devices on demand to your QA strategy. This approach helps teams detect critical bugs earlier, reduce rework, and release faster with greater confidence. Managed crowdtesting consistently improves pre-launch quality, accelerates testing cycles, and enhances overall user satisfaction.

For more insights, read our blog posts Boost Your Product’s Quality with Ad-Hoc Testing: Why Crowd Testing Is the Game-Changer.

How does Ubertesters manage testers, security, and compliance?

We recruit and vet more than 120,000 testers across 150 countries. All testers sign a strict Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and are rated for performance, reliability, and communication through our proprietary scoring system. All testing is performed on real devices to ensure accuracy and authenticity.

Our platform and processes comply fully with GDPR, CCPA, and other global privacy standards. Senior QA leads review every test cycle and result to guarantee accuracy, consistency, and compliance.

Read more about Our Community of Testers.

Services and Capabilities

What types of crowdtesting do you offer?

We provide end-to-end testing coverage across the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), combining managed QA expertise with the power of a global community of professional software testers.

Our testing services include:

  • Exploratory Testing: uncovering unexpected issues and usability gaps through real-world tester exploration.
  • Functional Testing: validating that every feature works as intended on different devices and systems.
  • User Experience (UX) Testing: assessing how intuitive, engaging, and efficient the product feels to real users.
  • Test Case Execution: running structured test cases based on predefined requirements and success criteria.
  • Payment Testing: verifying payment flows, gateways, and regional methods to ensure seamless transaction experiences.
  • Usability Testing: evaluating ease of use, navigation, and clarity from the end-user perspective.
  • Localization Testing: confirming accuracy of language, currency, and cultural adaptation across markets.
  • iGaming Testing: ensuring compliance, fairness, and functionality for gaming and betting platforms.
  • Mystery Shopping Testing: simulating customer interactions to test end-to-end user and payment journeys.
  • Accessibility Testing: ensuring digital products are inclusive and usable for people with disabilities.
  • Regression Testing: confirming that new updates or fixes do not break existing functionality.
  • Location Testing: verifying that location-based features, maps, and geofencing behave correctly in different regions.
  • Remote Usability Videos: capturing real testers’ interactions on video to observe authentic behavior and friction points.
  • Entire Product Life Cycle Testing: providing continuous testing support from prototype to post-release.
Which devices, OS versions, and environments do you cover?

We cover thousands of real devices and OS versions across multiple carriers and networks in 150+ countries. We use no emulators or simulators, only real people with real devices in real conditions.

Can you support sensitive or regulated industries like FinTech or Healthcare?

Yes. We follow strict protocols, use anonymized data where possible, and assign only experienced software testers for high-sensitivity projects. Our managed approach ensures that testing is handled with the highest level of confidentiality and professionalism, especially for healthcare and financial applications that process sensitive information.

Case study examples:

  • Healthcare – BetterHelp: large-scale real-device and usability testing to ensure stability, privacy, and a seamless experience for users of an online therapy platform.
  • Finance – eToro: multi-device functional and localization testing to maintain reliability and trust across global trading environments.
Do you integrate with our tools like Jira, TestRail, and YouTrack?

Yes. You can seamlessly track issues, progress, and reports within your existing tool stack through native integrations and standard workflows. Our platform acts as a bridge between your development and testing environments, ensuring that all bug reports that follow ISTQB standards are automatically visible and updated in your defect management system.

Process and Delivery

What does a typical engagement look like from scoping to reporting?

Each project begins with a kickoff call to align on goals, scope, and success criteria. We then match vetted testers, prepare the required test assets, and launch the test cycle. All findings are delivered in detailed ISTQB-standard reports, allowing your developers to identify, reproduce, and fix issues quickly. After fixes are applied, we conduct retests to confirm resolution and drive continuous improvement.

How quickly can we start and when will we see results?

Most projects launch within 24 to 48 hours after onboarding. Initial findings usually appear in the first test cycle, often within 24 to 48 hours of execution.

Can we scale testing up or down as needed, and will we have a dedicated project manager?

Yes. You can scale from a small pilot group to hundreds of testers instantly. Every project includes a dedicated Project Manager (PM) who coordinates planning, communication, and delivery.

How do you learn our product and retain knowledge across cycles?

We review your documentation, flows, and test plans, then onboard aligned testers. Knowledge is retained in your project workspace within our proprietary QA management platform, including tester ratings and notes, ensuring future cycles start faster and remain consistent.

What reports and insights will we receive after testing?

You receive individual bug reports that follow ISTQB standards with clear reproduction steps, screenshots, and device info, plus a summary report with severity, OS, and geography metrics. Trend insights and recommended next steps are included.

What if we disagree with a tester’s bug report?

Comment directly in the platform. Our QA team will review, reproduce if needed, and clarify the issue. This feedback loop improves accuracy and trust across cycles.

Pricing and Engagement

How is pricing structured, and what engagement models are available?

Pricing depends on the test type, complexity, and service level required. We support Pilot projects and flexible, ongoing Retainer models for startups and large enterprises. You pay for structured execution, vetted testers, and managed QA delivery. For a tailored quote, contact sales@ubertesters.com.

Is there a minimum commitment, and can we run a pilot?

Yes, there is a small minimum purchase requirement to ensure proper project setup and tester engagement. Many clients start with this initial package and then expand into ongoing test cycles as they see results. We can offer a pilot project when needed, although in most cases we recommend starting with a regular cycle for more reliable insights and a smoother path to continuous improvement.