Choose Your Betabound Path: 3 Types of Tests

Posted by Brad Day

Are you looking to join a Betabound test?

Betabound offers many different types of testing opportunities. We feature a few different types of tests, which might make it difficult to get started or understand which type of test is right for you.

Some of our opportunities have tags for “Betabound Exclusive” or “Partner Beta” tests. These tags indicate the source of the test and are vital to choosing the type of testing experience you’d prefer.

Let’s go through the different sources of testing opportunities offered on Betabound and what you can expect with each one.

Betabound Exclusives

Exclusive Betabound tests are managed by Betabound test managers, however, they may also take place outside of Betabound — within our customers’ own testing communities. These are the traditional tests that longtime members have been participating in for years. They are run by our experienced test managers using Centercode’s software platform. Our team runs tests for all sorts of products from a variety of tech companies.

You’ll use a login (or create a new account) within the hosting testing community to apply for and participate in these tests. Betabound members will also receive emails about these opportunities before they’re posted on the Betabound homepage so that they can be the first to apply for the private tests that catch their eye.

Pros:

  • These tests are exclusive to Betabound members
  • They’re run by expert test managers who will respond to feedback and provide support
  • We offer thank you gifts for outstanding participation

Cons:

  • Private Betabound Exclusive tests can be very competitive

If you’re interested in applying for these tests, bookmark our feed of Betabound Exclusives or sign up to join Betabound.

Partner Tests

Partner tests are run by companies that have licensed Centercode’s software platform. These are companies that believe in the power of customer feedback and have asked us to help find them enthusiastic testers for one of their products and have their own team managing their tests.

The testing experience is similar to a Betabound test, however, you’ll have to create an account within the Partner’s testing community to apply for and participate in their test(s). As a Betabound member, you have the ability to receive emails regarding these opportunities.

Pros:

  • We work with a variety of partners with different products
  • You’ll have a similar testing experience to a Betabound Exclusive test
  • These tests often include incentives for outstanding participation
  • Once you’ve created an account, you’ll hear about that company’s future opportunities

If you’re interested in applying for these tests, bookmark our feed of Partner Tests.

Unaffiliated Tests

If a test opportunity does not have a tag on it, then it’s an Unaffiliated Test. These testing opportunities are from companies that are either publicly recruiting testers or requested that we announce their test on Betabound (which we’re more than happy to do, for free).

These companies are not affiliated with Centercode or Betabound, and while we do our best to confirm that the company is running a genuine test and looking to collect feedback, we cannot predict what the testing experience will be like. On the plus side, these tests can be a great way to work closely with a company creating a new product and can often give you the chance to help shape a new product directly.

Pros:

  • There are a wide variety of testing opportunities available every day
  • There are often few, or no, requirements to join
  • These tests often have more casual time and participation requirements
  • They’re a great opportunity to connect with small companies developing cool products

Cons:

  • The level of support, organization, and engagement in these beta tests will vary
  • They may not offer incentives for participating

To see a current list of our Unaffiliated tests, check out this feed of all our available opportunities.

Personalizing Your Feed

We provide our community with a wide variety of opportunities and testing experiences. This post should help you determine which testing opportunities are the best fit for you. Once you’ve decided on your testing preferences, be sure to personalize your feed settings to reflect your interests using the “Personalize” button above. This way, the Betabound homepage will show you only the opportunities that are most relevant to you when you visit.

What sorts of tests are you most interested in? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Look familiar? This post is a part of a series in which we’re breathing new life into some of our older entries.