Opportunities › Self-hosted mobile app distribution platform › Proposed app
Woodshed
Self-hosted beta build distribution for iOS, Android, macOS, Linux and Windows
- Score
- 48
- confidence 59
- Evidence
- 4
- items on the page
- Rivals
- 3
- named in sources
- First version
- 35 d
- estimate
- Type
- Desktop app
- PWA: runs in the browser, installs on Mac and Windows
- Market since
- 2011
- Mature market · AI estimate
ScreensConcept
Desktop app: Development teams configure builds, tester groups, and access rules from CI pipelines—work done from a desk with multiple technical integrations. Sample screens on a computer, in the proposed brand. Their numbers are sample data.
Builds
Uploaded 4 min ago24
About this appAI proposal
Woodshed is a self-hosted place to put beta and internal builds for iOS, Android, macOS, Linux and Windows. Testers open a link on their device, install the build and get update prompts. It runs on your own server, so builds and tester lists stay inside your network.
It is made for mobile and desktop teams that cannot or would rather not send builds to a cloud service because of compliance or cost. Your CI uploads builds with a fastlane plugin or a plain HTTP call from GitLab, Jenkins or any other pipeline.
You hold the data and the storage. Setup is one container and a config file, and the management console is an installable web app that works on any phone.
- Tagline
- Ship test builds from your own server to every tester's phone.
- Voice
- PlainDependableDirect
- Why this name
- A woodshed is a place you own where you keep your tools and stock. Plain, easy to say, and it hints at self-hosting.
In the first version
Members say which features they would use. It tells PWAS what people want; it changes no score.
Runs on your own server
Deploy as a container on your infrastructure. Builds, tester lists and logs stay where you put them.
No member yet
Five platforms, one place
Host iOS, Android, macOS, Linux and Windows builds under one app, with a separate channel for each.
No member yet
CI upload in one step
A fastlane plugin and a simple HTTP upload endpoint with API tokens fit GitLab, Jenkins and other pipelines.
No member yet
Install pages and update prompts
Every build gets a shareable install page. Testers on older versions are told when a newer build is out.
No member yet
Brand identityAI proposal
Check the name against trademark registers before using it.
Palette
#12372ADeep Pine · primary#F6F3EAPaper · surface#1B1F1DInk · text#E8A33DAmber · accent#5B8C5AMoss · data
Typography
Aa
Woodshed
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 0123456789
Ship test builds from your own server to every tester's phone.
PricingAI proposal
The material gives no competitor prices, only that such services charge per build, member or month. These tiers are a starting point to test, not a market claim.
Community
Free
- Self-host on your server
- Unlimited apps on your storage
- Fastlane plugin and upload API
- Community support
Team
$49 a month
- Single sign-on for testers
- Audit log and link expiry rules
- S3-compatible storage
- Email support
Business
$199 a month
- Everything in Team
- Priority support
- Upgrade and migration help
- Offline license option
What it could be worthEstimate
What a software business making this much sells for today, from real deals. Pick a monthly revenue.
If it makes
Worth about
$194,000
Sale range $132,000 to $263,000
$120,000 a year in revenue
From 87 software businesses listed and sold on Empire Flippers in the last year, revenue vetted by the broker: they sell for about 19× their monthly revenue, most between 13× and 26×.
Measured on profit, the middle deal is 32× monthly net profit: about 2.7 years of profit.
An estimate, not an offer or financial advice. A real price depends on profit, growth, churn, how much of the work is the owner's, and the buyer.
How it would growAI proposal
How the product would reach new customers through its own use, and how the first ones would be found. A plan to test, not a result.
- Built-in loop
- Shared outputs. Each build has an install page and link that teams send to testers and stakeholders. Business-tier customers can remove a small 'hosted with Woodshed' line from the page; on lower tiers it stays.
- Do they become customers?
- Testers are mostly not buyers, but some are developers at other companies. Test how many install-page visitors click through and whether any later set up their own server.
- First customers
- Mobile teams of 5 to 30 developers at companies with compliance or data-residency limits, who use GitLab or Jenkins and fastlane.
- Where to reach them
- fastlane and GitLab communities: Publish the fastlane plugin and a short CI recipe; answer questions where teams discuss build distribution.
- Self-hosting forums: Post a one-container install guide in communities of people who run their own tools.
- Direct outreach: Contact mobile leads at regulated companies and offer a free guided setup.
- First milestone
- Ten teams running it in daily CI use, and three paying for Team within 90 days of launch.
Why people already pay for this
- VerifiedGitHub repository gained 1357 stars in 2816 days
- Public claimMobile and desktop app teams need to distribute builds to testers and stakeholders across multiple platforms and integrate with CI/CD systems
- Public claimIntegration with popular CI/CD and build automation tools is required in this workflow
- VerifiedPgyer's pricing page lists 3 paid plans, from CNY 599 to CNY 1,999 one-time, plus a free plan
Tech stack
Every proposal builds on the same PWA base, installable from the browser on any phone or computer. Dashed boxes are what this app adds.
- AppNext.js and TypeScript
- PWAManifest and service worker
- UITailwind CSS
- Data and authSupabase Postgres
- PaymentsStripe
- EmailResend
- HostingVercel
- This app · File storageLocal disk or S3-compatible object storageBuilds are large binaries; customers need to keep them on their own infrastructure.
- This app · PackagingDocker image with Compose fileSelf-hosting is the product, so install must be one container and a config file.
RisksAI inference
- PlatformiOS over-the-air installs depend on Apple signing rules and certificates. Apple policy changes could break ad-hoc or enterprise installs, and customers must hold their own certificates.
- CommercialFree open-source alternatives and cloud services may satisfy most teams. People who self-host may not pay, so the paid tier needs features they cannot easily build.
- TechnicalSelf-hosting adds support load: customer servers, TLS setup, storage and upgrades vary. Large binary uploads need resumable transfer.
- RegulatoryHosting builds that include customer data or signed code may carry rules in some industries. The product only stores files; customers carry responsibility for their setup.
- CommercialEvidence shows one repository with 1357 stars over 2816 days, which is slow growth. Demand may be real but small.
Everything marked AI proposal or AI inference was written by a model from the evidence on the opportunity page. The proposed name must be checked against trademark registers before it is used.