Apple has updated its developer program with a free tier that includes access to developer betas.
Anyone interested in testing beta versions of Apple’s software had two options.: Wait for public betas in July or pay $99/year for Developer Early Access. That has now changed, although Apple has not made any official announcements.
Despite this, we don’t recommend installing the developer betas unless you have a device that you don’t use every day. These are buggy versions that can be frustrating.
The best thing to do is wait for the public beta, as these builds tend to be more stable than the early developer betas.
The Developer Program free tier includes access to Xcode tools, Xcode betas, on-device testing, developer forums, bug reports via the Feedback Assistant, and developer OS betas.
The paid tier, which is still $99 per year, includes everything else, as well as Apple’s help in coding and distributing apps on the App Store. Apple offers a short description on your website for developers about the differences.
Although, with developer betas more accessible than ever, it looks like Apple is confident of their stability. However, betas are still betas no matter how stable they are, and things break, especially third-party apps. Therefore, proceed at your own risk.
