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BenchFleet vs Firebase Test Lab
In short: Google will shut Firebase Test Lab down fully on 30 September 2027 and points teams to its Developer Device Platform, now in preview. BenchFleet is the pick for testing on phones you own. Every phone is on one screen, recorded workflows on all of them after each build, replays of every run, and AI agents under approvals.
Checked on 20 October 2026. We make BenchFleet. Google's facts come from its own pages, linked below. This is the dated head-to-head with Google's prices. For the move itself, see the Firebase Test Lab alternative; for Google's agent route, see BenchFleet and the Android CLI.
Free for up to 3 phones, with no account. Pro adds workflows, schedules and AI for up to 25 phones from £12 a month + VAT.
At a glance
| BenchFleet | Firebase Test Lab | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A desktop app that runs your own real Android phones for testing by hand, workflows and AI agents | Google's cloud test service for Android and iOS apps; deprecated |
| Future | Actively developed; cloud phones on BenchFleet's servers | Fully shut down on 30 September 2027; Google names the Developer Device Platform (preview) as the successor |
| Where the phones run | Your own phones on your computer, by USB or Wi-Fi | Devices in a Google data centre |
| Platforms | Android phones; the app runs on Windows, macOS (Apple silicon) and Linux | Android and iOS |
| Kinds of test | Recorded, visual or YAML workflows; AI tasks that explore an app with your own model (Pro and Team); testing by hand | Robo tests with no test code, and tests you write |
| AI agents and MCP | MCP server for Claude Code, Codex and other MCP clients (Pro and Team), scoped per client | Android Device Streaming is reached through Google's Android CLI |
| Price | Free for 3 phones; Pro £12 a month + VAT for 25 phones; Team £20 per seat a month + VAT | Spark: 15 test runs a day (10 virtual, 5 physical). Blaze: 30 minutes a day physical and 60 virtual free, then $5 per hour physical and $1 virtual, billed per minute |
| After the move | The same flat plan | The Developer Device Platform matches Test Lab rates through 30 April 2027, then moves to pay-per-use and per-device slot pricing, and needs billing enabled |
Why choose BenchFleet
- Stop renting test time. Pro covers up to 25 of your own phones for £12 a month + VAT, however many runs you do. No device-hour meter.
- Your checks as steps anyone can read. Record signing in, buying or changing a setting once, then run it on every phone after each build, from the app, on a schedule or from CI through a signed webhook.
- Exploration like Robo tests. An AI task explores your app on Pro and Team with the model you choose.
- See what went wrong. Every run keeps a timeline with screenshots you can replay step by step.
- AI agents on the same phones. Claude Code or Codex reach only the phones you allow, a person approves sensitive steps, and every call goes into a hash-chained audit log.
- Your builds stay with you. Local mode by default, no telemetry.
Where Firebase Test Lab fits
Firebase Test Lab runs Android and iOS app tests on real and virtual devices in Google's data centres, including Robo tests that need no test code. It keeps working until 30 September 2027, and Google's own route forward is the Developer Device Platform on Google Cloud, with a migration guide.
Moving your Test Lab checks
- Connect your test phones by USB or Wireless debugging; each one shows on the Fleet page with its health.
- Record your main flows as workflows, or build them in the visual editor.
- Start them after each build from CI with a signed webhook, or on a schedule.
- Open any failed run and replay it step by step.
Also see Android app testing on real phones, and the AWS Device Farm alternatives for other rented options compared.
Firebase and Firebase Test Lab are the names of Google's products. BenchFleet is not affiliated with Google.
Sources, all checked 20 October 2026: Google's migration notice, migration FAQ and usage and pricing.
Questions
When does Firebase Test Lab shut down?
Google's notice says Firebase Test Lab is deprecated and will be fully shut down on 30 September 2027. It points teams to the Developer Device Platform on Google Cloud, which is in preview.
What will the Developer Device Platform cost?
Google's migration FAQ, last updated 16 October 2026, says the platform matches Test Lab rates through 30 April 2027, then moves to pay-per-use and per-device slot pricing, and needs billing enabled on the project. BenchFleet Pro is a flat £12 a month + VAT for up to 25 phones.
How do I move my Test Lab checks to BenchFleet?
Connect your test phones, record your main flows as workflows or build them in the visual editor, start them after each build from CI with a signed webhook or on a schedule, and replay any failed run step by step.
Can BenchFleet explore an app the way Robo tests do?
On Pro and Team, an AI task explores your app with the model you choose, and every step is readable afterwards. Your own key or a model on your computer is used, and AI usage is paid to your provider.
Why BenchFleet
The Test Lab shutdown is a good moment to own your test phones. BenchFleet runs them from your desktop for a flat price, adds workflows, replays and AI with approvals and an audit log, and keeps your builds on your own computer. Free for 3 phones, Pro at £12 a month + VAT.
Start with the Free plan
Free for up to 3 phones, with no account. Pro adds workflows, schedules and AI for up to 25 phones from £12 a month + VAT.
- A Free plan with no time limit and no account
- Starts in Local mode, with no telemetry or analytics