An OpenSTF and DeviceFarmer alternative for Android device labs

In short: OpenSTF lives on as DeviceFarmer, a free, self-hosted web app for controlling Android device labs from a browser. BenchFleet is a desktop alternative with no server to run. It shows every connected phone on one screen, gives one-click control, and adds workflows, schedules and AI on paid plans. It is free for 3 phones.

STF, the Smartphone Test Farm, made it possible to control a lab of Android phones from a browser. It is free and open source, and it lives on as DeviceFarmer. Running it means hosting a web server, a database and a set of system libraries, and keeping them going. BenchFleet does the same core job as a desktop app, and adds what a device farm needs next: health at a glance, automation, AI with guard rails and a record of every action.

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.

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STF and BenchFleet side by side

	STF / DeviceFarmer	BenchFleet
What you run	A web app with RethinkDB, Node.js and media libraries, on Linux or BSD, or in Docker	A desktop app on Windows, macOS (Apple silicon) or Linux
Price	Free and open source	Free for 3 phones; Pro and Team are paid
Control	In the browser: screen, keyboard and touch	In the app: screen, mouse, keyboard and clipboard; from a browser too with remote access on Pro
Files, apps and logs	APK install, a file explorer, logs and a shell	Files, app install and removal, logcat and a terminal with restricted commands
Several people	Users, groups and device booking	People with roles and scoped permissions on Team
Automation	Not built in; your own tools can reach devices through `adb connect`	Workflows, schedules, group actions and AI on Pro
Health	Battery level and connection in the device list	Battery, temperature, storage and connection on every tile; history and alerts on Pro
Security	Its README says internal traffic has little or no encryption, for trusted networks	Sign-in for every part, also on your own computer; Local mode by default

When STF is still the right choice

You want a free, open-source, browser-first lab, and you have people to run its servers on Linux.
You depend on its booking and partitioning to share devices between projects.
You still test on very old Android versions; STF lists support back to Android 2.3.3.

What changes with BenchFleet

Nothing to host. Install the app on the computer the phones are plugged into. Updates are a new version of the app, not a server upgrade.
Automation built in. Record a test once, run it on every phone after each build, and replay a failed run step by step. See Android app testing on real phones.
AI with guard rails. BenchFleet's AI tasks, and AI clients such as Claude Code or Codex over MCP, use only the phones and apps you allow, ask a person before sensitive steps and stop at human-only checks. See Android MCP server.
A record of every action. Every action on a phone is recorded with who did it, in a hash-chained audit log.
Built for teams on Team. Roles, scoped permissions and approvals, and gateways that connect phones attached to other computers to one place.

Moving a lab over

Install BenchFleet on the computer the phones are connected to, and connect them by USB or Wi-Fi.
Put the phones in groups, by hand or by rule, and pin the ones you use most.
On Team, add your colleagues with their roles, and connect the phones on other computers through gateways.
Record your routine checks as workflows and schedule them.

Renting cloud phones as well? See how BenchFleet compares as a BrowserStack alternative.

OpenSTF and DeviceFarmer are the names of their projects. BenchFleet is not affiliated with them.

Questions

What is OpenSTF?

OpenSTF, the Smartphone Test Farm, is a free, open-source web app for controlling Android devices from a browser. Its development continues as DeviceFarmer, largely in volunteers' time.

Does BenchFleet need a server like STF?

No. BenchFleet is a desktop app for Windows, macOS (Apple silicon) and Linux. You install it on the computer the phones are connected to, with no database or web server to set up.

Can several people use the same phones?

Yes, on the Team plan. People sign in with their own role and with rights for chosen phones, groups, apps or workflows, and gateways connect phones attached to other computers. With Pro or Team, the app can also be used from a browser over your own network or a VPN.

Can I keep my phones as they are?

Yes. BenchFleet talks to phones through Android's debugging connection, by USB or Wi-Fi, without root. Android 8 or newer works best.

Does BenchFleet have an API?

Yes, on Pro and Team. API tokens let scripts use the phones, and signed webhooks and CI pipelines can start workflows.

Is BenchFleet open source?

No. BenchFleet is a commercial app with a free plan for 3 phones. The open-source parts it uses, such as scrcpy and adb, are listed on its open-source licences page.

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