Which type of testing follows alpha testing?

Beta testing is a crucial phase in the software development life cycle that follows alpha testing. During alpha testing, a software product is tested internally by developers and a select group of users to identify bugs and ensure that any significant issues are resolved before the product is released to a larger audience.

Once alpha testing is concluded and the product is deemed stable enough, it moves into the beta testing phase. This stage involves releasing the software to a limited external audience outside of the organization, often referred to as "beta testers". The goal of beta testing is to gather feedback from real users in various environments, identify any remaining issues, and assess the software's performance in a broader context. This user feedback is invaluable in making final adjustments before the official launch of the software.

In contrast, integration testing, system testing, and trial testing do not typically follow alpha testing in this structured sequence. Integration testing is usually performed earlier to ensure that individual modules work together as intended, while system testing evaluates the overall system's compliance with specified requirements and is also typically conducted before beta testing starts. Trial testing, often used to refer to preliminary tests, can encompass various testing types but does not specifically denote a formal phase in the software deployment pipeline like beta testing does.