Type Description of iOS App Signature Certificate

iOS app certificate selection

For an application that is not on the App Store, generally speaking, if the developer needs to install the application on some users' devices, it is necessary to export the application as an installation package (.ipa file) that can be directly installed on these devices. Whether the installation package can be correctly exported is a key factor that determines whether the application can be correctly installed on the device. One of the most critical factors is the certificate used by the application when the installation package is exported (that is, the signature method).

Developers can export application installation packages by signing certificates in either of the following modes:

Ad-hoc mode
In-house mode

Which method to use depends on the type of Apple developer account the developer has. For example, if you have a personal Apple developer account, you can use Ad-hoc. If you have an Apple Enterprise developer account, you can use the In-house method. For the types of certificates supported by Apple Developer accounts, please see the following table:

Account Type	Price	Publishing AppStore?	Installed by PGYER?	installation device	Application conditions	Certificate type
Personal account	$99	Yes	Yes	100	Unlimited	Ad Hoc, App Store
Company account	$99	Yes	Yes	100	DUNS code	Ad Hoc, App Store
Corporate account	$299	No	Yes	Unlimited	DUNS code	Ad Hoc, In House
Eduction account	$0	Yes	Yes	100	Educational institution	Ad Hoc, App Store

For the specific operation mode when exporting, please see: Package iOS IPA file

The difference between the three certificate signatures

So far, Apple offers three types of certificate signing for iOS apps, each with its own unique purpose. The three are:

Ad-hoc
In-house
App-Store

PGYER will according to different packaging certificate, respectively is shown as closed beta version, enterprise edition, App - Store version.

The differences between these three types of certificates are shown in the following table:

The certificate name	PGYER displays	PGYER supported installation range	Supported types of Apple developers
Ad-hoc	Private test version	Add device UDID to the certificate to install	Personal account, company account, education account, and enterprise account
In-house	Enterprise	It can be installed on any iOS device	Enterprise account can be installed on any iOS device
App-store	App-store	It can only be installed through the App Store	Personal, corporate, and educational accounts only through the App Store

When an iOS app is uploaded to PGYER, PGYER will show which type of certificate the app is signed and packaged with. In addition, you can view the packaging mode of an application on the application download page and application management page.

Note: This article is only applicable to iOS apps.

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