Difference Between Pilot and Beta Testing

Beta and pilot are generally used synonymously by many companies but they do have a difference:
 
Pilot testing - This is a real world testing executed by group of end users, before it’s full deployment in order to find defects so as to improve the quality of the application. The purpose of pilot testing is to find potential problems as early as possible before they become costly mistakes. The level of pilot testing depends on the size of the project. For larger projects, a planned pilot is necessary.
 
Beta testing – Beta test is done when the project is about to release. In this type of testing application is given to the end users to check whether the application meet users requirement. It is done by end users prior to it’s final release when the development and testing are essentially completed. The purpose is to detect final problems and defects.
 
Beta testing is performed when pilot testing is completed successfully and the defects found while performing pilot testing are fixed. In Software development life cycle Beta testing comes at last , while the pilot testing is done before the system is deployed. In pilot testing only limited users can use the product whereas beta testing is done by all users.