diff --git a/.releaserc b/.releaserc
index 19403ad..a45df7b 100644
--- a/.releaserc
+++ b/.releaserc
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 			  "pseudocodeIde/pseudocodeIde.csproj"
             ],
             "from": "<version>.*</version>",
-            "to": "<version>${nextRelease.version.split('-')[0]}</version>",
+            "to": "<version>${nextRelease.version.replace('-dev', '')}</version>",
             "countMatches": true
           }
         ]
diff --git a/pseudocodeIde/PseudocodeIDEForm.Designer.cs b/pseudocodeIde/PseudocodeIDEForm.Designer.cs
index b412e42..58a74a3 100644
--- a/pseudocodeIde/PseudocodeIDEForm.Designer.cs
+++ b/pseudocodeIde/PseudocodeIDEForm.Designer.cs
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ private void InitializeComponent()
             this.helpMenuItem = new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem();
             this.showHelpMenuItem = new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem();
             this.toolStripSeparator3 = new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSeparator();
-            this.updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem = new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem();
+            this.updateMenuItem = new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem();
+            this.updateBetaMenuItem = new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem();
             this.codeTextBox = new ScintillaNET.Scintilla();
             this.autoCompleteMenu = new AutocompleteMenuNS.AutocompleteMenu();
             this.menuStrip.SuspendLayout();
@@ -239,7 +240,8 @@ private void InitializeComponent()
             this.helpMenuItem.DropDownItems.AddRange(new System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem[] {
             this.showHelpMenuItem,
             this.toolStripSeparator3,
-            this.updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem});
+            this.updateMenuItem,
+            this.updateBetaMenuItem});
             this.helpMenuItem.Name = "helpMenuItem";
             this.helpMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(64, 29);
             this.helpMenuItem.Text = "Hilfe";
@@ -248,21 +250,28 @@ private void InitializeComponent()
             // 
             this.showHelpMenuItem.Name = "showHelpMenuItem";
             this.showHelpMenuItem.ShortcutKeys = System.Windows.Forms.Keys.F1;
-            this.showHelpMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(346, 34);
+            this.showHelpMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(415, 34);
             this.showHelpMenuItem.Text = "Hilfe anzeigen";
             this.showHelpMenuItem.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.showHelpMenuItem_Click);
             // 
             // toolStripSeparator3
             // 
             this.toolStripSeparator3.Name = "toolStripSeparator3";
-            this.toolStripSeparator3.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(343, 6);
+            this.toolStripSeparator3.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(412, 6);
             // 
-            // updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem
+            // updateMenuItem
             // 
-            this.updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem.Name = "updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem";
-            this.updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(346, 34);
-            this.updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem.Text = "Pseudocode IDE aktualisieren";
-            this.updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem_Click);
+            this.updateMenuItem.Name = "updateMenuItem";
+            this.updateMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(415, 34);
+            this.updateMenuItem.Text = "Pseudocode IDE aktualisieren";
+            this.updateMenuItem.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.updateMenuItem_Click);
+            // 
+            // updateBetaMenuItem
+            // 
+            this.updateBetaMenuItem.Name = "updateBetaMenuItem";
+            this.updateBetaMenuItem.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(415, 34);
+            this.updateBetaMenuItem.Text = "Pseudocode IDE auf Beta aktualisieren";
+            this.updateBetaMenuItem.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.updateBetaMenuItem_Click);
             // 
             // codeTextBox
             // 
@@ -352,11 +361,12 @@ private void InitializeComponent()
         private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem openOutputFormMenuItem;
         private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSeparator toolStripSeparator2;
         private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSeparator toolStripSeparator3;
-        private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem;
+        private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem updateMenuItem;
         private ScintillaNET.Scintilla codeTextBox;
         private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem goToMenuItem;
         private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSeparator toolStripSeparator4;
         private AutocompleteMenuNS.AutocompleteMenu autoCompleteMenu;
+        private System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem updateBetaMenuItem;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/pseudocodeIde/PseudocodeIDEForm.cs b/pseudocodeIde/PseudocodeIDEForm.cs
index 26819cd..34b4000 100644
--- a/pseudocodeIde/PseudocodeIDEForm.cs
+++ b/pseudocodeIde/PseudocodeIDEForm.cs
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ private void PseudocodeIDEForm_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
             FileSystem.CopyDirectory(Path.Combine(currentDir, "updater"), tempExeDir, true);
 
             // show remind later
-            this.checkForUpdate(true);
+            this.checkForUpdate(true, false);
 
             // set font
             this.configureCodeTextBox();
@@ -801,13 +801,13 @@ private void showHelpMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
         // (AUTO) UPDATE
         // ---------------------------------------------
 
-        private void updatePseudocodeIDEMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
+        private void updateMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
             // dont show remind later
-            this.checkForUpdate(false);
+            this.checkForUpdate(false, false);
         }
 
-        private void checkForUpdate(bool firstRun)
+        private void checkForUpdate(bool firstRun, bool beta)
         {
             string currentDir = Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location);
             string tempExeDir = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "pseudocode-ide\\updater");
@@ -818,10 +818,15 @@ private void checkForUpdate(bool firstRun)
             {
                 compiler.StartInfo.FileName = tempExePath;
                 compiler.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = tempExeDir;
-                compiler.StartInfo.Arguments = $"\"{currentDir}\" \"{firstRun}\"";
+                compiler.StartInfo.Arguments = $"\"{currentDir}\" \"{firstRun}\" \"{beta}\"";
                 compiler.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = true;
                 compiler.Start();
             }
         }
+
+        private void updateBetaMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
+        {
+            this.checkForUpdate(false, true);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/pseudocodeIdeUpdater/Program.cs b/pseudocodeIdeUpdater/Program.cs
index d9902ac..912c879 100644
--- a/pseudocodeIdeUpdater/Program.cs
+++ b/pseudocodeIdeUpdater/Program.cs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ static void Main(string[] args)
             {
                 string path = args[0];
                 bool firstRun = bool.Parse(args[1]);
+                bool beta = bool.Parse(args[2]);
 
                 if (!firstRun)
                 {
@@ -41,9 +42,25 @@ static void Main(string[] args)
                 AutoUpdater.ExecutablePath = "pseudocode-ide.exe";
 
                 Version assemblyVersion = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Version;
-                AutoUpdater.InstalledVersion = new Version($"{assemblyVersion.Major}.{assemblyVersion.Minor}.{assemblyVersion.Build}");
+                
+                if (assemblyVersion.Revision > 0)
+                {
+                    // beta release
+                    AutoUpdater.InstalledVersion = new Version($"{assemblyVersion.Major}.{assemblyVersion.Minor}.{assemblyVersion.Build}.{assemblyVersion.Revision}");
+                }
+                else if (assemblyVersion.Revision > 0 && !beta)
+                {
+                    // hack to allow to go back to stable release, as the last version tag (pre release count) will be missing
+                    // without this hack, the AutoUpdater would think that the new release is a lower version than this
+                    AutoUpdater.InstalledVersion = new Version($"{assemblyVersion.Major - 1}.{assemblyVersion.Minor}.{assemblyVersion.Build}");
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    // stable release
+                    AutoUpdater.InstalledVersion = new Version($"{assemblyVersion.Major}.{assemblyVersion.Minor}.{assemblyVersion.Build}");
+                }
 
-                AutoUpdater.Start("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PocketMiner82/pseudocode-ide/main/AutoUpdater.xml");
+                AutoUpdater.Start($"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PocketMiner82/pseudocode-ide/{(beta ? "dev" : "main")}/AutoUpdater.xml");
 
             }
             catch