diff --git a/build-windows-beta.ps1 b/build-windows-beta.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b59d0d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-windows-beta.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+param(
+	[string[]]$FlutterArgs = @()
+)
+
+# Set the build flag for this process only
+$env:MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD = "true"
+
+# wipe out the windows build directory if you're running into build problems
+#$buildDir = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot "build\windows\x64"
+#if (Test-Path $buildDir) {
+#	Write-Host "Removing existing Windows build dir: $buildDir"
+#	Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $buildDir
+#}
+
+# Ensure the dart-define is passed to the Flutter tool so `const.fromEnvironment`
+# in Dart will be set at compile time. Also allow additional args to be passed.
+$argsList = @("build", "windows", "--release") + $FlutterArgs
+if (-not ($argsList -contains "--dart-define=MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD=true")) {
+	$argsList += "--dart-define=MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD=true"
+}
+Write-Host "Running: flutter $($argsList -join ' ')"
+& flutter @argsList
+$exit = $LASTEXITCODE
+if ($exit -ne 0) {
+	Write-Error "flutter build windows failed with exit code $exit"
+	exit $exit
+}
+
+Write-Host "Built Windows Beta version"
diff --git a/lib/data/database/database_connection_impl_io.dart b/lib/data/database/database_connection_impl_io.dart
index 6fe00639..504d55fa 100644
--- a/lib/data/database/database_connection_impl_io.dart
+++ b/lib/data/database/database_connection_impl_io.dart
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@ import 'dart:io';
 
 import 'package:drift/drift.dart';
 import 'package:drift/native.dart';
+import 'package:moonfin/data/services/storage_path_service.dart';
 import 'package:path_provider/path_provider.dart';
 
 QueryExecutor openConnection() {
   return LazyDatabase(() async {
     final docs = await getApplicationDocumentsDirectory();
-    final dbDir = Directory('${docs.path}/Moonfin/DB');
+    final dbDir = Directory('${docs.path}/${StoragePathService.appFolderName}/DB');
     if (!dbDir.existsSync()) {
       await dbDir.create(recursive: true);
     }
diff --git a/lib/data/services/storage_path_service.dart b/lib/data/services/storage_path_service.dart
index aa532ec4..72c7b7cb 100644
--- a/lib/data/services/storage_path_service.dart
+++ b/lib/data/services/storage_path_service.dart
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import 'dart:io';
 import 'dart:math';
 
+import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
 import 'package:get_it/get_it.dart';
 import 'package:path_provider/path_provider.dart';
 
@@ -17,6 +18,21 @@ class StoragePathService {
 
   void clearCache() => _cachedRoot = null;
 
+  static String get appFolderName {
+    // get the flavor passed via --flavor
+    // android/androidtv/macos/ios/linux too? - only android/androidtv are set up currently
+    const flavor = String.fromEnvironment('FLUTTER_APP_FLAVOR');
+    final betaFlavor = flavor.toLowerCase().contains('beta');
+
+    // check for --dart-define MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD=true from CLI
+    // needed for windows, and maybe linux if we don't do a flavor
+    const betaDartDefine = bool.fromEnvironment('MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD');
+
+    final isBeta = betaFlavor || betaDartDefine;
+    debugPrint('StoragePathService: isBeta=$isBeta (flavor=$flavor, betaDartDefine=$betaDartDefine)');
+    return isBeta ? 'Moonfin Beta' : 'Moonfin';
+  }
+
   Future<Directory> getOfflineRoot() async {
     if (_cachedRoot != null) return _cachedRoot!;
 
@@ -45,10 +61,10 @@ class StoragePathService {
     if (PlatformDetection.isAndroid) {
       final extDir = await getExternalStorageDirectory();
       final base = extDir ?? await getApplicationDocumentsDirectory();
-      dir = Directory('${base.path}/Moonfin');
+      dir = Directory('${base.path}/$appFolderName');
     } else if (PlatformDetection.isIOS) {
       final docs = await getApplicationDocumentsDirectory();
-      dir = Directory('${docs.path}/Moonfin');
+      dir = Directory('${docs.path}/$appFolderName');
     } else {
       final support = await getApplicationSupportDirectory();
       dir = Directory('${support.path}/Downloads');
@@ -82,7 +98,7 @@ class StoragePathService {
 
   Future<File> getDatabaseFile() async {
     final docs = await getApplicationDocumentsDirectory();
-    final dbDir = Directory('${docs.path}/Moonfin/DB');
+    final dbDir = Directory('${docs.path}/$appFolderName/DB');
     if (!await dbDir.exists()) await dbDir.create(recursive: true);
     return File('${dbDir.path}/offline.db');
   }
@@ -90,7 +106,10 @@ class StoragePathService {
   Future<Directory> getImageCacheDir() async {
     if (PlatformDetection.isAndroid && _useMediaStore) {
       final support = await getApplicationSupportDirectory();
-      final dir = Directory('${support.path}/Moonfin/images');
+      final dir = (!Platform.isWindows)
+        ? Directory('${support.path}/$appFolderName/images')
+        // windows includes the app folder
+        : Directory('${support.path}/images');
       if (!await dir.exists()) await dir.create(recursive: true);
       return dir;
     }
diff --git a/linux/CMakeLists.txt b/linux/CMakeLists.txt
index d54c29d8..707a6733 100644
--- a/linux/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/linux/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,8 +2,16 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
 project(runner LANGUAGES CXX)
 
-set(BINARY_NAME "moonfin")
-set(APPLICATION_ID "org.moonfin.linux")
+# for CLI - flutter run --dart-define=MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD=true
+# for launch configurations - add an env for "MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD": "true"
+if(DEFINED ENV{MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD})
+  set(BINARY_NAME "moonfin-beta")
+  set(APPLICATION_ID "org.moonfin.linux.beta")
+  add_definitions(-DMOONFIN_BETA_BUILD)
+else()
+  set(BINARY_NAME "moonfin")
+  set(APPLICATION_ID "org.moonfin.linux")
+endif()
 
 # Explicitly opt in to modern CMake behaviors to avoid warnings with recent
 # versions of CMake.
diff --git a/linux/runner/my_application.cc b/linux/runner/my_application.cc
index 302f7303..1c70f4ae 100644
--- a/linux/runner/my_application.cc
+++ b/linux/runner/my_application.cc
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ static void my_application_activate(GApplication* application) {
   GtkWindow* window =
       GTK_WINDOW(gtk_application_window_new(GTK_APPLICATION(application)));
 
+#ifdef MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD
+  gtk_window_set_title(window, "Moonfin Beta");
+#else
   gtk_window_set_title(window, "Moonfin");
+#endif
 
   gtk_window_set_default_size(window, 1280, 720);
   gtk_widget_show(GTK_WIDGET(window));
diff --git a/windows/CMakeLists.txt b/windows/CMakeLists.txt
index f2ebb31e..f0c00fdb 100644
--- a/windows/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/windows/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,14 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.14)
 project(moonfin LANGUAGES CXX)
 
-set(BINARY_NAME "moonfin")
+# for CLI - flutter run --dart-define=MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD=true
+# for launch configurations - add an env for "MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD": "true"
+if(DEFINED ENV{MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD})
+  set(BINARY_NAME "Moonfin-Beta")
+  add_definitions(-DMOONFIN_BETA_BUILD)
+else()
+  set(BINARY_NAME "moonfin")
+endif ()
 
 # Explicitly opt in to modern CMake behaviors to avoid warnings with recent
 # versions of CMake.
diff --git a/windows/runner/Runner.rc b/windows/runner/Runner.rc
index baa35c31..0490ea76 100644
--- a/windows/runner/Runner.rc
+++ b/windows/runner/Runner.rc
@@ -90,12 +90,19 @@ BEGIN
         BLOCK "040904e4"
         BEGIN
             VALUE "CompanyName", "org.moonfin" "\0"
+#ifdef MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD
+            VALUE "FileDescription", "Moonfin Beta" "\0"
+            VALUE "InternalName", "moonfin-beta" "\0"
+            VALUE "OriginalFilename", "moonfin-beta.exe" "\0"
+            VALUE "ProductName", "Moonfin Beta" "\0"
+#else
             VALUE "FileDescription", "Moonfin" "\0"
-            VALUE "FileVersion", VERSION_AS_STRING "\0"
             VALUE "InternalName", "moonfin" "\0"
-            VALUE "LegalCopyright", "Copyright (C) 2026 org.moonfin. All rights reserved." "\0"
             VALUE "OriginalFilename", "moonfin.exe" "\0"
             VALUE "ProductName", "Moonfin" "\0"
+#endif
+            VALUE "FileVersion", VERSION_AS_STRING "\0"
+            VALUE "LegalCopyright", "Copyright (C) 2026 org.moonfin. All rights reserved." "\0"
             VALUE "ProductVersion", VERSION_AS_STRING "\0"
         END
     END
diff --git a/windows/runner/main.cpp b/windows/runner/main.cpp
index fcbd5ef9..81ea4c63 100644
--- a/windows/runner/main.cpp
+++ b/windows/runner/main.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,11 @@ int APIENTRY wWinMain(_In_ HINSTANCE instance, _In_opt_ HINSTANCE prev,
   FlutterWindow window(project);
   Win32Window::Point origin(10, 10);
   Win32Window::Size size(1280, 720);
+#ifdef MOONFIN_BETA_BUILD
+  if (!window.Create(L"Moonfin Beta", origin, size)) {
+#else
   if (!window.Create(L"Moonfin", origin, size)) {
+#endif
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
   }
   window.SetQuitOnClose(true);