What the stages mean
An alpha is an early version, usually tested internally or with a few partners. Its features may change. A beta involves more users to find problems in real use. General availability (GA) means the provider offers the release for normal production use, usually with standard support.
“Early access” and “preview” are similar labels, but their meanings vary by provider.
Check the release terms
These labels do not guarantee a fixed quality level. Check who can use the release, what support it has, whether saved data will remain available, and whether interfaces may change. A long-running “beta” still needs clear terms.