diff --git a/.changeset/modern-pugs-appear.md b/.changeset/modern-pugs-appear.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8b502fb52d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/modern-pugs-appear.md
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+'@backstage/cli': patch
+---
+
+Added a new `--entrypoint` option to the `package start` command, which allows you to specify a custom entry directory/file for development applications. This is particularly useful when maintaining separate dev apps for different versions of your plugin (e.g., stable and alpha).
+
+**Example usage:**
+
+Consider the following plugin dev folder structure:
+
+```
+dev/
+  index.tsx
+  alpha/
+    index.ts
+```
+
+- The default `yarn package start` command uses the `dev/` folder as the entry point and executes `dev/index.tsx` file;
+- Running `yarn package start --entrypoint dev/alpha` will instead use `dev/alpha/` as the entry point and execute `dev/alpha/index.ts` file.
diff --git a/docs/tooling/cli/03-commands.md b/docs/tooling/cli/03-commands.md
index d176278655..ce8f862c98 100644
--- a/docs/tooling/cli/03-commands.md
+++ b/docs/tooling/cli/03-commands.md
@@ -177,11 +177,12 @@ Usage: backstage-cli package start [options]
 Start a package for local development
 
 Options:
-  --config <path>  Config files to load instead of app-config.yaml (default: [])
-  --role <name>    Run the command with an explicit package role
-  --check          Enable type checking and linting if available
-  --inspect        Enable debugger in Node.js environments
-  --inspect-brk    Enable debugger in Node.js environments, breaking before code starts
+  --config <path>      Config files to load instead of app-config.yaml (default: [])
+  --role <name>       Run the command with an explicit package role
+  --check             Enable type checking and linting if available
+  --inspect           Enable debugger in Node.js environments
+  --inspect-brk       Enable debugger in Node.js environments, breaking before code starts
+  --entrypoint <path> Entry directory path (uses index file) or entry file path (without extension). Defaults to "dev"
 ```
 
 ## package build
diff --git a/packages/cli/cli-report.md b/packages/cli/cli-report.md
index e2f5bb9cc6..a8df5242ad 100644
--- a/packages/cli/cli-report.md
+++ b/packages/cli/cli-report.md
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ Usage: program [options]
 Options:
   --check
   --config <path>
+  --entrypoint <path>
   --inspect [host]
   --inspect-brk [host]
   --link <path>
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/command.ts b/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/command.ts
index 05fc668356..b38957f488 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/command.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/command.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { paths } from '../../../../../lib/paths';
 export async function command(opts: OptionValues): Promise<void> {
   await startPackage({
     role: await findRoleFromCommand(opts),
+    entrypoint: opts.entrypoint,
     targetDir: paths.targetDir,
     configPaths: opts.config as string[],
     checksEnabled: Boolean(opts.check),
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/startPackage.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/startPackage.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ca153adb22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/startPackage.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2020 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { createMockDirectory } from '@backstage/backend-test-utils';
+import { resolveEntryPath } from './startPackage';
+
+describe('resolveEntryPath', () => {
+  const mockDir = createMockDirectory();
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    mockDir.clear();
+  });
+
+  it('should remove file extensions', () => {
+    mockDir.setContent({
+      'dev/custom.tsx': '// dev app code',
+    });
+
+    const result = resolveEntryPath('dev/custom.tsx', mockDir.path);
+
+    expect(result).toBe('dev/custom');
+  });
+
+  it('should remove trailing slashes', () => {
+    mockDir.setContent({
+      'dev/alpha.ts': '// dev app code',
+    });
+
+    const result = resolveEntryPath('dev/alpha/', mockDir.path);
+
+    expect(result).toBe('dev/alpha');
+  });
+
+  it('should handle multiple dots in filename', () => {
+    mockDir.setContent({
+      'index.alpha.ts': 'export const data = {};',
+    });
+
+    const result = resolveEntryPath('index.alpha.ts', mockDir.path);
+
+    expect(result).toBe('index.alpha');
+  });
+
+  it('should handle simple directory names', () => {
+    mockDir.setContent({
+      'dev/index.ts': '// dev app code',
+    });
+
+    const result = resolveEntryPath('dev', mockDir.path);
+
+    expect(result).toBe('dev/index');
+  });
+
+  it('should handle nested directory paths', () => {
+    mockDir.setContent({
+      'dev/alpha/index.ts': '// dev app code',
+    });
+
+    const result = resolveEntryPath('dev/alpha', mockDir.path);
+
+    expect(result).toBe('dev/alpha/index');
+  });
+
+  it('should return the file when there is a directory with the same name', () => {
+    mockDir.setContent({
+      'dev/alpha.ts': '// dev app code',
+      'dev/app-config.yaml': '// dev app config',
+      'dev/alpha/index.ts': '// dev app code',
+      'dev/alpha/app-config.yaml': '// dev app config',
+    });
+
+    const result = resolveEntryPath('dev/alpha', mockDir.path);
+
+    expect(result).toBe('dev/alpha');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/startPackage.ts b/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/startPackage.ts
index 10f705ba4d..b49fd482e5 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/startPackage.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/modules/build/commands/package/start/startPackage.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,24 @@
 import { PackageRole } from '@backstage/cli-node';
 import { startBackend, startBackendPlugin } from './startBackend';
 import { startFrontend } from './startFrontend';
+import { parse, resolve, join } from 'path';
+import { glob } from 'glob';
+
+export function resolveEntryPath(
+  entrypoint: string = 'dev',
+  targetDir: string,
+): string {
+  const { dir: entryDir, name: entryName } = parse(entrypoint);
+  const [entryFile] = glob.sync(`${resolve(targetDir, entryDir, entryName)}.*`);
+  if (entryFile) {
+    return join(entryDir, entryName);
+  }
+  return join(entryDir, entryName, 'index');
+}
 
 export async function startPackage(options: {
   role: PackageRole;
+  entrypoint?: string;
   targetDir: string;
   configPaths: string[];
   checksEnabled: boolean;
@@ -45,8 +60,8 @@ export async function startPackage(options: {
     case 'frontend-plugin':
     case 'frontend-plugin-module':
       return startFrontend({
-        entry: 'dev/index',
         ...options,
+        entry: resolveEntryPath(options.entrypoint, options.targetDir),
       });
     case 'frontend-dynamic-container' as PackageRole: // experimental
       return startFrontend({
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/modules/build/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/modules/build/index.ts
index fd31a6c782..5382adfec9 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/modules/build/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/modules/build/index.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ export const buildPlugin = createCliPlugin({
             '--link <path>',
             'Link an external workspace for module resolution',
           )
+          .option(
+            '--entrypoint <path>',
+            'The entrypoint to start from, relative to the package root. Can point to either a file (without extension) or a directory (in which case the index file in that directory is used). Defaults to "dev"',
+          )
           .action(lazy(() => import('./commands/package/start'), 'command'));
 
         await defaultCommand.parseAsync(args, { from: 'user' });