How to Choose The Right Automation Testing Tools
Automation testing tools allow you to test the functionality of your applications. Automated test scripts can be used to verify functional and/or non-functional requirements.
Setting a clear and concise automation testing tools evaluation strategy is crucial with the DevOps and Agile manifestos as the standard for software testing. This strategy must answer the following questions:
- What features do you want?
- Who will use the tool to test? Devs and QA teams?
- Can it be integrated into CI/CD pipelines?
- Is it simple to maintain scripts and use test assets?
- How much is the budget for your team?
- Support for technical issues is available where?
There is no one-size-fits-all automation tool. It all boils down to the specific needs of your team.
Top 10 List of Automation Testing Tools
1. Katalon Studio
Katalon Studio is an automated testing tool that can be used to test web, mobile, API, desktop, and Windows applications. It’s low-code and easily scalable. Katalon Studio has over 1,000,000 users and has been trusted by more than 100,000 businesses as an automation solution.
After removing the code and building a test automation system from scratch, Users can simply download the tool to focus on testing. Additionally, Studio offers frequent releases to stay compatible with the latest platforms/browsers/OS.
Highlights:
- Flexible test design methods: Record & playback, Manual, and Scripting Mode
- Accepted testing methods: DDT, BDD, Keyword-Driven Testing, and Cross-Browser Testing. (Headless Chrome, Edge Firefox, Safari). Cross-Platform Mobile Testing. (iOS, Android).
- Automatic Retry Failed Tests and Smart Wait are two options.
- Test objects, keywords, and test cases that can be reused with Test Artifact Sharing or Page Object Model design
- Native integrations with popular CI/CD/ALMs tools (Jira. GitLab. Jenkins. BitBucket. Azure DevOps. etc.
- Smart Debugging UI and Test Reporting to quickly troubleshoot problems
Also read: Top 15 Web Service Testing Tools and Software
2. Selenium
Selenium was created in 2004 and is a popular open-source framework that automates web testing automation. Selenium WebDriver and Selenium Grid are the core components of its software suite. Selenium IDE is also included.
Highlights:
- Supported programming languages: Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, PHP, etc.
- Supported browsers: Chrome, Firefox, IE, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Safari, etc.
- Selenium Server allows remote or local testing
- Executions can be parallel or cross-browser to increase coverage and reduce execution time
- Integrations with other testing frameworks, such as TestNG for reporting and CI/CD tools
3. Appium
Appium, like Selenium, is an open-source automation tool for testing mobile applications. Appium uses mobile JSON wire protocol to allow users to create automated UI tests on native, hybrid, and web-based mobile applications.
Highlights:
- Supported programming languages: Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, PHP, Perl
- Cross-platform testing using the same APIs and reusable test scripts
- Execution on real devices, emulators, and simulators
- Integrations with other testing frameworks or CI/CD tools
4. TestComplete
TestComplete automates functional UI testing on desktop, mobile, and web applications. TestComplete supports 500+ controls as well as third-party frameworks. This allows you to identify and handle dynamic UI elements across all technologies.
Highlights:
- Supported programming languages: JavaScript, Python, VBScript, JScript, Delphi, C++, C#
- Flexible test design options: Record & playback, manual and scripting modes.
- Object identification using property-based and AI visual recognition
- Cross-browser, parallel, and cross-device testing
- Integrations with other testing frameworks and CI/CD tools as well as the SmartBear ecosystem
5. Cypress
Cypress supports JavaScript frameworks and is a developer-centric automation tool that allows for end-to-end web testing. Cypress is built upon a new architecture and can operate directly within a browser using the same run-loop that your application. This allows native access to elements, faster executions, and faster executions.
Highlights:
- Supported programming language: JavaScript
- Snapshots of debugging and execution of test steps using familiar development tools
- You can control the behavior of functions, server response time, timers, and network traffic.
- Connect to Dashboard Service for optimization and test performance
- Integrations with popular CI/CD tool
6. Ranorex Studio
Ranorex Studio is next on the list and can automate GUI testing of web, mobile, or desktop applications. Ranorex’s framework can be used by both beginners and experienced testers. It includes low-code automation as well as a full IDE.
Highlights:
- C# and VB.Net are supported programming languages
- Wide support for desktop, mobile, and web technologies
- Ranorex Spy tool, RanoreXPath to reliably recognize GUI elements
- Flexible test design methods: Record and Playback, scripting mode
- Selenium Grid allows for parallel or distributed testing
- Integrations with other testing frameworks or CI/CD tools
7. Perfecto
Perfecto is a cloud-based, automated testing platform that can be used for mobile and web applications. Perfecto allows continuous testing to be more feasible for DevOps teams thanks to its automated cross-environment executions and custom capabilities. It also provides test analysis and broad integrations.
Highlights:
- Scriptless testing for UI web applications
- Mobile testing with real-user stimulation: network visualization and other environmental conditions
- Execution of parallel and cross-platform tasks
- Advanced test analytics using a centralized dashboard and AI noise filtering
- Integrations with other testing frameworks or CI/CD tools
8. LambdaTest
LambdaTest offers automated cloud testing. The cloud service allows teams and individuals to increase their coverage of tests with fast parallel, cross-browser and cross-device testing.
Highlights:
- Online Selenium Grid is a cloud-based service that supports over 2000 browsers and OSs
- Support for Cypress test scripts cross-browser and parallel executions
- Geolocation web testing in over 27 countries
- Integrations with other testing frameworks or CI/CD tools
Also read: 6 Best Open Source Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Tools
9. Postman
Postman is an automation tool for API that is widely used. You can write any type of test, including integration, regression, or functional tests. They are then executed automatically via CI/CD pipelines using the command line.
Highlights:
- A friendly and simple-to-use interface with code snippets
- Multiple HTML methods, Swagger, and RAML formats are supported
- API schemas support broad use to generate API elements and collections.
- Executions with parameterization and creation of test suites, as well as debugging
- Integrations with popular CI/CD tool
10. SoapUI
This open-source API test tool is suitable for SOAP Web Services and REST. Automated functional, performance, and security testing are some of the key features. For more advanced capabilities, users can opt for ReadyAPI (formerly SoapUI Pro), which is a commercial version.
Highlights:
- Drag and drop to create tests even for complex scenarios
- To reduce the effort of building production systems for testing, service stimulation
- Reusability of quick and simple test scripts
- ReadyAPI offers more protocol support and capabilities.
Choose Your Best Automation Testing Tool
Automation testing tools are essential. You don’t have to follow the example of other teams when choosing one for your team. To find the right fit, consider your team’s needs, future scalability, and human resources.
Selenium and Appium can be great automation frameworks if your testers are developers who have experience. It allows you to build and scale up from the ground up.
