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Today we’re faced with both a growing number of ways to test new software and a growing number of automation testing tools to accomplish those tests.
And who really has time to keep track of the hundreds (and counting) of tools out there? Fortunately for you, we do.
Before you get lost in the deep indexes of Google trying to figure out the best software testing tools for your needs, take a look at this trusty list developed by the software testing experts here.
The Best Automation Testing Tools List
Test automation is one of the most mature software testing segments, in comparison to manual testing. Manual QA on software development projects can be time-consuming and inefficient. The switch to automated test execution speeds up the process and helps development teams launch products faster and at a higher quality. Currently, the rise of good open-source options and the push toward Agile, DevOps, and multichannel models are transforming this segment, allowing teams to run test scenarios and test cases more efficiently and effectively through automated testing frameworks.
List of the Best Automation Testing Tools
Here is the list of the best automation testing tools that are available on the market right now. Many are open-source, although they still offer lots of functionalities and integrations, making them great options for organizations with small QA budgets. You’ll notice that some of the automation testing tools on this list often fit into both testing categories, or at least have capabilities in both categories. The section that we have included under-represents the tool’s strengths in that section or category.
Functional Software Testing Tools
1. Testgrid— Best AI-powered test automation for scalability
TestGrid is a hybrid testing platform that can be hosted on cloud or on premise. The platform has made testing mobile apps and websites a simple process. With TestGrid users can perform no code automation testing on real devices and use its auto heal technology to perfect the selenium or Appium scripts.
With TestGrid users can test in parallel thereby executing their bulk test cases in no time. The platform users don’t even have to worry about rewriting different test cases but reuse almost all the tests on different versions of the app and on other apps as well.
TestGrid also lets you test in parallel for faster test execution and go to market launch, reuse already written test cases on multiple apps, and generate downloadable Appium, XCUITest.
TestGrid is available as both on-cloud and on premise and integrates with your favorite CI/CD tool for continuous testing.
TestGrid is free for 1 user and 1 parallel test. Paid plans cost from $49/month for unlimited users and 1 parallel test.
2. Kobiton — Best for accessing and running manual and automation tests on multiple devices simultaneously
Kobiton is a cloud-based mobile app testing platform that allows users to build and execute manual and automated functional, performance, and visual Tests against real Android and iOS devices. Users can automate using both the Kobiton AI-driven scriptless solution and AI-assisted script generation.
Kobiton allows for parallel testing, giving the users the ability to run concurrent tests easily. Using Selenium Webdriver, users can run multiple tests in parallel across various browser and device combinations. Users can also run a full device lab consisting of local devices, private and public cloud devices.
Kobiton’s scriptless automation empowers mobile test automation without requiring complex Appium scripts. It also allows the user to convert manual test sessions into dynamic automated test scripts.
Kobiton costs $50/month and offers a free 14 day trial with no credit card information required up front.
3. Mabl — Best for low-code test automation
mabl is an intelligent, low-code test automation platform that enables teams to create, execute, and maintain functional and API tests from one platform.
Built to test the entire user experience, mabl integrates automated end-to-end testing into your development lifecycle with integrations to issue tracking, CI/CD, and collaboration tools.
Tests are created using the mabl Trainer, and as tests are executed mabl collects comprehensive diagnostic data to provide fast feedback on test failures and increase your deployment confidence over time. Plus, as your application evolves, AI-powered auto-healing means your tests learn and evolve with it.
mabl costs vary depending on functionality and test runs. They also offer a 14-day free trial.
4. Telerik Test Studio — Best for executing automated tests at low costs
Telerik Test Studio is a software test automation tool for web and desktop applications, supporting functional UI-, load/performance-, and API testing. Test Studio is built on top of the free proprietary Telerik Testing Framework and ships with standalone test automation IDE, a built-in plugin for Visual Studio, a web-based executive dashboard with test results and reports, and a run-time component for distributed runs and remote scheduling.
Telerik Test Studio is equipped with a built-in code editor, which can be used to create coded tests using the built-in Telerik Testing Framework, the .NET framework or third-party automation libraries, including Selenium.
Telerik Test Studio is backed by Progress, the home of the famous debugging tool Fiddler, and is designed for both less experienced manual/automation QAs as well as the savvier automation engineers. Its hybrid technology to locate elements is based on a combination of object ID and image, which reduces the test maintenance load significantly. This places Test Studio among the tools with the most stable element-find logic.
Test engineers use Test Studio for basic automation needs all the way to complex problems. Test Studio’s standalone testing IDE allows users to create, execute and maintain automated test suites, supporting a variety of test execution techniques. Testers can schedule and run tests remotely, on distributed physical or virtual machines/servers, in CI/CD and Docker Containers. Test Studio licensing is floating-machine-based with API and load testing being offered at no extra cost.
Test Studio integrates with all popular CI/CD tools — Azure DevOps, Bamboo, Jenkins, Jira, TeamCity, CircleCI, and anything in between.
Tool costs from $2499 per perpetual floating-machine license with priority support and coverage for both web and desktop. Their underlying .NET based testing framework is free and they also offer a free trial and personalized product demo or PoC.
5. BugBug — Best for easy and cost-effective QA automation of web apps
BugBug is different because it allows you to start automating tests faster and at a lower cost. It is suitable for startups that don’t want to be slowed down by complexity. It’s easy to learn and offers all the basic features for the entire end-to-end testing workflow.
The tool is meant to be user-friendly and simple. The interface is clean and intuitive, and test editing is done by “recording” with a Chrome extension. No additional configuration, no terminal commands or dependencies are required. You can set up automated cloud monitoring with just a click, without a dedicated engineer (unlike Cypress, where you need to adapt infrastructure and integrate with other services).
BugBug is optimized exclusively for web application testing, so it runs faster than other cross-platform solutions. BugBug creators developed a new high-performance way of executing tests in Chrome and they’ve included various tricks to make tests easier to maintain out of the box (ex. automatic scroll to element, waiting conditions, sharable components). The tool uses a Chrome extension to record and playback tests and simulate real human mouse clicks and keyboard typing. All web technologies are supported.
It’s free forever if you don’t use cloud features. You can run an unlimited number of tests in your own browser. Only schedule monitoring and CI/CD integration require a subscription starting at $49/month.
6. Mobot — Mobot’s mechanical robots automate mobile app tests that are impossible for emulators, virtual devices, and existing frameworks.
For companies with native mobile apps, Mobot uses mechanical robots to automate mobile app tests that were previously impossible, eliminating error-prone, tedious manual testing and ensuring higher quality, bug-free app releases.
Mobot uses real, mechanical robots to automate physical testing, a proprietary 4th test driver technology, on over 200 mobile devices. (Check out their homepage to see their testing robot in action.)
Supervised by humans, the robots automate business-critical test scenarios, capture results, and integrate into your release process. Their robots test like a human. They tap. They swipe. They toggle between two phones, between apps, and third-party devices.
All Mobot customers are assigned a Customer Success Manager who verifies robot test results. You get the best of both worlds: efficiency and speed of automation, with the judgment and verification of manual testing.
Mobot costs from $1,500/month/action (tap, swipe, click, etc.) and offers a 30-day free trial.
7. Testim— Best no-code/low-code test case authoring and management with remotely accessible infrastructure
Testim Automate is an automated testing platform for fast authoring of AI-powered stable tests and tools to help you scale quality. It uses AI to identify and lock-in visual elements and increase test stability of UI functional tests. Tests can be extended with custom JavaScript that can run in or out of the browser.
Testim tests are recorded and then edited in its visual editor. AI-based locators automatically lock-in elements. Test steps are discrete objects that can be configured, shared, grouped and parameterized. Testim helps keep tests clean by identifying duplicate test steps to be replaced by shared objects.
Tests can run locally, on Testim’s grid, or on compatible grids. Testim integrates with popular dev tools including collaboration, VCS, and CI servers. Testim also has a scheduler for planned runs. Test status helps manage the lifecycle of tests from draft to evaluating, active, or quarantine.
Dashboards show test run results and management reports demonstrate team and test performance as well as trends to help identify process improvements. Root cause is enabled by failed step indicators, before/after screenshots, parsed consoles, and network logs.
Testim costs from $1000/month. They also offer a free version with up to 1000 test runs per month.
8. TestRigor — Best overall no-code test automation for scalability and end-to-end tests
testRigor stands out when it comes to the new era of AI-based automation tools. Tests are created in plain English, with elements being referenced from a human perspective. You can forget about Xpaths, CSS Selectors, etc — testRigor analyzes all possible parameters behind the scenes to use the most optimal ones, which results in ultra-reliable tests.
testRigor supports web, mobile browsers, and mobile apps, as well as APIs — making functional end-to-end testing possible. They also have cross-browser and cross-platform support.
Test maintenance with testRigor is reduced dramatically, with users spending on average 95% less time on it. Seamlessly build new tests and increase test coverage instead of wasting time on maintenance.
testRigor makes the process of converting existing manual test cases into automated tests very straightforward, and users can also define and customize their own wording if they desire.
Pricing starts at $300 per month and can be tailored to your specific needs. There is a free 14-day trial with no credit card information required upfront.
9. Cucumber — Best for collaboration between development teams
Cucumber is a behavior-driven development (BDD) test automation tool written in Ruby. With Cucumber, test scenarios can be written in plain and natural language, making it easy to use for end-users with little to no programming skills.
Cucumber is a tool based on the behaviour driven development framework which is used for writing automated tests. Cucumber is available open source or through their Cucumber Studio package. Cucumber enables the user to write test cases that anyone of any skill level can understand, regardless of technical knowledge.
Cucumber creates easy to understand feature files for users and stakeholders who may not have extensive technical knowledge and hides the underlying complexities reserved for programmers and test engineers. This allows effective execution of writing and executing automated tests and provides a communication channel between business analysts, developers, and QA analysts.
Cucumber is available free and open source. Paid plans cost from $28.50/month for the entry level plan and come with a 14-day free trial.
10. IBM Rational Functional Tester (RFT) — Best for functional and regression testing
IBM RFT is a testing tool that uses IBM’s Script Assure technology to make maintaining test scripts more efficient. RFT also helps manage the full lifecycle of software development by integrating with other IBM software, such as IBM Jazz, IBM Rational Team Concert, and IBM Rational Quality Manager.
RFT provides automated testing capabilities for functional, regression, GUI, and data-driven testing, and supports a range of applications including .Net, Java, and Siebel applications.
RFT offers storyboard testing, allowing the user to simplify test visualization and editing using a natural language. Visual editing through application screenshots allows users to understand test flow and edit test actions without the need to read or write test script code. RFT also combines a recorder of user actions with multiple customization options and effective script maintenance capabilities.
Using ScriptAssure, RFT allows users to accommodate frequent user interface changes and updates. RFT also has an object repository, allowing users to reuse objects when required.
IBM Rational Functional Tester costs from $820.00/month and offers a 14-day free trial.