To deliver quality products and services at the fast-moving pace set by today’s digital era, software developers cannot afford to use systems and processes that are outdated and slow. That is why they rely so much on test automation tools to control the execution of tests and improve their decision making, so in the end they can deliver quality products in a short span of time.
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Although more and more software testing automation tools are being introduced every year, these seven are deemed to be the most popular:
1. Selenium
First released in 2004, Selenium is listed as among the most popular software testing automation tools today. Since it was introduced, it has consistently improved and evolved. Its latest version consists of many useful components, such as Selenium WebDriver and Selenium IDE.
Selenium is primarily used in generating bug reproduction scripts and other documents that help in testing. It holds a wide collection of language-specific bindings that are necessary to drive a browser. It is compatible with all web browsers and supports different programming languages, such as Java, JavaScript, PHP, Python, and C#.
Though this software testing automation tool is open-source and free, it still enjoys the support of some of the biggest browser vendors today. That means automation testers may stay competitive by making a professional investment on Selenium.
2. TestComplete
Developed by SmartBear, TestComplete is a handy automated testing tool created for mobile, desktop, and web testing. It is used mainly in data-driven and keyword-driven testing sessions, offering easy-to-use visual data and playback feature.
The software’s object recognition GUI is its most notable feature. It is used to automatically detect and update user interface objects to reduce the effort required to maintain test scripts.
As of this writing, TestComplete can be used at a price of $1,900 to $7,000 per user.
3. Ranorex
Ranorex is another comprehensive software testing automation tool designed for web, mobile, and desktop applications like PC and laptop cleaners and offline games.
This tool is known for its advanced features, such as reusable test scripts, GUI recognition, and record/playback. It also has the codeless test creation feature, which allows new test engineers to learn the process and apply it to their future projects.
At a price of $2,990 to $4,990 per user, Ranorex can be integrated with popular solutions, including Bamboo, Jenkins, Bugzilla, SpecFlow, TestRail, Git, TFS, and many more.
4. Appium
Appium is another automated software testing tool designed for hybrid, native, and mobile web apps. With the rise of the demand for mobile apps on major app stores, it’s no surprise why there is an urgent need to launch only quality apps in the market.
The tool has been made with the goal of automating mobile app testing without recompilation or SDK. That way, testers can write test codes using their preferred programming languages and tools.
Since it was released, Appium has been widely used to automate massive regression tests and convert manual test scripts to automated cases. And because it supports both iOS and Android platforms, there is barely any need for testers to learn new languages.
To use Appium, you can download it directly on GitHub.
5. Katalon Studio
Katalon Studio is a software testing automation tool that is designed based on the Appium and Selenium frameworks. What’s great about this tool is that it is completely free to use and easy to deploy. In case you have problems with it, its community of more than 100,000 testers are always ready to help. In fact, there is a plethora of video tutorials and step-by-step guides on how to use this tool effortlessly.
Even if you are a non-programmer, you can take advantage of this tool because its interface is designed to be user-friendly. Professional testers, on the other hand, can enjoy exploring its advanced features and create powerful scripts using JavaScript, Java, and Groove.
Katalon Studio is compatible with other tools that are commonly used in the QA process and can be integrated into a wealth of development processes.
6. Cucumber
Cucumber is another automation tool used by programmers to test software. The tests run in this tool are written in a Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) style to allow expected software behaviors to be specified in a language that users can understand.
Although it was originally written in Ruby programming language, it has undergone modifications over the years. Hence, it is now able to support a number of programming languages, including PHP, Java, JavaScript, and Lua.
Interestingly, Cucumber has its own programming language called Gherkin, which is designed to be easily read by humans. This comes in handy in defining test cases.
For software developers who aim to improve end-user experience, Cucumber is in the running as the perfect software testing automation tool. It’s easy to set up and it’s also free. With more than 30 million downloads, it is considered one of the world’s most popular software testing tools.
7. Eggplant Functional
Its name may sound weird, but Eggplant Functional is a tool you shouldn’t underestimate. First released in 2002, this tool uses an image-based approach to software testing, which is different from other tools included on this list.
This tool can be run from Windows, Linux, and Windows for testing different browsers, platforms, and technologies. It can also be used for cross-platform testing, mobile testing, performance testing, and rich internet application testing.
Eggplant Functional supports the integration of plug-ins, including IBM UrbanCode, HP Application Lifecycle Management, Bamboo, Jenkins, and IBM RQM.
Conclusion
It is evident that software testing has significantly improved and matured since the days of Segue and Mercury. Software testing automation tools are now more polished and versatile, supporting various testing strategies. Do you agree?