Automation Testing is one of the most effective ways to determine the reliability of software. It also helps to dramatically increase the testing speed and test coverage. One of the major benefits of automation testing is that it can complete all the testing processes without requiring human intervention. This is a huge advantage as it saves time and resources in the web application development life cycle. It also ensures that there is the least possibility of any error while testing applications across thousands of browsers and operating systems. However, with the arrival of Selenium 4, many companies started to upgrade the testing environment considering the huge benefits of this new version.
This massive upgrade required changing every aspect of the existing test environment. This means the developers also had to change their existing test automation tools. In this article, we will discuss the best automation tools that can help you automate the Selenium 4 test cases.
The Meaning of Automation Testing
Before we begin discussing the tools, it is important to get a brief idea of the meaning of test automation. During the initial years of software development, the Developers had to complete all the testing processes manually. This was a massively time-consuming process as they had to repeat all the tests one by one for every browser, device, and operating system. Moreover, the developers had to roll back to the development phase if they discovered even a single error during the testing process. Companies started to lose huge amounts of money as they failed to deliver the applications on time. This massive crisis gave birth to test automation. Test automation helps the developers to conduct all the redundant processes in the testing cycle automatically. To automate the test scenarios, companies have to use automated test cases.
We can also define Automation Testing as comparing the outcomes of a testing process with the predicted results. Using automation testing, the developer can perform both functional and non-functional forms of testing. Automation Testing also allows the developers to reuse a massive portion of test cases on other testing processes.
How to choose the Best Test Automation Tool
You must consider various factors while looking for the best test automation tool for your testing environment. This is a vital process as only the perfect tools can help you utilize test automation’s full potential. You cannot simply choose any random tool as every tool is unique and meant to serve a specific purpose. You should also consider your preferences and project requirements during the tools selection process. It is also a good idea to consider the modern test automation trends.
The developers should also check the reliability of any tool before implementing it in the test environment. To conduct this process, you can check the ratings and feedback of these tools on various user forums. Here, you can find the honest feedback of thousands of customers who are currently using these tools. Now, let us look at some of the best test automation tools in the current market.
Best Test Automation Tools for Automating Selenium 4 Test Cases
1. LambdaTest
LambdaTest is a platform for cross-browser compatibility testing of web applications on a safe and Secure Selenium grid. It uses a cloud interface to enable the remote testing of web applications from anywhere. LambdaTest also allows the developers to test the compatibility of the locally hosted web applications. It maintains a log of all the final test reports to track test cases. LambdaTest also allows the developers to perform visual testing of web applications. The parallel testing feature helps developers run cross-browser compatibility testing on thousands of devices, browsers, and operating systems simultaneously. It is probably one of the most popular automated cross-browser testing tools and is used by millions of users worldwide. Lastly, the cloud interface saves the hassle of maintaining an expensive device testing lab.
2. Katalon
Katalon was initially launched in the year 2015. It is an open-source tool to perform cross-browser compatibility testing on web applications. Using this tool, you can verify the functionality of a web application on various APIs, mobile platforms, and web interfaces. Additionally, this tool will provide you with an elaborate analysis report and test recording after completing all the test cases. The test automation interface of Katalon is based on the automation framework of Selenium and Appium. This automation tool has managed to gain a reputation with the help of its ease of access and various unique features. Another major feature is that it can create and reuse all the user interface test scripts without requiring source code.
3. Ranorex
Ranorex is a tool to perform automation testing on desktop, web, and mobile platforms. It provides various interactive features like recording and replaying test cases, codeless test creation, and reusable test scripts. It is one of the few tools that are suitable both for beginners and experts in automation testing. Ranorex also helps the developers integrate tools like Jenkins to provide continuous delivery and continuous deployment of test cases. This tool provides a dynamic ID to properly identify objects in the test cases. Lastly, it also allows the developers to provide video reporting of all test cases
4. Appium
Appium is another open-source test automation framework. Using this tool, the developers can use multiple programming languages like JavaScript, Python, and PHP to create the test cases. They can also use these programming languages to integrate the tool with CD/CI Tools. This framework is most suitable for testing applications’ functionality on mobile platforms. However, you can also use it to perform testing of various native hybrid applications. Appium is based on the client-server architecture. Other advantages of Appium include the ability to reuse codes and perform cross-browser testing.
5. Eggplant
TestPlant mainly developed Eggplant to allow the developers to perform different testing processes. Unlike other tools, Eggplant is not a single tool but a suite of tools. Thus, the developers can use all of these tools for automating various parts of the testing process. For instance, developers can use Eggplant to perform the web application’s performance, stress, and load testing. On the other hand, the functional testing tool is only meant to ensure the web application remains functional on every device and operating system. One of the greatest advantages of this tool is that it allows the testers to interact with the application in the same way a user will.
6. Kobiton
Kobiton is a cloud-based platform to perform manual and automated testing of mobile software and web applications. It uses a special scriptless approach that is controlled by artificial intelligence. Using this feature, the developers can test the software’s performance, UX, functionality, performance, and compatibility. It also provides features to detect crashes automatically and ensure the comprehensive quality of the web application. Kobiton supports the latest Selenium WebDriver. It helps the developers to quickly verify the functioning of the web application.
7. Telerik Test Studio
Telerik Test Studio is one of the best test automation tools that provide companies with a comprehensive automation testing experience. It provides you with a single platform to test the performance of your application on website, mobile, and desktop platforms. The cross-browser support ensures that you can verify the functioning of the web application on multiple browsers and browser versions simultaneously. It also has record and playback tools that are best suited for testing the graphical user interface, load capacity, performance, and application API. Using this tool, you can automate the testing of applications that have been created with various programming languages.
8. WorkSoft
WorkSoft is a test automation tool that supports the latest Selenium WebDriver. It provides integrations of Agile and DevOps that are specifically programmed to help developers tackle the most complex test automation scenarios. It is probably the only continuous automation platform that is code-free. The primary goal of this tool is to satisfy the needs of massive web development companies that work on strict business principles. It ensures that the website is completely functional by testing its performance across various devices and platforms. You can even deploy this tool when the project is in the maintenance or planning stage.
9. SoapUI
SoapUI is an open-source test automation tool created by one of the leading development companies in the industry of test automation. You can perform representational state transfers and service-oriented architectures with the help of a comprehensive test API. Developers must remember that it is not a test automation tool to verify the functioning of web applications or mobile software. However, it is one of the most popular tools to check the functioning of APIs and other services. It falls under the category of headless functional testing for APIs.
10. TestComplete
TestComplete Is one of the most popular test automation tools to verify the functioning of web applications, mobile software, and desktop apps. It allows the developers to script the test cases in various programming languages like JavaScript and Python. TestComplete also deploys unique testing methods like keyword-driven, regression, distributed, and data-driven testing. It has a robust record and play interface for performing functional user interface testing processes. The developers can easily integrate TestComplete with other test automation tools under the same brand name. This is one of the unique features that help increase the efficiency of a testing environment.
The Final Verdict
In the current Software Development Industry, there are numerous solutions to implement test automation in your testing environment. You can only make the correct choice after considering the type of application and the technology you will be using. For instance, you must consider the application’s platform, the purpose it serves, and the overall user base. You should also check the features of the automation tools to ensure that it is suited for your testing environment. It is a good idea to check all the possible integration options and the addition of third-party plugins. The perfect tool should also allow you to reuse the test cases for performing cross-browser compatibility testing. Your final focus should always be the timely delivery of high-quality web applications to your end-users as a developer.
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