A defining factor for successfully applying test automation in software projects is choosing and using the right set of test automation tools. This is a daunting task, especially for those new to software test automation because there are so many tools in the market to choose from, each having different strengths and weaknesses. There is no tool that can fit all automated testing needs which makes finding the right tool difficult. Learn how to identify the right automation tool for your project with this qualitative comparison of Katalon Studio to other popular automated testing toolsets in the market.
OVERVIEW OF TOOLS
Katalon Studio is an automated testing platform that offers a comprehensive set of features to implement full automated testing solutions for mobile and Web applications. Built on top of the open-source Selenium and Appium frameworks, Katalon Studio allows teams to get started with test automation quickly by reducing the effort and expertise required for learning and integrating these frameworks for automated testing needs.
Selenium is perhaps the most popular automation framework that consists of many tools and plugins for Web application testing. Selenium is known for its powerful capability to support performance testing of Web applications. Selenium is a popular choice in the open-source test automation space, partly due to its large and active development and user community.
Unified Functional Testing (UFT), formerly QuickTest Professional (QTP), is probably the most popular commercial tool for functional test automation. UFT offers a comprehensive set of features that can cover most functional automated testing needs on the desktop, mobile and Web platforms.
TestComplete is also a commercial integrated platform for desktop, mobile and Web application testing. Like UFT, TestComplete offers a number of key test automation features such as keyword-driven and data-driven testing, cross-browser testing, API testing and CI integrations. This tool supports a number of languages including JavaScript, Python, VBScript, JScript, DelphiScript, C++Script, and C#Script for writing test scripts.
COMPARISON OF TOOLS
The table below provides a comparison of the tools based on the key features of software automation.
| Features | Katalon Studio | Selenium | UFT | TestComplete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test development platform | Cross-platform | Cross-platform | Windows | Windows |
| Application under test | Web and mobile apps | Web apps | Windows desktop, Web, mobile apps | Windows desktop, Web, mobile apps |
| Scripting languages | Java/Groovy | Java, C#, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, PHP | VBScript | JavaScript, Python, VBScript, JScript, Delphi, C++ and C# |
| Programming skills | Not required. Recommended for advanced test scripts | Advanced skills needed to integrate various tools | Not required. Recommended for advanced test scripts | Not required. Recommended for advanced test scripts |
| Learning curves | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
| Ease of installation and use | Easy to setup and run | Require installing and integrating various tools | Easy to setup and run | Easy to setup and run |
| Script creation time | Quick | Slow | Quick | Quick |
| Object storage and maintenance | Built-in object repository, XPath, object re-identification | XPath, UI Maps | Built-in object repository, smart object detection and correction | Built-in object repository, detecting common objects |
| Image-based testing | Built-in support | Require installing additional libraries | Built-in support, image-based object recognition | Built-in support |
| DevOps/ALM integrations | Many | No (require additional libraries) | Many | Many |
| Continuous integrations | Popular CI tools (e.g. Jenkins, Teamcity) | Various CI tools (e.g. Jenkins, Cruise Control) | Various CI tools (e.g. Jenkins, HP Quality Center) | Various CI tools (e.g. Jenkins, HP Quality Center) |
| Test Analytics | Katalon Analytics | No | No | No |
| Product support | Ticketing support, community, dedicated staff (third-party support services) | Open source community | Dedicated staff, community | Dedicated staff, community |
| License type | Freeware | Open source (Apache 2.0) | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Cost | Free | Free | License and maintenance fees | License and maintenance fees |
Strengths and weaknesses
The comparison table above mainly focus on the common features of an automated testing tool. The following presents another perspective by picking and comparing key strengths and limitations of the tools.
| Tools | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Katalon Studio |
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| Selenium |
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| UFT |
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| TestComplete |
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There is no one-size-fits-all tool for automated testing. It is highly recommended that testers evaluate various tools in order to select what would best meet their automated testing needs. Programming languages and technologies used to develop software continue to evolve, as do the automated testing tools, making cost a significant factor in tool selection. Commercial vendors often charge for tool upgrades, which can be substantial if your software uses emerging and frequently changing technologies. Open source and non-commercial tools, on the other hand, do not incur additional charges but require effort and expertise for integrating new upgrades. It is difficult to find the support and expertise needed for integrating various tools and frameworks into open-source solutions. Emerging tools that integrate with open-source frameworks, like Katalon, offer a viable alternative to both commercial and open-source automated testing solutions.
Original post: A Comparison of Automated Testing Tools
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