Do you want to develop a robust mobile testing strategy? If yes, then selecting the best testing tool becomes more crucial. However, finding the right tool for your project can be daunting as the market is flooded with many options that may overwhelm a new tester. Apart from this, compatibility, learning curve, and cost are a few other factors organizations must consider while making decisions. A good testing tool must easily integrate with your existing system.
A superior tool must allow your team to work on different mobile platforms. The tool should also enable accurate device testing of the applications. While we step into 2024, automation capabilities and cross-browser testing are two crucial elements for the success of any testing tools. Therefore, proper attention and research must be done before making the final decisions. Remember that the right tool speeds up the testing process without compromising the application’s quality. So, let’s dive in to learn more about the testing tool and how to select the most optimum for your project.
Questions You Must Ask Before Selecting The Best Automation Tools?
Before selecting the best and most optimum mobile testing tools for your project, you must understand the selection process and criteria. Answering the following questions will help you in making an informed decision.
Does the tool’s feature set cover essential mobile-specific testing tasks?
Each application is unique in terms of functionality and operation. Thus, they have unique challenges to overcome. Therefore, the tool used for testing must cover features specific to mobile applications. Some standard features that the tool must include integration with the test automation framework, accurate device testing, UI Testing, mobile testing, etc.
What is the learning curve of the tool?
An easy-to-use tool not only increases efficiency but also improves productivity. It also reduces the time spent on training to master the tool. Therefore, it reduces error and improves the testing accuracy. Thus, an easy-to-use tool empowers testers to focus on their core task that enhances the quality of the software.
Does it have built-in features for CI/CD or integration with third-party platforms?
Modern-day applications have a faster development cycle. Therefore, companies have to reduce manual errors and ensure consistent quality. Scalability is also a crucial factor for present-day applications. All these requirements highlight the role of CI/CD in today’s world. Therefore, QA automation companies prefer a tool that has CI/CD integration features.
Does the tool offer both scripting and scriptless methods?
The testing team of an organization consists of individuals with varying technical expertise. As a result, collaboration between the team becomes difficult, significantly affecting the application development and testing. Therefore, an ideal tool for testing must offer scripting and a scriptless method. It smoothens the collaboration and offers flexibility, rapid test creations, and complex test scenarios.
Is the tool within your budget?
Mobile testing comes with variable costs depending upon the features it offers to the portable testers. The price includes licensing fees, subscription fees, and ongoing maintenance charges. Therefore, as an organization, you must evaluate that the tool must align with your budget. At the same time, it has adequate features and functionalities specific to your testing requirements.
10 Best Mobile Testing Tools in 2023
Appium
Appium is a top choice for mobile testing, especially among open-source enthusiasts. It tests Android and iOS apps and follows the WebDriver protocol. What’s great is that it can work with your preferred frameworks, tools, and practices. Appium also supports hybrid and native mobile web apps developed using programming languages like Java, C#, Ruby, PHP, Javascript, and Python. It is open-source, has a strong community, and is easily set up. It’s a cross-platform tool with a user-friendly interface for downloading on different platforms.
Pros
- This supports multiple testing framework
- It is easy to configure the platform
Cons
- The execution is quite slow.
Price
- It is an open-source tool
MonkeyRunner
MonkeyRunner is a sought-after testing tool known for functional and regression testing, offering control over multiple Android devices. You can write test scripts in Python, and this mobile testing uses Jython, a Python implementation that interacts with the Android framework. It can run tests and compare the output screenshots with the correct ones.
Pros
- Offers multiple device control
- Flexible, functional, automated UI Testing for Android
Cons
- Lacks UI Integrations
Price
- Available with 21 days free trial
Selendroid
Selendroid is also an open-source testing tool popular among the testing community. The core feature of this tool is that it allows a tester to test applications simultaneously on real and emulated devices. It has an inspector tool to examine UI elements and works for native and hybrid apps. However, it lacks built-in integration with CI/CD tools.
Pros
- Allows to interact with multiple devices at the same time
- Multi-browser support
Cons
- Works perfectly with devices having more than 4GB RAM
Price
- It is open-source software
Robotium
Robotium is a flexible open-source automation mobile testing tool for Android. It supports various Android versions and integrates seamlessly with IDE. Thus, it gives flexibility to a tester for writing and performing black-box tests on the ATU.
Pros
- Easy to write codes
- It can help you develop robust cases with minimal knowledge
Cons
- Can’t test multiple features in one test.
Price
- Since it is an open-source tool, you can use it for free.
Espresso
UI testing allows a tester to ensure the app’s UI works properly and looks as designed. A bad UI can lead to a frustrating user experience. Therefore, they need a reliable tool like Espresso. Originally designed by Google, this tool automates testing the app’s UI interface. While it can be complex for beginners, it’s simple to use with QA Testing Company, which allows testers to write tests in plain English without coding knowledge.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Stable testing
Cons
- Supports only JAVA
Price
- Free of cost.
UI Automator
UI Automator is excellent for Android testing without fully understanding app implementation details. The tool offers greater flexibility to the tester by allowing them to write tests in Java. It includes a UI Automator Viewer for studying UI components but lacks built-in CI/CD tool integration.
Pros
- Allows you to write robust tests without implementation details
- Support for Android 4.1
Cons
- Does not have a built-in integration tool for CI/CD
Frank
Frank is an open-source framework for iOS app testing, offering a strong community. It supports writing tests in Cucumber and integrates JSON with Cucumber. Frank’s Symbiote feature provides in-depth app information and supports Continuous Integration.
Pros
- Compatibility with iOS
- Large active community support
Cons
- Not suitable for Android
Ranorex
This is another popular testing framework for testing an application’s UI. This tool offers several features that make it one of the best tools for testing. First, it offers cross-app testing that allows testers to test multiple apps simultaneously. The core feature of this app is that it supports complex gesture features like pinch and zoom.
Pros
- User-friendly UI
- Allows testing without coding
Cons
- Support limited language
Price
- Paid license
EarlGrey
This testing framework is mainly used for testing iOS applications. It has various features that help developers test their app functionality with ease. This tool tests an application like a real user, where it taps buttons and scrolls. Additionally, a tester can customize this platform for their specific needs.
Pros
- Compatible with X code
- Robust internal synchronization
Cons
- It doesn’t support the Android platform
Price
- Free
MonkeyTalk
This popular testing framework allows a tester to test their Android and iOS apps. Ideally, a tester uses this framework for functional and regression testing. It supports writing code for iOS and Android and generates HTML and XML reports. It can capture errors, crashes, and take screenshots, providing flexibility for test management.
Pros
- Support all iOS device
- Don’t have to be an expert while using the app
Cons
- Debugging needs time and efforts
Price
- Open-source and free
What Testing Tool Suits You Best?
Selecting the right mobile testing tool can help your testing team to automate tests faster. It can increase their efficiency and productivity. While choosing the best tool, you must closely examine its features. The optimum tool must support multiple programming languages and cross-browser testing.
While selecting the best tool, you must consider the experience of your teammates. A team that is experienced can leverage the features of a tool. They can adapt to the complexity of the tool, thereby maximizing its benefits. Also, an experienced team reduces the training requirements, reducing business costs and time. It also allows organizations to switch to a new tool depending on their needs.
But when your team is inexperienced, selecting the best tool requires a thoughtful and supportive approach. You must note your prior experience in programming language and automation as it can be the guiding star for selecting the most optimum tool. While making the final decision, please ensure that vendors provide comprehensive training sessions and support. Look out for online communities and forums, as it can help share knowledge and troubleshoot issues. Collaborate with any experienced automation testing company, as it can significantly improve test cases, management, and teamwork.
Final Thoughts
Mobile testing is a complex process that requires various technical expertise, but with proper tools and strategy, you can make the process more efficient and easy. These ten best tools discussed in this article will speed up your testing approach. Always begin with an essential testing task that allows your team to become familiar with the tool’s features and functionalities.
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