15 Robust Automation Testing Tools in Demand in 2023- Ultimate Guide!

With the evolving landscape, the software testing industry is rapidly growing and aiming to ensure software products are defect-free, meet customer requirements, and function as intended. It involves the process of executing tests to diagnose any shortcomings, errors, or bugs with the primary goal of delivering high-quality software products to users by ensuring that it meets all the requirements. As the industry has evolved over the past years, companies are adopting new technologies such as automation testing, DevOps, and Agile methodologies. And thus, Automation testing is gaining huge traction in the market. 

However, we cannot consider automation testing as a silver bullet in the testing process, as we consider manual testing a more powerful tool. But a greater share of companies relies on automation due to its 360° test coverage and cost-effectiveness. The estimate states that 26% of companies struggle to find the right automation tool for their test automation project. It could be due to a plethora of reasons; hence it becomes crucial to carefully select a toolset according to automation QA project needs.

Have a look at a few stats according to Aimultiple research that clearly indicates the popularity of Automation Testing.

• The global testing market exceeded $40 Billion by 2020.
• The global testing market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 7% to 12% between 2021 – 2025
• 55% of firms claim that pursuing automation testing results in quality improvement
• 42% claim that automation testing is a key part of Quality Assurance

What Does Automation Testing Mean?

Automation testing refers to the process of running automated tests to verify the functionality and performance of software applications. This type of testing involves using automation tools and frameworks to write and execute test scripts. The test scripts can be repeated several times with little or no intervention from a human tester. Thus, Automation testing is more efficient and reliable than manual testing. 

Why is Automation Testing Important?

Automation testing helps businesses by manifolds, as it reduces cost and increases the accuracy and coverage of test cases. QA Analysts commonly use it to test large and complex applications, as well as to ensure that application updates and changes do not introduce new issues.

Want to know how automation testing helps your business? Read this blog for detailed information – on how Automation Testing Services enhance enterprise solutions stability.

Some of the reasons why Automation testing is important are

Efficiency: Automation testing processes are faster and more reliable than manual testing. They allow for more efficient software testing and can quickly identify faults and errors.

Accuracy: Automated tests are more accurate than manual tests, reducing the chances of human error and improving the overall quality of the testing process.

Reusability: Automated tests can save time and increase efficiency in the long run because we can reuse them several times. Furthermore, they also assist in regression testing and continuous integration.

Reliability: Automated tests provide a more reliable testing process by ensuring that each test case is executed simultaneously.

Cost-effective: While there are initial costs to setting up automated testing, it pays off in the long run by saving time and reducing costs in the long term.

Overall, it improves the efficiency, accuracy, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of software testing.

What are Automation Testing Tools?

An automation testing tool is a software application that performs automated testing tasks for software applications. It performs repetitive tasks such as executing test cases, generating test reports, and identifying defects in software applications. These tools provide a range of testing techniques that help improve software application quality and speed up the testing process. Some popular automation testing tools include Selenium, Appium, TestComplete, etc.

Now let’s unravel the types of automation testing tools.

Types of Automation Testing Tools!

Developers design automation tools to fulfill specific purposes, such as supporting various types of software testing. The most popular types of automation testing tools are:

• UI Testing Tools

These tools are essential for ensuring a satisfying user experience for software products. Automating UI testing with the right tools can give stakeholders confidence in the product’s future success by providing metrics and reports to analyse the results.

• Load and Performance Testing Tools

Load and performance testing tools are crucial for testing the software’s performance under various scenarios in a limited time. Automating load and performance testing with the right tools allows accurate results and quick analysis.

• Functional Testing Tools

These tools go more in-depth to confirm the correct operation of a software product and assure it operates as intended. Unlike UI testing tools, functional testing tools focus on the software’s functionality.

• Regression testing tools

Companies widely adopt regression testing tools to automate repetitive testing processes. By automating regression testing, one can expect consistent results in a shorter period.

• Mobile Testing Tools

Developers design mobile testing tools explicitly for mobile environments, and automating mobile testing with the right tools enables reliable results.

Automation testing tools are available in three forms: commercial, open-source, and custom.

• Commercial automation solutions are available for purchase with a limited free trial version, while open-source automation tools are distributed for free by the community.

• Developers create custom tools based on project requirements, requiring high coding expertise.

• Organisations with limited budgets choose open-source automation software while they design custom tools for projects with unique automation requirements.

Top 15 Automation Testing Tools in 2023 

Before we delve into our list of the top automation testing tools, it’s important to emphasise that selecting the right tool for your project should precede popularity or recommendations. Having someone on your team with practical experience with automation tools and the necessary skills and knowledge is advisable to identify the most appropriate toolset. Evaluating the tools in a real-life environment using actual test cases can also lead to more consistent results. However, keeping up with the current state of the market can still be beneficial in steering your project in the right direction. With that said, here are fifteen popular and useful test automation tools, frameworks, and libraries to consider for 2023.

1. Selenium Web Driver 

Selenium WebDriver is a freely available software tool that automates web browser operations. It’s a valuable resource for testing websites and web applications across multiple browsers, environments, and programming languages. Selenium WebDriver empowers teams to produce adaptable and expandable test scripts, ensuring thorough testing of web-based products.

2. Appium 

Appium is a prominent software solution for automating mobile application testing. As an open-source tool, it facilitates the automation of mobile web apps, hybrid apps, and native applications across multiple operating systems, including iOS, Android, and Windows. Appium supports an extensive range of programming languages and technologies, making it highly versatile. Additionally, even the most intricate automation testing systems can seamlessly integrate with it.

3. Playwright

Developed and maintained by Microsoft, Playwright is a premier end-to-end testing tool widely used for QA automation. With its support for multiple cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-language environments, Playwright has gained significant popularity in the testing community. This open-source tool offers an easy learning curve thanks to a robust knowledge base and a thriving community. It is an excellent choice for testing web applications.

4. Cypres

Cypress is a JavaScript-based testing tool designed for web applications. It easily integrates with any continuous integration development model and emphasises the visual aspects of testing. The tool has a subscription-based version with a free option for up to three users.

5. Cucumber/Specflow

SmartBear develops and distributes Cucumber/Specflow, primarily a Behavior Driven Development tool widely used for automation testing. Also, it supports nearly all modern development stacks. Cucumber is an open-source solution for free and an advanced tool called Cucumber Pro with a monthly subscription option.

6. Ranorex Studio

It is a prevalent automation tool for functional and GUI testing. It supports desktop, web, and mobile applications and includes test design features. Ranorex Studio offers broad integration capabilities, making it possible to build comprehensive test suites. It’s available on an enduring license basis with a free trial option.

7. Katalon

Katalon is a comprehensive quality management platform for automation testing. It heavily relies on AI technology to streamline testing and increase efficiency. Katalon is a tool with versatile integration and setup capabilities that uses low code. We can operate it on a monthly subscription basis, and it also has a free trial option.

8. IBM Rational Functional Tester

It is an automation testing tool designed and upheld by IBM. A rational Functional Tester is a retail tool that helps a wide scope of development environments, including .NET, SAP, and Flex, including Siebel Java, PowerBuilder, and Dojo. It can be used on a paid basis with a free trial option.

9. Test Complete

TestComplete, developed and supported by SmartBear, is an automation testing tool primarily for UI testing. It allows teams to effortlessly set up and oversee script or scriptless testing projects. The tool has an AI-powered object recognition element and successfully tests web, desktop, and mobile applications. The tool offers a free trial version, with paid versions available in different bundles.

10. HP UFT

HP Unified Functional Testing is a practical cross-platform automation testing tool. With just one solution, teams can automate web, mobile, and desktop applications devised with Delphi, .NET, ActiveX, Java, Oracle, PeopleSoft, PowerBuilder, Stingray, and Visual Basic, among other technologies. HP UFT can be operated on a subscription basis.

11. LambdaTest

LambdaTest is a cloud-based solution for both automated and exploratory testing. With cloud infrastructure, LambdaTest enables testing software solutions across 3,000+ combinations of operating systems, browsers, and device configurations. This tool is available in a limited free version or a full version with a monthly subscription.

12. ReadyAPI

ReadyAPI is one of the most popular solutions for automated API testing. This open-source tool supports REST, SOAP, and GraphQL API technologies. It’s designed and upheld by SmartBear, and there is an evolved version of the tool called ReadyAPI (formerly SoapUI Pro) available on a yearly subscription basis.

13. Puppeteer

Puppeteer is a Node.js-based library that maximises the use of Chromium with API technology. Automation testing is only one of the objectives of this adaptable tool, which supports JavaScript and other technologies. Puppeteer is devised and upheld by Chrome DevTools and relies heavily on community assets for growth and advancement.

14. Tricentis Tosca 

Tricentis Tosca is an exhaustive web, API, mobile, and desktop testing automation tool. It has a notable model-based testing approach, permitting users to examine an application’s UI or APIs to design a business-familiar model for test design and upkeep. An enduring license is required to use this tool.

15. Telerik Test Studio

Test Studio is one of the ultramodern automation tools devised by Telerik. This solution sustains automating applications created with HTML5, Angular, AJAX, JavaScript, Silverlight, WPF, MVC, Ruby, and PHP, available on iOS, Android, and other platforms. Telerik delivers cross-browser aid and is a recording and playback tool. An enduring license is required to use this tool.

How to Choose the Right Tool?

For selecting the appropriate tool or set of tools for automated software testing, it’s essential to consider the project’s specifics rather than relying on the most popular tools in the market or those that worked well in previous projects.

Choosing the tool for test automation should be a collaborative decision made by project stakeholders, such as the client’s representatives, the project manager, and the Automation QA lead. However, this only works when every participant possesses the technical and business knowledge to make an informed choice. Otherwise, the project may encounter several difficulties:

If the client insists on a particular tool without considering technical aspects, it may be challenging for the team to integrate it into their workflow. If the QA engineer selects tools based solely on personal preferences, In that case, the project may become difficult to develop and maintain if the engineer departs and leaves behind a complicated tool stack.

Factors to Consider While Choosing a Tool! 

1. Objectives of the Project

Not all automation testing projects are the same, and they can vary greatly in nature and objectives, even within a single organization.

It’s crucial to ask two fundamental questions at the outset:

• What precisely do you intend to automate?
• What are the desired outcomes?

The responses to these queries will assist in determining the appropriate tools for the project. For example, if the aim is to automate UI testing, the tool selection will differ from that of a project intended to achieve complete load and performance test coverage.

2. Technical Capabilities of the Testing Tool

Each automation testing tool is developed with different features and limitations. It is important to consider the technical capabilities of the tool, such as supported programming languages, compatibility with the project ecosystem (such as operating system and hardware), and types of testing that can be carried out with the tool.

3. Project Budget

The cost of automation testing tools can vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending upon the project’s requirements. It is important to consider the project budget when selecting a tool and to understand the payment type, such as a one-time license fee or a recurring subscription.

4. Ease of Use and Learning Curve

Different automated testing tools have varying levels of complexity, ranging from easy-to-use tools that require minimal technical expertise to tools that require deep technical knowledge. It is important to assess the team’s skill level and allocate time for them to familiarise themselves with the tool.

5. Integration with Other Systems

Modern automated testing tools often need to integrate with other systems, such as bug-tracking software, project management tools, and the CI/CD process. It is important to consider the tool’s integration capabilities when selecting.

6. Need for Coding Skills

The need for coding skills in QA engineers varies depending on the tool used. Some tools require minimal coding knowledge, while others require significant expertise. When selecting a tool, it is important to consider the team’s coding skills.

7. Reporting

Automation QA tools should generate detailed and accurate reports to analyse the results and evaluate the impact on the product’s quality. Customisable reports are even better.

8. Community, Support & Maintenance

It is important to select a tool that gets active maintenance by its vendor and provides customer support and troubleshooting. A strong community around a tool can also help the team adopt the tool more quickly and avoid potential roadblocks.

On a Final Note!

When starting an automation testing project, choosing the right automation testing tool is crucial to achieving the team’s objectives. Selecting the wrong tool can lead to wasted time and money, as well as reduced project efficiency. Thus, it is essential for anyone in association with the selection process to understand the principles of choosing an appropriate automation tool and be acquainted with the top-rated and widely used tools in the industry. Finally, it is advisable to analyse your business requirements and, before opting for a tool.

However, If you are still in dilemma about choosing which tool best fits your requirements. Contact us to get a free consultation or if you are looking for a trusted name that offers flawless automation testing services. 9Yards Technology will be the best fit with an army of proficient technophiles; we have an impeccable track of serving our clients with fantastic products and services.