Best Automation Testing Software

Let’s face it. You have invested maybe hundreds of hours in creating a unique and viable software application. The journey that commenced from sketching an application idea is on the verge of its completion. You are finally deploying the software on an appropriate platform. 

But before your software goes live into the hands of the actual users, you need to test it on a compulsory note. You need to perform the test on various parameters such as basic functionality, user interface, and ensure that it is 100% bug-free. You want to ensure that the application is working hassle-free and seamless navigation. 

To be precise, there are two ways in which you can test your software. These include- 

• Manual testing
• Automated testing

This buyer’s guide contains a comprehensive overview of automated testing tools, including the core functionalities, advantages, the futuristic trends, tips for selecting the best-automated testing tools, etc.

The automated testing is an advanced testing approach where a quality assurance specialist performs tests using cutting-edge technologies and tools. It is a modern practice that involves running and managing the test automatically to receive useful data outputs. This data output is further used to improve software quality and functionality. 

The automation testing focuses on comparing the actual result with the predicted results and automates a few necessary repetitive tasks. Automation testing enables testers to carry out additional tests, which may prove intricate during manual testing.

The purpose of automated testing is defined below-

• Improve the test accuracy- One of the reasons why testers prefer automated testing is that it tends to improve the test’s accuracy. As a result, they can release a much more improved software application that seamlessly runs on the concerned platforms. Automated testing nullifies the chances of creating mistakes by efficiently performing the repeated steps. It never forgets to record the results. 
• Save valuable time and money- You often have to repeat a few tests during the development to ensure optimal performance. Every time you plan to launch the software, you need to test it beforehand. If you do all this manually, it proves both time-consuming and costly. But automated tests can save both your valuable time and money. The testing time gets minimized from several days to a few hours. 
• Increase in test coverage- With automated testing, you can conduct an in-depth test of your software applications precisely. Automation testing allows you to run hundreds of tests in a short period. Automated testing can also check various vital constraints such as system memory, internal program, data tables, and files, etc., to verify if the application is running as expected. 
• Find out the bugs more minutely- The application bugs are the biggest foes of both the developers and the end-users. It relatively makes the application slower, which at times can be very frustrating. Automation testing can remove all such technical and non-technical glitches by finding the bugs more minutely and quickly. 
• Eliminate the drawbacks of manual testing- There are many aspects of tests that you cannot carry out appropriately in manual testing. Automation testing enables you to carry all those tasks with a good outcome. You can determine whether the test is successful or not by checking the behavior of the product. 
• Simplifying the task of the developers- Automated testing tends to simplify the job of the developers. The application developers and testers can catch critical issues and share information in real-time to make the required changes.

Today as the technology gets more progressive and the projects more complicated, the businesses cannot rely merely on the manual testing process to release a flawless software application. The application developers, the UI and UX designers, and project managers have to work on stiff deadlines where time is very critical. Hence the automation testing process becomes more than an evident option. 

The various steps involved in automation testing are as follows-

• The reason your business needs automation testing- First and foremost, you need to determine why you want to conduct an automation testing. You need to properly analyze the various benefits of automation testing and study how cost-effective automated testing as compared to manual testing. This helps you to invest in the best automation testing tool. 
• Hiring a quality assurance specialist- The next important task in hand is selecting experienced quality assurance specialists to recruit a professional pool of qualified quality assurance specialists, testers, and automation engineers. You may also have to hire automation architects who have comprehensive knowledge of automation tools. These professionals help you choose the right tools and create a framework for automation testing. 
• Selecting the right automation tools- Before choosing the right automation tools, you need to get familiar with the ATLC methodology. ATLC means Automation Testing Life Cycle. ATLC enables you to make quick and efficient decisions, choose the appropriate tools, plan for the automation testing process with test scripts, and management. You also need to ensure that your automation tool complies with all leading technologies with proper reporting methods to display the outcome. 
• Choosing applications that need automated testing- This is one of the most crucial steps where you need to select the applications or features that are best suited for automated testing. It is highly recommended that you should first conduct manual testing before conducting the automation testing. Also, the application that you are selecting should not be in the early stages of development. It should have a stable user interface and bug-free verified by manual testers. 
• Preparing an automation testing framework- When you are preparing the framework for automation testing, you should ensure that the strategies are planned in such a way that it requires minimal maintenance. Also, any changes made in the application or the scripts must be carried out seamlessly and without interruption. 
• Creating an automated testing strategy- Once you have completed creating the framework, it’s time to focus on developing an automated testing strategy. Here you need to make vital selections such as choosing the browser, hardware, and the operating system. Also, you need to make a final budget estimate of the automation test and calculate the ROI. The automation testing plan must be executed following specific requirements of the business.
• Writing scripts- Writing scripts is an inevitable part of automated testing where you have to use proper naming conventions and organize the hands to avert the code loss. You also need to maintain the source code, history, and version control. You can convert the manual testing into automated scripts. 
• Reporting- Reporting informs the stakeholders about the current status of application development. You can create custom reports such as auto-emailing reports to the management team. You can write a test report after each execution precisely in table and chart format. 
• Maintaining the scripts- When you have to make the desired change in any feature or design of the application, you need script maintenance. Also, if you regularly maintain the scripts, it ensures seamless software applications with no bugs. 
• Remain up-to-date with the latest technologies- You need to be abreast of the latest automation testing methodology trends. It helps you optimize automation testing, develops the best strategies, and uses the latest technologies smoothly. 

Suppose you are planning to carry out a successful automation testing by adopting cost-effective measures. In that case, it’s essential to get a team having hands-on experience with proper knowledge of all possible outcomes. Usually, a team that carries out automated testing involves-

• A quality assurance manager or test lead- A quality assurance manager or test lead manages all activities and responsibilities related to automated testing or manual testing. He/ she prepares the plan for carrying out the tests, checking if the test is simultaneously continuing with the development process, preparing the reports, and regularly updating the higher management with testing phases. 
• Test engineers or quality assurance testers- The automation testers are professionals who carry out all test activities based on the information and received inputs. The quality assurance testers need to inform the test lead regarding all the available resources. Their main job is to create and prioritize tests. They also have to conduct regression testing if there is any change in the feature or code. 
• Automation architects or experts- The automation architects and experts are mainly responsible for building automation frameworks as they have comprehensive knowledge of different automation tools, their pros, and cons. They also set the rules for writing scripts and help in selecting the right test cases for automation. 
• Manual testers- You have indeed chosen automated testing, but you cannot ignore manual testers' vital contributions. It is suggested to always first go for manual testing and then begin with automated testing. Also, when you are carrying out specific test scenarios such as exploratory or usability tests, you should prefer manual testing or automation testing. 
• Application developers- The developers mostly play an indirect role in software application testing where they have to conduct tests within the Integrated Development Environments or IDEs.

The automated testing is usually classified into five main categories. These are-

• Unit Testing- In a general scenario, the developers carry out the unit testing, but it also is conducted by automated testers. Unit testing focuses on testing a single unit or component of an application or software. It is performed during the development phase. 
• Smoke Testing- The quality assurance tester performs the smoke tests to determine a developed product or application's stability. It means the testers want to check whether the app features are running correctly or not, which helps them carry further tests. 
• Integration Testing- First, you need to systematically integrate the application and then proceed with the integration testing. The tests are done in a group where the testers emphasize data verification of data communication between various web modules.
• Functional Testing- As the name implies, functional testing is carried out to check if all the application functions and features are appropriately working. The testers usually verify different aspects such as the user interface, APIs, security, server, etc. 
• Regression Testing- Regression testing is typically performed to determine if the code’s change has impacted its functionality. It means the new code needs to also work in the same way as the old codes. 

There are a few other types of automated testing that are performed based on the requirement. These include keyword testing, data-driven testing, API testing, user interface testing, and much more.

One of the critical questions that you certainly need to answer while conducting automated testing is which test cases are suitable for automation, whereas test cases are best for manual testing. Indeed, you have to understand a few basic rules and consider a few pivotal factors to determine the test cases. 

• Tests involving high risks- If you think that the test involves a high element of risks, go for automation testing. It helps to reduce human effort and minimize errors. 
• Lengthy and elaborative tests- There are specific tests where you have to interpret massive amounts of data. This usually happens in the case of lengthy and elaborative tests where chances of creating mistakes increase during manual testing. Automated testing helps to automate data incorporation, such as while gathering customer inputs. 
• Repetitive or continuous tests- Well, this is understood that if you have to perform repetitive or continuous tests, the best step is to automate it. It saves both your valuable time and resources. Plus, you can get more accurate results each time. 
• Tests to determine the pros and cons of a tool- There are specific test case scenarios where you need to select and find out the pros and cons of a tool. You can quickly get the results and decide whether the tool is suitable for a particular task. 
• Tests performed to check critical functions of an application- At times, you need to check certain essential functions or features of a software application. The automated testing provides you precise outcomes whether the element is functioning appropriately or it needs to be redeveloped. 
• Three Golden Tests- Automated testing becomes more than essential in these three types of application testing. These include smoke tests, regression tests, and sanity tests. The reason for this is that every time you plan to release the application, you need to perform a test. 
• Complicated test cases- Again, automation testing is deemed fit if you are performing complex testing. The example includes performance testing. 

In addition to these vital test cases, you should also know which test scenarios do not need automated testing. 

• If you have to perform the tests only once. 
• If you have to run the tests on an immediate basis. 
• Tests that require visual confirmation 
• Tests are needing random testing, such as exploratory tests. 
• Tests that cannot be 100% automated.

Automation testing is an essential discipline that enables business organizations to create seamless and high-performing software applications. But the enterprises need to follow some crucial industry standards and adopt the testing methodologies to execute a test successfully. 

Verifying the test tool compatibility- It is imperative to verify the test tools in an isolated environment before installing them into the target. You also need to check whether the test tools and the application are compatible with one another. If you come across any issues after testing the compatibility, you need to work around the solutions. Also, if you are installing any third-party controls to create the application, you should verify the compatibility of automated tools with the third-party control. 

Updating the test tools- If you plan to launch an upgraded or improved version of the application, you need to check whether the new version’s scripts are working the same as the previous version. You can provide the added benefit of backend compatibility, meaning the users can reuse the scripts in the new version without making any changes. 

Setting up the configuration baseline- You need to ensure that the application's current version has a configuration baseline before installing the automated test tool. Also, get a backup of .dll files before the new installation. You need to conduct this test procedure even if you have performed the test within an isolated environment. 

Installing the software- Please avoid installing any new tool within the target if the test environment has already become operational. 

Defining the test objectives-  You also need to keep in mind, not to over automate the test and focus on finding the errors. Also, avoid automating tests, which can be done manually. 

Adopting a simple automation strategy- Try to keep the automation test simple and straightforward. Consider the application size, the test’s length, and your budget estimate and predicted ROI before implementing any specific approach. 

Manual vs. automated testing-  You need to understand the difference between automatic and manual testing. All tests cannot be automated, and plan your strategy accordingly. 

Defining the test development standards- You have to strictly comply with the designing and testing rules or means to get the best optimum results. For example, repetitive tests should always be automated. 

Reuse analysis- You need to necessarily perform a reuse analysis of the available test script to avoid repeated automation. You may have limited resources and budget with high-end expectations, so this step becomes quite crucial. 

Schedule a test execution- Introduce the automated test tools at the start so that your team is well familiar with the tool and its various features. You need to allocate adequate time so that the system is loaded with test management tools for scheduling the test execution. 

A quality assurance specialist or a tester has a couple of choices regarding testing an application. These include automated testing and manual testing. Now, it’s essential to draw significant differences between the two based on some parameters.

Automation testing allows you to unleash a plethora of benefits in the long run. Besides, you also need to tackle a few testing challenges, which you must know to effectively cater to them. These include-

• Effective team collaboration- Automation testing needs the right team communication and collaboration. The entire team needs to understand the objectives and set targets to accomplish the goals. But the problem arises when the team loses its focus, and the collaborative environment loses its track.  
• Choosing the right tool- The next intricate challenge that several testers often come across is selecting the right tool for automation testing. There are different tools available, but all are not fit for one purpose. It will help if you have the expertise to choose the appropriate tool. 
• Deciding what to automate- Another issue that props up as a challenge for testers is when he/she fails to determine what needs to be automated. This means the challenge is to select the right testing approach. 
• High upfront costs- Automation testing can indeed cost a bit during the initial phase, preventing many organizations from going for the automation testing process. 
• Knowing when to begin and stop tests- Another tough question that a quality assurance tester has to answer probably is knowing exactly when to begin the trial. The critical concern here is when you start automating at the wrong stage of the software lifecycle. 
• Getting skilled resources-  Organizations can also face the difficulty of getting across professional resources to conduct automation testing. The testers need to have adequate knowledge about automation tools, but the project gets hampered if they don’t possess the necessary skills. 

To counter these challenges and concerns, you need to invest in the best automation testing software, which enables you to unleash an array of advantages and use high-end features.

Automated testing software is an innovative and advanced methodology that empowers business organizations to standardize and accelerate the testing process. It helps to validate the functioning of a software application before the release. 

The automation testing software allows quality assurance specialists and testers to accurately and efficiently test the software, prepare the test results, and make a comparative study of the outcome with the expected results. It further simplifies the regression test time and improves software quality.

1. Code-less testing-  Code-less testing is also known as scriptless testing, is a modern practice that allows you to automate the tests without using any codes. The drag and drop the feature helps you create tests and run them on multiple browsers. You can even record the test and translate it into any language. 
2. Effective team collaboration- The automated testing tools enable healthy and robust team collaboration with improved communication between the developers and the testers. The software provides a clearer and concise understanding of which tools to select, which test cases to automate, and more. It helps to complete the task within the stipulated time and budget. 
3. Repetitive testing- The automation software streamlines and simplifies repetitive or continuous testing. Repetitive testing is an essential part of testing, helping businesses receive inputs on risks regarding a software release. It eases out the complications involved during the testing period.  
4. Data-driven testing- The automated software testing tool also helps test the data stored in the table or spreadsheet, allowing you to implement one test script for all the test data. You can also refer it to as parameterized testing or table-driven testing. 
5. Recognizing the object- Object recognition is a crucial feature of automation testing software that acts like an experienced human tester helping you to find different objects such as text fields, a button, or a drop-down selector. It simplifies the task of automation tools such as driving a browser. 
6. Parallel execution- The online automation tool helps you to execute various tests parallelly at the same time across multiple environments. It means that you don’t have to run the tests sequentially. You can further utilize virtual desktop infrastructure software (VDI) to set up different virtual machines using a cloud test service. 
7. Test authoring- Using this useful feature, better known as test authoring and execution framework, you can continuously provide a system for the testing team to write scripts and test cases and even run automation. It has only a single infrastructure allowing you to developers to share tests across multiple channels. 
8. Project templates-  The project template is a full description of how you will carry software testing. The document includes various details such as the aim to conduct the test, test plan and strategy, schedule, budget estimate, the vital resources, and the deliverables. 
9. Keyword-based testing- The automated software testing tool also offers this viable feature where you can use the data files containing all essential keywords to be used in the application. The keywords inform you about the tasks that you need to carry out to complete a step. Keyword-driven testing contains both high and low-level keywords. 
10. Providing test reports and recording- Automated testing software almost provides accurate and genuine test results that help you to compare the actual and the expected outcome quickly. It also records your interaction with the application to promptly execute the same tests several times efficiently. 
11. User Interface testing-  UI testing is usually performed to determine if the software or application visual elements are working as expected. You can further validate the GUI functions and make it error-free.

There are several reasons why you should implement automated testing software. The important ones include-

1. Improved quality- One of the most significant advantages of executing an automation testing software is that it tends to improve the quality of software or application through regression testing. You can check and verify the test results much quicker and then proceed with the further process. 
2. Easy and early bug detection- With automated testing tools, you can easily and quickly come across the bugs that slow your application's performance. Thus, the application browsing becomes faster, improving the overall customer experience. 
3. Time-saving- This is one of the major unique selling points of automation testing systems where you get rid of writing long test scripts. This saves a lot of time that you can dedicate to other vital tasks. 
4. Perform tests 24x7- Automation testing software provides the facility of continuous testing throughout the day without any hindrance. You can start with the testing, leave it as it is, and get the test results within the appointed time. 
5. Easy Reporting- The automation software can easily track the status of each test script. You can view it in visual logs. You get familiar with the number of tests performed, the number of trials scheduled, and the reported bugs with information on how they were fixed. 
6. Reusability- Another benefit of automated software testing is that you can easily use the same test scripts for future requirements. You can reutilize them as many times, especially when conducting regression tests. 
7. Improves test coverage- At times, you may have to undergo a complex coding process such as writing a thousand code lines. The automation solution becomes more than a valuable asset in simplifying this task. The software also ensures that all the application's ins and outs, such as database, UI, features, etc. work in tandem, thus improving the test coverage. 
8. Enhances accuracy and flexibility- Yes, indeed, with the automation testing process, you can expect much more improved accuracy and flexibility. The test results are more accurate as compared to manual testing. The automated tools are also highly flexible. It means that you can make changes in the code or software with much ease. 
9. Motivates the team- Well, this is an indirect benefit, but an automation software testing tool can boost your team in providing improved performance. All credit goes to enhanced team collaboration and communication, allowing them to cater to a project seamlessly. 
10. Distributed test execution- The online automation tool enables you to script and execute the test on various computer systems with a shared server or network. 

In addition to these bonus advantages, automated testing software offers various other benefits such as improving the test capabilities, optimizing the workforce, overcoming the drawbacks of manual testing, and boosting the ROI.

The testing methodology has become more advanced and progressive, undergoing a lot of changes over the years. Various futuristic trends drive the automation testing software and will continue to do that further in the upcoming years. The latest trends include-

Rise in codeless automation tests- There is no doubt that codeless automation testing has gained ground in recent years and will continue to surge further in the future. It is an innovative testing methodology that allows testers to think beyond the concept of codes. It will deliver much faster and accurate results and help to boost ROI. 

Artificial intelligence- It is essential to note that automation testing is further getting a big boost by aligning with digital transformation technologies. For instance, artificial intelligence will improve automated software testing tools’ reliability and make the applications much more intuitive, interactive, and user-friendly. AI also helps minimize the risks involved in software testing and implementation. 

Robotic Process Automation- Another emerging technology that has created a hike, and artificial intelligence is robotic process automation or RPA. With time, RPA will become quite a useful asset in codeless automation. It will also play a pivotal role in data testing and regression testing. It will also increase simplicity, scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness during the testing process. 

Agile and DevOps Gets Aligned- As time will progress, the automation testing will further explore agile development and DevOps technology. It means the role of developers and testers will change further up. They will not only focus on planning and executing the test strategies but will also be accountable for improving the overall product quality. Also, the blend of Agile and DevOps will allow business to adopt the fast-growing industry changes quickly. 

Integration of IoT Testing- Most organizations have already started to implement and use IoT-powered applications. Now, this will further get a push with automation testing adopting this technology. It will escalate the performance and make the security tighter. It will also help quality assurance specialists improve their skills and gain more expertise in the field. The application updates will happen much faster and smoother.

When you have finally decided to invest in an automation testing tool, it’s time to consider the crucial elements for selecting the right automation software. 

Identify and check the tool requirements- You need to find the specific requirements when selecting the automation software testing platforms. For example, you must ensure that the software can automatically generate test cases, quickly generate the desired format results, etc. 

User-friendly dashboard- The automated testing software must have a user-friendly dashboard where all features of the tool are easily accessible. Also, it must be easy to adapt across various platforms and in the organizational setup. 

Evaluate the features- Consider all the features of the automated software testing tool from the various vendors. Evaluate and analyze how the software's included features will help your business thrive and streamline the entire testing process. 

Compare the prices- The next important aspect that you need to take into consideration is, of course, pricing. You will get across free automation testing software along with the different subscribed versions. Choose the one that fits your pocket. 

Type of Support available- Check what kind of customer support does the software vendor offer? You can check out the genuine reviews of verified customers using the tools.

Various deciding factors determine the cost of automation testing software. You will come across free and open source automated testing software such as Appium. If you choose free automated testing tools, you can go for TestProject, TestArchitect, ReTest, and etc. All these software provide a free trial period. 

Please don’t stress if you have a small budget in hand. You may explore a few available options such as BrowserStack that comes at an affordable price of $29 per month with a free trial period. You also have ZeuZ costing about $50 per month with a 14-day free trial period. 

Now, if you are looking to get the premium ones on board with more exclusive features and unique benefits, then check out QF-Test, which charges a one-time fee of $1995 with 28 days free trial period. There are far more options in this segment, such as Telerik Test Studio, for which you need to pay a one-time payment of $2499. You can also choose the trial version of the software for 30 days. If you have a  considerable budget and want to select software on a higher range, then go for Rational Functional Tester costing about $3830. It is a one-time payment with a 30-day free trial period.

GoodFirms is an award-winning and premier review and research agency has helped numerous software buyers and service seekers find optimum software solutions within their budget estimate. We have also helped various IT companies and software vendors to boost their brand awareness and provide accurate stats, figures, and research numbers that enabled them to create optimal business strategies with the right futuristic decisions. 

You can go through our well-researched automation testing tools list to select the best automated testing solutions that help in creating outstanding software applications.