Anna Thorsen
In today's fast-paced software development space, speed, efficiency and reliability are everything. Test automation can help you achieve these goals, but it's about finding the right tool. It’s an overwhelming undertaking. There's an ocean of options, and it can be difficult to know where to start. We’re here to make that decision easier.
In the search for the best of the best, what should you look for, what should you avoid, and which vendors are considered the top test automation tools of 2024?
This overview serves as a short overview of the best tools for automation testing. For a more in-depth view that will help you assess vendors, download our test automation comparison chart.
Skip ahead to:
How to choose a automation testing tool
What are the potential risks in using tools to support automation testing?
The top 20 test automation tools of 2024
Taking your research a step further
How to choose a test automation tool
Selecting the right tool for functional testing is crucial for a successful test automation strategy.
But there’s a lot of noise in the testing tools space, and it can be difficult to navigate the information thrown your way. No-code, visual, low-code, code-based. Which type is best suited for your needs? Below, we’ve listed key factors to consider on your hunt for a tool.
- Ease of use: Can non-technical users use the test automation tool? Is the tool accessible to those who conduct QA and testing? By enabling more people to take part in automation, the total cost of ownership will decrease and the return of investment will increase. In other words, you’ll get a better return on the resources you spend, whether that’s time or resources spent.
- Adoption time: How quickly can we start creating value with test automation? The quicker you automate, the quicker you’ll start seeing the efficiencies and get buy-in for your tool.
- Customer support and services: How will the support team help you along the way? Will they dump you as soon as the deal is closed, or will they support you along your test automation journey? Support can be pivotal especially with more code-heavy tools. If support doesn’t come with, you might have to calculate an additional spend on third party consultants.
- The ability to design end-to-end test cases: Tests should work across the technologies that you work with to ensure the quality of your processes and not just the quality of features and functionality, and it shouldn’t take a complicated coded work-around to make test automation functional and robust.
What are the potential risks in using tools to support test automation?
As with any powerful tool, test automation has its own set of pitfalls. If left unchecked, they can undermine the success of the chosen tool.
Whether you’re a seasoned automation tester or just getting started, keep the pointers below top of mind when you’re carrying out your test automation tool evaluation.
- Initial investment: Acquiring and implementing automation testing tools can be expensive. There are costs associated with purchasing licenses, training the testing team, and setting up the infrastructure. If the benefits don't outweigh these initial costs, it can be a significant risk. Use this test automation ROI calculator to evaluate Leapwork’s cost-effectiveness.
- Test coverage: Not all automation tools have the capabilities to automate tests end-to-end, across applications. It can take complicated coded workarounds to enable connections between applications which leaves your business vulnerable to undiscovered bugs.
- Tool vendor support: Depending on a specific tool vendor for support can be a risk. If the vendor discontinues the tool or provides inadequate support, it can disrupt your testing efforts.
- Skill gaps: Low-code like Playwright and code-based vendors like Selenium require specialized skills to build and maintain tests. If your team lacks the expertise, it will be difficult to get the adoption rates you need to make test automation successful.
- Maintenance overhead: Maintenance will make or break the value you can gain from test automation. For example, if you’re using Selenium, it is easy to create a poorly designed test framework because of the many ways in which a test script can be coded. Tests become flaky, and if the vendor you’ve chosen doesn’t have a strategy for handling dynamic data values, this adds an extra maintenance burden.
- Scalability: As your application or testing requirements grow, scaling your automation efforts can be challenging. There are many factors to consider when scaling your automation. From the ability to scale your test data, to creating reusable test components, scaling your automation efforts beyond one application, and the ability to run your tests in parallel. Ensuring that your automation framework can accommodate these needs is essential.
What are the most popular tools for automation testing
In this section, we give a short overview of the top 20 automation testing tools. It includes a short description of the vendor, along with three points.
- Scripting and programming required - beyond a recorder, does the tool require a user to script test cases or program to be able to build or maintain test automation?
- Platform support - what types of applications can you automate?
- Cost - what is the pricing structure of the company. Is it open-source, meaning it is free. Can you request pricing on request, or does the company have a varied pricing structure depending on your organizational requirements?
1. Leapwork
Leapwork is a no-code test automation vendor that uses a combination of AI capabilities and a visual language for an entirely code-free experience. This means QA personnel and testers can start building automation flows and creating efficiencies in 30 days.
Programming or scripting required: No scripting needed - entirely code-free
Platform support: Cross-application support
Cost: Contact Sales
2. Selenium
Selenium is an open-source tool for automating web browsers. It supports multiple programming languages and has a large and active community. Selenium WebDriver is one of its most popular test automation tools for browser automation, and many test automation vendors use this solution under the hood of their application. Automating desktop applications, however, is not possible.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - JavaScript (Node. js), Python, Ruby, Java, Kotlin, and C#
Platform support: Web browsers
Cost: Free
Related reading: Comparison: Leapwork vs. Selenium Web Automation
3. Playwright
Playwright is an open source framework, developed by Microsoft, that can best be compared to Selenium. It automates web browsers, and it is code-based, though supporting fewer programming languages than Selenium. However, their performance is considered much stronger. Its robust automation capabilities, including support for modern web features and a focus on reliability, make it a popular choice for web application testing.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - JavaScript, Python, Java, and C#
Platform support: Web browsers
Cost: Free
4. Appium
Appium is an open-source tool for automating native, mobile web, and hybrid applications on Android and iOS platforms. It supports a wide range of programming languages and provides cross-platform compatibility.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - Java, Objective-C, JavaScript with Node. js, PHP, Python, Ruby, C#, Clojure and Perl
Platform support: Native and mobile web
Cost: Free
Related reading: What Are Appium’s Limitations
5. AccelQ
AccelQ is a commercial test automation platform that automates parts of the testing lifecycle, including test design, planning, test generation and execution. They are best known for their ability to automate Salesforce. Users should have technical skills to be able to learn the keyword driven approach of the tool.
Programming or scripting required: Keyword-driven
Platform support: Limited application support beyond Salesforce
Cost: Upon request
6. Katalon
Katalon Studio is a low-code test automation tool for developers and test engineers. They use a combination of record-and-playback and coding, and automate most types of software. Because they require a coded approach when driving tests with data from external sources like Excel, building and maintaining tests can require technical expertise.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - Groovy, Java, JRuby, Jython
Platform support: Windows apps, web (except Opera), mobile
Cost: Varied pricing
7. Tricentis Tosca
Tricentis Tosca is a commercial test automation tool that specializes in end-to-end testing, including API, web, mobile, and desktop applications on-premise. It focuses on risk-based testing and offers integrations with various DevOps and CI/CD tools. While Tricentis does not use coding, tests can require heavy maintenance which can hinder the testing process, and software delivery.
Programming or scripting required: No
Platform support: On-premise applications
Cost: Upon request
8. Tricentis Testim
Testim is a test automation vendor catered to cloud applications. It has recently been acquired by Tricentis. Testim, like most automation vendors, has an easy to use record and playback tool. However, configuring data-driven test cases requires coding skills.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - JavaScript and HTML
Platform support: Cloud based applications
Cost: Upon request
9. Opentext (formerly Micro Focus)
Opentext, formerly known as Micro Focus, is a popular test automation tool used by enterprises to support software delivery. This tool is widely adopted, as it works with most applications. However, users can expect long ramp up times. To become proficient in Micro Focus, users must be able to work with VB scripts. Users will require skills in VB and Javascript in order to maintain test cases.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - JavaScript, VB Scripts
Platform support: Cross-application support
Cost: Upon request
10. Perfecto
Perfecto is a commercial test automation platform for mobile and web testing, offering real-device and virtual-device testing capabilities. This tool uses a combination of behavior driven development (BDD) and some programming. The platform emphasizes cross-browser and cross-platform testing for web applications and provides test analytics and reporting for issue identification and resolution. Maintenance requires programming skills, and extending functionality beyond the tool’s capabilities requires working with coded frameworks.
Programming or scripting required: Yes, for cross platform coverage - Java, JavaScrip, PHP, C# and Python
Platform support: Mobile and web testing
Cost: Varied pricing
11. Copado
Copado is a test automation and DevOps platform. Recording test cases that require you to venture outside of their record-and-playback tool will require coding - making Copado a low-code/code-based automation tool that is best suited for developers. Users can automate tests using keywords to prompt actions using their keyword-driven approach called QWords.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - Bash, JavaScript (Node), Python, QWords
Platform support: Web and API only, with limited application support beyond Salesforce
Cost: Varied pricing
12. Robot Framework
Robot Framework is an open-source automation framework that can be used for test automation and robotic process automation (RPA) and uses a keyword-driven approach. It supports web, mobile, desktop, and API testing and has a simple syntax.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - Python and Java
Platform support: Web, mobile, desktop and API
Cost: Free
13. Smartbear TestComplete
TestComplete is a commercial test automation tool by SmartBear. This is an excellent tool for developers and test engineers. This is due to their coded approach to web, desktop, mobile and virtual desktop test automation.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - JavaScript, Python, VBScript, Jscript, DelphiScript, C#, C++
Platform support: Windows apps, web, and mobile
Cost: Varied pricing
14. Postman
While primarily known as an API testing tool, Postman also offers features for test automation. It's especially useful for building and testing RESTful APIs and is known for its user-friendly interface.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - JavaScript
Platform Support: APIs
Cost: Varied pricing
15. Eggplant
Eggplant, a tool under Keysight Technologies, prioritizes user experience testing, employing image-based testing techniques for web, mobile, and desktop applications. It focuses on simulating user interactions from a user's perspective to ensure high-quality user experiences. Users can also manually script test cases using SenseTalk, a proprietary language which uses a script based approach to test automation.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - SenseTalk Scripting
Platform Support: All technologies
Cost: Upon request
16. UIPath
UiPath is a widely used RPA tool that helps organizations automate repetitive and rule-based tasks. They have recently ventured into the world of test automation, which allows users to automate any application. However, non-technical users can expect long onboarding times, given that their user interface requires some technical knowledge of their platform.
Programming or scripting required: No
Platform support: Works with any application
Cost: Upon request
17. Opkey
Opkey is a test automation platform designed for end-to-end testing of software applications. It offers features such as test case management, test data management, test execution, and reporting. Opkey provides a low-code environment, but requires strong technical skills to build advanced test cases.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - for advanced cases
Platform Support: ERP packaged applications
Cost: Upon request
18. Worksoft
Worksoft is an automation platform specializing in business process testing for enterprise applications. It is known for its ability to automate end-to-end business processes, such as order-to-cash and procure-to-pay, across various enterprise systems like SAP and Salesforce. Worksoft offers features like automated test creation, test data management, and reporting.
Programming or scripting required: No
Platform Support: Windows apps, web & mobile
Cost: Upon request
19. AVO
AVO is a specialized tool for automated visual testing, which focuses on verifying the visual aspects of web and mobile applications. It captures screenshots of application interfaces and compares them against baseline images to detect any visual discrepancies. This is a no-code tool. However, users will need to understand coding concepts in order to build and maintain test cases. This makes AVO a great tool for developers who are familiar with coded test automation.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - JavaScript and TestScript
Platform Support: Web (recorder), mobile, API and mainframe (no recorder)
Cost: Upon request
20. Ranorex
Ranorex is a commercial test automation tool with a user-friendly interface that supports testing across desktop, web, and mobile applications. Offering features for test recording, test case management, and execution, it provides flexibility with support for various programming languages like C# and VB.NET.
Programming or scripting required: Yes - C#, VB.NET, Java, TypeScript, Python
Platform Support: Desktop, Mobile and Web
Cost: Upon request
Conclusion - taking your research a step further
With a sea of tools to choose from, there are four considerations to keep top of mind. Their ease of use, customer support and technology compatibility. These considerations ensure that you can gain the maximum adoption for your tool, scale your automation and get a quick return of investment on your tool.
Take this knowledge a step further by downloading our test automation tools comparison chart, and see which tool suits your team needs and business requirements.
