When evaluating automation testing companies, you’ll notice most promise the same benefits: faster release cycles, fewer bugs in production, and less testing work for your development team.
But in our experience, many fall short. They bottleneck releases, miss bugs users immediately notice, and still rely on your developers to write and maintain tests.
Use this checklist to identify high-quality automation testing partners that won’t slow you down:
Can they automate test maintenance? Many testing companies rely on legacy tools like Selenium, which break with almost every change, requiring hours or days of fixes. Look for a testing company that automates test maintenance.
Can they test both functionality and the visual layer? Most companies test your application’s code but miss visual bugs that don’t appear in the codebase. Look for a service that tests both functionality and the UI directly.
Are they equipped to test workflows beyond the browser? Many testing companies limit tests to headless browsers, missing bugs outside the browser. Find a partner that tests beyond the browser.
Are test personnel dedicated to your account? Some testing companies rotate personnel so often that no one truly learns your application, leaving your developers to step in. Opt for a testing company with dedicated testing personnel who can take testing off your plate.
Can you actually see what’s being tested? Most testing companies write tests in their own workspace that you cannot view or contribute to, leaving you uncertain about test coverage. Choose a service that gives you full visibility into test suites, steps, and details.
In this guide, we review five of the top automation testing companies, so you can compare each company’s testing process against the five key considerations we’ve outlined above.
Let’s dive into how Rainforest QA handles application testing.
Ready to outsource automated testing? Talk to our team and discover how Rainforest can meet your needs.
1. Rainforest QA
An automation testing company that empowers you to deliver high-quality code fast
Rainforest QA is an end-to-end testing company that uses specialized software and virtual machines (VMs) to test your application’s functionality and UI — catching bugs code-based tests often miss.
We also use patent-pending AI technology that updates test scripts as your team makes intentional changes. This means you can ship faster, without waiting for manual test updates.
With Rainforest, you’ll have two test managers dedicated to your account who will:
Create and maintain all functional tests. They accept test instructions via Slack or any communication channel you prefer.
Integrate with your team and get familiar with your web application.
Double-check all AI-driven test script changes using their knowledge of your app.
Filter out false positives.
Operate in your time zone and respond quickly to updates or questions.
Fix bugs fast: we create Jira tickets with video replays and HTTP logs so developers can find and resolve issues quickly.
This is what Rainforest clients say about our approach to software testing:
Let’s review in more detail how Rainforest delivers on all the key points outlined above.
Rainforest’s patent-pending AI automates test maintenance, enabling high-velocity shipping without the usual QA bottlenecks
One of the biggest challenges engineering leaders face when outsourcing QA automation is delays in the release pipeline.
Release slowdowns are common because most testing companies use legacy test automation tools that rely on brittle selectors to identify elements in your application. Since these tests need an exact match to identify elements, they break after any change — intentional or not.
For example, if a selector ID changes from “submit-button” to “sbmt-button” or a button moves a few pixels to the right, the test will break because it’s looking for the old selector ID or position.
As a result, outsourced QA teams must manually update test scripts to reflect changes. Depending on the size of the change, this can take hours or even days, blocking your ability to release new code.
To tackle this, we created an AI trained on thousands of tests using multi-modal analysis to simulate an end user’s judgment. Our AI can distinguish whether a change is caused by a bug or intentionally made by your team. When the change is intentional, the AI automatically adjusts the relevant test scripts — no manual updates needed.
For example, if a tab label changes from “Dashboard” to “Home” or a dropdown menu turns into radio buttons, Rainforest can recognize it as intentional and update the corresponding test scripts. Your test manager will, however, double-check every AI decision to ensure accuracy, which further trains the AI for future changes.
If, after deployment, the “Submit” button becomes unresponsive or the “Add to Cart” button overlaps with text, Rainforest AI classifies this as a bug and fails the test.
No more waiting hours or days for manual test updates before shipping new code.
Test managers can create tests 3 times faster in Rainforest compared to coding them from scratch
Another reason development teams can ship faster with Rainforest is the way we write tests.
Most testing companies write tests in code, which is time-consuming because testers must code everything from scratch — including element size, wording, color, location, CSS selectors, and more. This often means waiting days for testing companies to code test scripts for new releases.
With Rainforest, test managers can write test steps in plain English, and our AI converts them into test scripts. This eliminates the need to code every test step from scratch.
As a result, we can create new tests 3 times faster than open-source test automation frameworks like Playwright.
Here’s an overview of the test creation process in Rainforest:
Rainforest tests your application’s functionality and appearance at every test step
Many automated testing companies write tests that interact with selectors in your application’s code — not the visual elements themselves.
The problem is that while these code-based tests can catch functional issues (like a button that doesn’t work), they often miss visual bugs such as buttons overlapping text or appearing off-screen.
For instance, imagine an “Order” button at the bottom of a mobile checkout page. A code-based test might confirm it works — it processes the order. But if a UI update causes the button to overlap the total price or fall off-screen on some devices, the test still passes because the test script only checks for the selector in the code.
You could catch many of these visual bugs by writing more thorough tests with safeguards confirming element location. But most software testing services don’t implement enough of these safeguards because it adds time to the QA process. And even then, they can’t anticipate everything, so issues inevitably slip through.
Our methodology is simple: if you want confidence in the user experience, you need to test from the user experience. You can’t do that by testing code.
With Rainforest, we run automated tests on the visual elements in your application. When test managers create tests, they take screenshots of the visual elements and compare the application’s visual layer to baseline images to detect any unexpected visual changes.
Read more: Top 5 regression testing services & key factors to consider
Rainforest can test anything on screen, including actions performed outside the browser window
Many software testing companies use headless browsers to run tests, but this limits their ability to test outside the browser window. These tests can miss key interactions, such as:
- File downloads and interaction with local file systems
- Print workflows
- Clipboard operations across apps
- Chat interactions between users
- Email verification and inbox interactions
- eCommerce order notifications and responses through native messaging apps
As a result, visual or behavioral bugs beyond the browser can go undetected.
With Rainforest, we don’t spin up and test software products inside headless browsers. Instead, we run tests inside full, cloud-based VMs so we can test anything that appears on screen. This comprehensive testing solution leads to more accurate test results.
Here’s an example of a Rainforest test verifying whether a user can download and install Brave Browser:
Rainforest test managers are dedicated to your account
Many automated software testing companies struggle to maintain consistent QA automation personnel due to high turnover, resourcing issues, or reshuffles.
The problem with rotating testers is they don’t stick around long enough to embed into your team like a full-time QA hire. They never fully learn your workflows, code safeguards, or testing needs.
Without continuity, your engineers end up retraining new testers, double-checking their work, filtering false positives, and wasting time on recurring quality assurance issues. It also slows down releases because every new tester has to decipher how the last one wrote scripts.
Rainforest solves this by assigning two dedicated test managers to your account.
In the first few months, they focus on integrating with your team and learning your application inside and out. They may need guidance early on, but after two or three months, you can step away with confidence.
Most of our test managers have been with us for over seven years. They work in your time zone, respond quickly in Slack, and are available for impromptu team meetings.
When Rainforest detects a bug, our test managers verify it and the system automatically generates a detailed Jira ticket with everything your developers need to fix it.
You only need to step in when there are actual bugs.
This is what clients say about our test managers:
You remain in full control of what is tested
One of the final limitations with most automation testing companies is that they provide little transparency into how they write tests or what’s actually being tested. Typically, they replicate your entire environment on their side and write tests in their own isolated workspace.
They may promise 80% test coverage, but there’s rarely a way for you to verify that 80% of your application is covered. Even if 80% is covered, you don’t know what’s being tested, so critical workflows may go untested, while non-critical workflows may receive excessive coverage in order to meet the 80% promise.
With Rainforest, you have full control over what is tested. All test scripts and details are available to you when you log into your Rainforest dashboard. Since our tests are codeless, even non-technical team members can follow the test steps and clearly see which parts passed or failed. Our easy-to-use, no-code interface also allows you to create your own tests.
Get started
Schedule a quick call to learn more about how Rainforest can streamline automated testing for your team and deliver high-quality software fast.
2. QualityLogic
QualityLogic is a U.S.-based automated testing company with over 35 years of experience. Founded in 1986, they specialize in providing customized testing solutions such as functional testing, test automation, and accessibility testing.
Reviewers say that QualityLogic’s onshore testing teams do a good job at integrating with client workflows and collaborating and communicating effectively. To date, QualityLogic has successfully completed over 6,000 projects and has a team of over 200 QA engineers.
We also like that QualityLogic offers onshore testing support, which removes the time zone and language barriers that you’ll find with many other testing companies.
That said, QualityLogic uses Selenium and other legacy frameworks to write test scripts. This means there’s an increased likelihood that you’ll run into some of the issues we discussed above, such as unreliable test results and having to wait hours or days for test managers to update tests.
Additional information
- Offers accessibility testing aligned with WCAG standards
- Supports test automation for web and mobile apps
- Provides testing for smart grid and smart energy standards
- Experienced in image and printer testing
- Specializes in software tool development and validation
- Supports Agile and DevOps workflows
- Known for fast onboarding and knowledge transfer
- Offers scriptless test automation options
- Tests across real devices and environments
- Collaborates with government and enterprise clients
3. QASource
QASource is an automated QA outsourcing company based in California with test personnel located all around the world. They offer comprehensive QA services, including functional testing, performance testing, security testing, and manual testing.
Many reviewers praise them for being able to quickly understand products and deliver effective test cases, which has helped reduce regression testing time and accelerate release cycles. Plus, it meant that engineering leaders don’t have to spend a lot of time managing test personnel. QASource’s teams integrate closely with client teams, participating in daily meetings and providing regular progress reports.
However, just like QualityLogic and most automated testing companies, QASource relies on Selenium and Selenium tools such as Selenium WebDriver, Selenium Grid, and Selenium IDE. These legacy tools test your application’s code and not the visual layer and because of this, it’s unclear how accurate test results are.
Additional information
- Offers AI-based test automation services
- Maintains ISO 27001 and SOC2 Type II certifications
- Provides dedicated engineering pods for scaling teams
- Offers Salesforce and Oracle application testing
- Supports continuous testing in CI/CD pipelines
- Performs API testing and automation
- Includes data security and compliance testing
- Conducts mobile test automation for Android and iOS
- Offers bilingual QA engineers for global teams
- Supports test documentation and audit readiness
4. QA Mentor
QA Mentor positions itself as a one-stop test automation solution for web and mobile application testing. Based in New York, they offer more than 30 QA testing services, including functional, regression, integration, security, automation, performance, and usability testing. They also offer unique services like crowdsourced testing and QA education through e-learning and corporate training.
However, it’s worth pointing out that while QA Mentor is headquartered in New York, their main testing centers are in Ukraine and India, so this is something to consider for teams who need test personnel to work in their time zone.
Another core limitation is that QA Mentor utilizes Selenium as a core component of its automated testing services, increasing the likelihood that engineering leaders will run into the above-mentioned issues.
Additional information
- Offers 24×7 testing support across time zones
- Provides static and dynamic code analysis
- Delivers compatibility testing for browsers and OS
- Has a proprietary test case management platform
- Offers startup-friendly quality engineering engagement models
- Performs cloud and SaaS platform testing
- Specializes in ERP and CRM system QA
- Provides penetration and vulnerability testing
- Offers QA assessments and maturity audits
- Offers game, AR/VR, and mobile app testing services
5. TestingXperts
TestingXperts is an all-in-one software QA testing firm that uses a combination of open source frameworks, proprietary software, and AI to help teams ship code while increasing time-to-market.
They offer a wide range of testing services, including functional and non-functional testing, test automation, digital QA, DevOps, and agile testing. On their website, TestingXperts claimed to help clients achieve significant improvements, such as reducing QA cycle times by up to 80% and lowering QA costs by up to 60%.
Their client-centric approach and skilled teams have earned them recognition in industry reports by Gartner and NelsonHall. With a strong presence in various industries, including finance, healthcare, and retail, TestingXperts remains an option for software development teams.
That said, TestingXperts doesn’t publicly say how they speed up test maintenance inside Selenium and other legacy tools. They’re also unable to directly test the visual layer of your application, so we recommend taking this into consideration before making a decision.
Additional information
- Leverages AI/ML for test script maintenance
- Offers performance engineering and tuning
- Provides shift-left testing strategies
- Supports cross-browser and cross-platform testing
- Offers RPA (Robotic Process Automation) testing
- Experienced in healthcare and HIPAA-compliant testing
- Provides service virtualization for testing environments
- Has partnerships with Microsoft, AWS, and SAP
- Offers IoT device and embedded system testing
- Delivers blockchain and smart contract testing
Outsource automated testing with Rainforest without worrying about testing bottlenecks
Book a call with our team to learn more about how Rainforest can improve your shipping velocity and help you ship with confidence.
