{"id":379,"date":"2022-08-09T23:08:04","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T23:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rainforestqa.com\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/"},"modified":"2025-03-17T18:55:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T18:55:30","slug":"top-10-software-testing-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 software testing tools for functional testing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There are dozens of software testing tools available in 2022 \u2014 and they\u2019re not as similar as they may seem on the surface. To choose the right tool for your team, you need to carefully consider the technical skillset of your team and the complexity of the application you\u2019re testing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we discuss <strong id=\"\">four questions to consider<\/strong> in order to understand the differences between tools. Then, we compare the top 10 software testing tools according to these criteria and provide recommendations about each one.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Top 10 software testing tools for functional testing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong id=\"\">Rainforest QA:<\/strong> A true no-code software testing tool for any team<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">Selenium:<\/strong> The original automated testing framework<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">Cypress:<\/strong> A software testing framework for JavaScript<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">Katalon:<\/strong> A record-and-playback tool for hybrid teams<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">Telerik Test Studio:<\/strong> A web and mobile application testing platform<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">TestComplete:<\/strong> An automated software testing tool for desktop applications<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">Ranorex Studio:<\/strong> An automated UI testing framework<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">Watir:<\/strong> An open-source testing framework built on Ruby<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">Micro Focus UFT:<\/strong> A framework for desktop testing on Microsoft OS<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">Appium:<\/strong> A mobile application testing tool built on Selenium<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/talk-to-sales\">Talk to us<\/a> about setting up a Rainforest plan that fits your functional testing needs. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#4_questions_to_consider_when_choosing_a_software_testing_tool\" >4 questions to consider when choosing a software testing tool<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#1_Rainforest_QA\" >1. Rainforest QA<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#2_Selenium\" >2. Selenium<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#3_Cypress\" >3. Cypress<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#4_Katalon\" >4. Katalon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#5_Telerik_Test_Studio\" >5. Telerik Test Studio<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#6_TestComplete\" >6. TestComplete<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#7_Ranorex_Studio\" >7. Ranorex Studio<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#8_Watir\" >8. Watir<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#9_Micro_Focus_UFT\" >9. Micro Focus UFT<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/top-10-software-testing-tools\/#10_Appium\" >10. Appium<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_questions_to_consider_when_choosing_a_software_testing_tool\"><\/span>4 questions to consider when choosing a software testing tool<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Does the tool require specialized skills to write and maintain tests?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nearly every software testing tool will require programming skills at some point. That\u2019s because most tools use a scripting language to write out test steps. Even most no-code tools simply generate this code for you (either by recording your actions as you interact with the application and turning that recording into coded test steps or by providing a library of preset actions).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a tool that requires programming skills has two main drawbacks:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Only someone with programming experience can write and maintain tests and understand test failures. This means your developers have to spend more of their time on testing rather than building new features, or you have to hire dedicated (and often expensive) QA engineers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It\u2019s often time-consuming to maintain test scripts to reflect changes in the software and figure out why a test failed when you have to sort through tons of code.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Rainforest QA is the only true no-code software testing tool that allows anyone to write and maintain tests without writing a single line of code.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Does the tool support true end-to-end testing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>End-to-end testing is the foundation of most software testing efforts. It helps ensure that the core functionalities of your application work properly and appear correctly to the end-user.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, most software testing tools can\u2019t truly verify that your application appears correctly on the user interface (UI). That\u2019s because most software testing tools don\u2019t actually interact with the UI. Instead, these tests are designed to verify that element locators in the underlying code of the application (a.k.a., the DOM) have the right HTML and CSS settings related to color, size, style, position, etc. As long as those settings are correct, the test will pass.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This style of testing ends up missing a lot of <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/visual-regression-testing-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visual bugs<\/a>. For example, items might have the correct settings in the DOM, but render off-screen or get covered by a pop-up element. These are situations where a real user would immediately notice the bug and be unable to interact with the element.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, there are situations where small changes that don\u2019t affect the UI will cause a traditional test to fail. For example, if the CSS class of the button changed from &#8220;try for free button&#8221; to &#8220;tryforfreebtn1,&#8221; most tests would fail. Changing the CSS class of the button, however, doesn\u2019t change any of the visual aspects of the button, so a real user wouldn\u2019t notice (or care) about this change.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Rainforest tests use pixel-matching to interact with the actual user interface. This approach to testing allows you to verify the visuals and the functionality of the application with every test step.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Does the tool offer features to help you understand test results?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding why a test failed can be extremely time-consuming if the tool you\u2019re using doesn\u2019t offer any features to help. If you have tons of failed tests to sort through, it can be difficult to attend to all of them before the release deadline. This means you have to decide between delaying a release or releasing the software with potential bugs. Often, the determining factors of that decision will be the severity of the bugs and the user flows they impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">That\u2019s why we recommend using a tool, like Rainforest QA, that offers:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong id=\"\">Video replays of every test run:<\/strong> This allows you to see exactly how a test step played out and everything leading up to the failure, which is often the key to understanding <em id=\"\">why<\/em> the test failed.<strong id=\"\">\u200d<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong id=\"\">User-friendly bug categorization:<\/strong> This helps you prioritize your efforts and communicate to your team what needs to be done before release and what can wait.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Does the tool offer everything you need to write, run, and manage functional tests?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most open-source testing frameworks will only provide a way to write\/edit tests and run tests individually. If you want to run multiple tests at once, organize a large suite of tests, collaborate with a team of testers, or incorporate debugging into your workflow, you\u2019ll eventually have to pay for additional tools.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Rainforest QA is an all-in-one testing platform. And you can add unlimited team members without any additional cost.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, we\u2019ll review the top 10 software testing tools available today, starting with our tool, Rainforest QA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Rainforest_QA\"><\/span>1. Rainforest QA<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A true no-code software testing tool for any team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Rainforest QA is the only tool on this list that lets anyone create complex test cases without writing code. It\u2019s perfect for both QA testers without technical skills and for developers with years of programming experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Anyone can write &amp; maintain automated software tests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To write (or edit) a Rainforest test step, you choose from a menu of preset actions (e.g., \u2018double-click\u2019) and then take a screenshot of the element you want to apply the action to. To take a screenshot, simply click and drag your cursor over the element.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/61b250fa0b013466232fafc2_Add%20a%20Click%20Action.gif\" alt=\"Add a Click Action: Try for Free Button example\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re ready to start a test run, you can run multiple tests at once on our network of virtual machines. Test runs can be started from within Rainforest QA or via your CI\/CD pipeline using our CLI, API or CircleCI Orb and GitHub Actions integrations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Test what the end user sees on the UI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The screenshots in Rainforest tests are used to find and interact with elements on the UI during test runs. The test will scan the UI for a match to the original screenshot. If a match is found, the test will pass. Rainforest tests will only fail if an exact match can\u2019t be found (because the appearance of the element changed or the element isn\u2019t visible).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach to testing closely mimics the way real users interact with applications. Not only does this allow you to directly test what end users will see, but it also means you\u2019re directly verifying all visual aspects of the element with every test step.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instances where it\u2019s more important to test the function of an element than its appearance, Rainforest QA offers text matching (which can be turned on\/off for any test step). Text matching searches for a match to the text of an element rather than the appearance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the buttons below both say \u201cBuy Now\u201d but the colors and shapes are noticeably different.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/6239363b881c5c29c057e135_initial-button-updated-button.png\" alt=\"Buy Now Button: Initial Button vs Updated Button\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>With text matching enabled, the test would pass with either version of the button (assuming it\u2019s still functional). If text matching is <em id=\"\">not<\/em> enabled, the test will only pass if the original screenshot matches whatever version of the button is currently being displayed on the UI.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quickly understand test failures with video replays<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Rainforest QA automatically records every test run, pass or fail. Similar to Rainforest\u2019s visual editor, test steps will be listed on the left-hand side of the screen. On the right-hand side, you\u2019ll see the recording of the test run. Failed test steps will be highlighted in red.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/623e747bb3c7980ae0cc5e81_chat-test-run-action-failed.png\" alt=\"Chat Test: Action Failed\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s an \u2018investigate action\u2019 button under every test step \u2014 whether successful or not \u2014 that will take you to a screen with additional details about how the result was determined. Finally, you\u2019ll also have access to HTTP logs and browser logs, which are helpful in determining if the failure was due to a hiccup in the test environment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you sort through each failed test, you can quickly categorize each one with a custom label. This helps you prioritize your testing efforts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/62cc436f7e38ca4659a698e2_failed-tests-summary.png\" alt=\"Summary: Failed Tests and Run Results\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If the failure is due to a real bug, you can automatically create a ticket for the development team via our Jira integration. The ticket will include the failed test step, a screenshot of the failed test step, HTTP logs, and a link to the full test results and video recording in Rainforest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">All-in-one tool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Rainforest QA provides everything you need to run a full suite of software tests including:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access to multiple operating systems (including macOS and Windows) and browsers (including current and older versions of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Built-in <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/help.rainforestqa.com\/docs\/using-test-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">test data<\/a> like randomized email addresses, credit card numbers, names, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integrations with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and email, so your team can get real-time notifications of test failures and other updates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And much more.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Easily scale your testing up or down at a moment\u2019s notice, without paying for more than you need and without managing tons of tools.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/talk-to-sales\">Talk to us<\/a> about setting up a Rainforest plan that fits your testing needs. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Selenium\"><\/span>2. Selenium<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The original automated testing framework<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/620d4d9d1283042e71396b15_selenium.png\" alt=\"Selenium homepage: Selenium automates browsers. That's it! What you do with that power is entirely up to you.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Selenium is an open-source testing framework for automating interactions with web applications. There\u2019s a Selenium WebDriver that lets developers write tests in a variety of programming languages such as Ruby, PHP, Python, Java, etc. There\u2019s also a record-and-playback version of Selenium called Selenium IDE that lets non-developers assist with some test creation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many tools are built on Selenium (or the Selenium WebDriver), so understanding the pros and cons of Selenium will help you choose a software testing tool. We\u2019ve written a guide about the <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/selenium-alternatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">benefits and challenges of Selenium<\/a>, but the short version is that you\u2019ll have to rely on developers for nearly all aspects of testing, you\u2019ll only be able to interact with the DOM (not the UI), and eventually you\u2019ll need to purchase additional tools.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Selenium is recommended for developers looking for an open-source option and working with legacy software.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Cypress\"><\/span>3. Cypress<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A software testing framework for JavaScript<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/627bfd2f7301e64163923f95_cypress-homepage.png\" alt=\"Cypress homepage: The web has evolved. Finally, testing has too.\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Cypress is a test automation framework designed to let developers write test scripts in JavaScript. Once you install the Cypress software onto your hard drive, the Test Runner displays actions in the browser on one side of the screen and the corresponding lines of code on the other side of the screen in real-time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cypress also provides preset functions\u2014such as <em id=\"\">Cy.wait <\/em>(amount of time you want the test to \u2018wait for\u2019 an element to load)\u2014and tools (such as Clocks, Stubs, and Spies) that help the developer control test functions and speed up the test writing process. However, they don\u2019t offer any features for directly testing the UI.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While some aspects of Cypress are open source (such as their test script editor), you\u2019ll need to upgrade to one of their paid versions to access most of their features. You can learn more about Cypress and <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/cypress-alternatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cypress alternatives here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Cypress is recommended for teams who prefer to work with JavaScript and don\u2019t need to do <\/strong><a id=\"\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/visual-regression-testing-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong id=\"\">visual regression testing<\/strong><\/a><strong id=\"\">.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Katalon\"><\/span>4. Katalon<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A record-and-playback tool for hybrid teams<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/620d4b47cee956dcbf3076e9_katalon-studio.png\" alt=\"Katalon homepage: An all-in-one test automation solution\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Katalon is a record-and-playback tool built on the Selenium WebDriver. They offer web, desktop, mobile, and API testing, but the main attraction is the fact that developers can easily stop and restart test recordings to insert additional lines of code. This helps promote collaboration between developers and less technical QA testers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They offer a free version of their platform called Katalon Studio, however, it\u2019s pretty limited in functionality. For example, you can run a test and know whether it failed or not, but you won\u2019t have access to screenshots, recordings, or suggested fix features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em id=\"\">You can learn more about <\/em><a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/cypress-selenium-katalon-comparison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em id=\"\">Selenium vs. Cypress vs. Katalon, here<\/em><\/a><em id=\"\">.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Katalon is recommended for teams that prefer working with Selenium but want to promote collaboration between developers and non-technical team members.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Telerik_Test_Studio\"><\/span>5. Telerik Test Studio<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A web and mobile application testing platform<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/620d4ceb7f6dbf018996d2e5_telerik-test-studio.png\" alt=\"Telerik Test Studio homepage: Automated Testing That Just Works. \"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Telerik Test Studio offers test creation that uses a mix of preset actions and record-and-playback. This makes it fairly accommodating to testers with different levels of programming experience, but it\u2019s not particularly beginner-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can run functional tests on both web applications and mobile applications. They also offer the option to run tests on a headless browser, meaning you won\u2019t see the UI as the test runs. Instead, the tests will run the code via a command-line interface or network communication. This can speed up test runs because you don\u2019t have to wait for everything on the UI to load, but it\u2019s not testing what the end user actually sees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Telerik Test Studio is recommended for teams that want to test both a web and a mobile version of their app and aren\u2019t concerned with testing the UI.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_TestComplete\"><\/span>6. TestComplete<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An automated software testing tool for desktop applications<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/623936d832d348319d3c2f3f_smartbear-homepage.png\" alt=\"TestComplete homepage: Automated UI Testing that covers you from device cloud to packaged apps\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>TestComplete by SmartBear is a testing solution for enterprise software companies that need to test desktop applications. While they offer a lot of features (such as keyword-driven and data-driven testing, cross-browser testing, API testing, and CI integrations), most SaaS companies building web apps find it overwhelming.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other noteworthy features of TestComplete include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The ability to manage functional testing from unit testing frameworks (such as JUnit or TestNG)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their object recognition engine that allows you to test elements inside a PDF or chart<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">TestComplete is recommended for enterprise-level teams looking to test desktop apps.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Ranorex_Studio\"><\/span>7. Ranorex Studio<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An automated UI testing framework<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/6259a499297ee950761968f8_ranorex-homepage.png\" alt=\"Ranorex Studio homepage: Functional UI Test Automation\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Ranorex Studio is another record-and-playback tool built on Selenium. What sets it apart from other record-and-playback tools like Katalon is its image-based testing functionality. This allows users to insert screenshots for visual validation as part of any test step. However, unlike Rainforest, which automatically tests the UI with every test step, Ranorex requires the tester to manually add these visual validations in each test step.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Ranorex Studio is recommended for teams who need to automate testing of applications with challenging interfaces such as ERP and legacy applications.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Watir\"><\/span>8. Watir<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An Open Source Testing Framework Built on Ruby<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/624f042c21a7db1992c5243e_watir-homepage.png\" alt=\"Watir homepage: Powered by Selenium\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Watir (Web Application Testing In Ruby) is an automation testing tool with features that make it easier to write test scripts using Ruby. For example, without Watir, you would need to manually write in wait times for pages that take longer to load. Watir, however, automatically waits for pages to load before continuing the test.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watir is somewhat limited in functionality (for example, they don\u2019t offer cross-platform testing or bug tracking), however, they make it very easy to integrate with most testing tools including DevOps such as Jenkins, BDD tools such as Cucumber, or test management tools.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Watir is recommended for teams that prefer to work with Ruby and are looking for an open-source option.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Micro_Focus_UFT\"><\/span>9. Micro Focus UFT<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A framework for automated testing on Microsoft OS<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/6259ab9cfb8a024ed899a5dd_microfocus-uft-one-homepage.png\" alt=\"Micro Focus UFT homepage: Accelerate test automation with one intelligent functional testing tool\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Micro Focus UFT (formerly QTP) is a record-and-playback tool that only supports the VBScript scripting language. Additionally, they only support the Microsoft OS. However, Micro Focus does work with multiple browsers including Safari, Firefox, Chrome, IE, and Edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can create tests using a variety of methods\u2014from writing the code yourself to a record-and-playback option. Each method requires a different level of coding ability which is helpful for diverse teams.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Micro Focus UFT is recommended for teams working with web and desktop applications using the Microsoft OS.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Appium\"><\/span>10. Appium<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A mobile application testing tool built on Selenium<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/60da68c37e5767dfb65004c0\/620d4e03a06af7faaa1716d1_appium.png\" alt=\"Appium homepage: Automation for Apps\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Appium is an open-source framework that modifies Selenium to make mobile app testing possible. It can also automate desktop browsers (Windows, macOS, and Linux), however, they\u2019re best known for their mobile testing platform that supports iOS, Android, and Windows apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Appium is very customizable and can be integrated into nearly any software development tool.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong id=\"\">Appium is recommended for teams who are already comfortable with Selenium and are looking for a solution to test their mobile application.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em id=\"\">Ready to improve your software quality with automated functional testing? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/talk-to-sales\">Talk to us<\/a> about setting up a personalized Rainforest demo.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We provide a detailed review with recommendations of the top 10 software testing tools available today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-software-testing"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3027,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379\/revisions\/3027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}