{"id":384,"date":"2023-09-04T22:14:17","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T22:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rainforestqa.com\/web-application-automated-testing-tools\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T20:03:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T20:03:46","slug":"web-application-automated-testing-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/web-application-automated-testing-tools","title":{"rendered":"15+ automated software testing tools for web applications in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re interested in automating the testing of your web application, there are three categories of software automated testing tools to understand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open-source frameworks like Selenium and Cypress<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Low-code tools<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No-code tools<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The best automated testing solution for your web application will depend largely on the resources you have and the tradeoffs you\u2019re willing to make.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this piece, I\u2019m going to help you understand the strengths and shortcomings that come with each of these types of testing tools, as well as who they\u2019re each best-suited for.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"highlight-block_4f5df225f2c338061ae419785946e0a8\" class=\"highlight\">\r\n    <p>If you\u2019re a startup ready to transition away from manual testing into automation, check out Rainforest QA.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike other tools, it&#8217;s both no-code <em>and<\/em> intuitive so anyone can start using it to automate web tests right away without any training.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/talk-to-sales\">Talk to us<\/a> about setting up a Rainforest plan that fits your needs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 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\/web-application-automated-testing-tools\/#Open_source_software_automated_testing_tools_for_web_apps\" >Open source software automated testing tools for web apps<\/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\/web-application-automated-testing-tools\/#The_benefits_of_open_source_automated_testing_frameworks\" >The benefits of open source automated testing frameworks<\/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\/web-application-automated-testing-tools\/#Low-code_tools_for_automated_testing_of_web_apps\" >Low-code tools for automated testing of web apps<\/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\/web-application-automated-testing-tools\/#No-code_automated_testing_tools_for_web_apps\" >No-code automated testing tools for web apps<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Open_source_software_automated_testing_tools_for_web_apps\"><\/span>Open source software automated testing tools for web apps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before we get into the benefits and challenges of these tools, here\u2019s a handful of the most popular open source frameworks for end-to-end automated testing of web apps:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Selenium<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Selenium supports all major browsers, runs on all major operating systems (Windows, macOS, and Linux), and supports test creation via any one of a number of programming languages including JavaScript, Groovy, Java, C#, PHP, Python, Perl, and Ruby. It\u2019s quite complex to configure and use relative to other frameworks, so it\u2019s good for teams who can QA engineers and don\u2019t necessarily need to move fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"792\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/selenium-phython-example.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/selenium-phython-example.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/selenium-phython-example-300x238.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/selenium-phython-example-768x608.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A short Selenium test script in Python<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cypress<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cypress is popular among some front-end developers since its tests are written in JavaScript, its tests execute <a href=\"https:\/\/laerteneto.medium.com\/speed-comparison-cypress-wdio-and-selenium-webdriver-e813d8d802c3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">very fast<\/a> (especially relative to Selenium), and there\u2019s built-in support for other compelling features like stubbing APIs and simulating network conditions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it comes with notable limitations. For example, it only works with Firefox and Chromium browsers (no compatibility with Safari or Internet Explorer) and tests can\u2019t run across multiple browsers or tabs. You can\u2019t execute tests in parallel without paying for Cypress Cloud, the premium version of Cypress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Appium<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Appium is derived from Selenium Webdriver (the core component of Selenium) and specializes in native mobile app and web app tests for iOS and Android devices. Similar to Selenium, it supports multiple programming languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Playwright<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Playwright<strong> <\/strong>is a Microsoft-backed project that\u2019s quickly grown in popularity since its release in 2020. It can do several things Cypress can\u2019t, including do cross-browser test execution across all major browsers, perform parallel testing without a paid upgrade, and support multiple languages (JavaScript, Java, Python, and .NET).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_benefits_of_open_source_automated_testing_frameworks\"><\/span>The benefits of open source automated testing frameworks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Power and flexibility<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re a developer or QA engineer who\u2019s familiar with an open source framework and one of its supported scripting languages, you can create automated scripts for any number of test cases, including complex ones.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, the inherent versatility of code makes code-based test scripting flexible and powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plus, many third-party developers have created plugins (open source and otherwise) to extend the functionality of these frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to end-to-end testing, you can also use frameworks like Selenium and Cypress for unit testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Free support&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The frameworks I\u2019ve mentioned have large and active communities where you can get troubleshooting help at no cost, but of course the consistency and reliability of responses will vary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The challenges of open source testing frameworks&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Technical barriers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What all of the open source software testing frameworks have in common is that they require coding skills (and knowledge of a testing framework) to use. Only personnel who can interpret code and understand the way the tests are structured can write or update tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These personnel are usually either QA engineers or front-end developers who split their time between shipping code and maintaining the test suite. So if you can\u2019t afford to hire additional specialized QA headcount or to take developer time away from shipping code, these tools aren\u2019t going to be a good fit for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Limited cost-effectiveness<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technically, open source frameworks are free to use, as long as your configuration doesn\u2019t require premium add-ons.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Selenium is basically just a framework for automating browsers. If you want to get insightful test results, test management tools, visual regression testing, and other \u201ctable stakes\u201d testing features, you\u2019ll need to integrate third party plugins, some of which will require payment. If you want to run tests in parallel, you\u2019ll either need to provision (real or virtual) machines, or pay for a testing grid from BrowserStack, Sauce Labs, or similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plus, these tools require expensive technical headcount to operate them:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Expensive, specialized headcount<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">QA engineers and developers are expensive. In fact, the expense of these roles is usually the biggest financial cost of working with an open source framework when you\u2019re testing a web app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if you don\u2019t hire QA engineers and instead use your existing developers to manage your test suite, there\u2019s the opportunity cost of having them create and maintain end-to-end tests instead of shipping code.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trading between bottlenecks and product quality risks<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Working with test scripts written in code is a double-edged sword: they\u2019re versatile, but they take longer to create and update than test scripts created with low or no code.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every time a purposeful or unintended change in your web app causes your automated tests to fail, someone has to dig around in your Selenium code (for example) to find the affected strings. Then, that someone has to update the code in the affected tests based on the expected behavior of the app, which they may or may not be familiar with. And this all assumes anyone with the right expertise is available when you need them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The usual result is either (1) code doesn\u2019t get shipped as the software development team waits for tests to get updated to a passing state, or (2) the team gets tired of being blocked and ships code without updating the automated test suite.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The test suite becomes less reliable, making the software development team even less inclined to invest in its maintenance, creating a vicious cycle where the automated tests ultimately fail to do their job in protecting the quality of the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No visual regression testing, by default<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open source automated testing frameworks can miss bugs that make your web app unusable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s because, by default, these tools focus on testing the functionality of your web app while ignoring its visual layout and appearance. So, for example, a test meant to validate the presence and functionality of a button could pass even if the button was obscured by a popup or accidentally colored to blend in with the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The only way to add automated visual regression testing to these tools is via a 3rd-party (paid) plugin like Applitools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who are open source testing tools for?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open source tools are a good fit for teams who can afford the expensive technical headcount required to manage these complex tools and their coded test suites. You\u2019ll need to hire dedicated QA engineers and\/or to take the time of your front-end developers away from shipping code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These tools are also a good fit for large, complex web apps that require the versatility of automated test scripts written in code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between the expense of headcount and the difficulty of creating and maintaining tests quickly, they\u2019re typically not a good fit for resource-constrained startups that prioritize shipping fast.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Low-code_tools_for_automated_testing_of_web_apps\"><\/span>Low-code tools for automated testing of web apps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most low-code test automation tools are \u201crecord and playback\u201d tools: they record your actions as you interact with your web app and then automatically transform those actions into automated test steps. It\u2019s an easy way for anyone to quickly create tests without using any code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The majority of record-and-playback tools can record basic tests with no coding, but require coding skills to create complex test steps<\/strong>. For instance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Selenium IDE&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TestComplete<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Testim<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mabl<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Katalon Studio<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rapise<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ghost Inspector<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telerik Test Studio<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some record-and-playback tools can create more-complex tests than others using just the recording feature. But, generally speaking, you\u2019ll need technical skills to create test steps that cover software testing scenarios like validating the contents of a download or confirming an email was received.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"highlight-block_086f19030b76a9118d289b0253e5bcc9\" class=\"highlight\">\r\n    <p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rainforest<\/a>, you don\u2019t need to know code to quickly create test steps that validate file downloads or confirm emails.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of these tools support JavaScript for creating test steps, but there are exceptions. Katalon supports Groovy and JAVA, for example, and TestComplete supports JavaScript, Python, VBScript, Jscript, DelphiScript, C#, and C+.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/katalon-groovy-script.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/katalon-groovy-script.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/katalon-groovy-script-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/katalon-groovy-script-768x393.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A test script written in Groovy in Katalon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you\u2019ve recorded your tests, these tools differ in terms of how much you have to use code to update and maintain your automated tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, at least one tool, <strong>Squish<\/strong>, requires coding skills to interpret and update any recorded tests. Once you record test actions with Squish, it creates a test in one of its supported scripting languages: Python, Perl, Ruby, JavaScript, or Tcl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/squish-test-script.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"530\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/squish-test-script.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1619\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/squish-test-script.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/squish-test-script-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/squish-test-script-768x407.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A test script recorded with Squish. Click image to expand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With other recording tools, you could conceivably avoid using coding skills to create and maintain your test suite. But there\u2019s a catch that no one really talks about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The majority of record-and-playback tools force you to interact with code, even if you don\u2019t need to use coding skills, per se.<\/strong> This slows down the test automation process, whether you\u2019ve got technical skills, or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most people would identify a web application element like a button or headline by its visual appearance (\u201cthe big, green login button\u201d) or content (\u201cthe headline that says, \u2018generate test scripts without code\u2019\u201d).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But these testing tools identify and interact with elements in your web app via behind-the-scenes \u201clocators\u201d in your web app\u2019s front-end code (the \u201cDOM\u201d). These locators could include CSS classes, Xpaths, or custom element IDs, for instance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll typically encounter locators once a test is recorded and you want to review and\/or edit the recorded test steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/ghost-inspector-edit-steps.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/ghost-inspector-edit-steps.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/ghost-inspector-edit-steps.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/ghost-inspector-edit-steps-300x204.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/ghost-inspector-edit-steps-768x522.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Locators in a test script recorded by Ghost Inspector<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In some cases, you\u2019ll even have to translate locator code when you\u2019re recording a test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mabl-trainer-sidebar.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"556\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mabl-trainer-sidebar.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mabl-trainer-sidebar.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mabl-trainer-sidebar-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mabl-trainer-sidebar-768x427.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">mabl prompting the user to select the appropriate locator to identify an element<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even record-and-playback tools that don\u2019t allow any coded test scripting at all \u2014 like <strong>Screenster<\/strong> and <strong>DataDog Continuous Testing<\/strong> \u2014 require you to interact with locators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The benefits of low-code test automation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Faster test creation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Coding automated tests by hand in an open source framework can be slow and\/or difficult. Low-code tools make it easier to create automated tests more quickly with a recorder, while still offering the versatility of coding to cover more complex test cases. (In fact, tools like Katalon are basically a front-end for open source frameworks like Selenium and Appium.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More than just web application testing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some low-code test automation tools have been built to offer more than just end-to-end, functional testing of web applications.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>TestComplete and Katalon can both also test Windows desktop applications, and native mobile applications.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mabl offers performance testing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Katalon, mabl, and Rapise do API testing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TestComplete supports behavior-driven development (BDD) scenarios via Gherkin syntax. (Other tools are compatible with Cucumber.)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The challenges of low-code test automation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Locators slow things down<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having to dig around in the DOM to figure out which locator belongs to which element in your web app adds (pretty annoying) overhead to test creation and maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unnecessarily complex<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of these tools have complicated user interfaces and workflows that require training and familiarity to use with any success. Their tests are written with proprietary commands and vernacular that feel like they might as well be written in code. (Testim is probably the best of the bunch in terms of ease of use.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testcomplete-ui.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"527\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testcomplete-ui-1024x527.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1591\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testcomplete-ui-1024x527.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testcomplete-ui-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testcomplete-ui-768x395.png 768w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testcomplete-ui-1536x790.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testcomplete-ui.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The TestComplete user interface<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies often have just one or two people on the team who have developed the skills to use these tools. Having a limited number of specialists can create bottlenecks in the release process when demands for test creation and maintenance are high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No visual regression testing, by default<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like open source tools, low-code testing tools focus on functional testing, not visual regression testing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of these tools (except for Katalon) feature unsophisticated, exact-match algorithms that compare baseline screenshots of your app to screenshots captured during tests. Unless the screenshots match pixel-for-pixel, the tool will throw an alert or fail the relevant test. So even minor and expected updates to your app could cause disruptive, false-positive test failures that need to be debugged.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other tools like Testim require that you integrate a third-party tool like Applitools for any sort of visual testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless, you\u2019ll need to configure additional steps for <em>every<\/em> verification of a screen or app element you want to perform in the testing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who are low-code testing tools for?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Low-code tools are for teams who want to move more quickly than they can with open source tools, but who have the technical headcount available to maintain tests and\/or create test coverage for complex cases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since low-code testing tools are quite complex (despite requiring less coding skill than an open source tool), they typically require specialized headcount, who can bottleneck the release process. So they\u2019re not a good fit for resource-constrained startups, or for teams interested in sharing responsibility for managing the test suite across different roles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No-code_automated_testing_tools_for_web_apps\"><\/span>No-code automated testing tools for web apps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>There are very few automated testing tools that can truly claim to be no-code. <\/strong>Most testing tools \u2014 even some that claim to be \u201ccodeless\u201d \u2014 require interacting with code to one extent or another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, <strong>Virtuoso<\/strong> highlights that you can write its tests in natural language. But you still have to deal with locators when maintaining its tests, which isn\u2019t very \u201cnatural.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/virtuoso-locators.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"925\" height=\"739\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/virtuoso-locators.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/virtuoso-locators.png 925w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/virtuoso-locators-300x240.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/virtuoso-locators-768x614.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 925px) 100vw, 925px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Locators in Virtuoso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, <strong>TestRigor<\/strong> is a genuine no-code, natural language solution. You can write tests in plain English.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testrigor-test-steps.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"625\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testrigor-test-steps.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testrigor-test-steps.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testrigor-test-steps-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/testrigor-test-steps-768x480.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plain-English test steps in TestRigor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s not like ChatGPT \u2014 you can\u2019t just write whatever you want and expect TestRigor\u2019s automation to understand. You need to learn its 40+ different test actions (<em>click, type, scroll<\/em>) and how to use them in correctly-formatted expressions that TestRigor can interpret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, if you want a test to click on an element anywhere other than the center of the element (the default), then you need to specify an offset, which isn\u2019t intuitive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>Click on \u201cDelete\u201d with offset \u201c20,10\u201d<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you can see, \u201cno-code\u201d doesn\u2019t necessarily mean \u201ceasy to use.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"highlight-block_f9ba6f91f9253efb34b0b8a67b4551aa\" class=\"highlight\">\r\n    <p><strong>Rainforest QA<\/strong> is the only truly-no-code test automation tool that\u2019s so simple and intuitive, anyone on your team can start writing and maintaining automated tests right away without any training.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/add-a-step-click-a-button-webflow-aug-11-23.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"950\" height=\"617\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/add-a-step-click-a-button-webflow-aug-11-23.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1586\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Adding a test step in Rainforest is a simple as selecting a test action (e.g., <em>Click, Fill, Scroll<\/em>) and then drag-and-dropping a box around the element to apply the action to. Rainforest previews your web app on a Windows 10 virtual machine.  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Plus, you\u2019ll never have to look at \u2014 let alone decipher \u2014 locator code when you\u2019re using Rainforest. <\/strong>You can easily interpret and update test steps because they\u2019re all in plain English.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/rainforest-steps-in-plain-english.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"728\" height=\"722\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/rainforest-steps-in-plain-english.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1820\" style=\"width:500px;height:undefinedpx\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/rainforest-steps-in-plain-english.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/rainforest-steps-in-plain-english-300x298.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/rainforest-steps-in-plain-english-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An example of an automated test script created in Rainforest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rainforest doesn\u2019t have to use locators because it identifies elements in your web app not by their underlying code, but by their visual appearance, just like a real user would. And Rainforest interacts with those buttons, links, form fields and other elements via the visual layer of your application, just like a real end user would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>That means, unlike the vast majority of other automated testing tools, Rainforest does both functional testing and visual testing by default in every test.<\/strong> (Intelligent, AI-powered image-matching algorithms ignore minor visual changes in your app that a human tester wouldn\u2019t notice or care about, so you\u2019re not constantly debugging false-positive test failures.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This UI testing approach means <strong>Rainforest is uniquely able to test anything that appears on-screen \u2014 not just within the browser window.<\/strong> So your Rainforest tests can, for example: download and verify the contents of files, edit browser extension settings, and do just about anything else a real user could on a Windows 10 machine.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, here\u2019s a recording of a test that downloads and then installs Brave Browser:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/test-anywhere-on-screen-install-brave-aug-11-23.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/test-anywhere-on-screen-install-brave-aug-11-23.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1588\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Finally, unlike open source tools and many low-code tools, Rainforest includes everything you need to get started with and scale automated testing of web applications.<\/strong> There\u2019s no need to integrate any plugins or pay for any 3rd-party services. It includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A proprietary no-code automation framework for creating and maintaining end-to-end tests.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cloud-based Windows and macOS virtual machines (VMs) running multiple versions of popular browsers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test results that include everything you need for test debugging: video recordings, plain-English test steps, HTTP logs, and browser logs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integrations with email, Slack, and MS Teams for notifications and with JIRA so you can auto-generate tickets for bugs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test scheduling plus an API, CLI, and CI integrations for continuous testing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div id=\"highlight-block_0adbe47e29cbf20028efe589a907393b\" class=\"highlight\">\r\n    <p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/talk-to-sales\">Talk to us<\/a> about setting up a personalized demo of Rainforest QA.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The benefits of Rainforest\u2019s no-code test automation&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rainforest is more intuitive than other test automation solutions, so it\u2019s easy for anyone to get started automating a test suite right away without any training, regardless of their coding skills.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And you won\u2019t get slowed down dealing with any element locators \u2014 all tests are written in plain English so they\u2019re easy to interpret and maintain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since Rainforest uniquely does both functional and visual testing by default, you\u2019ll have the confidence that your automated UI tests are protecting the end-user experience of your web app, not just its behind-the-scenes functionality.&nbsp;<strong>It tests what your end users will see, not what a computer sees.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rainforest is an all-in-one testing platform, so you don\u2019t need to worry about provisioning any additional machines or services to get everything you need to create and run an automated test suite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The challenges of no-code test automation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No-code test automation tools like Rainforest are generally flexible enough to cover the majority of test cases. However, in some cases, a technical person might prefer the versatility of code available via an open source framework to address edge cases or particularly complex test cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While some low-code software testing tools can also test mobile applications and Windows desktop applications, Rainforest has been optimized specifically for testing web applications. So if you\u2019re interested in a solution for testing mobile apps and not just a web testing tool, Rainforest might not be a good fit for you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who is Rainforest for?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rainforest is ideal for startup teams ready to transition away from manual testing. They want to move faster, but don\u2019t want to (or can\u2019t) hire expensive QA headcount to manage complex testing tools.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rainforest is also perfect for teams who don\u2019t want to put the full burden of managing end-to-end test automation on developers, because the devs need to stay focused on shipping code. These teams want anyone to be able to contribute to test maintenance without training or hand-holding so web app updates can keep getting shipped, fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/talk-to-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Talk <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/talk-to-sales\">to<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/talk-to-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> us<\/a> about setting up a personalized demo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn the important differences between automated testing tools for web applications and pick the right one for your team.<\/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":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-test-automation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384","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=384"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3509,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384\/revisions\/3509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rainforestqa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}