How to Choose An Automation Testing Tool
In web development, it’s important that you have the right tools to help you complete your projects on time, in budget, and to maximize effectiveness and efficiency.
It can be difficult to decide whether or not automation testing is for you, and it can be equally challenging to decide on the best automated testing tool.
Here are a few things to consider when it comes to making this important decision.
Is automated testing a solution for you or your team?
At some point, while working on a project, you may start to feel the need to automate certain tasks. You begin to fully understand the project, both inside and out, making it easier for you to identify which tasks can, and should, be automated.
But before you dive in, here’s a list of guidelines that can help determine whether or not automation testing is a good idea.
Projects with the following characteristics are normally good candidates for automation testing:
- A lot of repetitive tasks with the possibility of multiple outputs.
- A large number of test cases that must be run following precise and consistent steps.
- A large amount of module and system integrations and regression testing iterations.
- Team needs to be able to generate testing data.
- The application under test (AUT) has a relatively stable UI.
- A large set of build acceptance testing (BAT) cases.
Once you know it’s a good fit for you and your team, you can start looking for the best automation tool for your needs.
Okay, so how do I choose the right tool?
This part of the decision-making process can be an extremely difficult task. There’s a lot of tools out there. So, here’s the methodology we suggest.
- Define your requirements
- Do your research about the tools out there
- Analyze which tools is the best fit and finalize your decision
Allow us to elaborate.
1) Decide what you need.
Different projects and applications will be built with different technologies. So, it’s best to choose an automated testing tool that has flexibility and can support as many different operating systems and technologies as possible.
Automation testing tools normally requires a fairly skilled technical team. For example, some tools require teams to write their own automated test scripts. Often these tools, while powerful, can end up intimidating those who must use them on a day-to-day basis – especially if they are junior testers or even non-technical people. Make sure your evaluate who the main users will be.
You should also decide what you’d like to automate. What kind of testing will you automate and at what level will you use it in your development process? Some testing tools will require you to purchase separate products or add-ons.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to decide what criteria you’d like your tool to fulfill. Some important features might include:
- Multiple control
- Test data formats
- Team management & collaboration
- Tool support
- Result management (e.g. logs, dashboards, exports etc.)
- Record & run playback
- Libraries
- Builds
We’ve found it helpful to use a trial version first before making any permanent (and pricy) decisions. Products can seem like a perfect fit for your requirements, but it’s best to try it out before purchasing. This way, you can ask questions that might come up and discover any possible areas for difficulties before you pay up.
2) Research the tools that are out there
There’s a lot of testing tool lists out there on the web. We suggest taking a look at these:
Automated Testing for Web Applications and Websites
Website Test Tools and Site Management Tools
3) Choose the best fit
Don’t be too nervous about choosing the “right tool”. Take a look at your options and figure out which ones fit your base requirements. However, we would caution against spending too much time assigning a score or rank to the candidates.
Most tools these days offer a free trial, and even if not, it’s often worth experimenting with a tool for a month in practice rather than conducting an extensive tool evaluation.
And whatever you do, don’t waste time in meetings discussing which is best. Try a tool for a couple of weeks on actual tests for your project. If it works – great! If not, cut your losses on move onto the next one on your list.
4 reasons Testomato could be a perfect fit for your project
It’s a tool for all skill levels. Testomato isa great tool for those who are still building up their testing experience and skills, or in some cases, for those who do not have strong technical skills.
It’s incredibly simple. Even your mom could use it. This is a really simple tool to set up and start using. Testomato was designed for both a non-technical and technical audience. It’s important to us that all projects and teams that need automation testing have access to it.
You won’t break the bank. Costly tools can sometimes take up a lot of time, energy, and money. For many teams, they can’t afford expensive tools, or in some cases, they are wasting valuable resources on a tool they don’t need.
It’s super fast. Testomato was designed to run simple tests fast. More complicated tools often take a long time to give you the results you need.
Did you find this useful?
Let us know if there are any more tips or resources we’ve missed in the comments below or on Facebook. Or, you can always tweet us @testomatocom.
