10 Best Android Testing Tools Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
With so many different Android testing tools available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want to ensure that your applications run smoothly and efficiently on the Android platform but need to figure out which tool is best. I've got you! In this post I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences using dozens of different Android testing software with various teams and projects, with my picks of the best Android testing tools.
What Are Android Testing Tools?
Android testing tools are specialized software and frameworks used for testing Android mobile applications. These tools enable developers to perform various types of tests, such as functionality, performance, usability, and compatibility tests, to ensure that Android apps function correctly across different devices and versions of the Android operating system.
The benefits of Android testing tools include improved quality and reliability of Android apps, as they help identify and fix issues before the app is released. They enhance the efficiency of the development process by automating repetitive testing tasks, allowing for quicker iterations and deployments. These tools also ensure that apps provide a good user experience across a wide range of Android devices, which is crucial for user satisfaction and the success of the app in the competitive mobile app market. Additionally, they help in reducing the long-term costs associated with app maintenance and updates by catching issues early in the development cycle.
Overviews Of The 10 Best Android Testing Tools
Here’s a brief description of each Android testing tool to showcase each one’s best use case, some noteworthy features, screenshots, and pricing information.
New Relic is an observability platform that provides users with the ability to monitor, debug, and improve their software and infrastructure.
Why I picked New Relic: I selected New Relic for android testing due to its comprehensive full-stack observability, which encompasses over 30 capabilities and more than 700 integrations, along with AI-powered monitoring. This tool distinguishes itself by offering a holistic view of an application's performance and user experience, which is crucial for managing complex, distributed systems.
New Relic Standout Features & Integrations
Features include the software's newly-implemented interactive application security testing (IAST) capabilities. The tool helps you spot and fix high-risk errors and vulnerabilities during the development process. By using the tool, you can troubleshoot issues in your code more quickly and ship more secure, well-tested products.
Integrations include over 700 apps, including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Jenkins, CircleCI, Travis CI, and Slack. It also has an API you can use to build custom integrations.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Integrates seamlessly with popular dev tools
- Wide range of monitoring capabilities
- AI-powered anomaly detection and intelligent alerting
Cons:
- Added complexity from reliance on agents installed on application servers
- Has a bit of a learning curve
Testsigma is an open-source testing framework that allows you and your team to automate tests for web apps, mobile apps and APIs.
Why I picked Testsigma: Testsigma uses AI and machine learning algorithms to help identify the most critical test cases and optimize testing efforts. The AI algorithms can analyze your application under test and identify the most critical test cases so you are able to prioritize testing efforts. This helps ensure that your testing efforts are focused on the most important areas of the application.
Testsigma provides a codeless automation environment, which means that testers with little to no coding experience can still create automated tests. This opens up the possibility for anyone on your team to execute test runs, and generate results for analysis.
Testsigma Standout Features and Integrations
Features include cross-browser testing, continuous testing, AI-powered testing, codeless automation, and a centralized platform for collaboration.
Integrations include BrowserStack, Sauce Labs, Slack, Microsoft Teams, JIRA, Trello, Asana, Jenkins, Bamboo, and CircleCI.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Intuitive user interface
- No coding experience required
- Cross-browser and platform capabilities
Cons:
- Limited programming language support
Mobot is a feel of mobile robots designed for a wide range of applications, typically characterized by autonomous or semi-autonomous movement capabilities and the ability to perform tasks in various environments. They can point, click, drag, and eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming manual tests across different devices.
Why I Picked Mobot: Mobot is an ideal choice for teams that are spending a lot of their time doing manual testing on physical devices. It is full-service and can handle unautomatable tests with their mechanical robots, including deep linking, payment flows, two-factor authentication, and more.
Their team and robot fleet fully manage all aspects of testing from execution to documentation, reporting, and more. Mobot can automatically open JIRA tickets and send slack pings with ADB logs, screenshots, and reproducible steps for all bugs and abnormalities found during testing.
Its precision and consistency make it an excellent tool for regression testing, compatibility testing across multiple Android device models, and load testing to assess app performance under different conditions. Its ability to operate 24/7 ensures continuous testing and rapid feedback, contributing to the overall quality and reliability of Android applications.
Mobot Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a fleet of mechanical robots that use computer vision to execute your test cases, no-code setup, access to 200+ physical devices, native and cross-platform mobile app testing, replicate physical device testing, automated testing, and the ability to use video instructions to design tests.
Integrations include Slack, JIRA, and TestRail.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Can handle multi-device interactions (messaging, push notifications)
- Can mimic physical device interactions: swipes, clicks, turns
- Record a video of the test you'd like to run to implement it
Cons:
- Tests setup within 24-48 hours (their team must manually do this)
- Few native integrations currently
Android Studio is a powerful android testing application that incorporates its code editing and developer tools.
Why I picked Android Studio: Android Studio provides a complete integrated environment for app development, including a code editor, code analyzer, compiler, debugger, and emulator. This allows you to take advantage of a one-stop-shop in your team’s development process, eliminating the need for other tools.
Android Studio is geared towards developers who are responsible for seeing their delivery pieces through to production, and allows for easy debugging at the test stage of the life cycle. The tool is also supported by a large developer community, allowing you and your team to find help and resources when required.
Android Studio Standout Features and Integrations
Features include an intelligent Code Editor, Gradle Build System, Emulator, Layout Editor, Performance Analysis and Code Templates
Integrations include Google Cloud Platform, GitHub:, Jenkins, Jira and Docker
Android Studio is free to use.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Provides advanced code completion and refactoring capabilities
- Has the Gradle build system to manage dependencies, build variants, and multiple APKs.
- Provides a built-in code analysis tool that provides real-time feedback on coding errors
Cons:
- Android Studio requires a high-end computer with plenty of memory and processing power
Selendroid is an open-source test automation framework that supports the automation of Android native and hybrid applications.
Why I picked Selendroid: Selendroid provides a built-in element inspector for identifying UI elements. The feature’s element inspector provides a graphical user interface that allows you to easily identify and locate UI elements in the application being tested. Using the element inspector, you can view the hierarchy of UI elements and their properties, including their IDs, class names, text values, and other attributes.
Selendroid is compatible with multiple Android versions (2.3 to 10), which makes it a strong contender for testing a wide range of Android applications. The tool also supports multiple programming languages, such as ava, Python, Ruby, and C#, allowing you to program in your preferred language.
Selendroid Standout Features and Integrations
Features include support for parallel execution of tests, support for testing of hybrid applications and supports gestures and interactions
Integrations include Selenium Grid, Maven, Gradle, Appium, Jenkins and JIRA
Selendroid is free to use.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Compatibility with multiple Android versions
- Easy to set up and configure
- Integrates with Selenium Grid
Cons:
- Requires manual setup of devices
Robotium is an open-source test automation framework designed specifically for Android app testing.
Why I picked Robotium: One of Robotium’s strongest features is its support for both black-box and white-box testing. Black-box testing involves testing an application without any knowledge of its internal workings, while white-box testing involves testing an application with full knowledge of its internal workings. Robotium allows you to choose the type of testing you want to perform, depending on your needs and expertise.
Robotium is one of the more simple Android testing tools to configure, and is known for it’s ease of use, making it a good choice for beginners. It provides simple and intuitive APIs that allow testers to write test cases quickly and easily.
Robotium Standout Features and Integrations
Features include testing suite that supports multiple types of testing practices and scenarios, playback and reporting features, synchronization features and cross-device testing capabilities.
Integrations include Android Studio, Jenkins, Appium, Selendroid, TestNG and Gradle
Robotium is free to use.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Supports complex user interfaces
- Supports multiple programming languages
- Supports all Android versions
Cons:
- Limited documentation and tutorials
Espresso is an open source testing framework for Android applications that allows developers to write automated UI tests for their apps.
Why I picked Espresso: Espresso boasts a comprehensive test suite, ensuring all your testing needs are met in one place. Within this suite, Espresso makes it easy for you to write UI tests that interact with app components like buttons, text fields, and menus, and automatically waits for the app to become idle before performing any action, ensuring that the UI state is stable and consistent.
Espresso is a humble application that can benefit all developers from any background, but is particularly beneficial to freelance developers or a developer working on their own due to the variety of debugging tools available. The tool also supports a wide range of use cases, including testing individual components, full app flows, and complex user interactions.
Espresso Standout Features and Integrations
Features include automated UI testing, synchronization and debugging tools.
Integrations include JUnit, Android Test Orchestrator, Dagger, Mockito and Gradle
Espresso is free to use.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Provides fast execution
- Provides reliable test results
- Easy to set up and use
Cons:
- Limited cross-platform support
Detox is an open-source mobile application testing tool specifically for testing Android apps and iOS apps for smartphones.
Why I picked Detox: Detox uses a synchronization mechanism that ensures test scripts are executed only when the app UI is ready, which reduces the likelihood of flaky tests. This allows you to automate your Android and iOS app tests without the worry of wasting test runs, improving the efficiency of your testing practices. Detox also automatically records your test execution, and provides detailed information about test failures.
Detox automatically records test execution, providing detailed information about test failures and making it easier for testers to identify and fix issues. Detox also supports parallel test execution, which allows you to run multiple tests simultaneously and reduce testing time.
Detox Standout Features and Integrations
Features include cross-platform compatibility, integration with CI/CD tools, automated test recording, synchronization features, and playback and reporting.
Integrations include React Native, Appium, Docker, Bitrise, TestRail, Xray, Jenkins, Travis CI and Circle CI.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Allows tests on real devices
- Faster testing process
- Customizable test cases
Cons:
- Limited support for web apps
Waldo is an Android testing framework that aims to accelerate the testing process for developers by eliminating the need to build tests and write code for test automation.
Why I picked Waldo: Waldo provides you and your team a no-code experience, allowing you to move through any version of your build on real devices cross-platform within minimal effort. This, in addition to the elimination of test build requirements, allows you and your team to test your application more efficiently with builds that can be shared for testing.
Due to its no-code experience, the tool is particularly good for teams that do not have dedicated developers. Waldo also provides a scalable automation infrastructure, allowing you to automate your test cases.
Waldo Standout Features and Integrations
Features include mobile test automation, test suite organization, mobile simulator testing, mobile emulator testing, test recorder, flakiness detection and debugging signals.
Integrations include App Center, Bitrise, Circle CI, Fastlane, Travis CI, Xcode Cloud, Github, Bitbucket, GitHub Actions and GitLab.
Waldo offers customized pricing upon request. Waldo offers a free trial available.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Fast and reliable
- Easy test creation
- Dedicated support team
Cons:
- Only the enterprise plan supports unlimited testing devices
Calabash is an open source cross-platform mobile testing framework that allows developers to write and execute automated acceptance tests for native and hybrid mobile applications.
Why I picked Calabash: One of the best features of Calabash is the cross-platform support, as this allows you to write tests once and execute them on multiple mobile devices and platforms. This feature can significantly reduce the time and effort required for testing mobile applications, eliminating the need to write separate tests for each platform.
Calabash is built on the principles of BDD, allowing you to write test scenarios in natural language that can be easily understood by all stakeholders. This makes it easier for you to communicate with other team members, such as business analysts and product owners, to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal.
Calabash Standout Features and Integrations
Features include multiple language support, comprehensive test coverage, support for both native and hybrid apps, and continuous integration.
Integrations include Cucumber, Appium, Jenkins, Sauce Labs, Xamarin Test Cloud and CircleCI
Free Calabash is free to use.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Strong community support
- Easy to use
- Comprehensive test coverage
Cons:
- Maintenance required for test scripts
The 10 Best Android Testing Tools Summary
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| New Relic | From $49/user/month | Website |
| Testsigma | From $399/Monthly | Website |
| Mobot | $1,500/month/action (tap, swipe, click, etc.) | Website |
| Android Studio | Free | Website |
| Selendroid | Open source and free | Website |
| Robotium | Free to use | Website |
| Espresso | Free to use | Website |
| Detox | Free To Use | Website |
| Waldo | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Calabash | Free to use | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareOther Options
Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best android testing tools list:
- Appium
Best for automating testing practices for mobile applications
- Ranorex
Best for test automation across multiple operating systems and platforms
- MonkeyRunner
Best for multiple device control and extensible automation
- Tricentis Testim Mobile
Best for Android test automation
- Kobiton
Best for development team collaboration
- BrowserStack
Cloud-based testing platform that allows developers to perform live interactive testing
- Katalon Studio
Comprehensive automation testing tool that simplifies the process of creating and executing automated tests for web and mobile applications
- testRigor
AI-powered test automation tool that uses machine learning algorithms to generate and execute test cases automatically
- UI Automator
Open-source testing framework that allows developers to write automated tests for Android applications by interacting with the application's user interface elements
- TestComplete
Supports testing for a range of platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile applications
How I Selected The Best Android Testing Tools
Perhaps you're wondering how I selected the best Android testing tools for this list? To build this top 10 list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of Android testing tools with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of QA experience to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
Selection Criteria
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best Android testing tools for this article:
Usability:
Do they provide a variety of features? Do they offer automated testing and manual testing solutions for Android applications?
Programming Languages:
Does the tool support a variety of programming languages so any member of the team is able to set up testing environments and execute test runs?
Software Integrations:
Does the tool provide integrations with other software such as defect tracking platforms, and backlog management tools?
Pricing:
Does the tool provide enough features and cost effective solutions for your testing needs?
People Also Ask
Does The Tool Support All Versions Of Android?
Most if not all tools support the most recent Android versions, however there are very few that support older versions. In this article, there are some tools listed that support all versions of Android, so if you need your application to run on any Android smartphone, check them out above.
What are the Key Features of Android Testing Tools?
Android testing tools are designed to help developers and testers ensure that their Android applications function correctly. Here are several key features of an Android testing tool:
- Real Devices Testing: Android testing tools allow you to test your mobile applications on a wide range of devices with different screen sizes, hardware specifications, and software versions.
- UI Testing: UI testing allows you to test the entire user flow of an application, from the moment the user opens the application to when they exit it.
- Mobile Test Automation: Android testing tools provide a range of automated testing options, such as unit tests, integration tests, and UI tests. These tests can be run quickly and repeatedly, helping to catch bugs and errors early in the development process.
- Performance Testing: Android testing tools allow you to test the performance of your applications under various conditions, such as high traffic and low network connectivity.
- Test Reporting: Android testing tools provide detailed reports that help you track your progress, identify bugs and identify areas for improvement. These reports can be used to analyze test results, identify patterns, and to improve and optimize testing strategies.
- Integration with development tools: Android testing tools can be easily integrated with development tools like Android Studio and Jenkins, making it easy for developers to incorporate testing into their existing workflows.
What Other Application Testing Tools Should I Use?
If your testing needs also lie outside of Android testing, check out some other resources that incorporate testing needs:
Put Your Android App Through the Wringer!
Android testing tools are crucial for ensuring the quality and usability of Android applications, and developers, testers and mission teams should choose the tool that best suits their needs based on the type of testing they want to perform. In addition, using a combination of different testing tools can help ensure comprehensive testing and improve the overall quality of an Android application.
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