This article will help you quickly compare and evaluate the best QA automation tools for quality assurance testing.
QA automation testing is just what it sounds like…quality assurance for apps and software through mobile testing and web testing, but automated. QA automation tools can take over repetitive tasks in order to free up your team’s time to do more complex or more creative problem-solving.
Make no mistake, there is no way to achieve 100% automated testing (we wish!) but automation tools can help take the mundane stuff off your plate during day-to-day operations.
In this post, I’ve selected a handful of QA tools that specialize in automation. I’ll explain what test automation can do for you and how it can help your efforts with quality assurance for software development. I’ll share with you a few of the best automation testing tools on the market and what they do.
The Best QA Automation Tools List
>Here’s a shortlist of the best test automation tools:
- 4. Mobot — Mobot’s mechanical robots automate mobile app tests that are impossible for emulators, virtual devices, and existing frameworks
Comparison Criteria
What am I looking for when I select a QA test tool for review? Here’s my evaluation criteria:
- User Interface (UI): Is it clean and attractive?
- Usability: Is it easy to learn and master? Is there good tech support, user support, tutorials, and training? What level of programming skills does the software require?
- Features & Functionality:
- Documentation: Every QA tool should have a clean, robust documentation process with easily searchable and exportable test results.
- Script languages: Does the software work with a variety of popular scripting languages? Or, does it specialize in one script language and go above and beyond in that focus?
- Version control: Can testing be done on different files at the same time? Is there a way to show the data history and revert local changes if needed?
- Test Commands: Does the software support a large number of test commands? Can test commands be easily added or changed as needed?
- Test Scenarios: Does the software support a variety of test scenarios, including performance testing?
- Integrations: Is it easy to connect with other tools or plugins? Any pre-built integrations? Does it integrate with any bug tracking tools, such as JIRA? Does it support various operating systems and browsers, including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and others?
- Value for $: How appropriate is the price for the features, capabilities, and use case? Is pricing clear, transparent, and flexible?
Overviews Of The Best QA Automation Testing Tools
Here’s a brief description of each of the testing automation tools that are featured on the top list.
Testim
Best for automated testing with artificial intelligence
Testim empowers users to author stable customized tests—either codeless or coded, use artificial intelligence to make tests resilient, run parallel tests across browser types on their test cloud, and create and publish informative bug reports.
Testim caters to both beginner and advanced users, allowing even non-technical team members to create code-free tests. Excellent customer service further enhances the Usability score per our evaluation criteria above.
The major con is that image verification (pixel level validation) is not a local feature, meaning you have to employ a 3rd party solution in order to gain access to this function.
Testim is free for up to 1000 runs/month. Higher-level plans offer customized pricing upon request.
Avo Assure
Best for 100% no-code test automation
Avo Assure is a no-code test automation solution for end-to-end test automation. Avo Assure is heterogeneous and enables you to test on multiple platforms including web, mobile, desktop, ERP applications, and mainframes.
Avo Assure comes with a keyword library of over 1500 keywords for building test cases. Its features also include smart scheduling, reporting, and accessibility testing.
Avo Assure integrates with various CI/CD and SDLC tools like Selenium, Jira, Microfocus – QC/ALM, Atlassian Bamboo, Sauce Labs, TFS, Amazon Mobile farm, and Q-test.
Avo Assure offers custom pricing details upon request. Avo Assure also comes with a 14-day free trial.
testRigor
Best automation tool for manual QA and minimal test maintenance
testRigor is a complete end-to-end testing system that solves all of the main issues of test automation. First of all, it’s no-code, meaning no programming skills are required – which empowers manual QA to own the test automation process. The side benefit is that since tests are written in plain English – they’re easy to understand for anyone on the team.
Next, testRigor is utilizing the power of its AI engine – making any tests extremely stable, with test maintenance typically taking close to no time. This allows for a smooth CI/CD integration with virtually any provider. Other integrations include Jira, TestRail, AppliTools, PagerDuty, etc.
testRigor supports testing for web, mobile web, native and hybrid mobile apps, and APIs. It also supports SMS, calls, and email testing. Tests are truly end-to-end, with both cross-browser and cross-platform capabilities.
testRigor is cloud-based and offers highly customizable plans starting from $300/month. There is a free open source tier, and all tiers have an unlimited number of users and an unlimited number of tests per test suite.
Mobot
Mobot’s mechanical robots automate mobile app tests that are impossible for emulators, virtual devices, and existing frameworks
For companies with native mobile apps, Mobot uses mechanical robots to automate mobile app tests that were previously impossible, eliminating error-prone, tedious manual testing and ensuring higher quality, bug-free app releases.
Mobot uses real, mechanical robots to automate physical testing, a proprietary 4th test driver technology, on over 200 mobile devices. (Check out their homepage to see their testing robot in action.)
Supervised by humans, the robots automate business-critical test scenarios, capture results, and integrate into your release process. Their robots test like a human. They tap. They swipe. They toggle between two phones, between apps, and third-party devices.
All Mobot customers are assigned a Customer Success Manager who verifies robot test results. You get the best of both worlds: efficiency and speed of automation, with the judgment and verification of manual testing.
Mobot costs from $1,500/month/action (tap, swipe, click, etc.) and offers a 30-day free trial.
Watir
Best for easily maintaining test cases
Watir is an open-source web application testing tool written in Ruby. It can perform the same browser interactions as your website visitors, including clicking links, downloading files, and completing forms. Because Watir is based on Ruby, the software is lightweight and easy to use. QAs can write tests that are simple to read and maintain. Users also have the flexibility to test any web application regardless of its programming language. Watir supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge and enables QAs to perform cross-browser automation testing. Watir is free to download.
Sahi Pro
Best for automatic reporting and bug logging
Sahi Pro is an enterprise web application test automation tool that simplifies testing for QA engineers and business analysts. The platform offers a variety of testing features to reduce time-to-market, including easy test creation and detailed error reporting for managers, testers, and developers.Sahi Pro’s automatic logging and reporting features provide users with comprehensive details about each test script execution. Users can view concise summaries and graphs or the exact line of script failure in code. Sahi Pro also enables users to create automation suites for test scripts. QAs can automatically add tags, dependencies, and data to any script. With Sahi Pro’s Playback Wizard, testers can execute scripts from the UI or command line.Sahi Pro is compatible with any browser and works on Windows desktop, mobile, and SAP applications.Pricing starts at $695/user/year.
TestRail
Best QA automation tool for enterprise test management
TestRail is a test case management solution that is designed for software testing, test automation, and detailed reporting on multiple test results. It provides QA and software development teams with a centralized platform where they can manage, organize, and track their testing efforts within a collaborative environment.
The tool is well-suited for both traditional and agile testing methods, supporting any workflow for DevOps or QA testing teams, whether they’re more inclined towards traditional testing approaches or are embracing a more agile approach to their workflow. In addition to being flexible enough to support any workflow, the tool is compatible with any method of software testing as well as team size. Teams at any scale can easily manage their exploratory, functional, and/or automated testing methods with relative efficiency.
One of the best features is the centralized test management solution for enterprises—offering test management on a global scale. This version is purpose-built to help administrators manage, organize, and track multiple testing projects across different teams, all in one interface. In addition to the built-in QA automation tools, the enterprise edition also comes with more streamlined processes with multiple integrations, including third-party automation tools for software testing.
Kobiton
Best mobile app testing platform with QA automation
With Kobiton’s complete mobile app testing platform, users can build, test, deploy, and release mobile apps, websites, and IoT devices on real devices, on-premise, or in the cloud. QA teams can perform functional, performance, and visual tests and they can automate using Kobiton AI-driven scriptless solution and AI-assisted script generation.
Users can create automated test scripts directly from their manual test sessions and execute them on hundreds of devices simultaneously. When leveraging Kobiton’s NOVA AI engine, they can auto-generate Appium scripts without any actual scripting required.
Kobiton fully supports test automation frameworks such as Appium, Espresso, and XCTest. Lesser-known frameworks will require custom integrations. Kobiton supports integration into all the major CI/CD platforms, along with automatic JIRA ticket creation containing full video of the test failures on specific devices.
Kobiton costs from $50 to $1400/month for unlimited users. They also offer a free trial for up to 120 device minutes.
Autify
Best AI-powered testing automation for desktop & mobile
Autify is a testing tool built with an aim to eliminate the test phase. Autify creates, manages, executes, and reports on tests with a self-healing AI that shortens release cycles and increases QA team productivity.
With Autify’s intuitive UI, you simply interact with your browser, making QA testing an effortless no-code option for everyone while still having the option to customize your tests.
Autify works for web and mobile native applications, providing cross-browser testing, email testing, JavaScript steps, parallel execution, step groups, local replays, Salesforce ‘Lightning’ support, visual regression, terminal operation, API steps, cross-device testing, location, webhook, and more.
Every time you release, Autify’s AI monitors any UI changes and automatically updates the Test Scenario, reducing maintenance.
Autify integrates with services you already use such as your CI/CD tools, CircleCI, Jenkins, and Slack.
Autify’s pricing varies depending on your needs. They have a 14-day free trial, and a $300/month no-contract starting package.
QA Wolf
Best for fast test creation and ease-of-use
QA Wolf is a QA automation service that is best for SaaS tools that want an in-house experience while keeping the work external and delivering improved results.
The team at QA Wolf supports you in developing a test plan, writing and maintaining tests, investigating failures, and reporting bugs. Once they are done, the code is yours. Since this code is built using the Playwright framework, it means it's platform and vendor agnostic.
In a nutshell, QA Wolf is a bunch of awesome engineers that will help you build end-to-end tests that take you to 80% coverage in less than 4 months, help you track failures and write bug reports with all the info you need, and be your 'in-house team' for a fraction of the price.
Custom pricing is available after you demo your tool to them.
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The 10 Best QA Automation Tools For Software Testing Summary
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Testim Best for automated testing with artificial intelligence | Free plan available | From $450/month | Visit Website |
2 | Avo Assure Best for 100% no-code test automation | 14 Days Free Trial | Visit Website | |
3 | testRigor Best automation tool for manual QA and minimal test maintenance | 14-day free trial and free plan available | From $900/Month | Visit Website |
4 | Mobot Mobot’s mechanical robots automate mobile app tests that are impossible for emulators, virtual devices, and existing frameworks | 30 Days Free Trial | $1,500/month/action (tap, swipe, click, etc.) | Visit Website |
5 | Watir Best for easily maintaining test cases | Not available | Free To Use | Visit Website |
6 | Sahi Pro Best for automatic reporting and bug logging | Not available | $695/user/year. | Visit Website |
7 | TestRail Best QA automation tool for enterprise test management | 14-day free trial | From $37/user/month | Visit Website |
8 | Kobiton Best mobile app testing platform with QA automation | 14-day free trial | From $75/month | Visit Website |
9 | Autify Best AI-powered testing automation for desktop & mobile | 14-days free trial | From $300/month | Visit Website |
10 | QA Wolf Best for fast test creation and ease-of-use | Three-month, risk-free pilot | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
Other QA Tester Tools Options
Here’s a few more that didn’t make the top list. If you need additional suggestions for a handy QA testing tool, check these out.
- Sahi Pro — Best for automatic reporting and bug logging
- Watir - Best for easily maintaining test cases
- TestingWhiz — Best for codeless automation testing.
- Selenium — Best for web-based applications.
- Appium — Best for use with native, hybrid, and mobile web apps.
- Parasoft — Best for integrating static and runtime analysis.
- Microsoft Visual Studio Test Professional — Best all-in-one test management activities.
- Micro Focus Silk Test — Best for regression, cross-platform, and localization testing for mobile.
- Postman — Best to automate many types of tests including unit tests, functional tests, and integration tests.
- Ranorex — Build data-driven tests via data tables, spreadsheets, or databases.
- Smartbear TestComplete — Best hybrid object and visual recognition engine.
- Tricentis Tosca — Best script-less, no-code approach for end-to-end test automation.
- Accential Test — Best for complex test lifecycle management.
- TestCraft — Best codeless test automation with Selenium-based CI/CD integrations.
- Appvance IQ — Best 3rd-generation code-free cross-browser data-driven testing, self-healing tests.
- Perfecto — Best cloud-based continuous testing platform with smart self-healing abilities.
- Percy — Best visual review platform with testing for officially-supported SDKs.
- WonderProxy — Best for testing currencies, payment and shipping, and languages.
- Telerik Studio - Best for custom testing frameworks.
- Unified Functional Testing (UFT One) - Best testing with cross-departmental communication tools.
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Automation Tool FAQ
Have some questions about QA automation? Browse through this section first.
What Is QA Automation?
What Are The Benefits Of Automated Testing?
What Are Your Top QA Automation Tools?
Have you tried out any of the automation testing tools listed above? Do you have any software you would add to the automation testing tools list? Share your ideas with a comment below.
If you're looking for tools you can use specifically for Jira, here's our list of the 10 Best Test Management Tools For Jira In 2023.
If you're not sure which of these to get for your use case, check this list of the 10 Best Free Test Management Tools For 2023 so you can test them out before making a purchase.
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