“If you don’t like testing your product, most likely your customers won’t like to test it either.” -Anonymous
Before we begin to understand this saying, here are some hard-hitting facts. As per Statista, by 2025, the number of mobile users is predicted to reach 7.49 billion. This growing love for mobile has given the developers a chance to showcase their talent and develop unimaginable apps. It is said that by 2022, the number of mobile applications downloads will rise to 258 billion. The greater number of users means the greater number of feedbacks. And when these feedbacks are utilised positively, it is going to benefit the product in the longer run. It goes without saying, when the application performs well, the number of downloads and loyal customers will hit the sky. While more than half of the downloaded apps are unused, 71 per cent of apps are uninstalled because they crash often. Getting witnessed when your app gets downloaded is a quarter of the battle won. The game begins once the user starts using the app. In order to touch the hearts of the users, the apps that you develop must be flawless. If you don’t test your apps, it is impossible to reach the goal to provide the best user experience. Thus, the above saying enunciates the importance of mobile application testing.
What is Mobile Application Testing?
Mobile application testing is a process through which the designed applications are tested for their performance, usability, functionality, compatibility, and other characteristics.
What are Mobile Testing Tools?
They are software tools that tests mobile applications. There are varied types of mobile testing tools – mobile performance testing tools, cloud-based, mobile phone emulators, app distribution tools, crash reporting tools, automated UI testers, A/B testing tools, and others. It enables developers to build applications that are multi-functional and accessible across various platforms.
This process is essential to safeguard the organization’s reputation, spread the essence of the brand and product, earn brownie points, increase profit, etc., the benefits are endless. Businesses should leverage mobile application testing for various reasons. Incorporating it determines the applications to perform under various obstacles. This further adds value to the brand. When the brand is looking for loyal customers, they should focus on testing the usability as it provides a better user experience. It helps in catching the bugs at an early stage which reduces the total cost of the product. Crashing apps provokes the users to uninstall them. This process minimizes the risk of broken applications.
Top 10 Mobile Application Testing Tools
When there is a plethora of options available, picking the right tool becomes a task. However, when the software takes care of the application’s functionality, performance, memory, interruption, installation, and stability, it becomes a piece of cake to pick the best tool. Here are our top picks:
1. TestComplete
It is an automated UI testing tool that offers users to run numerous tests over the application platform. This tool supports both Android and iOS app testing. The test scripts are available over seven different languages JavaScript, Python, VBScript, Jscript, DelphiScript, C#, and C+.
With native support for Behavioural Driven Development (BDD), TestComplete goes well when used with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- TestComplete offers a free 30-day trial.
- Its popular pricing module is the TestComplete Pro package that starts at $9,479. It includes desktop, mobile, and web testing. It also offers access to their parallel testing engine – TestExecute.
- TestComplete Base is one of the other packages that it provides which starts at $6,095.
2. Robotium
An easy to use tool, Robotium, which is an open-source test framework, requires minimal knowledge to access it. Used for both native and hybrid applications, it carries the test execution fast and smooth. With Robotium, developers can accept test scenarios, scan multiple android activities, write functions and systems. It is an automatic grey box testing case for Android applications.
3. Appium
It is an open-source tool for automating native, mobile web, and hybrid applications. The script is compatible with languages such as Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, C#, Clojure, Objective-C, JavaScript (Node), or Perl with the Selenium WebDriver API and language-specific client libraries. As per GitHub, by using the WebDriver models, one can smoothly switch between native app automation and WebView automation.
- As per 360 Quadrants, Appium is available free of cost for up to two users for the developer’s community.
- Its Professional Plan which can be used on one machine for up to five users is charged at $100/month.
- Appium’s Enterprise Plan is $300/month, where an unlimited number of users can use it.
4. Test IO
It allows mobile testing in the real world, with professional testers on real devices. The reviews suggest that it makes the software teams faster and flexible. And the reviews on G2 say that Test IO enables fast-moving software development teams with a platform for on-demand QA testing throughout the entire development cycle. It tracks bugs and integrates with the project management seamlessly. Test IO offers three packages – Starter, Professional, and Elite. The package price differs with added new features and benefits. Test IO shares prices on demand.
5. Katalon Studio
A fairly new tool, Katalon Studio has become famous amongst the masses in no time. It is a well-rounded automated solution that requires no additional extensions to run the tests. It is integrated with CI/DevOps workflow and other tools. Trusted by 100,000 companies, it offers a codeless experience for beginners and infinite testing extension for experts. There are three available packages. Users can save up to eight per cent if they opt for an annual package.
- Free: Allows to quickly create low-code and execute it across platforms and maintain tests. The Free Package allows:
- Desktop testing
- API Testing
- Web Testing
- Mobile Testing
2. Studio Enterprise: Provides powerful solutions that help your business. With that, it also provides Node-locked and Floating licenses. The benefits are:
- Price: $839/license/year
- Helpdesk support
- Extended features
- All studio functions
- Private plugins
3. Runtime Engine: It completes tests through either command-line interface or CI/CD pipeline.
- Price: $599/license/year
- Allows CI/CD integration
- Runs and schedules test simultaneously
- Supports all execution environment
6. Espresso
Developed by Google, Espresso is an open-source android user interface that is simple and efficient. It has three essential components – viewMatchers, viewActions and viewAssertations which makes it a lightweight API. This tool makes the process of testing pretty straightforward and fast as the test recorder allows recording of the test rather than writing detailed codes. It does automatic synchronization of UI elements and test actions: the framework detects when an element is available for testing and runs test commands accordingly.
7. Eggplant
Designed and developed by TestPlant, Eggplant is a commercial GUI Automation testing product. This tool ensures faster and efficient testing and on-time delivery. This reduces the IT cost while improving the quality. One script can be used for all the devices and platforms. And it is useful for image-based, mobile, network, and cross-browser testing. Eggplant’s pricing depends on the business needs and requirements. Its basic subscription license starts at $3400 for one test stream.
- Second test stream: $1700
- Third test stream: $850
- Comprehensive package: $595 for one system with three different test streams.
- 4+ test stream: $425 each.
8. Avo Assure
It is a heterogeneous test automation solution. Avo Assure is rather intuitive and ensures flawless testing. As per them, users can automatically create and deploy test cases without paying any extra penny. The highlight of this tool is that it achieves up to 90 per cent automation coverage. And this further saves almost 30 per cent of the automation effort.
9. LambdaTest
Users can perform live testing on mobile and desktop simultaneously. It performs online cross-browser testing that enables both manual and automated compatibility testing. While performing the test, this tool can directly mark the bug to any management tool like JIRA, Asana, Trello or move it to Github, Gitlab or also communicate over Slack. LambdaTest’s most popular package is the Web and Mobile Browser Automation which is for $99/month. And their annual subscription will save up to 20 per cent. This package includes:
- Unlimited Realtime Browser Testing
- Unlimited Responsive Testing
- 24×7 Support
- 3rd Party App Integrations
- Unlimited Screenshot Testing
Their other packages are Lite which is lifetime free, Live that goes for $15/ month, and Web Automation for $158.
10. Xamarin.UITest
It is an open-source, cross-platform UI testing framework. The tests are written by С# and NUnit. Although it is expensive, studies suggest that this tool is rather useful. A good choice for apps to build with Xamarin.Forms, Xamarin.UITest easily integrates with other Microsoft Visual Studio products. As per Fortuitas, this testing tool has four levels:
- Stater: Free
- Indie: $25/month
- Business: $999
- Enterprise: $1899
Final Thoughts
Mobile Application Testing, although is a tedious job, the rewards are highly advanced and fruitful. Integrating this process ensures that the product delivered is of high quality, and it further reduces complexities that would arise during its use. Not to forget, automated testing improves the business results by providing greater testing effectiveness and efficiency, and a short time to market. We agree mobile application testing is taxing, but our able testers and developers know their job. To know more about this, kindly contact the App-Scoop mobile app developers: https://www.app-scoop.com/contact-us.html
