Mobile testing tools assist in boosting the coverage, accuracy, and efficiency of a program developed to work on an Android or iOS platform. In this article, we have outlined some of the best tools for mobile testing that can help you in accurately developing mobile products.
Mobile app testing happens to play an essential role in app development. As time keeps passing by, the value of mobile testing is increasing as companies are developing more mobile products and wish to get a true taste of their target audience and their experiences while using the apps.
While making a decision to choose the best from a wide range of options, it is necessary to consider all the pros and cons before you jump into anything. This article aims to provide you with the required details of a few of the top mobile testing tools or other similar automation frameworks to assist you in making the best choice!
Firstly, Let’s Discuss What Mobile Application Testing is
If you have developed and/or designed an application compatible with mobile devices that run on iOS or Android then you will need to test it to measure its usability, consistency, and functionality. This allows you to test for any bugs that may demand fixes in order to run smoothly without causing any problems for the user.
List of the Best Mobile Testing Tools to Use in 2021
Here we’re going to talk about our selection of the best mobile testing tools out there.
We have:
- TestComplete
- Apptim
- Kobiton
- Robotium
- Appium
- MonkeyTalk
- eggPlant
- 21
- Espresso
- Ranorex Studio
Now let’s take a closer look into the details and main features of each one of these mobile testing tools to get a better insight into them.
TestComplete
SmartBear brought to us an automated UI testing tool and it goes by the name TestComplete. It comes with complete compatibility for Android and iOS devices. Some of the basic functions include creating, maintaining, and executing UI tests for mobile, web, and desktop applications respectively. With this software, you can create and run robust UI tests on both native and hybrid apps.
Additionally, you get the option to run tests on emulators, real devices, or even virtual machines. This tool allows you to use a script-free record and replay action that enables the easy creation of automated test scripts or simply choose from the programming languages. It does not require the device to undergo jailbreak of any kind in order to work properly. This flexible and highly easy-to-use tool offers both script and scriptless options for testing.
Apptim
With Apptim, mobile developers and testers can now test their apps while analyzing the overall performance without any hassle to prevent the possibility of the app going live with unresolved bugs! It allows you to measure the render times, use of resources, the power that is being consumed, all while capturing the crashes in the report.
This tool allows you to fully test your mobile app on both iOS and Android. It provides you with an Easy-to-Use interface, Native App Testing, JIRA Integration, Performance and Bug Reports, and allows you to smoothly draw out comparisons between two test results to see where you have improved and where more may be required.
Kobiton
Kobiton aims to empower mobile developers and testers with its amazing mobile device cloud platform that allows you to run manual or automated tests on native, web, and hybrid Android or iOS apps.
It is built on top of the Appium open-source framework and is continuously working on adding the latest OS updates and hardware to the system for a better experience. It allows you to test devices without undergoing multiple script modifications.
Robotium
Another Open-source library designed specifically for Android UI testing. Robotium is an Android-based test automation tool that provides support to test native and hybrid apps. It is mostly used for automated balck-box testing with the TestDroid Recorder for Android applications while using JavaScript to create the test scripts.
To use the Robotium framework, you may have to fulfill some system requirements such as; you must have Android SDK, Eclipse for building the test project, Android Development Kit, JDK, etc.
Appium
Appium happens to be one of the most popular open-source test automation frameworks. It allows you to create UI tests for native, mobile, web, and hybrid applications. This platform is best for testing apps that are written in Android or iOS SDK.
It’s so easy to use, and is supported on almost all of the built-in browser apps on Android and even Safari on iOS. The best part of Appium is that it doesn’t require modification of any app code in order to test as it runs smoothly on both Android and iOS and the device itself or an emulator can be used to test the functionality of the app.
If you’re used to working with test automation frameworks, then you will have no trouble setting up Appium and getting started with it.
MonkeyTalk
MonkeyTalk is a free Open-Source tool that is highly easy to use and can be used for both iOS and Android applications. With MonkeyTalk you do not have to be an expert programmer to understand and learn how to use the tool. It uses Object-based scripting which makes it more flexible compared to Image-based scripting tools.
MonkeyTalk consists of three components; MonkeyTalk IDE, MonkeyTalk Agent, and MonkeyTalk Scripts. IDE is an Eclipse-based tool that assists in recording, playback, managing, and also editing the tests for iOS and Android apps. MonkeyTalk Agent is basically the library that has the mobile applications that are being tested. The Agents assist in recording and playing the MonkeyTalk commands when needed. Lastly, the MonkeyTalk Scripts are used to describe or suggest each of the different activities required while testing for more accurate results.
eggPlant
With EggPlant you can test your applications better, faster, and with much less effort! This commercial GUI Automation Testing is developed and designed by TestPlant and has revolutionized the way test automation can be done by using the patented image-based approach to GUI testing.
With the help of eggPlant, you can use it on any device such as a mobile, tablet, desktop, etc. It supports all platforms including both Android and iOS apps for testing. The multifunctional tool grants access to Image-Based Testing, Mobile Testing, Network Testing, Cross-Browser Testing, and Web Testing. The most highlighted feature being, it does not require any plugins in order to get the job done.
21
The most sophisticated self-learning test automation and analytics platform will have to be 21. It is compatible with both iOS and Android applications, requires no installation or devices to create or perform tests, and grants access to multiple devices seamlessly.
21 offers a fast and intelligent authoring system that allows you to create automated functional and UI tests almost instantly! The system ensures stable results without the need of any locators.
Espresso
One of the most popular mobile testing frameworks; Espresso. This tool was created by Google with the integration of Android Studios, it happens to be almost every developer’s favorite tool while testing native Android applications. Espresso has many options for test script generation and allows you to accomplish much more than you can with any other tool. However, you can only create Android UI tests with it.
Espresso is known to provide highly useful and easy-to-use testing annotations and assertions while enabling you to write reliable user interface tests for Android. It automatically keeps your test actions in sync with the UI of your application.
However, the only restriction you might face is the limitation to only test Android applications as it does not allow the testing for iOS apps or any other platforms yet.
Ranorex Studio
Ranorex Studio is most commonly used by about 4,000 companies worldwide for its amazing all-in-one easy-to-use mobile app testing. With its beginner-friendly click-and-go user interface, you can get the fullest out of it by using its powerful automation systems for experts. It supports iOS and Android testing, along with native mobile apps and mobile web apps too.
It has a reliable object identification that are compatible with web elements even with dynamic IDs. the test reports are highly customizable with video test reports so that you can see a re-run of each test without the need to go through the test all over again! You can even run cross-device tests in parallel or use the WebDriver by Appium to run mobile web tests.
Conclusion
As thrilling of a task mobile app testing and development may seem to be, there are many challenges to be faced that make the task highly complex. Although, with the help og a few advanced features in the latest technology, you are now able to achieve a lot more today than you could before. The usage of Mobile Testing tools in automation testing help us pinpoint the bugs that need to be fixed and allow us to reduce the levels of complexity massively! The correct usage will allow you to develop a faster more flexible app with a subtle yet sufficient amount of security and robustness to make your app stand out in a list of the best apps as one in a million!
