Top 10 Katalon Alternatives: A Comprehensive Comparison

Automation testing is a buzzword in the software industry, and organizations are adopting automation tools to accelerate their delivery and reduce errors. Manual testing consumes a lot of time, and there are times when the same tests are executed repeatedly. It is during these times that test automation proves useful. There are many automation tools in the market, such as Katalon, TestGrid, Selenium, etc. In this article, we will discuss the test automation tool Katalon and its alternatives.

What is Katalon Studio?

Katalon is an automation platform for mobile, API, and web testing. Katalon Studio offers a variety of features such as recording and playback, low-code testing, and support for multiple programming languages. It has a feature-rich UI, which comes in handy while developing automation scripts. Katalon can be used for almost all types of testing, including functional and non-functional testing.

Reasons to Consider an Alternative to Katalon

Though Katalon is feature-rich, there are many reasons to consider the Katalon alternative:

• Pricing: Katalon’s license comes at a price. There are open-source tools that offer similar features to commercial ones. In such cases, opting for a commercial tool and paying hefty license fees may not necessarily benefit the organization.

• Community Support: Compared to other tools, Katalon’s community support is not as strong. If you consider Selenium, most of the questions in your mind are already answered on forums. However, Katalon has a smaller community base.

• Performance Issues: The Katalon desktop client has performance issues. As Katalon tools bundle many features on the UI, it has become heavier for computers to run. Users are facing challenges while running the application on lower-configuration systems.

• Low-Code Feature Issues: Katalon offers low-code features with record and playback. However, when your application has a lot of dynamic content, test cases become flaky, and reports become unreliable.

• It is not open source: Katalon is not open source. You should continue to invest every year once you shift to Katalon. Furthermore, the license cost also increases considerably as the year passes, which may eventually cause overhead for the organization.

Factors to Consider When Selecting a Katalon Alternative Tool

As mentioned earlier, the abundance of automation tools in the market can make it challenging for users to choose the right one. Before selecting an automation tool, it is essential to evaluate your organization’s specific requirements. Here are some general features to consider when choosing the right automation tool:

• License Cost: Consider the license costs of the tool. Open-source tools often support features like commercial tools. In such cases, opting for a commercial tool with high license fees may not be beneficial for the organization.

• Testing Type Support: Ensure the tool supports all required testing types, such as API testing, web testing, and mobile testing. Depending on the organization’s needs, this list may be extended.

• Reporting: The success of automation is measured by the metrics of test execution. The tool should provide all relevant metrics and granular-level logs to help identify test script issues easily.

• Low-Code Testing: Low-code testing can accelerate the adoption of automation testing within an organization. It also allows manual testers to contribute to automation testing through low-code test automation

• Third-party Integration: You may not want to manually take input from one tool to update to another. Third-party integration helps to automatically update the data or trigger the event based on the outcome.

• Support: The tool should provide either dedicated technical support at a low cost, or it should have good community support. Support plays a major role if you are new to the tool.

Top Katalon Alternatives

Here, we have made an effort to find alternatives to Katalon and curate the best alternative tools that share similar features with Katalon. Below are the top Katalon alternatives (not ordered by ranking).

TestGrid

TestGrid.io is a cloud-based testing platform that offers functional, performance, and API testing capabilities. It’s one of the best software testing tools available because of its adaptability.

It offers a scalable test framework for automated testing using real-world mobile devices and browsers. You can rapidly discover and resolve issues with TestGrid thanks to its powerful reporting and analytics features.

TestGrid’s user-friendly interface and extensive integrations with CI/CD tools make it ideal for development and QA teams. It offers ease and versatility by supporting a wide range of testing frameworks and languages.

Features:

· TestGrid allows you to test your apps on a wide range of real devices, including Android, iOS, Samsung, Oppo, Pixel, and more.

· Users can perform codeless automation, saving time on testing complex use cases.

· Integrate with custom scripts or code for added flexibility in your testing process.

· AI-driven auto heals features reduce maintenance by automatically identifying and fixing defects.

· Create custom dashboards to visualize test results and gain insights into your app’s performance.

· TestGrid seamlessly integrates with popular CI/CD tools, enabling users to automate the entire testing process.

· Reserve a device for a specific period to gain exclusive access, useful for testing a particular app or feature in a controlled environment..

Pros:

· 1.Cloud-based platform, no installation needed

· 2.Visual script creation makes it beginner-friendly.

· 3.Unlike some tools that charge extra for features like visual testing and performance analysis etc, TestGrid offers all functionalities within a single subscription plan. This makes it a cost-effective option for teams seeking a comprehensive testing solution.

Cons:

· Learning Curve: While scriptless, some features might have a learning curve for new users.

· User Interface: Some reviews mention room for improvement in the user interface.

Smartbear TestComplete

Smartbear offers many tools, and TestComplete is the most popular commercial automation tool offered by Smartbear. It comes with a rich IDE for ease of use. TestComplete supports many programming languages. It also supports record and playback. TestComplete can be used for Desktop, Web, and Mobile applications automation.

Features:

• Rich IDE helps to create and debug test scripts

• Supports Javascript, VBScript, and Python programming languages

• Supports Cross-browser testing and API Testing

• Windows users can easily install and set up the TestComplete package

Pros:

• Excellent object recognition and cross-platform support

• Powerful scripting capabilities and record-and-playback features

• Extensive integrations with CI/CD tools

Cons:

• High cost, especially for small teams

• Steeper learning curve compared to some alternatives

• Limited free trial and limited features in the free version

Selenium

Selenium is an open-source and widely-used test automation tool known for its high customizability and support for various programming languages. With the release of version 4.X, Selenium aims to address modern web automation challenges. It also offers Selenium IDE for recording and playback of test scripts.

Features:

• Open source, no setup cost

• Offers test script creation with Python, Java, Javascript, C#, Ruby, Perl, etc.

• Highly customizable and extensible automation tool

• A big community to answer all your questions

• It is available on all different platforms.

Pros:

• Open source and highly customizable.

• Strong community support with readily available resources.

• Supports a wide range of web browsers and platforms.

Cons:

• Requires programming knowledge for script creation.

• Can be time-consuming to set up and maintain.

• May need additional libraries for mobile and API testing.

Ranorex Studio

Ranorex is a commercial tool developed by Idera, Inc., specifically tailored for functional UI test automation. As a comprehensive automation suite, it offers intelligent test design features that enhance the creation of robust testing scenarios.

Features:

· Supports test automation for desktop, mobile, and web applications.

· Easily integrates into CI/CD pipelines with DevOps tools.

· Suitable for small, medium, and large organizations, regardless of application complexity.

· Supports third-party software integrations, including Xray, Jira, Jenkins, and more.

Pros:

• Powerful image and object recognition capabilities

• Excellent for desktop application testing

• Robust reporting and analytics features

Cons:

· Steep learning curve and complex licensing model.

· Limited support for mobile and web testing.

· Can be resource-intensive for large test suites.

QAWolf

QAWolf is an end-to-end testing tool. The team claims that 80% automation can be done in 4 months. A faster parallel testing feature is a big plus. The tool can be used for both large enterprises and startups. It is a SaaS-based tool. The script can be written in Javascript/Typescript.

Features:

• Easy to set up and run the test

• Good reporting and dashboard

• Offers Zero Flaky test guarantee

• Flexible pricing

• Uses Playwright in the background

Pros:

• AI-powered test automation and self-healing capabilities

• Easy integration with CI/CD pipelines and cloud environments

• Cost-effective compared to some alternatives

Cons:

• Relatively new tool with limited community support

• May not be suitable for highly customized testing needs

• Limited documentation and resources compared to established tools

Playwright

Playwright is an open-source tool managed by Microsoft. Playwright offers great flexibility in programming language. Playwright is comparatively faster than other automation tools. Playwright can be used for different types of testing, such as API Testing, UI Testing, Visual Testing, and accessibility testing. Playwright is a highly customizable framework. Playwright is easy to start as it offers good documentation.

Features:

• Playwright supports all major browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Webkit

• Playwright can be integrated into CI/CD pipelines

• It is highly customizable and extensible

• It supports in-built HTML reporters. It also supports line and spec reporters

• Playwright supports record and playback tests

Pros:

• Headless browser automation with high execution speed

• Excellent cross-browser and cross-platform support

• Easy API integration and built-in accessibility testing features

Cons:

• Requires knowledge of JavaScript or Python for script creation

• Limited support for desktop application testing

• Not as mature as some established alternatives

Cypress

Cypress is an open-source automation framework, that comes with a test runner GUI. It is more developer-friendly and supports programming with Javascript. Cypress tests are more stable, and it executes test commands directly on the browser, hence it is faster.

Features:

· Comes with automatic waiting, making it easy to write tests.

· Supports API testing, UI testing, and more.

· Offers good documentation for easy onboarding.

· Provides Cypress Dashboard as a commercial feature.

· Supports Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers.

Pros:

• Easy to learn and use, especially for beginners

• Excellent debugging and reporting features

• Good for testing single-page applications

Cons:

• Primarily focused on web testing, making it less ideal for mobile or API testing.

• Limited object recognition capabilities compared to some other alternatives.

• May not be suitable for complex test automation scenarios

WebdriverIO

WebdriverIO is an open-source automation framework that utilizes Selenium and Appium for web and mobile automation. It is highly customizable and easy to extend, offering robust reporting features. The availability of third-party extensions further enhances its functionality.

Features:

• Community-driven automation framework

• Highly extensible, lots of community plugins

• Supports JSON, HTML, and many more reporters

• Supports both web and native mobile applications

• WebdriverIO can be extended to seamlessly integrate with CI/CD pipelines.

• It also supports BDD-style automation

Pros:

• Open-source framework with extensive community support

• Highly customizable and flexible for advanced users

• Supports a wide variety of testing types.

Cons:

• Requires programming knowledge for script creation

• Less user-friendly interface compared to some alternatives

• Can be challenging to set up for beginners.

Appium

Appium is an open-source mobile automation framework. It supports native and browser-based mobile applications. It is difficult to find an alternative for Appium as it is feature-rich. Both iOS and Android mobile applications can be tested. There are many frameworks built on top of the Appium, which shows the power of Appium.

Features:

• It is platform-independent

• Supports both native and browser-based mobile automation.

• It allows parallel execution, which helps to execute tests faster

• Appium supports C#, Python, Java, Ruby, PHP, and JavaScript programming languages

• It is an open-source framework, eliminating the need for a license fee.

Pros:

• Open-source framework for mobile app automation

• Supports various mobile platforms and devices

• Good for basic mobile app testing

Cons:

• Requires knowledge of mobile development concepts

• Can be challenging to maintain test scripts due to frequent changes in mobile APIs.

• May not be suitable for complex automation scenarios

Robot Framework

Robot Framework is an open-source automation framework that is versatile and can be used for different types of testing such as acceptance testing, behavior-driven testing, and robotic process automation. It uses a keyword-driven approach to create test cases, which makes it easy for non-programmers to understand and write tests. Robot Framework is extendable and supports integration with various other tools.

Features:

• Community-driven automation framework

• Highly extensible, supports libraries written in Python or Java

• Keyword-driven testing, easy to write and understand test cases

• Supports various test types: API, Web, Mobile, and Desktop applications

• Integrations with various CI/CD pipelines

Pros:

• Open-source and free to use

• Keyword-driven approach makes it accessible for non-programmers

• Supports multiple testing types (API, Web, Mobile, Desktop)

• Extensive libraries and plugins available

• Strong community support and documentation

Cons:

• Requires initial setup and understanding of the keyword-driven framework

• Limited built-in capabilities, relies on extensions for advanced features

• Can be complex to configure for beginners

Comparison of Top 5 Katalon Competitors

TestGrid

• Type of Application: Website, Mobile Browsers, Native Mobile Apps

• Operating System Support: Web-based SaaS application, No operating system dependency

• Programming Language Support: Follows low-code automation, No programming language required

• Low Code/Codeless Automation Support: Yes

• Cloud-based Infrastructure: Yes

• License Cost: Contact the support team for pricing

SmartBear TestComplete

• Type of Application: Website, Mobile

• Operating System Support: Windows

• Programming Language Support: JavaScript, Python, VBScript

• Low Code/Codeless Automation Support: Supports record and Playback

• Cloud-based Infrastructure: No

• License Cost: Pricing starts from $3,655

Selenium

• Type of Application: Website, The mobile application requires Appium Integration

• Operating System Support: Mac, Windows, Linux

• Programming Language Support: C#, Java, Javascript, Python, Ruby

• Low Code/Codeless Automation Support: Selenium IDE offers a recording script option

• Cloud-based Infrastructure: No

• License Cost: Free — Open source

Cypress

• Type of Application: Website, Mobile Browser

• Operating System Support: Mac, Windows, Linux

• Programming Language Support: Javascript, Typescript

• Low Code/Codeless Automation Support: No

• Cloud-based Infrastructure: No

• License Cost: The basic version is open-source and free. Premium version is paid

Playwright

• Type of Application: Website, Mobile Browser

• Operating System Support: Mac, Windows, Linux

• Programming Language Support: Java, Python, Javascript, Typescript, C#

• Low Code/Codeless Automation Support: Supports record and Playback

• Cloud-based Infrastructure: No

• License Cost: Open source — Free

Limitations of Katalon

Though Katalon offers many features, there are some limitations which may upset its users:

· High License Cost: The licensing fees are higher compared to similar automation tools.

· Not a SaaS-Based Tool: Requires installation of a desktop client to develop scripts, unlike TestGrid, which has no OS dependency and doesn’t require a desktop client.

· Low-Code Feature Issues: While Katalon offers low-code options with record and playback, users often experience flakiness with dynamic websites.

· Cloud-Based Testing: Katalon provides cross-browser testing but relies on other vendors for cloud-based solutions, increasing overall tooling costs for the organization.

· Community Support: The community for Katalon is relatively small, which can lead to unanswered questions and limited contributions like custom plugins.

Conclusion

Automation is no longer an option, it is a necessity. However, the success of automation depends significantly on the chosen tool. The market offers a variety of both open-source and commercial automation tools. The open-source automation tools may demand more skilled resources, while a commercial tool like TestGrid offers no-code automation, which helps anyone to automate. Previously, Katalon was one of the most popular automation tool. However, with recent developments, users are switching to other tools due to its various limitations. There are many alternatives to Katalon. Considering the migration effort, TestGrid is faster to migrate to and provides many more additional features.

Source: This blog was originally published at https://medium.com/@morrismoses149/top-10-katalon-alternatives-a-comprehensive-comparison-c44f1a4fb80f