10 Best Functional Testing Tools
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
With so many different functional testing tools available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want to ensure that your software behaves as expected before it's released 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 functional testing software with a variety of teams and projects, with my picks of the best functional testing tools.
What Are Functional Testing Tools?
Functional testing tools are software that automate the testing of specific functions within a software application. They evaluate the application's functionality against defined requirements, focusing on user interface, APIs, databases, security, and overall operational behavior. These tools execute tests that simulate user interactions to ensure each function of the software performs as expected.
The benefits and uses of functional testing tools include enhanced efficiency and accuracy in testing software applications. They enable comprehensive coverage of all functionalities, ensuring software quality and reliability. By automating repetitive testing tasks, these tools save time and reduce the likelihood of human error. Early detection of functional discrepancies and bugs helps in timely resolution, leading to improved user experience and reduced development costs. Functional testing tools are essential in maintaining high standards in software development and quality assurance processes.
Overviews Of The 10 Best Functional Testing Tools
Here’s a brief description of each functional testing tool to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the user interface.
Streamline your testing process by converting manual tests into automated tests quickly
testRigor is a regression testing tool that stands out when it comes to the new era of AI-based automation tools. The tool allows you to create tests in plain English, with elements being referenced from a human perspective. testRigor analyzes all possible parameters behind the scenes to use the most useful ones, which results in ultra-reliable tests.
testRigor allows you to dramatically decrease your test maintenance, by allowing you and your team to spend 95% less time on it on average. Instead, the tool allows you to seamlessly build new tests and increase test coverage. testRigor makes the process of converting existing manual test cases into automated tests very straightforward, and users can also define and customize their own wording if they desire.
The cost of testRigor starts at $300 per month and can be tailored to your specific needs. There is a free 14-day trial with no credit card information required upfront.
Best for simulating user interactions through synthetic monitoring
New Relic is an observability platform that offers a wide range of capabilities and integrations for monitoring, debugging, and improving the entire technology stack. While not traditionally categorized as functional testing software, it does offer features that overlap with core aspects of functional testing, particularly through its synthetic monitoring capabilities.
New Relic allows you to create and execute scripted tests that simulate user interactions with your application. This can include testing specific user flows, such as login procedures or checkout processes, to ensure they function correctly under different conditions. This type of testing is particularly valuable for identifying performance issues before they impact end users, which aligns with the goals of functional testing
This software is also ideal for teams looking for robust monitoring, observability, and performance optimization features.
Best for organizing your test cases in one visual editor
Testim Automate is an automated testing platform for fast authoring of AI-powered stable tests and tools to help you scale quality. The tool uses AI to identify and lock in visual elements, allowing you to increase test stability of UI functional tests. Your tests can be extended with custom JavaScript that can run in or out of the browser.
Testim tests are recorded and then edited in its visual editor, allowing you to better organize your test cases. The tool offers AI-based locators that automatically lock in elements, and test steps are discrete objects that can be configured, shared, grouped and parameterized, providing you and your team with the means to streamline your processes within your application lifecycle. Testim also helps keep tests clean by identifying duplicate test steps to be replaced by shared objects.
The cost of Testim begins at $1000 per month. The tool also offers a free version with up to 1000 test runs per month.
Write automated tests for multiple devices in the device cloud
Sauce Labs is a comprehensive continuous testing cloud for web and mobile applications that allows you to complete both manual and automated testing through a variety of testing channels. The tool provides a real device cloud so you can test across multiple devices. Sauce Labs also offers enterprise security and a proprietary data center.
Sauce Labs offers a variety of automated and manual testing methods, ensuring full test coverage of your applications. The tool provides a cross browser testing feature, which allows you to test end-to-end on various browsers. Sauce Labs also offers the ability to complete automated mobile testing so you can write tests for various devices to ensure your application runs smoothly.
Sauce Labs offers integrations with platforms such as Github, Jenkins and Bamboo, as well as chat applications such as Slack.
The cost of Sauce Labs starts at $39/month for the Live Testing package. The tool also offers a 28-day free trial.
Kobiton
Access and run manual and automated tests across multiple devices in parallel
Kobiton is a cloud-based mobile app testing platform that allows you to build and execute manual and automated functional, performance, and visual Tests against real Android and iOS devices. You can automate your tests using both the Kobiton AI-driven scriptless solution and AI-assisted script generation.
Kobiton allows for parallel testing, giving you the ability to run concurrent tests easily. Using Selenium Webdriver, you and your development team can run multiple tests in parallel across various browser and device combinations. You can also run a full device lab consisting of local devices, private and public cloud devices.
Kobiton’s scriptless automation empowers mobile test automation without requiring complex Appium scripts. It also allows you to convert manual test sessions into dynamic automated test scripts.
The cost of Kobiton starts at $50/month. The tool also offers a free 14 day trial with no credit card information required upfront.
Leapwork
Allows you to visually review test cases using the graphical flowcharts generated
Leapwork is a no-code regression testing tool that allows your team to create and execute tests across a variety of environments without the need to have coding experience. The tool is cloud-based, and offers testing in both web and desktop application environments within the same workflow. Leapwork is simple to implement within your team, and provides a growing base of written documentation, videos and articles.
Leapwork provides an array of features such as debugging, parallelization, compliance management, approval process control and recurring tests. The tool allows you to record processes and test cases in context, validate the test steps and input data. Leapwork will then build the processes in a graphical flowchart with logic, making it easy for the non-technical members of your team to review and take action.
Leapwork integrates with platforms such as Microsoft Azure DevOps, Jenkins and TeamCity.
Leapwork provides customized pricing upon request.
SmartBear ReadyAPI is a functional testing tool that is specifically designed for testing APIs, and works well with DevOps and agile methodologies. ReadyAPI provides you with API functional testing, API performance testing, API security testing and API Web Virtualization to ensure end-to-end quality for all web services. The tool also supports functional security and load testing of RESTful, SOAP, and GraphQL.
ReadyAPI can be integrated into any environment and has a Smart Assertion feature that you can use to create bulk assertions against a vast amount of end points quickly. The tool provides flexible automation options for integrating API testing into you and your team’s CI/CD pipeline during every build. You and your team have the ability to create comprehensive and data-driven functional API tests and can also execute parallel functional tests and job queuing using only their command-line.
ReadyAPI provides integration with platforms such as Jenkins, Git, and Docker.
ReadyAPI starts at $685/year and offers a 14-day free trial.
Provides record and replay capabilities allowing for complex test cases to be written and executed
TestComplete is a GUI functional testing platform that caters to mobile, desktop and web applications. The tool provides flexible solutions for your testing requirements, and allows you to script in multiple languages such as Javascript, Python and VBScript. TestComplete provides the ability to test elements of any GUI including PDFs, charts and mainframe.
TestComplete offers the ability to build complex tests through record and replay capabilities. This allows you to record your test run and go back to modify it before hitting play. The tool also provides you the ability to map objects from screen and display objects which allows you to monitor any object in addition to providing you all possible Xpaths for that object.
TestComplete provides integrations with platforms such as Cucumber, ReadyAPI and Selenium.
The cost of TestComplete begins at $2,720 per year, and offers a free trial.
Watir is an open source automated testing library that is based on Ruby, and supports Ruby scripting which makes it easy to learn and implement within your team. The tool interacts with your web browsers (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox and more) by performing tests on your DOM by clicking links, filling forms and validating the text. Watir also supports multiple domains and provides a test recorder, allowing you to record the steps you have executed manually.
Watir allows you to automate any user interface no matter the technology. The tool implements OLE (Object, Linking and Embedding) protocol over COM (Component Object Model) architecture, allowing you to facilitate communication between your browsers and Ruby, eliminating the need for an external server. Watir also allows you to execute dynamic object creation and manipulation.
Watir is fully open source and free to use.
Selenium is a test automation framework that encapsulates an array of tools and libraries that enable web browser automation. The tool offers easy interaction and manipulation of HTML elements, allowing you to tweak and customize your tests the way you want to write them. Selenium also provides ease of infrastructure management by providing the test environment to your team.
Selenium interacts with your applications via desktop and mobile browsers, allowing you to execute Javascript code, making it easier to test the dynamic components of your DOM. In addition to Javascript, you can use multiple programming languages such as C#, Python, Ruby and Java with Selenium. This allows for easier implementation within development teams as any developer with expertise in any coding language can use the tool.
Selenium is fully open source and free to use.
The Best Functional Testing Tools Summary
Tools | Price | |
---|---|---|
testRigor | From $900/Month | Website |
New Relic | From $25/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
Tricentis Testim | From $450/month | Website |
Sauce Labs | From $50/month | Website |
Kobiton | From $75/month | Website |
Leapwork | From $400/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
SmartBear ReadyAPI | $685/year | Website |
TestComplete | From $2,399/user/year (billed annually) | Website |
Watir | Free To Use | Website |
Selenium | 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 that didn’t make the top list.
- SoapUI
The Endpoint Explorer feature offers the ability to manage the endpoints of your URL requests
- QA Wolf
For continuous testing with 24-hour maintenance
- Avo Assure
Intelligent test automation platform that offers continuous testing to ensure high quality results
- Katalon Studio
Robust testing solution that offers an all-in-one testing experience for simplified web and mobile automation
- Telerik Test Studio
Windows-based automated testing tool that supports a variety of testing suites
- Micro Focus Silk Test
Automated testing tool that allows you automated regression tests for web, mobile and rich-client applications
- Rapise
Functional testing tool that handles all technologies in a single environment
- IBM Rational Functional Tester (RFT)
Functional testing tool that simplifies test virtualization
- AutoIt
Freeware testing tool that is specific to automating Windows GUI
- JUnit
Testing framework that is specific to Java, and allows for repeatable test cases
Comparison Criteria
What do I look for when I select the best functional testing tools? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria:
- User Interface (UI): I look for a clean and organized user interface that is easy to navigate.
- Usability: I look for tools that provide features that allow members of your team at any level of expertise to streamline their processes.
- Integrations: I look for useful integrations with programming languages and testing frameworks that allow you to maximize your testing abilities.
- Value for Pricing: I look for the most pleasant user experience for the best price.
Functional Testing Tools: Key Features
- Parallel Testing: Create and run tests using multiple device and browser combinations at the same time
- Scriptless Automation: Allowing users with little to no technical knowledge to execute tests without the requirement of coding
- Cross-Browser Testing: Ability to test across a variety of browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and Edge
- Reporting: Results that are delivered by means of a graph, written report, or otherwise
What do you think about this list?
Functional testing is key to ensuring that your application’s links, forms and media function correctly for your end user. Choosing the right tool for your team could help you increase efficiency and quality of your work within your application lifecycle. If you wish to explore other test solutions, check out 10 best penetration testing tools.
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