25 Best Mobile Testing Tools Reviewed For 2024
The 10 Best Mobile Testing Tools Shortlist
Here are the 10 best mobile testing tools that made it onto my shortlist of the 25 I reviewed:
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
There are seemingly countless mobile testing tools available, so figuring out which is best for you is tough. You want to ensure the quality, functionality, performance, and usability of your mobile applications but need to figure out which tool is the best fit. I've got you! In this post I make things simple, leveraging my experience using dozens of different mobile testing software to bring you this shortlist of the best mobile testing tools.
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21 Best Mobile Testing Tools To Automate Testing Summary
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| GPT Driver | From $299/month | Website |
| New Relic | From $25/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| QA Wolf | From $149/user/month | Website |
| testRigor | From $900/Month | Website |
| Tricentis Testim Mobile | From $450/month | Website |
| LambdaTest | From $15/month | Website |
| BrowserStack | From $29/month | Website |
| TestGrid | $49/month for unlimited users and 1 parallel test | Website |
| Headspin | From $99/user/month | Website |
| Katalon Studio | From $25/month | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareHow To Choose Mobile Testing Tools
With so many different mobile testing tools available, it can be challenging to make decisions on what tools are going to be the best fit for your needs.
As you're shortlisting, trialing, and selecting mobile testing tools, consider:
- What problem are you trying to solve - Start by identifying the mobile testing tool feature gap you're trying to fill to clarify the features and functionality the tool needs to provide.
- Who will need to use it - To evaluate cost and requirements, consider who'll be using the software and how many licenses you'll need. You'll need to evaluate if it'll just be the QA software testers or the whole organization that will require access. When that's clear, it's worth considering if you're prioritizing ease of use for all or speed for your mobile testing tool power users.
- What other tools it needs to work with - Clarify what tools you're replacing, what tools are staying, and the tools you'll need to integrate with, such as other testing tools, automation tools, or bug tracking software. You'll need to decide if the tools will need to integrate together or if you can replace multiple tools with one consolidated mobile testing tool.
- What outcomes are important - Consider the result that the software needs to deliver to be considered a success. Consider what capability you want to gain or what you want to improve and how you will be measuring success. For example, an outcome could be the ability to get greater visibility into performance. You could compare mobile testing tool features until you’re blue in the face but if you aren’t thinking about the outcomes you want to drive, you could be wasting a lot of valuable time.
- How it would work within your organization - Consider the software selection alongside your workflows and delivery methodology. Evaluate what's working well, and the areas that are causing issues that need to be addressed. Remember every business is different — don’t assume that because a tool is popular that it'll work in your organization.
Best Mobile Testing Tool Reviews
Here’s a brief description of each of the mobile testing tools that are featured on this top 10 shortlist.
GPT Driver is an AI-native mobile app testing platform backed by Y Combinator that helps teams with end-to-end testing.
Utilizing AI technology, GPT Driver allows teams to write test cases in plain English, eliminating the need for coding expertise. The platform’s intelligent Test Agent manages unexpected changes in UI and scenarios, minimizing test flakiness and reducing the need for maintenance overhead.
GPT Driver has performed over a million tests for companies like Duolingo, Medium, Remitly, and Hopper, and excels in cross-platform testing for iOS, Android, and web.
It offers robust testing capabilities like WebView integration, deep linking, and multilingual UI testing in over 180 languages. It also integrates into CI/CD pipelines and offers features for API testing, test reuse, and cross-platform support.
Best for mobile testing within a complete observability platform
New Relic is an all-in-one observability tool for engineers. It can be used to monitor and debug various aspects of your stack, including mobile performance. You can also run security tests, change tracking, browser testing, and more in the platform.
Not only can the software find bugs and detect crashes, it will also help you understand how your app is performing and how users are interacting with it. You get a side-by-side view of both frontend and backend metrics, giving you needed context to understand both. When a crash or network failure is detected, it notifies you right away so you can take action. You can also add event breadcrumbs to specific workflows, helping you see exactly when crashes are occurring.
You can use the platform to track user experience factors, to see which features are most popular. The software monitors your mobile apps across iOS, Android, Cordova, and Xamarin, so you won't need to switch to another platform to test across various operating systems.
New Relic integrates with over 500 apps including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Jenkins, CircleCI, Travis CI, and Slack. It also has an API you can use to build custom integrations.
New Relic costs from $49/user/month and has a free version available with feature limitations.
QA Wolf is a hybrid test automation service and platform designed for web and mobile application testing. It leverages the Playwright framework to automate the creation, execution, monitoring, and overall test maintenance to provide a comprehensive, end-to-end solution.
As a mobile testing tool, QA Wolf excels with its ability to perform in-depth performance tests. It can evaluate application performance, including API response time, page and component rendering times, and CRUD operations. In collaboration with the QA Wolf team, benchmarks are set and test results are monitored to ensure consistent performance across different traffic loads and devices.
Furthermore, as part of its hybrid approach, QA Wolf provides 24-hour test maintenance. Their team of QA experts is available to identify issues, monitor tests, and fix any breaks automatically at any time of day. They also verify each flagged bug for optimal accuracy in bug reports. Overall, this approach helps ensure tests remain consistent and relevant, and users can receive the most accurate information for smoother mobile app development.
QA Wolf integrates with Azure DevOps, Travis CI, Jenkins, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Jira, Asana, Linear, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and CircleCI.
Best mobile testing tool for creating stable tests in plain English
testRigor is an AI-powered software testing system that drastically improves the process of automated testing. Manual QA (and anyone else without coding skills) can automate complex scenarios for native and hybrid mobile apps and mobile browsers. There is an integration with BrowserStack, which opens access to tests running on thousands of real devices.
Tests are very stable and very reliable, allowing for a smooth CI/CD integration with virtually any provider. Depending on the number of parallelizations, it takes under 30 minutes to run thousands of tests and get the results. Debugging is extremely straightforward, with screenshots at each step and tests being automatically grouped by each element.
testRigor offers highly customized pricing from $300 per month, a forever free public tier, and a 14-day trial.
Tricentis Testim Mobile is a native mobile app testing automation software that allows you to run stable tests on real and virtual devices. It's a part of the Tricentis Testim suite, which is a pretty well-known name in the world of software testing.
Testim Mobile simplifies the process of automating tests for mobile applications. Begin by recording the test scenario directly on a real device or an emulator. Testim’s AI capabilities then automatically create the detailed steps. You can replay these steps anytime to validate the functionality of the application. The platform offers the ability to accelerate the creation of these tests with its AI-based technology, which helps in capturing and analyzing the application's behaviors and interactions. Therefore, the tests are robust, maintainable, and less flaky.
Apart from creating tests, you can also manage and execute them directly from the platform. Tests can be executed on various mobile devices of different models, screen sizes, and operating systems, enhancing the test coverage and ensuring that the application performs well in different scenarios. You can also run these tests in parallel to speed up the testing process.
Post-execution, Testim provides detailed reports to help you analyze the results. This way, automating tests with Testim Mobile not only reduces the time and effort involved in testing but also ensures a comprehensive assessment of your mobile application.
Integrations include Bamboo, Azure DevOps, Circle CI, Jenkins, GitHub, Saucelabs, LambdaTest, and Bitbucket. If you cannot find the app you are looking for, you can also use its REST API to build custom integrations with your tech stack.
LambdaTest is a comprehensive platform for mobile apps and cross-browser testing, offering features for automation testing, live interactive testing, and visual regression testing. With its AI-powered test execution and ability to run tests on 3000+ browsers and devices, it is the best choice for cross-browser testing automation, ensuring exceptional user experience across all devices and browsers.
I chose LambdaTest for mobile test automation because of its comprehensive testing capabilities and the HyperExecute feature, which delivers fast AI-powered testing on the cloud. I believe LambdaTest is best for cross-browser testing automation due to its real device cloud for mobile app testing, visual regression testing capabilities, and AI-powered test analytics, which are essential for maintaining high-quality web and mobile applications.
LambdaTest's cloud-based infrastructure supports automated cross-browser testing, including the execution of Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, and HyperExecute scripts. The platform also provides an on-premise Selenium Grid for secure testing within a user's network, live-interactive testing of native mobile apps, and access to a real device cloud for accurate test results.
Additionally, LambdaTest includes AI-powered visual regression testing and test intelligence insights, as well as specialized testing capabilities for Smart TV applications and various tools for localhost and browser testing.
Integrations include project management tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, CircleCI, and Travis CI, and communication platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
LambdaTest costs from $15/month. A free trial is also available.
Best mobile testing tool that works out-of-the-box (no set-up)
BrowserStack is a software testing platform that powers over two million tests every day across 15 global data centers. Their cloud-based test infrastructure enables over 50,000 customers to deliver software in less time by moving testing to their Cloud. BrowserStack also helps you Debug your sites and apps instantly using text logs, video recordings, and screenshots of the test run.
BrowserStack’s platform provides access to thousands of real mobile devices and browsers on a highly reliable cloud infrastructure that scales as your testing needs grow. On BrowserStack, Dev and QA teams can run manual and automated tests of websites and apps on mobile devices.
With BrowserStack you can test websites on mobile browsers and devices or verify mobile app performance on real iOS & Android devices. You can also run automated website tests via Selenium or automated mobile app tests via Appium – always on real mobile browsers and devices. Test your builds faster by running tests simultaneously across thousands of devices.
BrowserStack integrates with Appium, Espresso, XCUITest, and EarlGrey.
BrowserStack costs from $29/user/month and offers a free trial.
TestGrid
Best mobile testing tool for no-code/low-code test case authoring
TestGrid users makes testing easy and lets users perform both manual and automated testing of their mobile applications on real devices hosted on-cloud or on your premise.
Engage your testing and business teams to build and execute test cases without any pre-requisites of programming knowledge. With TestOS, users don’t have to worry about rewriting different test cases but can reuse almost all the tests on different versions of the app and on other apps as well.
TestGrid comes with a scriptless mobile app automation testing that can generate downloadable Appium, XCUITest code and AI based no code automation. You can also conduct performance testing to help you optimize and improve your app. With TestGrid, you can reuse already written test cases on multiple apps, test in parallel for faster test execution, and go to market launch.
TestGrid integrates with JIRA, Asana, Slack and more. You can also integrate your favorite CI/CD tool for continuous testing.
TestGrid costs from $49 for unlimited users and 1 parallel test. Free trial details are available upon request.
Headspin
Best mobile testing tool for AI testing & dev-ops collaboration
HeadSpin is an AI testing & dev-ops collaboration platform that offers manual and automated mobile app testing on real devices for 100% accuracy.
HeadSpin allows users to remotely test and debug mobile, web, audio and video applications on thousands of devices, letting you test your app on various network conditions for real user experience. Get AI/ML based insights to resolve issues and ship your products much faster with a shorter time-to-market. Secured testing and improved performance through single tenant (dedicated device) model deployed on and off prem.
HeadSpin’s Create Your Own Lab (CYOL) enables companies to use individual devices to be on-boarded on the HeadSpin Platform and run automated testing. It also empowers businesses to run edge testing where the business is at a particular location and want to test their apps in that location
HeadSpin’s Regression Intelligence gives you a powerful comparison tool for analyzing degradation across new app builds, OS releases, feature additions, locations, and more.
HeadSpin integrates with Appium, Selenium and Appium Inspector. HeadSpin is also compatible with a number of technologies like Charles Proxy, XCode, Android Studio, Flutter, Cucumber, Espresso Android, Expertise, Webpage Test, FitNesse, KIF,UI Automator, Junit,XCTest, Calabash, Unified Functional Testing, TestNG, Puppeteer, Playwright, Jira, Slack and Jenkins.
HeadSpin costs from $99/user/month and offers a free trial.
Best mobile app testing tool for connecting TestOps to project requirements
Katalon is a low-code all-in-one testing automation platform for web, API, mobile, and desktop testing. Supported OS includes Windows, macOS, and Linux. Testing platforms include Android and iOS.
Katalon offers easy-to-set-up mobile testing that is Appium compliant. Robust object spying detects and stores UI elements so that your scripting process moves faster with less manual effort. They offer mobile recording to easily generate tests, cross-functional testing solutions, and cross-environment execution.
Katalon integrates with Jira software, TestRail, qTest, TestLink, Selenium and Selenium IDE, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, Docker, and other popular QA tools and services. It also connects with collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams.
All Katalon products have a freemium plan with some feature limitations. Paid plans cost from $238 /month (for Visual Testing) to $1,899 /license/year (Studio Enterprise) and all come with a 30-day free trial.
Other Mobile Testing Tools
Here are a few more that didn’t make the top list. If you need additional suggestions for handy testing tools, platforms, and services, check these out.
Related Mobile Testing Tool Reviews
If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these tools closely related to mobile testing tools that we've tested and evaluated.
- Automation Testing Tools
- Software Testing Tools
- Test Management Tools
- CI/CD Tools
- Incident Management Software
- Code Review Tools
Selection Criteria for Mobile Testing Tools
When selecting mobile testing tools, it's important to assess their functionality and how well they align with specific use cases essential for executing effective software tests. These considerations are fundamental in addressing software buyer needs, pinpointing pain points, and ensuring the successful deployment and use of the chosen tool. Based on extensive personal trials and research, here are my detailed criteria for evaluating mobile testing tools.
Core Mobile Testing Tool Functionality: 25% of total weighting score
To be considered for inclusion on my list of the best mobile testing tools, the solution had to support the ability to fulfill common use cases:
- Ensuring compatibility across different devices and operating systems
- Facilitating both automated and manual testing approaches
- Providing robust performance testing to gauge app responsiveness and stability
- Enabling security testing to identify potential vulnerabilities
- Offering integration capabilities for seamless inclusion into the existing development workflow
Additional Standout Features: 25% of total weighting score
- Tools that offer unique debugging features or advanced analytics.
- Solutions that incorporate AI-driven testing processes for enhanced efficiency.
- Platforms that provide superior collaboration features for team-based testing environments.
- Tools that offer extensive customization options to tailor testing environments closely to real-world scenarios.
- Mobile testing tools that include innovative approaches to simulate user interactions more accurately.
Usability: 10% of total weighting score
- Interfaces that streamline the setup and execution of tests, making the process intuitive even for users with limited technical expertise.
- Layouts and designs that facilitate easy navigation and quick access to frequently used features.
- Clear, concise, and well-organized documentation that supports users in maximizing the tool's capabilities.
Onboarding: 10% of total weighting score
- Availability of comprehensive training materials, such as video tutorials or interactive product tours.
- Access to responsive support channels during the initial setup phase.
- Presence of community forums or resources where new users can seek advice and best practices.
Customer Support: 10% of total weighting score
- Responsiveness and availability of the support team across multiple channels.
- The depth of technical support provided, ensuring users can resolve issues swiftly.
- Proactive customer service that anticipates and addresses common user challenges.
Value For Money: 10% of total weighting score
- Transparent pricing models that align with the tool's feature set and performance.
- Consideration of long-term ROI, assessing whether the tool delivers continuous value.
- Comparisons against similar tools in the market to ensure competitive pricing.
Customer Reviews: 10% of total weighting score
- Analysis of feedback from a broad user base to gauge overall satisfaction.
- Attention to recurring themes in reviews, identifying both strengths and areas for improvement.
- Weight given to reviews that detail specific use-case scenarios, providing deeper insights into real-world application.
Mobile testing tools should not only provide comprehensive testing capabilities but also align with the user's specific context and challenges. Careful consideration of these criteria helps ensure that the selected tool effectively supports the user's testing objectives and contributes to the overall quality of the mobile application.
Trends In Mobile Testing Tools For 2024
Mobile testing tool trends offer insights into the directions that mobile testing is heading, highlighting key features that are evolving, in demand, or becoming less significant. Here's a concise exploration of these trends for QA software testers:
- Increased Emphasis on AI and Machine Learning Integration: Current product updates reveal a surge in AI-driven functionalities, from predictive analytics to intelligent test script generation. This integration aims to enhance test accuracy, reduce manual effort, and foresee potential future issues based on historical data. Such features underscore the industry's shift towards more intelligent, self-optimizing testing tools.
- Growth in Cross-Platform Testing Capabilities: With a diverse array of mobile devices and operating systems, updates show a pronounced focus on enhanced cross-platform testing features. These improvements facilitate more comprehensive and efficient testing processes, ensuring applications perform seamlessly across all user touchpoints.
- Rise of Performance and Load Testing: Release logs indicate that mobile testing tools are increasingly incorporating advanced performance and load testing features. These functionalities allow testers to simulate various user environments and stress conditions, ensuring that applications maintain stability and responsiveness under different scenarios.
- Enhanced Focus on Security Testing: Given the escalating concerns around data breaches and cybersecurity threats, there is a noticeable uptrend in the integration of robust security testing features. These enhancements help testers identify vulnerabilities and enforce compliance with security standards, reflecting the growing imperative for data protection in mobile applications.
- Decline in Emphasis on Manual Testing Tools: While still relevant, there's a noticeable decline in the demand and evolution of purely manual testing tools. The market is gravitating towards automated solutions that offer greater efficiency and coverage, indicating a potential phasing out of outdated manual methodologies.
These trends illuminate the software testing industry's response to emerging challenges and opportunities, offering QA testers a roadmap for adapting to the evolving landscape of mobile application development. By staying on top of these trends, testers can leverage the most advanced tools and features to enhance their testing efficacy and contribute to the delivery of superior mobile applications.
What Are Mobile Testing Tools?
Mobile testing tools are software used to test the functionality, performance, and user experience of mobile applications. They enable testing across various mobile devices and operating systems to ensure that apps perform consistently and as expected. These tools offer environments for both automated and manual testing, covering a range of test scenarios from user interface to network performance.
The benefits and uses of mobile testing tools include ensuring that mobile applications are of high quality, function correctly on different devices, and provide a good user experience. They help in identifying and resolving issues before app deployment, thereby reducing bugs and improving app reliability. These tools also save time and resources by automating repetitive testing tasks, and they play a crucial role in delivering a polished and user-friendly final product in the competitive mobile app market.
Features Of Mobile Testing Tools
Mobile testing tools help teams validate their mobile apps against a comprehensive set of criteria under various conditions, which is crucial for successful deployment. Here, I delineate essential features to look for in mobile testing tools to effectively execute software tests.
1. Cross-Platform Testing Capability: Enables testing across different operating systems and devices. This feature ensures that applications deliver consistent user experiences across various platforms and device configurations.
2. Automated Test Execution: Facilitates running tests automatically without manual intervention. Automation increases test coverage and efficiency, significantly reducing testing time and effort.
3. Real Device Testing: Allows testing on actual mobile devices instead of emulators or simulators. Testing on real devices provides more accurate insights into the app's performance and usability in real-world conditions.
4. Cloud-Based Testing Access: Offers the ability to test on multiple devices hosted in the cloud. This feature provides scalability and convenience, enabling testers to access a wide range of devices remotely.
5. Integration with CI/CD Pipelines: Supports integration with continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines. This ensures that mobile testing can be seamlessly incorporated into the software development lifecycle for faster releases.
6. Performance Testing Tools: Measures how the app behaves under various conditions. This is vital for assessing the app's responsiveness, stability, and resource usage, directly impacting user satisfaction.
7. Security Testing Features: Identifies vulnerabilities within the mobile application. Given the increasing emphasis on data security, these features help protect user data and ensure compliance with security standards.
8. Usability Testing: Assesses the app's ease of use and user interface design. This feature is crucial for ensuring that the app meets the intended user experience and design specifications.
9. Detailed Reporting and Analytics: Provides comprehensive test reports and analytics. Detailed insights help teams quickly identify issues, understand testing progress, and make informed decisions.
10. Collaboration Tools: Facilitates effective team collaboration during the testing process. These tools help streamline communication and coordination among team members, enhancing overall testing efficiency.
Identifying the right mobile testing tool requires a careful evaluation of these features to ensure they align with the specific needs and objectives of the software testing process. By prioritizing these key functionalities, teams can choose tools that will significantly enhance their testing effectiveness and ultimately contribute to the successful launch and performance of their mobile applications.
Benefits Of Mobile Testing Tools
By leveraging mobile testing tools, organizations can significantly enhance their app development and maintenance processes, ensuring that their products stand out in the competitive mobile market. Here are five primary benefits of mobile testing tools for users and organizations:
1. Enhanced Quality Assurance: These tools enable thorough testing across various devices and platforms, ensuring that the application functions correctly in diverse environments. This comprehensive testing improves overall app quality, reducing the likelihood of user-facing issues.
2. Faster Time to Market: Automated testing capabilities allow for rapid execution of repetitive test cases, significantly accelerating the testing cycle. This efficiency helps organizations to deploy their applications faster, gaining a competitive edge.
3. Cost Efficiency: By identifying defects early in the development cycle, mobile testing tools reduce the cost of fixing bugs post-release, which can be significantly higher. Early bug detection helps to allocate resources more effectively, optimizing development costs.
4. Improved User Satisfaction: Ensuring that an app works seamlessly across different devices and operating systems enhances the user experience. Satisfied users are more likely to become loyal customers, contributing to the business's success.
5. Risk Mitigation: Mobile testing tools help in identifying potential security vulnerabilities and compliance issues, mitigating the risk of data breaches or non-compliance penalties. This proactive approach to security and compliance builds trust and safeguards the organization's reputation.
Costs & Pricing For Mobile Testing Tools
Mobile testing tools come in a range of plans, each designed to cater to different sizes of organizations, project scopes, and testing requirements. Below is a detailed breakdown of typical plan options you might encounter, along with their average pricing and included features.
Plan Comparison Table For Mobile Testing Tools
| Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features Included |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | $800 - $1500/month | Unlimited testing, dedicated support, advanced analytics, on-premise option |
| Professional | $300 - $800/month | Enhanced testing capabilities, more test runs, integration features |
| Basic | $50 - $300/month | Access to core testing features, limited test runs, basic support |
| Free | $0 | Limited access to testing features, very limited test runs, community support |
When choosing a plan, consider the scale of your testing requirements and the complexity of your mobile applications. Ensure the selected plan not only fits your current needs but also offers room for growth as your testing demands increase. Remember, investing wisely in a mobile testing tool can significantly impact the quality and success of your mobile applications.
Mobile Testing Tool Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some answers to common questions about mobile testing and the tools that support it.
How do you automate mobile app testing?
You can automate mobile app testing by using a test automation framework, which provides an environment for executing automated tests. They also generally include other features to make your testing more efficient, such as parallel testing, headless testing, and testing bots.
Another option to alleviate the workload of mobile testing is to outsource it. There are a number of mobile app testing services available if you don’t have the in-house expertise or bandwidth to conduct your own testing.
What are the benefits of testing mobile applications?
Whether you’re building a native app for specific mobile devices, like an iOS or Android application, or a web or hybrid app, testing is crucial. The benefits of testing mobile applications include:
- Software testing catches bugs or regressions that could otherwise incur costs.
- Mobile application testing minimizes the risk of releasing a broken app that frustrates users.
- Protecting brand reputation, earning more positive reviews, and getting higher install rates by offering a high quality app.
Are there any free mobile testing tools?
While there are free or low-cost testing tools available, they may not always offer the full range of features required for comprehensive testing. Many are open-source tools and may have limitations such as a restricted number of tests or a limited range of supported devices.
Conclusion
Mobile testing can be a complex process, but with the right tools it can make the process much more efficient. The 10 best mobile testing tools discussed in this article have been carefully chosen for their features and usability. From automated test solutions to API-level security tools, these top picks are sure to help you get the most out of your mobile testing needs.
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