The Comparison of Top 10 Automated Mobile Testing Tools

Mobile testing is the process of testing mobile applications for functionality, usability or performance through the use of tools or open-source frameworks.

Smartphones, tablet PCs, or every new release of the iPhone with the smallest changes, makes mobile testing, and automated testing, imperative to detect regression bugs and enables teams to ship quality applications.

Selecting Mobile Testing Tools – Questions to Ask

1. Is the tool easy to learn and use? Working with open-source frameworks usually calls for installing separate components like JAR files, language-specific client drivers and libraries. If everything is already included in the tool itself, then you can just download the application and get started instantly.

2. Does its feature sets cover essential mobile-specific testing tasks? From screening, debugging, cross-device execution, artifacts sharing to reporting, visit its technical documentation guide and search for some key features you expect to have.

3. Are integrations with CI/CD systems or other platforms native? Almost all tools support integrating with other frameworks, tools, ALMs or project management applications. However, if they are native integrations, then you wouldn’t have too many workarounds to connect to the toolchain your team uses.

4. Does the tool provide scripting and scriptless methods? Scriptless methods like record & playback not only is beneficial for those who haven’t had a grasp in programming, but also helps in churning out more tests and expanding test coverage.

5. Is the tool suitable for your budget and AUT? Look at the size of your team, resources you have and the complexity of the application you’re testing to determine if it’s the right fit.

   Top 10 Mobile Testing Tools

Katalon Studio

Katalon Studio is an all-in-one automation testing tool for mobile, web, API, and desktop (Windows).

As the most popular alternative to Appium, Studio eliminates the hassle of building a test automation framework from scratch and programming prerequisites with low-code methods.

Supporting both Android & iOS platforms, Studio is compatible with a variety of operating systems (Windows, macOS, and Linux).

Feature highlights:

• Record & playback, built-in keywords, pre-made project templates for fast test creation

• Manual and Script Mode available to toggle between low-code and scripting options

• Local, remote, and cross-environment execution on real devices, simulators, or custom cloud-based devices (works with Sauces Lab, Kobiton, Perfecto, Lambda Test, etc.)

• Image-based Testing to capture and locate visual elements

• Page Object Model design and object refactoring to lessen maintenance efforts

• Test artifact sharing to easily export and import test assets from one project to another

• Built-in advanced reporting to provide actionable insights and speed up troubleshooting

• Integration with common CI/CD systems (Jenkins, Bamboo, Travis CI, Azure DevOps, CircleCI, etc.)

• Free learning resources with detailed technical documentation, sample projects, and video tutorials on Katalon Academy

  
  

Website: https://www.katalon.com/

Price: Free or $76/license/month

Appium

Inheriting the popularity of Selenium, Appium is a well-known and favored mobile test automation framework. Using the WebDriver protocol, Appium allows users to test native, hybrid, and mobile web applications.

Feature highlights:

• Available scripting language: Java, Ruby, Python, PHP, JavaScript, and C#
• Easy to adopt for those experienced with Selenium
• Can integrate with other frameworks and testing platforms
• Removes the need to recompile applications, other codebase or frameworks
• Allows test and code reusability between iOS, Android, and Windows

Website: https://appium.io/

Price: Open-source

Espresso

For those who have developed native Android applications, Espresso would not be a strange name.

Developed by Google, Espresso is also a test automation framework for Android. creates this platform-specific solution with a flexible and straightforward API; however, it only runs Android UI tests and supports the enhancement of the functionalities.

Feature highlights:

• Supports Java and JUnit for native applications
• Lightweight APIs to make maintenance easier
• Automatically synchronizes UI elements and testing actions
• Able to compile Android UI tests to APKs
• Commonly used for unit and black-box testing

Website: https://developer.android.com/training/testing/espresso

Price: Open-source

XCUI Test

XCUI Test is a product of Apple for iOS developers to script and run UI tests with Xcode IDE. This automation framework is solely for iOS devices and doesn’t support Android systems.

Feature highlights:

• Available scripting language: Swift and Objective-C
• Connects with Xcode, third-party tools and frameworks to record tests
• XCode integration to simplify coding using methods, subclasses, or assertions
• CI/CD integration support
• Suited for black-box testing

Website: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xctest/

Price: Open-source

Robotium

Robotium handles automated mobile testing for Android v1.6+ applications, both native and hybrid. The setup requires having Android SDK, Eclipse, Android Development Kit, and JDK ready.

Feature highlights:

• Available scripting language: Java
• Simple API for fast test generation
• Used to write functional, system and user acceptance tests
• Supports execution on Android emulators and real devices
• CI/CD integration supported (Maven, Gradle, or ANT)

Website: https://github.com/RobotiumTech/robotium

Price: Open-source

Flutter

Another item developed by Google to create mobile (iOS and Android), web and desktop applications. From Techahead, Flutter-built mobile applications have taken up over 10% of the Google Playstore.

Feature Highlights:

• Easy code alters and update on emulators, simulators, or real devices, and view real-time results with Hot Reload
• Background caching through service workers
• Sound null safety to decrease the occurrence of null reference exceptions
• Build expressive and create UIs using widgets, rich motion APIs, etc.

Website: https://flutter.dev/

Price: Open-source

Robot Framework

This keyword-driven test automation framework is capable of testing mobile, web, and desktop applications. It can be used for a wide range of testing types and levels, including acceptance test-driven development (ATDD) and robotic process automation.

Feature highlights:

• Supports cross-platform testing
• Facilitates keyword-driven testing
• Has a wide range of standard and third-party test libraries
• Runs, builds, and edits tests in integration with various supporting tools

Website: https://robotframework.org/

Price: Open-source

Selendroid

Native and hybrid Android apps as well as mobile web can be tested using this tool. With robust WebDriver API and Selenium integration, it eliminates the majority of the current obstacles.

Feature highlights:

• Interact with multiple devices and emulators at the same time
• Capabilities for high-quality recording
• Automate tests without switching to a different AUT
• Can be used on both emulators and actual devices, as well as as a node in the Selenium Grid

Website: http://selendroid.io/

Price: Open-source

iOS Driver

In comparison to real devices, this tool performs better on emulators. Using the Selenium/WebDriver API, iOS Driver can integrate iOS hybrid and native mobile apps with Selenium for testing. Since iOS Driver relies on two separate frameworks from Apple, be sure to verify the system requirements before installing.

Feature highlights:

• Once compatible, selective features of Apple’s X-code can be used
• No need to jailbreak, alter app code, or load extra agents to test your apps
• Can be used as a Selenium Grid Node, reducing feedback time for GUI testing

Website: https://ios-driver.github.io/ios-driver/

Price: Open-source

Xamarin.UITest

This tool is used for creating and running UI acceptance tests across iOS and Android applications on mobile devices. It enables the testing of both Xamarin apps and native apps: Xamarin for iOS, Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android platform.

Feature highlights:

• A simpler option for Xamarin.Form-built apps
• Connects seamlessly to Microsoft Visual Studio products
• Enhanced cross-platform testing

Website: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/appcenter/test-cloud/frameworks/uitest/

Price: Open-source

Which Mobile Testing Tool is Your Best Fit?

Choosing the right mobile testing solution can help your team automate tests faster and much more efficiently.

When looking for the finest tool or framework for writing test scripts, pay close attention to the features it offers. A robust solution should support various programming languages, mobile platforms, and cross-platform integrations.

If your team comes with experienced developers who have programmed applications and frameworks from the ground up, then open-source software like Appium would definitely be the right choice.

But for teams with large skill gaps, consisting of transitioning manual testers, QA engineer freshers, and a limited number of coding-based members, Katalon Studio would not disappoint. Start your first project with Record & Playback, built-in keywords, pre-made project templates, advanced reporting to speed up troubleshooting, and many other features in the collection waiting to be tried out.