Compare the Top Manual Testing Tools in 2024
Manual testing tools are software applications designed to assist testers in executing test cases, tracking defects, and managing test data without automating the process. These tools provide functionalities such as test case management, defect logging, and reporting to streamline the manual testing workflow. They help testers document the results of each test step, ensuring thorough coverage and traceability throughout the testing process. Manual testing tools also often integrate with other project management and development tools to enhance collaboration and communication within the team. By organizing and tracking testing activities, these tools improve the efficiency and accuracy of manual testing efforts. Here's a list of the best manual testing tools:
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1
BrowserStack
BrowserStack
BrowserStack is the world’s largest cloud platform for software testing, with 19 global data centers & 20,000+ real Android and iOS devices that power nearly 1 Billion tests a year. BrowserStack's end-to-end unified testing platform is focused on supporting all genres of testing & operations, from functional testing to visual testing, accessibility testing, performance testing, test observability, API testing, and more. Over 50,000 customers, including Amazon, Paypal, Well Fargo Bank, Nvidia, MongoDB, Pfizer, GE, Discovery, React JS, Apache, JQuery and several others rely on BrowserStack to test their web & mobile apps.Starting Price: $29/month/user -
2
TestRail
Gurock Software
Efficiently manage, track, and report on your software testing with web-based test case management by TestRail. Boost team productivity with real-time insights into testing progress. Use TestRail’s beautiful interface collaborate with comments, attachments and feedback loops. Generate personalized to-do lists and email notifications. Estimate effort and forecast test completion dates. Start test runs and select test cases for execution based on powerful filters. Track progress based on your historical time data. Monitor team workload to adjust assignments and resources. Capture the results of manual testing or get real-time feedback from test automation. Produce traceability and coverage reports for requirements, tests, and defects. Generate meaningful reports. Compare results across multiple test runs and configurations. TestRail integrates with leading issue tracking and test automation tools. Get the free TestRail JIRA plug-in on the Atlassian marketplace.Starting Price: $34.00/month/user for cloud-based instance -
3
SoapUI
SmartBear
Whether open source or commercial, SoapUI testing tools make it easy to create, manage, and execute end-to-end tests on REST, SOAP, & GraphQL APIs, JMS, JDBC, and other web services so you can deliver software faster than ever. For developers and testers looking to accelerate their ability to deliver REST & SOAP APIs, SoapUI Open Source is the simplest and easiest way to begin your API testing journey. Automate and fit API testing into your team’s continuous delivery pipeline with the next generation tool built for validation of REST, SOAP, GraphQL, microservices, and other back-end services. APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, have become the center of software development, connecting and transferring data and logic across disparate systems and applications. Luckily, testing them can greatly improve the efficiency of your testing strategy as a whole, helping you deliver software faster than everStarting Price: $599 per year -
4
SonarQube
SonarSource
SonarSource builds world-class products for Code Quality and Security. Our open-source and commercial code analyzer - SonarQube - supports 27 programming languages, empowering dev teams of all sizes to solve coding issues within their existing workflows. We embrace progress - whether it's multi-language applications, teams composed of different backgrounds or a workflow that's a mix of modern and legacy, SonarQube has you covered. SonarQube fits with your existing tools and proactively raises a hand when the quality or security of your codebase is at risk. SonarQube can analyze branches of your repo, and notify you directly in your Pull Requests! Our mission is to empower developers first and grow an open community around code quality and code security. Jenkins, Azure DevOps server and many others. Thousands of automated Static Code Analysis rules, protecting your app on multiple fronts, and guiding your team. -
5
Selenium
Software Freedom Conservancy
Selenium automates browsers. That's it! What you do with that power is entirely up to you. Primarily it is for automating web applications for testing purposes, but is certainly not limited to just that. Boring web-based administration tasks can (and should) also be automated as well. If you want to create robust, browser-based regression automation suites and tests, scale and distribute scripts across many environments, then you want to use Selenium WebDriver, a collection of language specific bindings to drive a browser - the way it is meant to be driven. If you want to create quick bug reproduction scripts, create scripts to aid in automation-aided exploratory testing, then you want to use Selenium IDE; a Chrome and Firefox add-on that will do simple record-and-playback of interactions with the browser. If you want to scale by distributing and running tests on several machines and manage multiple environments from a central point. -
6
Sauce Labs
Sauce Labs
Sauce Labs provides the world’s largest continuous testing cloud for web and mobile applications, giving development teams at the world's top digital brands access to a comprehensive and trusted solution they can use to deliver apps faster without compromising quality. Release better mobile apps to the market faster with extensive device and test coverage, streamlined beta app distribution, best-in-class error monitoring, and continuous feedback loops throughout your app development cycle. Ensure that your mobile apps work as they should in real-world scenarios, on any device, any browser, every time. Sauce Labs end-to-end mobile quality solutions enable organizations delivering mobile apps in the modern era of DevOps-driven development to achieve quality at speed throughout all stages of the app development journey - from development to production. No matter your testing needs,the application type you are developing, or your role in the mobile app SDLC, we've got you covered!Starting Price: $19 per user per month -
7
Bugzilla
Bugzilla
Bugzilla is server software designed to help you manage software development. Optimized database structure for increased performance and scalability. Excellent security to protect confidentiality. Advanced query tool that can remember your searches. Integrated email capabilities. Editable user profiles and comprehensive email preferences. Comprehensive permissions system. Proven under fire as Mozilla's bug tracking system. A large number of companies, organizations, and projects use Bugzilla. This page showcases a few particularly high-profile or otherwise interesting installations, and also contains a list of public Bugzillas. Includes bug fixes and performance improvements only. No new features or large scale performance improvements. No database schema changes. May contain documentation changes. No changes to templates that aren't part of bug fix, other than typos or grammatical fixes. -
8
TestMonitor
TestMonitor
TestMonitor is a powerful SaaS-based app promising a complete, user-friendly test management system designed to establish repeatable testing structures, link requirements to delivered products, and create a constant, auditable trail of quality assurance. It provides a simple, intuitive approach to testing with insight and quality at the forefront. Whether you’re implementing enterprise software, building a quality app, or improving your manual testing process, TestMonitor is ready to take your test management to the next level. We are built for software testers, app developers, scrum masters, small to mid-sized businesses, enterprise businesses implementing complex IT for user acceptance testing, and anyone looking to execute test runs at any place, at any time, with no experience required. You can get TestMonitor's Starter plan for $39 a month, which comes with all our core features and includes 3 users. Try TestMonitor for free with our 14-day trial.Starting Price: $39 / 3 users / month -
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TestLodge
TestLodge
A user-friendly, productive online test case management tool to manage your testing efforts in a simple, streamlined way. Effortless to use, TestLodge allows QA teams to easily manage their test cases and test runs. With a choice of many leading issue tracker integrations, you can automatically raise and update issues for smoother collaboration across teams.Starting Price: $19.00/month -
10
Rainforest QA
Rainforest QA
No-code test automation for modern software teams. Rainforest QA makes it easy for developers and product managers to quickly automate and maintain end-to-end tests within any CI/CD pipeline. Create your first test in five minutes or less. Product builders should have control over product quality. With Rainforest, anyone on your team can write, run, and maintain automated UI tests and triage test results – without any code. Use our API, CLI, or one of our direct integrations with popular CI tools. No need to provision and configure multiple tools – Rainforest’s got everything you need to get started right away.Starting Price: $200.00/month -
11
DevOpsBoard
DevpromSoftware
Advanced task board for engineering teams. Implement new features and resolve issues quickly. Automated continuous integration process provide the qualitative builds frequently. Automated testing like Unit/BDD-testing ensures the next build will not be worst than previous one. Manual testing helps you to achieve better test coverage and provide better quality. While implementing a feature 70% of customers leave a service because of low service quality. To lower Churn Rate software/middleware monitoring should be established. Onboard customers to help them better understand your service or product with pleasure. Help customers to find answers to questions and avoid uncertainty quickly. To make product or service better you're implementing new features and resolve issues quickly. Automated testing like Unit/BDD-testing ensures the next build will not be worst than previous one.Starting Price: $60 per month -
12
PractiTest
H.S PractiTest
Ensure full quality coverage and visibility with a system that runs and manages your entire QA process integrally Include Manual testing, Exploratory Testing, and Test Automation Management all in one centralized hub of information Increase efficiency and stop doing the same work repeatedly with TEST CASE MANAGEMENT Write your test cases once, use them again and again Save time, test faster and gain deeper testing insights with TEST SETS & RUNS Cleanly organize and execute your scripted and exploratory tests Ensure your teams’ focus with REQUIREMENT MANAGEMENT Define goals and objectives and keep track of their fulfillment Confidently release or update products with ISSUE STATUS MANAGEMENT Monitor each phase in the testing process and see real-time progress Find what you need and execute easily with SMART AND EASY DATA STRUCTURING Work more efficiently by matching PractiTest elements to your workflow & moreStarting Price: $35.00/month/user -
13
Marker.io
Marker
Bug reporting made easy for everyone. Collect website feedback from your team and clients, without driving developers crazy. Get your internal team and clients to mark up bugs, ideas and feedback directly on your site. It's like drawing with a marker on your screen. Forget about tracking feedback in emails, chat messages and meeting notes. Gather bug reports directly inside your existing issue tracker. Help your developers reproduce bugs faster without asking reporters to include any technical data. The best way to report & collect bugs.Starting Price: $39 per month -
14
aligned elements
Aligned
Manage, review and release requirements during the entire Lifeycle. Any changes made are under strict version control with integrated change impact analysis. Intuitive management of traces, combined with a clear visualization of the traceability status eliminates compliant problems and consistency issues. Create, manage and run automated and manual test cases and monitor the progress. Seamlessly integrate with your own bug tracking systems. Automatically scan and monitor your project to detect and visualize gaps and trends in the consistency and completeness of your DHF. With the industry's most powerful and flexible Word integration in your hands, digitize your Technical File / DHF document management. Medical Device companies report that up to 30% of the total development effort is spent on documentation activities.Starting Price: €1300 per year -
15
REST Assured
REST Assured
Testing and validating REST services in Java is harder than in dynamic languages such as Ruby and Groovy. REST Assured brings the simplicity of using these languages into the Java domain.Starting Price: Free -
16
Citrus
Citrus
Framework for automated integration tests supporting a wide range of message protocols and data formats! In a typical test scenario the system under test is running on a test infrastructure while interacting with Citrus over various messaging transports. During the test Citrus is able to act on both sides as client and consumer exchanging real request/response messages over the wire. With each test step you can validate the exchanged messages with expected control data including message headers, attachments and body content (e.g. XML, Json, ...). The test provides a Java fluent API to specify the test logic and is fully automated. The repeatable test is nothing but a normal JUnit or TestNG test and can easily run as integration test in a CI/CD pipeline. Kamelets represent Camel-K route snippets that act as standardized event sources and sinks in an event driven architecture.Starting Price: Free -
17
TestGear
TestGear
Run any test, adapt to any testing framework, get crystal clear reporting, and boost team collaboration. Provides you with a single space for automated and manual testing with transparent reporting. Has frequent releases and fast customer support. Works seamlessly with bug trackers, task trackers, CI/CD systems, and webhook tools. Traceability and transparency throughout TestGear make communicating within your team easily as a walk in the park. No more slow-release time to market. Find how TestGear saves time and cuts costs. Scroll down for a tour of our major features and how they can help you get around 50% less hassle. Create steps, save them, and use them everywhere. Develop checklists and reduce time to writing tests. Set the desired duration, TestGear will distribute tests to team members evenly. Track the lifecycle, version, and actions of any test artifact. Link test cases, defects, and requirements.Starting Price: €37 per month -
18
Polarion QA
Siemens
Design, coordinate, and track all your test management activities in a single, collaborative QA environment. Leverage the flexibility of our unified testing platform for any type of testing methodology, tool and team. Small groups benefit from rapid team organization in one environment. Quickly start projects with pre-defined templates that are process light and customizable.. Enterprise QA departments can run an unlimited number of projects adhering to very structured testing cycles, combined with a diverse ecosystem of both automated and manual testing activities while keeping everything in sync and fully traceable. Quickly meet all test management needs, while centralizing every testing activity in one central repository with multi-directional traceability to assure quality. Easily manage all defects, issues and enhancements from one platform. Seamlessly unify with legacy test automation tools and processes. -
19
Zephyr
SmartBear
Spend less time testing and more time building. From agile development to predictive analytics, you'll achieve full Continuous Testing Agility. You’re evolving quickly as an agile organization, breaking down walls to increased productivity. But to create a seamless delivery pipeline, testing has to keep pace with a quickening development lifecycle. Zephyr provides a suite of tools to optimize speed and quality of software testing, empowering you with the flexibility, visibility, and insights you need to achieve Continuous Testing Agility. Zephyr is the only test management solution your organization will ever need—or ever want. We were the first test management tool to work natively inside JIRA and along with Atlassian tools, offer a seamless user experience and extensive breadth of functionality. -
20
TestAssist
Original Software
The manual testing tool that helps organizations get more out of the testing process. For manual testing, user acceptance testing and process documentation Little or no training required, users can be up and running in minutes. Clients reduce their time and effort by up to 60%. Works over any and multiple applications from on-premise to browser based, even green screen for full end to end testing. Captures every screen shot and click made. The user can make mark ups and comments either during or after the test. Tests can be repeated, modified and re-used. Provides a full audit trail of activity and proof of testing. -
21
NeX-AI
ImpactQA
NeX-AI is a multi-persona platform offering Product Owners, Business Users, and QA Teams all the necessary test data and insights to curate and run SAP test cases. It's designed for smart and meticulous test data management, bridging the gaps in human-error-prone manual test runs for SAP testing.Starting Price: $10000 -
22
OpenText ALM Quality Center
OpenText
OpenText™ ALM Quality Center serves as the single pane of glass for software quality management. It helps you govern application lifecycle management activities and implement rigorous, auditable lifecycle processes. Leverage the reusability, traceability, and automation of ALM tools to improve efficiency in developing, testing, and maintaining applications. Automate result collection and gain real-time visibility into application quality, eliminating time-consuming and error-prone human processes. Enforce standard process with built-in ALM workflows and templates. Ensure compliance with detailed change tracking and a risk-based approach. Build an automated, vendor-neutral ecosystem for data consolidation across your application lifecycle with out-of-the-box integrations and APIs. Meet your scalability, security, and application architecture requirements with the deployment option of your choice – on-premises, cloud, or SaaS. -
23
FLAS
Nexiilabs
FLAS provides manual testing organizations an immediate, simple, easy and cost friendly solution to overcome the challenges of transitioning to a fully automated test environment. FLAS defines the emerging paradigm of the shift to lightweight infrastructure. Its use of open source, cloud and pervasive integration demonstrates Nexii’s strategic application of emerging IT approaches. Empowers manual testers to write automation scripts without coding knowledge. Promotes DevOps by orchestrating the complete test process from test planning to bug filing and test case management. Enables easy integration. Enables easy integration with varied applications by virtue of a rich set of APIs. Focused on continuous testing which is core to CI/CD. Going forward, the product roadmap will have a feature that will integrate configuration management using Ansible to cover management of test setup deployment also. -
24
OpenText LoadRunner Professional
OpenText
OpenText™ LoadRunner™ Professional simplifies performance load testing for co-located teams. With project-based capabilities, your teams can quickly identify abnormal application behavior. Supports performance testing for the widest range of protocols and 50+ technologies and application environments. Quickly identify the most likely causes of performance issues with a patented auto-correlation engine. Accurately predict application scalability and capacity with accurate emulation of realistic loads. Centralized project testing allows high-scale tests to run using minimal hardware and seamlessly leverage the public cloud to scale up and down. -
25
TestLink
TestLink
TestLink is a web based test management and test execution system. It enables quality assurance teams to create and manage their test cases as well as to organize them into test plans. These test plans allow team members to execute test cases and track test results dynamically. In an ideal world, testing would be a pretty straightforward process. A test team takes the product requirements, writes a test specification document, reviews the tests, and then runs them all for each version of the product. The team is composed of full-time staff, and everyone knows exactly what is expected of them. In practice, few organisations have that luxury. There is not time to run all the tests on every product version, especially on fix-releases that need to be rolled out quickly. Requirements are constantly changing, and the tests have to be changed in step. TestLink helps you to keep the test process under control. -
26
NUnit
.NET Foundation
NUnit is a unit-testing framework for all .Net languages. Initially ported from JUnit, the current production release, version 3, has been completely rewritten with many new features and support for a wide range of .NET platforms. The NUnit Project is a member of the .NET Foundation. The .NET Foundation will provide guidance and support to help ensure the future of the project. The success of NUnit has been made possible through the hard work of our many contributors and team members. The Core Team thanks everyone for the help and contributions that have made NUnit the success that it is. At last count, the various NUnit packages passed 126 million downloads on NuGet.org. We couldn't have done that without the dedication of the many volunteers that donate their time and knowledge to the project. NUnit is Open Source software and NUnit 3 is released under the MIT license. -
27
COMPLYFirst
Odellus
This is the tool all that web accessibility testers have been asking for but never got, until now. COMPLYFirst Professional 2012 combines the vastly improved automatic verification tool with over 50 different manual testing features. Areas that in the past challenged testers are now very easy and require minimal effort. COMPLYFirst Professional 2012 allows you to manage the most demanding testing environments by simplifying all aspects of Section 508 Standard 1194.22 and WCAG 2.0 testing process. The automated verification tool in COMPLYFirst Professional 2012 runs automated verification of websites/applications. The results of the automated scans can be transferred to the manual testing tool within COMPLYFirst Professional to enable further manual verification of the web pages. COMPLYFirst Professional 2012 combines automated verification with complete manual testing. This streamlined approach not only reduces the time and effort needed for accessibility testing. -
28
Appium
The JS Foundation
Appium is an open source test automation framework for use with native, hybrid and mobile web apps. It drives iOS, Android, and Windows apps using the WebDriver protocol. Appium is built on the idea that testing native apps shouldn't require including an SDK or recompiling your app. And that you should be able to use your preferred test practices, frameworks, and tools. Appium is an open source project and has made design and tool decisions to encourage a vibrant contributing community. Appium aims to automate any mobile app from any language and any test framework, with full access to back-end APIs and DBs from test code. Write tests with your favorite dev tools using all the above programming languages, and probably more (with the Selenium WebDriver API and language-specific client libraries). -
29
JMeter
Apache Software Foundation
The Apache JMeter™ application is open source software, a 100% pure Java application designed to load test functional behavior and measure performance. It was originally designed for testing Web Applications but has since expanded to other test functions. Apache JMeter may be used to test performance both on static and dynamic resources, Web dynamic applications. It can be used to simulate a heavy load on a server, group of servers, network or object to test its strength or to analyze overall performance under different load types. -
30
Testomat
Testomat.io
Test management system for automated tests. Increase testing delivery with simplified test management using out-of-the-box test automation integration capabilities. Speed up with testing results by using one system for the management of manual testing and test automation along with product team. Get the instant effect of import, introspection, test automation tools and configurations incorporated in testomat.io. Write gherkin scenarios wisely and quickly with autocompletion, introspection, and advanced steps database. Allocate more time for testing and less for configurations and tools integration. Help each other to achieve more testing coverage by team efforts synergy. Maintain test cases easily with a builtin automatic sync mechanism and diff tools. Create test cases with advanced editing tools and Intelligent autocompletion. -
31
Ubertesters
Ubertesters
Ubertesters provides cutting-edge comprehensive crowdsourced software testing services, leveraging a global community of 100K+ skilled testers across 130+ countries to ensure the flawless functionality of your mobile and web applications. Our flexible testing solutions leverage the power of real users to uncover hidden bugs and usability issues to ensure high-quality assurance for web and mobile apps through manual testing. Our platform seamlessly integrates a robust QA bug reporting tool, allowing for efficient issue identification and resolution throughout the development lifecycle. Key Highlights: crowd-testing excellence, QA bug reporting software tool, real-world testing, global reach, end-to-end testing solutions, flexibility and scalabilityStarting Price: Starts at $999
Manual Testing Tools Guide
Manual testing tools are essential assets in the software development process aimed at ensuring software quality. They facilitate manual testing, which is a process where testers manually execute test cases without using any automation tools. Manual testing is laborious but vital to check for bugs, errors, and defects to confirm that the software works as expected.
Each of these tools has its unique features, but generally, they offer functionality to create and manage test cases, define test plans and suites, record testing activities, report the status of quality assurance activities, and document any faults or errors.
Manual testing tools also provide integration capabilities with other software development applications like bug tracking tools, requirements management tools, automated testing tools, continuous integration tools, etc.
Furthermore, these manual testing tools are designed to improve communication among team members. For instance, most of them have notification systems that inform the team when a tester logs a new bug or when there's an update on an existing one. They foster collaboration in teams by allowing multiple individuals to work together on tests.
As vital as manual testing is in the software development lifecycle, it's worth noting that it can be time-consuming and prone to human error. Hence organizations usually adopt a balanced approach combining both automated and manual testing methods leveraging the best of both worlds – efficiency from automation and context sensitivity from manual explorative tests.
Manual testing tools play a critical role in ensuring high-quality software delivery. By offering mechanisms for designing tests based on system requirements or user stories (traceability), executing those tests efficiently (test runs), tracking defects, and providing reporting mechanisms for visibility & transparency – these tools serve as indispensable assets for any software development team attempting to deliver robust products with consumer satisfaction being the ultimate goal.
Features Provided by Manual Testing Tools
Manual testing tools are software applications that help testers carry out manual tests on other software. These tools provide a multitude of features to streamline and facilitate the process of manual testing. Here's a comprehensive list of features:
- Test Case Creation and Management: This feature allows testers to create, modify, and manage various test cases for different functionalities of the application under test. Tools often provide templates for creating standardized test cases.
- Test Execution Planning: With this feature, testers can schedule when a particular set of tests should be executed. Some tools also allow for assigning specific tasks or tests to individual members of the team.
- Traceability Matrix: This feature lets testers trace each test case back to the requirements or user stories they were derived from, helping ensure every requirement is adequately covered by one or more test cases.
- Bug Tracking: Manual testing tools often come with a built-in bug tracking system that enables teams to log defects and track their status until resolution - from detection through fixes, retesting, and closure.
- Reporting and Analytics: These tools generate detailed reports about ongoing testing activities, including information like a number of passed/failed tests, severity of bugs found, time taken for execution, etc., which helps stakeholders make informed decisions.
- Integration Support: Most manual testing tools offer integration capabilities with other similar systems so that all related processes can run cohesively in synchronization with each other.
- Collaboration Features: These features allow multiple members of a team to work together on testing activities simultaneously - sharing comments, notes, attachments, etc., which promotes effective communication among team members.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility Checks: Some manual testing tools offer simulators/emulators or even cloud-based real device platforms where apps can be tested against different OS versions, screen sizes/resolutions, etc., ensuring software performs well across all targeted devices/platforms.
- Data-Driven Testing: This feature allows testers to use large datasets for testing software, helping them uncover issues that may only emerge when handling certain types or volumes of data.
- User-Friendly Interface: A good manual testing tool comes with an intuitive and user-friendly GUI that facilitates easy navigation and execution of tasks without requiring much technical expertise.
- Version Control: This is especially crucial for managing the different versions of the test cases created during the course of a project lifecycle. It ensures proper versioning and maintenance of historical data for future reference.
- Access Control: Manual testing tools come with various levels of access rights to ensure appropriate level permissions within teams, preventing unauthorized individuals from modifying key documents or test results.
By leveraging these features in a manual testing tool, software development and quality assurance teams can significantly enhance their efficiency, accuracy, communication, and overall productivity in executing manual tests.
Different Types of Manual Testing Tools
Manual testing tools are critical in software development as they help detect and fix errors, thus enhancing the overall quality of the product. Here are various types of manual testing tools:
- Test Management Tools: These tools are designed to manage and organize test cases, track testing processes, and document the results. They provide a central repository for all these items and provide features such as reporting metrics, traceability matrix generation, and coverage analysis.
- Defect Management Tools: Defect management tools are used to report, track, and manage bugs or defects found during software testing. They enable testers to log issues in a systematic way while providing features such as assigning severity levels and attaching screenshots or logs for reference purposes.
- Requirements Management Tools: These tools help manage customer requirements to ensure that what is being developed aligns with what was originally requested—facilitating traceability from requirement through design and implementation to testing.
- Risk-based Testing Tools: These tools assist in identifying areas where there is a higher risk of failure or where an error can have severe consequences—guiding the allocation of test resources accordingly.
- Exploratory Testing Tools: Exploratory testing involves manual testers exploring the application without any specific test case in mind—thereby stumbling upon potential defects that might be missed by automated tests.
- Cross Browser Testing Tools: These enable checking whether a web application works as expected across different browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox), operating systems (Windows, MacOS), devices (desktops vs mobile phones), etc.
- Data Generation Tools: Data generation tools play an important role in preparing test data for load/stress/performance tests or when you need large volumes of data for functional testing but cannot use existing customer data due to privacy regulations.
- UI/UX Testing Tools: UI/UX manual tools aim to ensure that the application is user-friendly with intuitive navigation, consistent design elements, and quick loading times. These tools also help to validate that the application is accessible to users with disabilities.
- Performance Testing Tools: Though much of performance testing uses automated tools, manual testers may use these tools to observe system behavior under stress and identify bottlenecks.
- API Testing Tools: API testing focuses on testing the interfaces between different software systems or components—the aim here is not just checking whether APIs work as expected but also ensuring they can handle large volumes of data and requests.
- Security Testing Tools: Security testing tools are used to check for vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the software that hackers could exploit. Manual testers would use such a tool to simulate various attack scenarios.
- Compliance Testing Tools: Some software needs to comply with specific legal or industry standards (such as GDPR for privacy, PCI-DSS for credit card data). Compliance testing tools allow manual testers to ensure all requirements have been met.
- Localization/Internationalization Testing Tools: If your application needs to support multiple languages and regions, you will need tools that help test whether all translations are correct and the correct formats for date/time/currency, etc., are being used based on user location.
- Integration Testing Tools: When multiple software components are integrated into a larger system, integration testing becomes crucial—these tools help verify interactions between different parts of a system function correctly together.
By using these different types of manual testing tools appropriately during the development lifecycle, you can ensure robustness, security, user-friendliness, and overall high-quality software delivery.
Advantages of Using Manual Testing Tools
Manual testing tools offer a wide range of advantages, particularly when it comes to testing new software or applications. While automated testing tools certainly have their merits, manual testing can provide deep insights and help identify bugs or issues that might be missed by an algorithm. Here is a detailed description of each advantage:
- Human Observation: Manual testing allows the tester to utilize their human observation skills which automated tests can't replicate. Testers can use their intuition and experience to assess the application’s usability and aesthetics in real-world scenarios.
- Flexibility: Manual testers have more flexibility in terms of changing the test scenarios on the go. They can modify tests mid-execution while automated tools require that you stop the execution, change scripts, and then rerun them.
- User-Friendly Check: Manual testing offers a direct user perspective because humans are executing the test cases instead of machines. This helps ensure that the software product is user-friendly and intuitive from an end-user's point of view.
- Identifying Visual Issues: Automated tests may not catch visual issues such as font size changes, color schemes, button sizes, etc., but manual testers are able to spot these problems instantly.
- Cost-Effective for Small Changes/Projects: For small projects or minor changes in the software application, manual testing might be more cost-effective than setting up automation frameworks which consume time and resources.
- No Setup Required: Unlike automated tests which need initial setup time for writing scripts, etc., manual tests require no setup time since they're carried out by human testers.
- Exploratory Testing: Manual testers have more freedom for exploratory testing where they can randomly check functionalities without following any particular test case sequence which might lead them to find unexpected errors. Startup companies with limited resources often lean towards manual testing because it requires less upfront investment compared to purchasing expensive automation tools and hiring individuals with specialized training.
- Better for UI and Ad-Hoc Testing: Manual testing is particularly useful for User Interface (UI) and ad-hoc testing, where the objective is to ensure seamless user experience and application aesthetics.
- Effective for Non-Automatable Cases: Some test cases cannot be automated at all or not efficiently, such as Captcha validation, SMS notifications, etc., making manual testing a better choice.
While automated testing provides speed and precision in certain areas, manual tests still hold their ground when it comes to flexibility, human intuition-based assessments, and cost-effectiveness in specific scenarios. Therefore, both forms of testing have their unique advantages and can often complement each other in a well-integrated approach to software quality assurance.
Types of Users That Use Manual Testing Tools
- Software Developers: These users primarily use manual testing tools to test the functionality of individual components of their software. They conduct unit tests, integration tests, and sometimes also system tests to ensure that their code functions as expected. It allows them to catch and correct errors before they become larger issues within the software project.
- Quality Assurance (QA) Engineers: QA engineers utilize manual testing tools to verify if all aspects of a program function properly or not. Their main focus lies in the identification and fixing of any inconsistencies or defects that can negatively impact the user experience.
- Test Managers: Test managers are responsible for overseeing the entire testing process, ensuring that it aligns with project objectives and standards. They use manual testing tools to devise testing strategies, monitor progress, analyze results, and produce reports outlining their findings.
- User Experience (UX) Designers: UX designers often conduct manual usability tests to ascertain how intuitive and user-friendly an application is. This type of testing helps discover any design flaws that could decrease user satisfaction or hinder task completion.
- Business Analysts: Business analysts use manual testing tools to validate whether a software product meets business requirements and expectations. Through functional and regression tests, they verify if changes introduced in new iterations do not cause unintended side effects.
- Project Managers: Project managers may occasionally use manual testing tools for high-level checks on software quality throughout its development cycle. This enables them to assess how well the team is keeping up with project requirements, performance standards, as well as timelines.
- Product Owners/Managers: Product owners or managers also utilize these tools occasionally to understand whether their product aligns with initial goals and customer needs. Manual tests help them validate features from an end-user’s perspective which assists in better decision-making regarding future enhancements or modifications.
- End-Users/Beta Testers: Sometimes companies invite a select group of end-users or beta testers who employ manual testing tools to evaluate a product from a user's viewpoint. Their feedback helps identify usability issues or bugs that may not have been detected during internal testing.
- Software Consultants: Software consultants often use manual testing tools when they are brought into a project to evaluate the software or troubleshoot specific issues. They can provide third-party validation and offer advice on how to improve software quality.
- Software Training Personnel: Trainers use manual testing tools to simulate real-world usage scenarios and develop effective training materials. They also test educational software or e-learning platforms for instructional efficacy.
- System Administrators: In some cases, system administrators might use manual testing to verify whether newly introduced systems or applications are compatible with existing infrastructure and whether they meet organizational standards of performance and security.
- Third-Party Auditors: External auditors conduct independent checks on software products to ensure regulatory compliance, data privacy norms, accuracy of financial data processing, etc., using different types of manual tests.
How Much Do Manual Testing Tools Cost?
Manual testing tools are a crucial part of the software development process, as they help ensure that the software is functioning as expected and is free of bugs. The cost of these tools can vary significantly based on several factors.
Firstly, it's vital to understand what exactly manual testing entails. Unlike automated testing, which uses scripts or software to execute tests, manual testing involves human testers performing the tests themselves. They follow a test plan to ensure that all aspects of the system are tested.
There are many types of manual testing tools available in the market, each with its own unique features and benefits. Some manual testing tools provide basic functionality while others offer comprehensive features such as bug tracking, issue management, test case management, and more. Therefore, depending upon your needs and requirements you can choose from a wide range of options.
In terms of the pricing model for these tools:
- Open Source: There are open source manual testing tools available such as Bugzilla or MantisBT that don’t come with any licensing costs attached at all but may require technical expertise to set up and maintain.
- Freemium: These types of tools (like qTest or PractiTest) offer limited functionality for free but charge for additional features or capacity.
- Subscription-based Pricing: Tools like Zephyr and TestRail use this model where you pay a specific amount every month or year based on the number of users.
- Perpetual License: For some other kind of tools (for instance IBM Rational Quality Manager), you pay one large sum upfront and then own the software outright.
On average though, prices can range anywhere from $20 per user per month to up to around $150 per user per month for subscription-based cloud-hosted solutions. On-premise solutions often have higher upfront costs running into several hundreds or even thousands of dollars due to installation charges and maintenance fees but may prove economical in the long run, especially for larger teams.
One must also consider that beyond the direct cost of purchasing or subscribing to a tool, there will be indirect costs involved in training staff to use it effectively, time spent setting up and configuring the tool, maintaining the tool (in the case of open source or on-premise options), and potentially more.
Budgeting for manual testing tools is not straightforward and can greatly vary depending upon your exact requirements from the tool (features, scalability, etc.), the size of your team that’s going to use it, duration (short-term vs long-term project), as well as whether you prefer an on-premise or cloud-based solution. It's best to determine what you need from these tools first before comparing prices across different options.
What Software Do Manual Testing Tools Integrate With?
Manual testing tools can integrate with various types of software to optimize the testing process, ensure higher code quality, and streamline defect tracking. One such software type is Test Management Tools. These tools are designed to manage test cases, track testing progress, and store all information related to software testing. They can work hand in hand with manual testing tools to bring about a more organized and efficient workflow.
Bug Tracking Tools or Defect Management Tools are another type that works well with manual testing tools. When bugs are identified during manual tests, these tools can help log them systematically for future correction activities. Also, Continuous Integration Tools play a significant role in modern development practices. These applications automate the merging of code changes from multiple contributors into a single project which often includes running automated tests on the merged code. Manual testing tools can be integrated into this process for additional checks beyond those automated tests.
In addition, Version Control Systems (VCS) or Source Code Management (SCM) Tools are crucial in situations where there is a need to keep track of different versions of the software throughout its development cycle. Manual test case results can be mapped back to specific versions controlled by SCM systems ensuring traceability between tested feature or defect fixes and actual code changes.
Another critical type is Project Management Software which helps manage resources, and schedules and monitor progress towards deliverables - manual testing tasks being one of them. Such integration provides visibility into what has been tested manually as part of larger project milestones.
Collaboration tools which include team chat apps or document sharing platforms could also integrate with manual testing tools. This allows for real-time communication about defects found during manual testing as well as helping maintain shared documentation around features tested or defects found.
What Are the Trends Relating to Manual Testing Tools?
- Shift towards automation: Manual testing tools are seeing a decline in use because many organizations are shifting towards automated testing tools. This is because automated testing can save time, reduce the chances of human error, and perform tasks that are impossible or difficult for humans. Although manual testing can't be completely eliminated, the trend is increasingly leaning towards automation.
- Integration with Agile and DevOps: Agile software development requires rapid changes and quick feedback. For this reason, many manual testing tools are being customized to integrate with Agile practices. Similarly, DevOps emphasizes continuous integration and delivery, which has led to an increased need for manual testing tools that support this methodology.
- Increased demand for open source tools: Open source manual testing tools have gained popularity due to their affordability and flexibility. These tools allow testers to modify and customize according to their needs. Some popular open source manual testing tools include Selenium, JMeter, and Watir.
- Focus on User Experience (UX): As businesses understand the importance of customer satisfaction in determining the success of a product, there's an increased focus on improving user experience. This trend has led to the development of manual testing tools that focus more on usability testing.
- Popularity of cloud-based tools: There's an increasing trend towards cloud-based manual testing tools. These platforms offer benefits such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, flexibility in terms of access from different locations and devices, and reduced need for hardware infrastructure.
- Rise of AI and Machine Learning: The advent of AI and machine learning technologies has influenced the field of software testing as well. These technologies are used to make predictions about where bugs are most likely to occur based on historical data, thereby making the process more efficient.
- Increasing complexity of applications: The growing complexity of applications necessitates rigorous testing procedures. Therefore, advanced manual testing tools that can handle complex test scenarios are becoming more popular.
- Need for cross-browser/cross-platform testing: With the wide variety of browsers and operating systems available, there's a growing need for manual testing tools that can perform cross-browser and cross-platform testing. This ensures that applications function correctly across all platforms and browsers.
- Importance of mobile app testing: Given the ubiquity of smartphones, mobile app testing has become critical. Manual testing tools are being developed specifically for mobile platforms to ensure apps work seamlessly on different devices and operating systems.
- Emphasis on security: With increasing rates of cybercrime, security testing has become a top priority for businesses. As a result, there's an increasing demand for manual testing tools that can effectively identify potential vulnerabilities and threats.
The trends in manual testing tools reflect the evolving needs of the software industry. While automation is becoming more common, manual testing remains relevant and necessary. The focus is shifting towards more sophisticated tools capable of handling complex applications, integrating with Agile and DevOps methodologies, providing better user experience, conducting cross-platform testing, and ensuring application security.
How To Pick the Right Manual Testing Tool
Selecting the right manual testing tools is a critical step in ensuring that your software performs as expected and delivers value to customers. Here are some tips on how you can go about it:
- Understand Your Requirements: Before selecting a tool, you need to understand what exactly you want from it. Ask questions like - what type of application are we testing? What type of tests will be conducted? Does the tool need to integrate with other systems or technologies?
- Check Tool Compatibility: Ensure that the tool is compatible with your existing software environment. This includes your operating system, browser types, mobile devices, etc.
- Evaluate Features And Functions: Consider what features and functions the tool offers, such as test management capabilities, reporting options, ease of use, scalability, etc.
- Verify Support And Updates: It's important to select a tool that has strong customer support and regular updates from its vendor.
- Budget Considerations: The cost of the tool can be a major factor when making your selection. Make sure it fits within your project budget without compromising on necessary features.
- Vendor Reputation: Research the background of each vendor you're considering so that you choose one that has demonstrated reliability and trustworthiness.
- Community And Resources: A large community of users could indicate satisfaction with the product and also provide resources for troubleshooting issues or learning new skills related to using the tool.
- Trials and Demos: Take advantage of trial versions or demos if they're provided by vendors before deciding on purchasing their product.
- Ease Of Use And Learning Curve: If the tool requires significant training before use or isn't user-friendly, it might slow down progress instead of aiding it.
- User Reviews & Feedback: Look at what other users have said about their experiences with each tool – both positives and negatives – to make an informed decision.
There's no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to manual testing tools, so take the time to research and choose a tool that best aligns with your project's specific needs and goals. Use the comparison engine on this page to help you compare manual testing tools by their features, prices, user reviews, and more.