Top Tools Used for Manual Testing in 2023
In the dynamic world of software development, ensuring the quality and reliability of applications is paramount. Manual testing plays a critical role in this process by allowing testers to evaluate software from the end-user’s perspective. In 2023, several tools have emerged as favorites among testers and quality assurance professionals. This article delves into the top tools used for manual testing this year, highlighting their features and benefits.
Key Takeaways
- BrowserStack is a leading tool for cross-browser testing, enabling testers to check their applications on various browsers and devices.
- Marker.io simplifies the bug reporting process by allowing testers to capture and send issues directly to project management tools.
- JIRA remains a popular choice for issue and project tracking, helping teams manage their testing workflows efficiently.
- LoadRunner is essential for performance testing, allowing testers to simulate multiple users and analyze system behavior under load.
- Jenkins is widely used for continuous integration, supporting the automation of various stages of the software development lifecycle.
BrowserStack
With its Live and App Live testing tools, BrowserStack has been an industry leader in manual testing for over a decade. Over 3000 real browsers and devices are instantly accessible for millions of testers and developers to deliver great user experiences. Whether you are testing or debugging, their test platform lets you spin up any device-browser-OS combination on the cloud.
Key Features
- Testing on any browser or device (both desktop and mobile)
- Device emulators for easy debugging in real-time
- Visual testing tools to compare web pages across different environments
- Collaborative testing via the ability to share testing sessions and results
Integration
BrowserStack seamlessly integrates with Jira, GitHub, Trello, and Slack, allowing you to report bugs and notify relevant teams without leaving your dashboard.
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Basic | From $15 per user/mo |
Local Testing
Access native device features such as geolocation testing, network throttling, and more. With local testing features, teams can test staging environments, including internal websites, web apps, and design folders behind firewalls and proxies.
Marker.io
Marker.io is an easy-to-use manual testing tool for web dev agencies and software testing teams. It lives as an unobtrusive widget on a live website (or on staging) that easily integrates with your favorite project management tool. With one click, testers and users can provide visual feedback that has all the data you need to fix bugs or make other changes to a website or app. And with session replay, you can watch the last 30 seconds before feedback was submitted.
With Marker.io, your testers and clients can provide testing feedback and data-rich bug reports in a couple of clicks. To make this easier, these reports come with an automatic screenshot, and users can visually annotate it with arrows, emojis, and other visual aids. Making changes and fixing bugs is much easier when you’ve got all of the data at your disposal. For testers and external stakeholders, giving feedback is a simple, 3-step process:
- Click the Marker.io widget.
- Annotate the screenshot.
- Submit the feedback.
Marker.io integrates seamlessly with dozens of PM tools, including Jira, GitHub, Trello, ClickUp, Notion, and numerous others. Make your PM suite the single source of truth for every task, roadmap item, bug report, and manual testing report about every website and app project.
JIRA
JIRA stands out as a widely acclaimed tool for tracking issues and managing projects, offering a comprehensive suite of features tailored to manual testing. It empowers testers by providing efficient test case management, defect tracking, and test execution management functionalities. With JIRA, testers can effortlessly create, organize, and prioritize issues, assign them to team members, and keep a close eye on their progress.
JIRA is an invaluable tool for software development teams, providing the power to stay on top of defect resolution and project statuses. It seamlessly assigns tasks, tracks performance in real-time, and prioritizes bug fixes with ease – all while predicting completion times so no surprise delays arise!
LoadRunner
LoadRunner, a performance testing tool created by Micro Focus, has gained widespread recognition for its remarkable capability to simulate the actions of numerous users accessing a system concurrently. Testers leverage LoadRunner to comprehensively analyze system performance under different loads, meticulously identify any bottlenecks that may hinder optimal performance, and subsequently optimize the application’s overall functionality.
Features
- Compatibility: The LoadRunner is compatible with a wide variety of development tools, technologies, and protocol stacks.
- Detailed Reports: Using the LoadRunner program, we can generate detailed performance test data.
- Cost Efficiency: It will lower the cost of distributed load testing and provide an operational tool for tracking deployments.
Pricing
Pricing starts at $39/mo.
Use Cases
LoadRunner includes a suite of performance engineering software products that allow you to stress test your website or software in a variety of ways:
- Load testing (large numbers of users accessing your app at the same time);
- Stress testing (gradual increase of users);
- Endurance testing (sustained load over a longer period of time);
- Analysis and reporting on all methods.
Jenkins
Jenkins, an open-source automation server, plays a crucial role in enabling continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) processes. While widely recognized for its automation capabilities, Jenkins also offers valuable features for manual testing. It serves as a robust platform for effectively managing test environments, executing test cases, and generating comprehensive reports.
What sets Jenkins apart is its remarkable flexibility and extensive plugin ecosystem, making it a favored choice among agile development teams. It proves to be particularly useful for organizations aiming to seamlessly integrate manual testing into their CI/CD pipelines, ensuring efficient and reliable software delivery.
Features
- Jenkins is a platform-independent, self-contained Java application that is packaged for Windows, Mac OS X, and Unix-like operating systems.
- Jenkins is simple to install and setup using its web interface, which includes error checking and an integrated help feature.
- The Update Center has hundreds of plugins that integrate with every tool in the continuous integration and continuous delivery toolchain.
Citrus
Citrus is an impressive framework designed specifically for integration and end-to-end testing purposes. It empowers testers to verify and validate message-based integrations, guaranteeing smooth and uninterrupted communication among various components within a system. Citrus offers excellent support for multiple messaging protocols and formats, making it a highly suitable choice for testing applications with intricate integration scenarios.
Features
- All surrounding interface partners are emulated independently of their transport protocols (Http, JMS, TCP/IP, SOAP, and several more).
- Citrus may incorporate the tests into a continuous integration environment, ensuring that credit for software quality is given at all times.
Supported Protocols
Citrus supports a variety of protocols, including but not limited to:
- HTTP
- JMS
- SOAP
- TCP/IP
Use Cases
Citrus is usually used to send and receive server-side and client-side requests and verify XML and JSON files. It is particularly useful for:
- End-to-end use case testing
- Integration testing
- Continuous integration environments
Testomatio
Testomatio is a cutting-edge test management tool designed to optimize and simplify manual testing processes. With Testomatio, testers gain access to a wide range of features that enable them to effortlessly create and manage test cases, track defects, and generate detailed reports. The tool’s user-friendly interface and collaborative functionalities make it an exceptional choice for teams engaged in agile projects.
Its declarative approach to testing and comprehensive documentation further contribute to its widespread acclaim among testers, particularly those specializing in the realm of integration testing.
Additionally, Testomatio seamlessly integrates with popular development and project management tools, boosting overall productivity and efficiency. It proves especially valuable for organizations in search of a comprehensive test management solution that covers all their testing needs in a single platform.
TestRail
TestRail stands as a comprehensive test management tool that empowers testers to efficiently plan, track, and manage all testing activities. With its array of features, including test case management, requirement management, and test run scheduling, TestRail provides a complete solution for overseeing the testing process. The tool’s user-friendly interface and customizable dashboards allow testers to closely monitor project progress and make well-informed decisions.
Moreover, TestRail seamlessly integrates with popular bug-tracking tools, further enhancing its usability and streamlining the testing workflow. Its wide adoption by organizations reflects the value placed on structured test management and comprehensive reporting.
TestLink
TestLink serves as an open-source test management tool that offers a centralized platform for effectively managing test cases, test plans, and test execution. Its user-friendly interface enables testers to seamlessly create, organize, and track the status of test cases throughout the testing process. TestLink is useful for complex software projects with a large number of test cases. The tool allows you to:
- Create test plans and test cases;
- Execute test cases and record the results;
- Do all of this through the free TestLink browser extension.
TestLink can integrate with many defect management tools, as well as tools such as Selenium, Katalon Studio, TeamForge, and Jira. As an open-source tool, TestLink is free to use. TestLink has a rather large community—so if you’re ever stuck with the tool or need testing advice, you can always turn to the forums.
Zephyr
Zephyr is a highly regarded test management tool that has gained significant popularity among testing teams. Its primary goal is to streamline the manual testing process, offering a range of features specifically tailored for test case management, test execution, and defect tracking. One of the key advantages of Zephyr is its seamless integration with popular issue-tracking systems, allowing testers to seamlessly manage and track defects throughout the testing cycle.
Additionally, Zephyr’s compatibility with automation frameworks makes it a favored choice for QA teams seeking efficient test management solutions. The tool’s real-time reporting capabilities provide testers with valuable insights into test progress, enabling them to make well-informed decisions. Given its impressive features and benefits, Zephyr is trusted and widely adopted by organizations that place emphasis on effective test planning and execution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the landscape of manual testing tools in 2023 is both diverse and dynamic, offering a range of functionalities that cater to various testing needs. From BrowserStack to Marker.io, these tools have significantly enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of manual testing processes. They provide testers with the ability to manage test cases, track defects, monitor test execution, and generate comprehensive reports, all within a structured framework. As you embark on your next project, it is crucial to evaluate each tool’s features and compatibility with your existing systems to ensure a successful manual testing process. With the right tools at your disposal, you can achieve a higher level of quality assurance and deliver robust software solutions. Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are manual testing tools?
Manual testing tools are software applications used by testers to execute test cases manually, track defects, manage test cases, and generate reports. They help in ensuring that the software meets the specified requirements without the use of automated scripts.
What are the top 10 manual testing tools?
Here are the top 10 manual testing tools:
1. BrowserStack
2. Marker.io
3. JIRA
4. LoadRunner
5. Jenkins
6. Citrus
7. Testomatio
8. TestRail
9. TestLink
10. Zephyr
Why is manual testing important?
Manual testing is important because it allows testers to identify and fix bugs from the perspective of an end-user. It ensures that the application behaves as expected in real-world scenarios and meets the specified requirements.
How do manual testing tools help in the testing process?
Manual testing tools help in the testing process by providing functionalities such as test case management, defect tracking, test execution monitoring, and report generation. These tools enable testers to organize their work, collaborate effectively, and ensure thorough testing of the application.
Can manual testing be completely replaced by automated testing?
No, manual testing cannot be completely replaced by automated testing. While automated testing is efficient for repetitive and regression tests, manual testing is essential for exploratory, usability, and ad-hoc testing where human intuition and creativity are required.
What factors should be considered when choosing a manual testing tool?
When choosing a manual testing tool, consider factors such as ease of use, compatibility with existing systems, features and functionalities, cost, support and documentation, and the specific needs of your testing process.
