Wednesday, December 13, 2017

7 Criteria to Select the Right Automation Testing Tool



Automation testing is forecasted to be among the key trends in software quality and testing in 2018 (Word Quality Report 2017 – 2018). In other to utilize the advantages test automation in software development, organizations need to equip themselves with the appropriate automation testing tool or framework.

Below are the top 7 criteria you must consider when selecting a tool for your organization:

1. Platform

On which platforms would you need the tool to run: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Unix, Web, or Mobile? Depending on your need, you may need a tool to run on multiple platforms such as Selenium or Maveryx, or a tool that supports mainly Windows like Ranorex.

2. AUT Programming Languages

The team may need to consider the programming languages used to write the AUT. If you only need to test Java applications, Abbot and Maveryx could be a good choice. In case you are looking for the tools that can work with many languages used in the AUT, Katalon Studio, TestComplete, and Ranorex is your solution.

3. Scripting Languages

Most of the automation testing tools support various scripting languages so that testers can write test scripts in their preferable languages. However, make sure you check exact scripting languages the tool supports for generating test scripts.

4. Script Maintainability

This criterion is quite essential since in test automation, maintaining test scripts to reflect changes in the requirements of AUTs is quite challenging. This activity is time-consuming when the requirements are updated frequently. Currently, most of the script maintenance is done manually.

5. Required programming skills

It depends on your team’s programming background. Normally, programming knowledge is required to enhance and maintain test scripts. Meanwhile, there are still some testing tools allow testers with limited programming skills to do automation test effectively. Selenium, Ranorex, Katalon, and TestComplete provide the record ad playback features with scripts automatically generated.

6. Automated testing approaches

The existing automation testing tool on the market normally cover one or some of the following testing approaches: Data-driven, Keyword-driven, Linear, Record & Playback, Mode-based, Structured, and Hybrid. It’s your job to investigate which one is your main approach.

      7. Cost:

Financial issue is always an essential consideration in selecting a tool. It may include licensing and support costs. You may not be charged (much) for acquiring some tools, but then it may cost you lots of money for external support. Training and extra effort to solving issues related to the tool should be also considered before determining the tool.


With the above criteria, you now can put things together into a table to assess and select the most appropriate tool for your project. Let's practice by analyzing the Best 10 Automation Testing Tools for 2018.