The Katalon Blog

Top Software Testing Tools For QA Teams | Updated 2025

Written by Hy Nguyen | Feb 12, 2025 7:50:22 AM

In this article, we review the top software testing tools on the current market for your QA team.

Before choosing a tool, make sure to consider the following criteria:

  1. Is the tool easy to use with a user-friendly interface and a low learning curve?
  2. Does it support a wide range of testing types (web, mobile, and API applications)?
  3. Does it offer multiple testing modes (no-code, low-code, full-code)?
  4. Can it integrate seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines, version control systems, and project management tools?
  5. Does it allow easy updates to test scripts when the application changes?
  6. Can tests run across multiple environments (browsers, devices, and operating systems)?
  7. Does it provide clear, actionable reports?
  8. Is the tool suitable for projects of all sizes and capable of growing with your needs?
  9. Does it have a strong community, detailed documentation, and reliable technical support?
  10. Is the tool feature-rich and within your budget?

Top Software Testing Tools For 2025

1. Katalon [All-in-one Software Testing Tool]



Katalon accompanies your QA team throughout the entire software testing life cycle.

With Katalon, you can write tests in 3 modes (no-code, low-code, full-code), manage tests in a centralized dashboard, schedule test runs, execute tests across environments, and generate detailed reports.

And all of that can be done for web testing, API testing, and mobile application testing. In other words, Katalon is a centralized platform for all of your testing activities.

Feature highlights:

  • Suitable for any testing needs, from individual testers, QA teams, to large enterprises
  • No-code, low-code, and full-code scripting in Groovy
  • Automatic test maintenance
  • Support web, mobile, API testing. Packaged app testing also available.
  • Run tests across local machine, cloud, on-premise environments, with easy CI/CD integrations
  • AI-powered regression testing with TrueTest
  • Data-driven testing and BDD testing supported
  • Diverse integration ecosystem with ALM and CI/CD tools
  • Detailed reports with analytics, screenshots, videos, HTML Snapshot, and Test Suite report email
  • Detailed technical documentation and video tutorials on Katalon Academy

Website: Katalon
Price: Free and flexible paid plans

Start Katalon Free Trial Today 

2. Selenium [Top Web App Testing Framework]

Rolled out in 2004, Selenium is one of the most, if not the most, popular open-source frameworks for web testing automation. Its suite of software consists of Selenium WebDriver, Selenium Grid, and Selenium IDE.

Feature highlights:

  • Supported programming languages: Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, PHP, etc.
  • Supported browsers: Chrome, Firefox, IE, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Safari, etc.
  • Testing on local or remote machines via the Selenium server
  • Parallel and cross-browser executions to reduce execution time and increase test coverage
  • Integrations with other testing frameworks (e.g., TestNG for reporting) and CI/CD tools

Read More: Selenium Testing: A Complete Tutorial

3. Appium [Top Mobile App Testing Framework]

Like Selenium, Appium is also an open-source automation testing tool, but for mobile applications. Using mobile JSON wire protocol, Appium allows users to write automated UI tests for native, web-based, and hybrid mobile applications on both Android and iOS.

Feature highlights:

  • Supported programming languages: Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, PHP, Perl
  • Cross-platform testing with reusable test scripts and the same APIs
  • Execution across real devices, simulators, and emulators
  • Integrations with other testing frameworks and CI/CD tools

Website: Appium

4. Espresso [Native Android App Testing Framework]

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

Developed by Google, Espresso is a test automation framework designed specifically for Android. It provides a platform-specific solution with a flexible and straightforward API, but it is limited to running Android UI tests and enhancing related 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: Espresso

Price: Open-source

5. XCUI Test [iOS Testing Framework]

XCUI Test, developed by Apple, allows iOS developers to script and execute UI tests within the Xcode IDE. This automation framework is exclusively designed for iOS devices and does not support Android systems.

Feature Highlights:

  • Supports scripting in Swift and Objective-C
  • Integrates with Xcode and third-party tools for test recording
  • Simplifies coding with methods, subclasses, and assertions through Xcode integration
  • Supports CI/CD integration
  • Ideal for black-box testing

Website: XCUI Test

Price: Open-source

6. Playwright [Open-source Web Testing Automation Framework]

Playwright is another open-source automation framework for web browsers, developed by Microsoft. It allows developers and testers to automate the interaction of web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, providing a versatile toolset for browser automation, testing, and browser orchestration.
 

Key Features:

  • Cross-Browser Support: Supports Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, ensuring consistent testing across various browser engines.
  • Single API for Multiple Browsers: Provides a unified API for seamless interaction across different browsers, allowing script portability.
  • Browser Contexts: Enables the creation of isolated contexts for parallel test execution with independent instances.
  • Headless and Headful Mode: Supports both headless for faster execution and headful for visibility during test execution.
  • Auto-Wait for Elements: Incorporates automatic waiting for elements, enhancing test stability and readability.
  • Access to Browser Context Events: Enables developers to subscribe to browser context events, offering insights into browser behavior.
  • Device Emulation: Supports device emulation for responsive design testing and ensuring a consistent user experience.
  • Native Input Events: Generates native input events, ensuring reliability and accuracy in simulating user interactions.
     

Website: Playwright

Pricing: Open-source

7. WebLoad

WebLOAD, developed by RadView Software, is a performance testing solution for evaluating the scalability, stress resistance, and reliability of web and mobile applications.

Key Features:

  • WebLOAD.AI enables AI-driven smart correlation with JavaScript flexibility.
  • Versatile scripting supports complex workflows, WebSocket APIs, and asynchronous communication.
  • Realistic test simulations with customizable conditions and global test locations.
  • Comprehensive testing with protocol- and browser-based scripts, multiple virtual users, and flexible ramp-up configurations.
  • AI-powered insights for performance analysis and quick issue resolution.
  • Expert support and AI-enhanced best practices for optimized testing.

Website: Radview (WebLOAD)

Pricing: For pricing details, please get in touch with the sales team.

8. Mabl

Mabl is one of the first AI testing tools. It offers AI-powered features to improve the software testing process.

Key Features:

  • Low code test capability to prioritize quality
  • Intuitive intelligence and automated healing
  • Data-driven capabilities for real-life test cases
  • Comprehensive end-to-end testing via APIs
  • Generates valuable insights for developers using data
  • User-friendly dashboard for easy navigation

Website: Mabl

Pricing: For detailed pricing information, kindly reach out to the Mabl sales team. They can provide specific details based on your testing needs and requirements.

9. TestComplete

TestComplete can automate functional UI testing for desktop, mobile, and web applications. With built-in support for 500+ controls and third-party frameworks, TestComplete is a good software testing tool, able to handle and identify dynamic UI elements in most current technologies.

Feature highlights:

  • Supported languages: JavaScript, Python, VBScript, JScript, Delphi, C++, C#
  • Flexible test design: Record & playback, manual, and scripting modes with built-in keywords
  • Advanced object identification: Property-based and AI-powered visual recognition
  • Comprehensive testing: Parallel execution across browsers and devices
  • Seamless integrations: Compatible with other testing frameworks, CI/CD tools, and the SmartBear ecosystem.

Website: SmartBear TestComplete
Pricing tiers: TestComplete Base, TestComplete Pro, and Custom Pricing

10. Cypress

Cypress is a developer-focused automation tool designed for end-to-end web testing, exclusively supporting JavaScript frameworks. With a unique architecture, it runs directly in the browser alongside the application, enabling faster execution and native element access.

Feature Highlights:

  • Supported language: JavaScript
  • Snapshots and debugging with familiar developer tools
  • Control over function behavior, server responses, timers, and network traffic
  • Cypress Cloud integration for performance monitoring and optimization
  • Seamless CI/CD integrations for streamlined testing workflows

Website: Cypress
Price: Free or from $75/month for Cypress Cloud

11. Perfecto

Perfecto is a cloud-based and automated testing tool for web and mobile applications. From automated cross-environment executions, custom capabilities, test analysis, and broad integrations, Perfecto makes continuous testing more achievable for DevOps teams.

Feature highlights:

  • Scriptless test creation for UI web applications
  • Real-user stimulation for mobile testing: network visualization and other environmental conditions
  • Parallel and cross-platform executions
  • Advanced test analytics with centralized dashboard and AI noise filtering
  • Integrations with other testing frameworks and CI/CD tools

Website: Perfecto
Price: From $125/month

12. LambdaTest

LambdaTest provides automated testing on the cloud. Its cloud service allows teams to scale up their test coverage with speedy parallel, cross-browser, and cross-device testing.

Feature highlights:

  • Online Selenium Grid on the cloud of over 2,000 devices, browsers, and OSs
  • Support for Cypress test scripts parallel and cross-browser executions
  • Geolocation web testing across over 27 countries
  • Integrations with other testing frameworks and CI/CD tools

Website: LambdaTest
Price: From $99/month

13. Postman

Postman is one of the most widely used API automation testing tool. It allows users to write different kinds of tests, from functional and integration to regression tests, and execute them automatically in CI/CD pipelines via the command line.

Feature highlights:

  • Friendly and easy-to-use interface equipped with code snippets
  • Support for multiple HTML methods, Swagger, and RAML formats
  • Broad support for API schemas to generate collections and API elements
  • Test suite creation, executions with parameterization, and debugging
  • Integrations with popular CI/CD tools

Website: Postman
Price: Free or from $12/user/month

14. SoapUI

SoapUI is an API testing tool is built for REST and SOAP web services, offering automated functional, performance, regression, and security testing.

For advanced features, users can opt for the commercial version, ReadyAPI (formerly SoapUI Pro).

Feature Highlights:

  • Intuitive test creation with drag-and-drop functionality, even for complex scenarios
  • Service simulation to streamline testing without full production systems
  • Reusable test scripts for faster and more efficient testing
  • Expanded protocol support, advanced features, and CI/CD integration with ReadyAPI

Website: SoapUI
Price: Free or from $749/year for ReadyAPI

15. Eggplant Functional

As part of Eggplant’s ecosystem, Eggplant Functional is a GUI automation testing tool for mobile, desktop, and web applications. With an image-based approach, it allows a single script to automate different combinations of platforms and technologies.

Feature highlights:

  • Flexible methods for test design: recording, manual mode, and assisted scripting
  • Unique English-like scripting language: SenseTalk
  • Connection to Eggplant ecosystem for more testing capabilities and monitoring
  • Integrations with popular CI/CD tools

Website: EggPlant Software
Price: Contact sales

16. Tricentis Tosca

Tricentis Tosca is a comprehensive automated software testing tool for web, API, mobile, and desktop testing. It utilizes a model-based testing approach, enabling users to scan an application’s UI or APIs to create intuitive, business-friendly test models.

Feature Highlights:

  • Codeless test creation with high reusability using a model-based approach
  • Risk-based test optimization with smart test design and prioritized requirements
  • Service virtualization for realistic testing environments
  • Extensive API scanning with broad support for API technologies
  • Parallel and cross-platform testing for enhanced efficiency
  • Seamless integrations with testing frameworks and CI/CD tools

Website: Tricentis Tosca
Price: Contact sales

17. Apache JMeter

JMeter is an open-source tool is designed for automated performance testing, primarily for web applications. It can stimulate a heavy load of users to access web services and analyze the AUT’s performance. JMeter can also be used for functional API testing.

Feature highlights:

  • Friendly and easy-to-use interface
  • Test plan creation with recording feature
  • Test execution in both GUI and CLI modes
  • Support for many different servers, applications, and protocol types
  • Integrations with popular CI/CD tools

Website: Apache JMeter
Price: Free

18. Robot Framework

Robot Framework is an open-source, generic test automation framework designed for acceptance testing and acceptance test-driven development. It features a keyword-driven approach, making it easy to use while remaining highly extensible through a rich ecosystem of tools and libraries.

Feature Highlights:

  • Simple test case creation using tabular syntax
  • Supports keyword-driven and data-driven testing for flexibility
  • Variable support for testing across multiple environments
  • Extensive library support and seamless integrations with external tools

Website: Robot Framework
Price: Free

19. Applitools

Applitools is an automated visual testing tool designed to detect UI bugs in web and mobile applications, ensuring a consistent user experience across platforms.

Key Features:

  • Smart bug detection with AI-powered visual comparison
  • Cross-platform testing for consistency across browsers and devices
  • Dynamic content handling to reduce false positives
  • Comprehensive visual analytics for tracking UI changes over time
  • Automated issue resolution with intelligent root cause analysis

Website: Applitools

Pricing: Applitools offers three tiers to choose from: Starter, Eye, and Ultrafast Test Cloud.

20. TestSigma

 
TestSigma is an emerging software testing tool that supports testing on many AUTs, including web, API, desktop, and also mobile.

Highlight Features:

  • No-code testing platform that allows you to create tests in plain English
  • Includes AI-supported features for efficient test maintenance and execution in the cloud.
  • Test reports are user-friendly with debugging features like screenshots, videos, and logs. These reports can be customized to your needs.
  • It integrates smoothly with popular CI/CD tools and offers the advantage of cloud accessibility.

Website: TestSigma

Pricing: Free plan available, with paid plans starting from $349/month


 

 
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