Cloud testing tools enable teams to test applications in a cloud computing environment. As a result, testers get to enjoy the usual benefits of the cloud, such as high scalability, flexibility, and accessibility. Tests become quicker, easier to manage, and less expensive.
However, to get the most out of cloud testing, teams must select a tool that aligns with their testing requirements.
This article presents the market’s best cloud testing tools that improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of software tests. Every platform on our list has unique advantages and go-to use cases, so jump in to see which one makes the most sense for your project.
Best Cloud Testing Tools
Below are reviews of the top cloud testing tools that enable teams to move software tests away from on-prem settings and into the cloud.
Testsigma
About
Testsigma is an open-source automation tool that enables QA teams to customize tests for various profiles. The tool excels at executing data-driven, regression, and continuous testing mechanisms.
Testsigma is highly configurable for a variety of end-to-end tests. Testers can go code-agnostic, create simple test scripts, or adopt AI-driven auto-pilot test maintenance.
This tool does not require coding experience due to NLP-based scripting. Testsigma is ideal for teams that must execute numerous test suites with various test scenarios.
Features
Here are the most noteworthy features of Testsigma:
- AI-driven test automation.
- Cross-platform compatibility.
- NLP-based scripting.
- A record-and-playback feature.
- A cloud-based test lab with 800+ browsers and 2000+ devices for test execution.
- The Testsigma Agent that enables tests on a local device farm.
- SDKs and APIs for building custom add-ons for any test workflow or action.
- Integrations with CI/CD pipelines and tools (e.g., Jenkins, Travis CI, CircleCI, etc.).
- Real-time reports at individual test suite and device levels.
Pricing
Testsigma has a feature-rich free plan and a 21-day trial for the advanced edition. Once the trial ends, users choose between two different plans (Pro and Enterprise) with custom prices.
BlazeMeter
About
BlazeMeter is a cloud testing tool that allows teams to run performance tests at a massive scale. The tool’s go-to use case is to test and monitor apps under heavy load, making BlazeMeter suitable for performance testing in CI/CD workflows.
This tool allows users to create custom tests or reuse existing scripts. Testers also have the option to schedule tests.
BlazeMeter is a popular option among organizations that want to apply end-to-end unified agile methodology to continuous testing.
Features
Here are a few noteworthy features of BlazeMeter:
- Top-tier performance testing capabilities.
- Advanced metric tracking (e.g., response time percentile and real-time system defects).
- Real-time and detailed reporting.
- Test recorder.
- Seamless scripting.
- Comprehensive tech support.
- Integration with Apache JMeter for cloud load testing.
Pricing
BlazeMeter has a free Starter edition and three paid tiers: Basic ($99 per month), Pro ($499 per month), and Unleashed (custom quotes).
Tenable Nessus
About
Tenable Nessus is a cloud-based penetration scanner that detects software vulnerabilities. The tool makes vulnerability assessments simple, fast, and intuitive.
Nessus boasts an impressively low false-positive rate with six-sigma accuracy (.32 defects per 1 million scans). The tool excels at discovering:
- Software misconfigurations.
- Opportunities for unauthorized access.
- Data leakage risks.
- The use of weak or default passwords.
While excellent at pinpointing risks and flaws, Nessus does not help testers resolve issues.
Nessus is an excellent choice for organizations that want to stress test their security posture. The tool is popular in DevSecOps circles.
Features
Here are a few standout features of Nessus:
- Vulnerability testing and configuration assessments.
- A minimalist and intuitive GUI.
- In-depth web security scanning.
- Customizable reports.
- A wide selection of test templates.
- Pre-built governance policies.
- Integration with several penetration testing tools (e.g., Core IMPACT, Metasploit, Immunity CANVAS, etc.).
Pricing
Nessus has a free edition (Nessus Essentials) that limits users to 16 IP addresses per scanner. Paid plans start at $2190 per year.
Akamai CloudTest
About
Akamai CloudTest is a performance-testing tool from SOASTA, the US subsidiary of Akamai Tech. This cloud-based tool allows users to stress test websites and apps with robust, real-time load testing.
CloudTest enables DevOps teams to focus on product features rather than building tests. The tool also makes production testing safer and easier by enabling testers to span dozens of cloud providers.
CloutTest integrates well with network appliances (firewalls, load balancers, routers, etc.). The tool also provides various forms of cross-platform support with:
- Browser recording (WebUI/Ajax).
- Messaging (HTTP(s)).
- SOAP/REST API service connectivity.
CloudTest is an advanced tool ideal for experienced teams and organizations interested in large-scale testing.
Features
Here’s an overview of CloudTest’s features:
- A variety of custom dashboards.
- Capability to scale tests worldwide.
- Dynamic ramps.
- Excellent traffic and load simulations.
- Multi-user test aggregation.
- Drag-and-drop test cases.
- Various integrations (Jenkins, Travis CI, CircleCI, VMware, Hyper-V, Apache JMeter, Gatling, Nagios, Nginx, Tomcat, New Relic, Glassfish, etc.).
Pricing
CloudTest offers a 30-day free trial, after which companies pay a custom price based on usage.
Watir
About
Watir (Web Application Testing In Ruby) is an open-source tool that automates tests in web browsers. Testers often integrate Watir scripts into cloud-based CI/CD pipelines and set them to trigger as part of the automated build and deployment process.
Watir interacts with a browser like a human (clicking URLs, filling out forms, verifying content, etc.). That way, the tool catches issues in web apps, such as functional bugs, UI problems, or performance issues.
The tool is an excellent choice for companies looking for a simple and quick way to test apps in web browsers.
Features:
Here are the main features of Watir:
- Automated tests in web browsers.
- Cross-browser testing (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Edge).
- Test scripts resemble natural language, which makes them accessible to both testers and developers.
- Regression testing.
- Support for the Page Object pattern that helps in creating scalable test scripts.
- Integration with various test automation frameworks, such as Cucumber and RSpec.
- Support for Jenkins, Travis CI, and GitLab CI.
Pricing
Watir is a free, open-source testing tool.
Jenkins
About
Jenkins is an open-source automation server used for CI/CD purposes. The platform enables users to implement various stages of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), including the test, build, and deployment phases.
Testers commonly configure Jenkins to trigger tests on virtual machines or containers in the cloud. That way, teams get to perform tests on scalable cloud resources.
Jenkins is a standard part of testing strategies and seamlessly integrates into cloud-based tests. DevOps specialists often include automated tests into a Jenkins pipeline to ensure code changes do not introduce regressions.
Features
Here are the main features of Jenkins cloud testing:
- Scalable test execution.
- Test workflow management.
- Distributed builds.
- Open-source and highly extensible.
- Over 1,700 plugins that support different types of automation.
- Integration with many software development and CI/CD tools (GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket, Gradle, Maven, etc.).
Pricing
Jenkins is fully open-source and free to use.
AppPerfect
About
AppPerfect offers an automated performance, load, and stress test execution suite. This cloud-based tool also provides agentless monitoring and big data analytics.
AppPerfect’s rich set of features fits the needs of both QA and development teams, plus the tool requires no programming experience. AppPerfect has a clear focus on identifying issues before software goes into production.
AppPerfect is a worthwhile option for SMBs that want to improve and speed up performance, load, and stress tests.
Features
Here are AppPerfect’s standout features:
- In-depth test management.
- Feature-rich test automation.
- Test and browser recording.
- Agentless monitoring.
- Distributed testing.
- Various ready-made scripts.
- Comprehensive reporting.
- A range of integrations (JDeveloper, NetBeans, IntelliJ Idea, JBuilder, Eclipse, etc.).
Pricing
AppPerfect’s Starter Pack will set you back $399. Additionally, the price of tech support is $499 annually.
Visual Studio App Center
About
Visual Studio App Center is a comprehensive cloud-based platform for creating, testing, deploying, and monitoring iOS, Android, Windows, Cordova, UWP, and macOS apps.
The tool makes it easy for testers to build an app in the cloud on every commit and automatically run tests on real devices.
Visual Studio App Center includes all the functionality of the incorporated Xamarin Test Cloud while adding more features.
Features
Here’s what Visual Studio App Center offers to testers:
- Easy setup that only requires you to connect your repo and pick a branch.
- Support for a wide range of languages (C, C#, Python, Ruby, NodeJS, etc.).
- A cloud-hosted device lab with 1000+ of real iOS and Android devices.
- Continuous app monitoring.
- Cross-platform testing.
- Detailed analytics and crash reporting.
- Distributed testing.
- Various integrations (GitLab, Bitbucket, VSTS, Jira, GitHub, etc.).
Pricing
Visual Studio App Center offers a feature-rich free edition. The paid version of the tool, which includes concurrent builds, costs $40/month per build concurrency. Running UI tests in the cloud also requires $99/month per test device concurrency.
BitBar
About
BitBar is a cloud-based mobile app testing platform that enables a team to run tests on various devices and emulators. The tool’s main selling point is the large lab that enables testers to check apps on a wide range of devices.
BitBar is the go-to choice for teams that want to speed up and improve mobile app testing. The tool is also excellent at ensuring the compatibility of mobile apps across different platforms. BitBar is available on public and private clouds.
Features
Below are the most noteworthy features of BitBar:
- A large pool of test devices.
- Automated tests that run in parallel across browsers and devices.
- Highly scalable and customizable tests.
- Excellent auto-reporting.
- Various integrations (Jenkins, Appium, Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, Android Studio, Xcode, etc.).
Pricing
BitBar has a 14-day free trial. Once the trial period expires, users pay $47/parallel per month for the Live Testing package or $177/parallel per month for BitBar Unlimited.
Tricentis
About
Tricentis is a software testing platform that accelerates software delivery while ensuring app quality and reliability. The tool addresses all aspects of the software testing lifecycle, from test design to execution.
Tricentis allows organizations to simulate virtual user loads and measure the performance and scalability of apps under different conditions. The tool is highly user-friendly and popular among DevOps teams.
Features
Here are the standout features of Tricentis:
- End-to-end functional, API, and mobile testing.
- Behavior-driven development (BDD) testing.
- Creation of executable specifications using natural language.
- Scalable performance testing across APIs and microservices.
- The qTest capability that provides top-tier test case management and execution tracking.
- Excellent impact analysis.
- Data masking that ensures data privacy during testing.
Pricing
Tricentis offers a free trial to new users. Customers get a custom price once the trial period expires.
CloudQA
About
CloudQA is a cloud-based tool for automating web app testing. The tool helps teams run faster tests, get detailed results, and maximize test coverage.
Like other cloud testing tools, CloudQA enables users to perform testing activities in the cloud, which adds flexibility and scalability to testing environments.
CloudQA is the go-to choice for teams that want codeless testing or plan to create test cases through logical grouping.
Features
Below are a few of CloudQA’s main features:
- Codeless automated tests.
- Quick deployment with minimal setup.
- Self-healing, AI-powered test maintenance.
- A visual editor for managing tests.
- Debugging of failed tests with clear, visually intuitive steps.
- Excellent regression testing.
- Out-of-the-box support for legacy web tech.
- Various integrations (Jenkins, CirclCI, GitHub, TravisCI, Pagerduty, Boserstack, Jira, etc.).
Pricing
CloudQA has three paid plans: Standard, Extended, and Enterprise. There are no trials or free editions.
Spring Cloud Sleuth
About
Spring Cloud Sleuth is a distributed tracing tool for Spring Cloud. This cloud-based testing platform provides a straightforward way to test and monitor the performance of web applications.
Cloud Sleuth’s go-to use case is tracing the request propagation within microservices. Microservices are challenging to test and debug since one action often triggers a chain of downstream microservice calls.
Spring Cloud Sleuth is a popular choice among QA and DevOps teams that want to use enhanced logs to trace requests. The tool is ideal for identifying logs that pertain to a specific request, thread, or job.
Features
Here are the standout features of Cloud Sleuth:
- Custom load testing scenarios.
- Distributed tracing.
- Trace data reports.
- Data visualizations.
- Test controller.
- Cloud resource monitoring (with multi-cloud support).
- Various integrations (Zipkin, Logback, GitLab, Elasticsearch, Splunk, MySQL, MongoDB, etc.).
Pricing
Spring Cloud Sleuth is a completely free tool.
BrowserStack
About
BrowserStack is a popular cloud-based testing platform that provides a comprehensive suite for testing web and mobile apps. The tool helps developers and testers ensure the compatibility, functionality, and performance of apps across various:
BrowserStack places a strong emphasis on security and compliance. The platform is SOC2 compliant, which helps companies adhere to strict industry standards and regulations.
BrowserStack is a popular choice among a wide range of organizations, from small teams to large enterprises. The tool ensures the quality and performance of web and mobile apps across diverse environments.
Features
- More than 20,000 real devices and 3000 browser versions available for testing.
- Zero setup and maintenance.
- Cross-browser testing (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Internet Explorer, etc.).
- Responsive testing that helps optimize web apps for various screen sizes.
- Support for automated parallel tests via frameworks like Selenium and Appium.
- Simulations of different network conditions, such as 3G, 4G, or high latency.
Pricing
BrowserStack has four paid editions, the cheapest being $29 per month (this edition only allows tests on desktop browsers).
Applitools
About
Applitools is a visual testing and monitoring tool that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the visual validation of web and mobile apps. The tool compares the visual appearance of an app’s interface across different states or environments.
Applitools helps developers and testers identify visual bugs and UI differences across browsers, devices, and screen sizes. The tool is excellent at identifying subtle visual defects that traditional functional testing often misses.
Applitools is a common choice for teams that want to use cloud testing tools to ensure apps are responsive and work correctly across different screen sizes.
Features
Here are the main features of Applitools.
- Automated AI-based visual testing with low false positives and negatives.
- Cross-browser testing (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer).
- Visual test baselines.
- Cross-device testing.
- Dynamic content handling.
- Excellent monitoring and analytics that offer insights into visual test results, track trends, and the app’s visual health.
Pricing
Applitools has a free plan limited to one user and 100 monthly checkpoints. The three paid plans have custom prices.
Sauce Labs
About
Sauce Labs is a cloud-based platform for testing web and mobile apps. The tool helps teams ensure software quality, compatibility, and performance.
Sauce Labs supports testing on different OSes, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. The platform offers a combination of automated and manual testing capabilities, making it suitable for a variety of scenarios.
Sauce Labs is popular among teams looking to streamline testing processes and improve the quality of apps and services.
Features
Here are the standout features of Sauce Labs:
- Automated tests that run in parallel on the Sauce Labs infrastructure.
- Manual testing that enables testing on various browsers and devices.
- Performance testing capabilities for simulating virtual user loads.
- Excellent measuring of performance and scalability metrics.
- AI-driven SaaS testing.
- Cross-browser testing with a wide range of browser versions.
- Tests on real mobile devices.
- Features for capturing screenshots and recording video sessions of test executions.
Pricing
Sauce Labs has three paid tiers. The most affordable one costs $49/month (or $39/month if you opt for annual payments).
How to Choose a Cloud Testing Tool?
Choosing a cloud testing tool requires careful consideration of several factors. The tool must align with specific testing needs, IT strategies, pipelines, and app characteristics. The tool must also be in line with your allocated budget.
Here are the primary considerations to keep in mind when choosing between different cloud testing tools:
- Type of testing. Know what types of tests you plan to run in the cloud. Common examples include performance testing, load testing, functional testing, and security testing. Ensure that the tool supports the test types relevant to your use case.
- Compatibility. The tool of choice must be compatible with the technology stack of the app you plan to test. Ensure compatibility with programming languages, frameworks, databases, CI/CD platforms, and other components.
- Scalability needs. Consider whether the tool can handle your desired number of virtual users, transactions, or devices.
- Team fit. Ensure the cloud testing tool does not pose a significant learning curve for your team.
- Cost. Understand the cost structure of the cloud testing tool. Consider licensing fees, subscription plans, and any other costs associated with resource usage.
- Security levels. Perform an in-depth assessment of the tool’s security features if you plan to test apps that handle sensitive data. If applicable, ensure the tool complies with relevant security standards and regulations (e.g., GDPR or PCI).
- Test coverage. If your app has a global user base, consider whether the tool supports testing from different geographical locations.
- Vendor reputation. Look for reviews, case studies, and customer testimonials to gauge the tool’s effectiveness and reliability.
Always take advantage of trial periods. They allow your team to assess the suitability of several tools in a real-world environment before you commit long-term to one platform.
Benefits of Using Cloud Testing Tools
Using cloud testing tools provides a range of benefits that significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of software testing. Tests become quicker, more accurate, cheaper, and easier to manage than when teams test software on on-prem hardware.
Here’s an overview of all the benefits of cloud testing tools.:
- On-demand resources. On-demand access to a scalable infrastructure allows teams to adjust to testing needs by scaling resources up or down.
- Parallel execution. Most cloud testing tools support parallel test execution on multiple machines or instances. Such capability reduces the overall testing time and enables faster feedback.
- Resource optimization. Cloud testing enables efficient resource utilization. Testers provision cloud resources only when needed, a pay-as-you-go model that results in considerable cost reductions.
- Dynamic testing. Cloud testing tools allow the creation of dynamic test environments with quick provisioning and configuration. Testing teams provision the required infrastructure with a few clicks, reducing the lead time for testing activities.
- Diverse test environments. Cloud testing provides testers access to various devices, browsers, and operating systems. As a result, it becomes easier to ensure compatibility across different platforms.
- Global testing. Cloud testing allows a team to perform testing from different geographical locations. Testers simulate diverse user conditions and network environments. That way, teams identify potential issues related to specific user locations and varying network conditions.
- Integration with CI/CD. Most cloud testing tools integrate seamlessly into a CI/CD pipeline. Teams get to set up automated testing as an integral part of the development process.
- Managed services. Cloud testing tools enable companies to reduce the burden of infrastructure maintenance. Teams get to focus on testing activities rather than managing the underlying infrastructure.
Use Cloud Testing Tools to Speed Up and Improve Software Tests
Cloud-based testing is valuable in most SDLCs, but choosing the right tool is a prerequisite for success. Luckily, you can’t go wrong with any of the cloud testing tools discussed above. Use what you learned in this article to pick a tool with features that best align with your IT needs and priorities.
