Open source performance testing tools are helpful in finding software that can be used to test your hardware under stress, or when you are not sure what tool to use.
This is a list of open source tools that have been tested in our labs and performed well. A few tests have been performed on an Android phone for mobile performance, but if you have a unique data center setup, you may want to run your own tests.
Netbrute Scanner
NetBrute Scanner consists of 3 open easy to use network tools. NetBrute, its first tool allows scanning a single computer or multiple IP addresses for windows file & print sharing resources.
PortScan, its second tool allows scanning for available internet services, and the third tool Web Brute allows scanning web directories that are protected with HTTP authentication.
Xirrus Wifi Inspector
This free tool is designed to run on Windows OS and allows real-time network monitoring. This has a unique architecture that allows a flexi number of users without adding any wiring and access points that too without impacting performance.
Network Monitor By Spiceworks
This tool from Spiceworks is a great tool for monitoring Networks, can be used to isolate and fix issues before they are seen by real users. It also has a feature that lets users customize alerts and notifications.
Provides dynamic dashboard making it easy to use, allows tracking bandwidth usage and saturation and supports troubleshooting and debugging if any process and service go down.
NetCrunch
This tool supports the monitoring of Network Infrastructure, virtual machines, windows, VMware ESXI. Its flexible UI presents a user with an excellent visualization by displaying alerts, network traffic, and performance views, all being linked which helps to troubleshoot network problems easily.
Also, provides an excellent analytical feature where a user can analyze network trends and also compare historic network performance.
WhatsUp Gold
WhatsUp Gold, shortly known as WUG, is one of the best network testing tool. It has user friendly and visually attractive dashboards. It can be customized to monitor and display the IT infrastructure and alerts as per your needs.
Features:
- Automatically find and map your entire network
- Continuously monitors your network’s health with customizable alerts.
- Monitor network performance with customizable alerts
- Drill-down reports from customized dashboards
- Reporting and alert dashboards
- Discovery & Network Mapping
perfSONAR
perfSONAR is a network measurement toolkit designed to provide federated coverage of paths and establish end-to-end usage expectations. You can identify and isolate problems as they happen, making the role of supporting network users.
Features:
- perfSONAR provides a uniform interface that helps to schedule the measurements, storage of data in uniform formats
- Provides efficient and reliable exchange of data needed for world-class scientific collaborations
- It enables you to identify and correct the source of trouble, as problems can occur across multiple networks.
IPerf
iPerf is a network testing tool used for active measurements of the maximum achievable bandwidth on IP networks. It helps and supports the tuning of different parameters related to timing, buffers, and protocols like UDP, TCP, SCTP, IPv4, and IPv6. Client and server both are able to handle various simultaneous connections.
Features:
- Cross-platform: Windows, Linux, Android, MacOS X, NetBSD, VxWorks, Solaris.
- It has a Server that handles multiple connections instead of quitting after a single test.
- It helps you for a specified time instead of an amount for data transferring.
- Print periodic, intermediate bandwidth and loss reports at specified intervals
- Allows you to use representative streams to test out how link layer compression affects your bandwidth
- A server accepts a single client or multiple clients simultaneously
- It helps to set target bandwidth, IPv6 flow label and set congestion control algorithm
Dotcom-Monitor Load Testing
Dotcom-Monitor offers a range of Web testing services from its cloud platform. One of its plans is a Load/Stress Testing service. This plan is able to launch volumes of traffic from real browsers towards a website or application.
The stress testing service of Dotcom-Monitor is actually run by a division of the company, called LoadView. Volumes of traffic highlight where APIs or other elements of a Web page are unable to cope with large amounts of traffic. This is a useful test because you might ensure that your Web server is able to cope with demand but overlook the functions that create its key functions, such as the shopping cart.
The testing service lets you assemble scripts so that you can be sure that those vital services are actually being triggered by your tests. The environment lets you shape traffic surges so you can implement tests following:
- Load Step Curve
- Goal-based Curve
- Dynamic Adjustable Curve
These different strategies allow you to stress your sites and services from different angles and ensure that they will hold up in different circumstances.
Pros:
- Monitorings website traffic as well as its supporting infrastructure
- Great alert templates, highly customizable
- Can monitor page load speeds and alert to SLA breaches
Cons:
- Reports can be time-consuming and difficult to set up
- Price is high compared to other tools in the market
The LoadView service is offered in three subscription plans plus a pay-as-you-go service. You can experience the system on a 30-day free trial.
Tricentis Flood
Tricentis offers a variety of products including qTest, Tosca, RPA, and its distributed load testing product Tricentis Flood. In addition to public and private cloud deployment options, Tricentis Flood also supports open-source generation tools such as JMeter, Selenium, and Gatling.
Pros:
- Can be used for both internal and external load testing
- Simple pricing makes the tool accessible for networks of all sizes
- Can integrate into cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services
Cons:
- Would like to see a longer trial with more features included for testing
- The interface would use improvement, particularly around data visualizations
- Areas of the product almost feel unfinished, UI could use a redesign
Its subscription model is rather simple, providing both monthly and annual options. Though Tricentis Flood is geared towards enterprises, it also has a version for small to medium-sized businesses with a relatively inexpensive monthly fee.
We also like how Tricentis designed its solution to integrate with private hosting providers such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. In addition to a rather limited free trial, you can also request a demo.
Conclusion
This is a list of performance tester tools to help people test their applications (or sites) with regard to service, load environment, error information and other performance diagnostics.