Performance testing tools are amazing to find the cause of performance issue. There are plenty of free performance testing tools available online. But first question comes to our mind how does it work? Does it actually benefit us? Performance tools runs automated load against your application/website to simulate the number of concurrent users visiting the site.
This should help you identify whether your website/application can handle large traffic or not. If it cannot handle, then next step is to optimize your website for performance purpose. Here are the best open source tools.
LoadView
When it comes to load testing tools, LoadView is pretty much the most versatile tool on the market. Why is this? Well, it can do small, one-off tests affordably, but can also handle large, enterprise situations. This is quite rare, because most tools are either small-time, open source tools, or large enterprise options that are anything but tenable for small-to-medium-sized businesses. This is one of the ways that LoadView really shines, because it’s so versatile. Some important points to note about LoadView are:
- LoadView uses real browsers. This means more than just HTTP pings—LoadView, of any tool on the market, gives you the best emulation of real users. If you care about accuracy, this is incredibly important
- LoadView can test anything, really. Their support is phenomenal and if you’re looking to test something that isn’t part of their pre-defined options, they’re able to do custom scripting and make just about anything work. If you’ve got any experience with load testing tools, you know this is quite rare
- LoadView is a good value. Yes, for what you get and the fact that pricing is on-demand—LoadView is a great deal honestly. Can some people get by with a free open source tool instead? Sure, no doubt. But if you could benefit from something better (it’s likely that you can if you’re a business), LoadView is absolutely worth considering
Apache JMeter
No matter where you come from in the load testing world, Apache’s JMeter load testing tool is the gold standard of open source tools. It was developed by Apache to help load test servers in order to ensure that they’re able to meet the performance demands of a variety of scenarios. The best part about JMeter is that it’s free—so no cost to anyone looking to test it! Even if you find it’s not for you, it’s still probably worth a look. Also, if you’re looking to do JMeter load testing in an enterprise capacity, you’ll likely need another tool (such as LoadView). Some cool things to note about JMeter:
- It’s completely free, so what do you have to lose taking a look at it? JMeter doesn’t cost a thing, and although it doesn’t have support, if you’re technically-seasoned enough, you might want to take a look at it
- It’s totally open source. This means there are no surprises in the source code, and nothing sketchy that might pop up—it’s totally open source, and everyone’s been through the code. This also means that you can modify it if you’re savvy enough
- It’s used by individuals and professionals alike. JMeter isn’t just a tool for small, one-off website owners—big businesses use it too in certain cases. So, no matter who you are, it’s worth considering—it might be a good fit!
Locust
As a load testing tool, Locust has been around for quite some time. And not only that, but it’s used by some big corporations for load/performance testing, such as Intel, Amazon, Mozilla, and more! The cool thing about Locust is that it’s coded in Python, which makes it incredibly easy to manipulate (if you didn’t know, Python is one of the most user-friendly OOP languages around. Some cool things to note about Locust include:
- Python is the language of choice, which makes it super easy to use/modify
- Even though it’s open source, it has the option for a GUI, which is nice
- It supports a variety of load tests (distributed, scalable, and more)
Tsung
When you think of open source load and performance testing tools, it’s hard to have that thought without thinking of Tsung. While it’s not the flashiest of load testing tools, it’s definitely one that’s on the go-to list for a number of developers. It’s right up there with JMeter and does a great job of load testing and providing the necessary data. Some important things to note about Tsung include:
- Tons of different protocols supported (you’d be surprised how many)
- Comes with a slick little web-app dashboard
- Includes the option for operating system monitoring if your testing requires that (obviously not if you’re load testing a web application or API, but in other cases you might need or want this feature)
Grinder
Grinder (also known as “The Grinder”) is one of those performance testing tools that is about as close as you’ll get to JMeter in terms of functionality. It’s got most of the features (like load injectors and so on) that you’d expect from a quality open source tool. It’s also very compatible with Java, so bonus if you’re developing an Android app or load testing something else where Java is the language of choice. Some things to note about Grinder include:
- Awesome testing capabilities for all things Java
- Option to create your own scripting in a variety of languages
- Management options for web applications and sites that require cookies
Loadster
Loadster is a load testing platform that specializes in testing APIs, web applications, and websites. It’s used by some of the biggest, most notable organizations on the planet including Harvard University and Wells Fargo. Loadster is a paid tool (unlike many of the open source load testing tools listed on this page). One cool thing about Loadster is that if you need to do on-premise load or performance testing, they have self-hosted load engines that can be deployed at no additional cost. Some other cool things about Loadster include:
- 24+ data centers located all over the world for low-latency load testing no matter where you are
- On-demand and unlimited pricing available
- Browser-based editing of scripts, so you can create everything in a browser without the need to write code in an IDE
NeoLoad
Neoload is primarily focused enterprise load testing, with big clients such as Dell, Home Depot, and more, they’re a solid name in the load and performance testing business. Neoload caters to the DevOps community, and is exceptional at testing APIs, infrastructure, and simulating user behavior. Some important things to note about NeoLoad include:
- Codeless design, drag-and-drop interface, but still allows JavaScript to be written if you need it
- Great for testing web applications, and integrates at the application level for performance testing web apps
- Completely scalable depending upon the needs of your organization
LoadComplete
Created by the Internet testing powerhouse SmartBear, LoadComplete is a load testing tool that’s specifically designed for performance testing web servers and services. As part of the SmartBear suite, it’s fully-integrated into all of their other tools, so if you’re already a SmartBear user, it’s not difficult at all to add LoadComplete to round out your testing. Some interesting features of LoadComplete include:
- Super easy integration with other SmartBear monitoring products
- Automate load testing based on a variety of needs
- Ability to monitor server metrics such as CPU usage
RedLine13
Known as “almost free” load testing, Redline13 is open architecture software that can assist you in running a load test using AWS and other methods. With Redline13, you’re essentially provided a framework similar to some of the bigger paid tools, but almost for free. Redline13 is as cheap as free, and the next paid plan up from that is $75 per month, which is quite a bit cheaper than running load tests with some of the big enterprise testing companies, and depending upon what you’re trying to test—it may work just find for your situation. Here are some interesting points to note about Redline13:
- Completely free option, where you only pay for your server resources (such as an AWS instance)
- Integrates with JMeter, Jenkins, and other popular load testing tools
- Real-time graphs, charts, and integrations with other browsers/technologies
LoadRunner
LoadRunner is a load testing tool that was originally developed by HP as part of their enterprise testing division, but has since been acquired by Micro Focus and integrated into their software. Micro Focus has improved on product and simplified other aspects of its use since acquiring it from HP as well. A few interesting things to note about LoadRunner are:
- LoadRunner supports the widest range (50+) protocols, technologies, and application environments
- Patented auto-correlation engine helps identify failure causes and other problems
- Uses minimal hardware and leverages the cloud to keep costs low
Rational Performance Tester (IBM)
Created by IBM (who everyone knows is a massive player in the tech world), Rational Performance Tester is a DevOps testing tool that helps identify system performance problems, bottlenecks, and validates the scalability of web servers. Rational Performance Tester is used a bit more frequently for software than external load testing, but it’s still used in other situations too. Some notable features of Rational Performance Tester are:
- Reduced complexity over other software load testing tools
- Advanced test scenarios can be created with Java
- Created to work directly with IBM products such as Tivoli and J2EE applications
Apica
Apica is one of the most popular enterprise-grade application and load testing suites around. Catered to business applications, Apica provides a unique toolset to do load and performance testing of APIs, websites, and web applications. Apica can also test mobile apps, games, cars, IOT devices, video streaming, and more. Some important things to note about Apica include:
- Global data centers available including China
- Script load test scenarios without writing any code
- Test a variety of IOT protocols like MQTT, REST API, X.509 and more
Conclusion
Performance testing tools have made life much easier for testing and evaluating performance of web applications and other software products. Using software to test the usability and performance of a Website is the best and most efficient choice to make these days.