Performance testing is a key integral part of any web project. Websites have become more complex, and users are demanding more from them. The rise in mobile devices, high resolution screens, and an ever-increasing number of devices accessing the internet has made it necessary for every website to deliver an optimal performance experience. However, there are so many performance testing tools out there that coming up with an optimal list can be pretty daunting.
Looking for performance testing tools? We’ve put together a list of the best performance testing tools! All on one page so you can easily compare them. These will make great resources to help you choose the top performance testing tools for your needs. Check out our top 5 picks below.
Software Performance Testing is a testing process to ensure that software is performing as it is intended. Performance Testing is a specialized software testing for performance of the application under specific load. In this blog, you will read about the importance of Software Performance Testing, Software Performance Testing Tools and Methodology for Software Performance Testing.
What is Performance Testing?
Performance Testing is a type of software testing which ensures that the application is performing well under the workload. The goal of performance testing is not to find bugs but to eliminate performance bottlenecks. It measures the quality attributes of the system.
The attributes of Performance Testing include:
- Speed – It determines whether the application responds quickly.
- Scalability – It determines maximum user load the software application can handle.
- Stability – It determines if the application is stable under varying loads.
Now let’s move ahead with our “Performance Testing Tools” article and have a look at why do we need performance testing.
Top 10 Performance Testing Tools | Edureka
This edureka video on “Performance Testing tools” will help you know about Performance Testing and the different tools available for testing. It will provide the features and protocols for the best performance testing tools.
Why do we need Performance Testing?
- Performance testing informs the stakeholders about the speed, scalability, and stability of their application.
- It reveals the necessary improvements needed before the product is released in the market.
- Performance Testing also ensures that the software is not running slow while several users are using it simultaneously.
- It also checks the inconsistency across different operating systems.
These were just a few out of the many reasons why we need performance testing. Now let’s move ahead with our “Performance Testing Tools” article and have a look at the different advantages of it.
Advantages of Performance Testing
Validate Features – Performance testing validates the fundamental features of the software. A solid software foundation is a key principle of generating software success. Measuring the performance of basic software functions allows business leaders to make key decisions about the setup of the software.
Measure the speed, accuracy, and stability – Measuring performance speed, accuracy and stability is a vital aspect of software performance testing. It helps you in monitoring the crucial components of your software under duress. This can give you vital information on how the software will be able to handle scalability.
Keep your users happy – Measuring application performance allows you to observe how your customers respond to your software. The advantage is that you can pinpoint critical issues before your customers.
Identify discrepancies – Measuring performance provides a buffer for developers before release. Any issues are likely to be magnified once they are released. Performance testing allows any issues to be ironed out.
Improve optimization and load capability – Another benefit of performance testing is the ability to improve optimization and load capacity. Measuring performance can help your organization deal with volume so your software can cope when you hit high levels of users.
Types of Performance Testing
The different types of performance testing are:
- Load testing – It checks the application’s ability to perform under anticipated user loads. The objective is to identify performance bottlenecks before the software application goes live.
- Stress testing – This involves testing an application under extreme workloads to see how it handles high traffic or data processing. The objective is to identify the breaking point of an application.
- Endurance testing – It is done to make sure the software can handle the expected load over a long period of time.
- Spike testing – This tests the software’s reaction to sudden large spikes in the load generated by users.
- Volume testing – Under Volume Testing large no. of. Data is populated in a database and the overall software system’s behavior is monitored. The objective is to check the software application’s performance under varying database volumes.
- Scalability testing – The objective of scalability testing is to determine the software application’s effectiveness in scaling up to support an increase in user load. It helps plan capacity addition to your software system.
Top 10 Performance Testing Tools
The market is full of a number of tools for test management, performance testing, GUI testing, functional testing, etc. I would suggest you opt for a tool which is on-demand, easy to learn as per your skills, generic and effective for the required type of testing. Let’s have a look at the top 10 performance testing tools:
1. LoadNinja
It allows you to create scriptless sophisticated load tests and reduces testing time by half. It also replaces load emulators with real browsers and gets actionable, browser-based metrics at ninja speed. LoadNinja empowers teams to increase their test coverage without giving up on the quality by removing the tedious efforts of dynamic correlation, script translation, and script scrubbing.
| Features | Protocols |
| Scriptless load test creation & playbackReal browser load test execution at scaleVU Debugger debug tests in real timeVU Inspector manages virtual user activity in real timeIt is hosted on the cloudBrowser-based metrics with analytics and reporting features | HTTPHTTPSSAP GUI WebWebSocketJava-based protocolGoogle Web ToolkitOracle forms |
2. Apache JMeter
JMeter is an open source tool that can be used for performance and load testing for analyzing and measuring the performance of a variety of services. This tool is mainly used for web and web service applications.
| Features | Protocols |
| It supports multiple load injectors managed by a single controllerHighly portable and supports all the Java-based appsLess scripting efforts as compared to other toolsSimple charts and graphs for analyzing key load related statistics and resource usage monitors.Supports Integrated real-time, Tomcat collectors for Monitoring | HTTPHTTPSXMLSOAPJava-based protocolsFTP |
3. WebLOAD
WebLOAD is an enterprise-scale load testing tool. It features a comprehensive IDE, Load Generation Console, and a sophisticated Analytics Dashboard. This is a web and mobile load testing and analysis tool from RadView Software.
| Features | Protocols |
| Flexible test scenario creationSupports every major web technologyPowerful correlation engineAutomatic bottleneck detectionGenerate load on-premise or in the cloudNative JavaScript scripting | HTTPHTTPSXMLEnterprise applicationsNetwork TechnologyServer Technologies |
4. LoadUI Pro
LoadUI Pro allows you to quickly create scriptless sophisticated load tests, distribute them on cloud using load agents and monitor the performance of your servers as you increase the load on them. You can access detailed reports and quickly automate your load tests.
| Features | Protocols |
| Scriptless Load test creationPreconfigured load test templates like spike, baseline, stress, smokeDrag and drop load tests on distribution agents on cloudSophisticated analytics and statists features for reportingQuick conversion of functional tests | HTTPRESTSOAPJSONAPI BlueprintJSON SchemaXML Schema |
5. LoadView
LoadView utilizes real browser-based load testing for websites, web applications, and APIs. It creates multi-step scripts that simulate users interacting with your website or application. With LoadView by Dotcom-Monitor, you can show the actual performance of your applications under load.
| Features | Protocols |
| Cloud-based load testing in real browsersSupports Rich Internet ApplicationsQuickly and easily build test scripts without touching a line of codeTest compatibility on mobile browsers and devicesIdentify bottlenecks and ensure scalabilityPerformance metrics and reports that can be shared with various internal stakeholders | FlashSilverlightJavaHTML5PHPRuby |
6. NeoLoad
NeoLoad is an innovative performance testing platform designed to automate test design, maintenance, and analysis for Agile and DevOps teams. It integrates with continuous delivery pipelines to support performance testing.
| Features | Protocols |
| Automated test design enabling faster test creationIntegration with CI servers for automated test runtimeIt consists of Shared test scripts and reportsHybrid on-premise and cloud load generation from over 70 global localizations | HTTPHTTPSSOAPRESTFlex PushAJAX Push |
7. LoadRunner
LoadRunner is a software testing tool from Micro Focus. It is used to test applications, measuring system behavior, and performance under load. It can simulate thousands of users concurrently using application software.
| Features | Protocols |
| Lower hardware and software costs by accurately predicting system capacityIt Pinpoints the root cause of application performance problems quickly and accuratelyIt has Effective tool utilization trackingBrowser-based access to global test resources and optimal usage of load generator farm | All protocols are supported by Load Runner |
8. Silk Performer
Silk Performer tool is an enterprise class load and stress testing tool and has the ability to test multiple application environments with the thousands of concurrent users. It also supports the widest range of protocols.
| Features | Protocols |
| It requires minimum hardware resourcesSimulates modifiable virtual usersSupports integrated server monitoringThis has Customer friendly licensingCorrelation and Parameterization is user-friendlyNo License requirement for ControllersThis Handles Load Test in the project approach | HTTP/HTMLHTTPS/HTMLHTTP/HTTPS,FlashEmail (SMTP/ POP)FTP, TCP/IP, LDAPXML/SOAP |
9. AppLoader
AppLoader is a load testing solution designed for business applications. It allows you to test any application by reproducing the same user experience from all your access points.
| Features | Protocols |
| AppLoader allows you to test the entire business flowThis replicates the users’ interactions with your applicationScripts are created automatically when you use your application | Citrix XenAppXenDesktopCloud-based InfrastructureEHR SystemsCustomer Applications |
10. SmartMeter.io
SmartMeter.io is an alternative to JMeter and aims to fix its drawbacks. It allows for easy scriptless test scenario creation using the so-called Recorder, yet still lets you make advanced edits of the test. It also excels in test reporting and makes use of functions.
| Features | Protocols |
| • Scriptless test scenario creation • Comprehensive reporting with automatic evaluation • The GUI test run with real-time results • State of the art response body extractor • It is CI/CD ready | HTTPJDBCLDAPSOAPJMSFTP |
With this, we have come to the end of the top 10 performance testing tools list. I hope you guys enjoyed this article and got an idea about the best tools available for performance testing.
Now that you know about the different performance testing tools, check out the Performance Testing Using JMeter Course by Edureka, a trusted online learning company with a network of more than 250,000 satisfied learners spread across the globe. This course provides you insights into software behavior during workload. In this course, you will learn how to check the response time and latency of software and test if a software package is efficient for scaling. The course will help you check the strength and analyze the overall performance of an application under different load types. Got a question for us? Please mention it in the comments section of “Performance Testing Tools” and we will get back to you.
Conclusion
There are a number of different software testing techniques. Each is suitable and useful depending on the requirements of the software or piece of software being tested and the type of defect being sought. Software performance testing is one of these techniques which aims to verify that the software works as it should be working, and that it meets both pre-set business requirements and end-user needs.