You’re probably thinking you don’t need the help of another performance testing tool. I know, you’re probably kicking yourself for not finding this sooner. Let me stop you right there because I don’t want to seem over-confidant about my choice to use one of the best web api performance testing tools.
If you are a tester who is interested in performance testing, efficiency is surely one of the focal points on your mind. Why not apply the efficiency to web API test?Let’s start this article by talking about performance testing tools first.
Postman
Postman came to the market initially as a Google Chrome plugin. Its main objective was to test API services. Currently, Postman has expanded its services for both Windows and Mac. So, whether you’re looking for exploratory or manual testing, it’s a great choice. Let’s see why.
Features
With Postman, you can monitor the API, create automated tests, perform debugging, and run requests. Postman has the following characteristics:
- Its interface allows users to extract web API data.
- Postman enables writing Boolean tests and isn’t based on the command line.
- It comprises built-in tools, collections, and workspaces.
- It supports various formats, including RAML and Swagger.
Pricing
Postman is a free-to-use API testing tool. However, for additional features, it costs $12 for each user per month.
SoapUI
SoapUI enables the testing of web services REST and SOAP APIs. It’s a headless tool for functional testing that offers both a free package and a Fixed package.
Features
The free package grants users access to the full source code, and the Fixed package lets you take API testing a bit further. So, let’s take a look at the features of the two packages separately.
SoapUI Free Package
If you’re just beginning with automation or have a limited budget, the SoapUI free package is the way to go. Its primary features include the following:
- The ability to reuse security scans and load tests for functional test cases, thanks to reusable scripts
- Point-and-click and drag-and-drop functionality for simple and quick creation of tests
SoapUI Fixed Package
Even though the Fixed package comes with a cost, the following features are worth every penny:
- REST, GraphQL, SOAP, JMS, and JDBC testing
- Support for asynchronous testing
- Data-driven testing
- Synthetic data generation
- Integrated API security testing
As a result, more and more enterprises are opting for the Fixed package.
Pricing
The free package doesn’t include any costs. However, if users wish to avail themselves of the benefits of the “Fixed” version, the cost starts at €640 a year.
Apigee
Apigee is a cross-cloud API testing tool. Users can access its features using different editors, such as Swagger. It also enables measuring and testing of API performance.
Features
Apigee is a multistep tool powered by JavaScript with the following features:
- Identifies issues related to performance by tracking error rates, API traffic, and response times
- Enables creation of API proxies with the help of OpenAPI Specification and their deployment in the cloud
- Is compatible with APIs containing enormous data
Pricing
Apigee offers a free trial to users so that they can check its compatibility with specific requirements. The packages include Evaluation, Standard, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus.
- Evaluation allows users to try features in their own sandbox.
- Standard enables getting an API program running.
- Enterprise allows users to build and scale API programs throughout the enterprise.
- Enterprise Plus facilitates the operation of a digital business platform, thus cultivating an ecosystem of partners and developers.
You can contact the sales team for each package’s price.
Apigee
Apigee is a cross-cloud API testing tool. Users can access its features using different editors, such as Swagger. It also enables measuring and testing of API performance.
Features
Apigee is a multistep tool powered by JavaScript with the following features:
- Identifies issues related to performance by tracking error rates, API traffic, and response times
- Enables creation of API proxies with the help of OpenAPI Specification and their deployment in the cloud
- Is compatible with APIs containing enormous data
Pricing
Apigee offers a free trial to users so that they can check its compatibility with specific requirements. The packages include Evaluation, Standard, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus.
- Evaluation allows users to try features in their own sandbox.
- Standard enables getting an API program running.
- Enterprise allows users to build and scale API programs throughout the enterprise.
- Enterprise Plus facilitates the operation of a digital business platform, thus cultivating an ecosystem of partners and developers.
You can contact the sales team for each package’s price.
Pros:
- Portable standalone tool, runs anywhere
- Large community. A variety of plugins and resources can be found on the web due to its popularity
- Support for different application and protocol types (such as HTTP, REST, TCP, Database)
- Data analysis and HTML reports out of the box
- Can run as a headless tool in CLI or even CI/CD environments
- Can run test plans
- Distributes testing is possible
Cons:
- Can be overwhelming if you are new to load tests due to its many possibilities
- Might not fit into everybody’s workload for people who are heavily used to CLI tools
Loadmill
Loadmill automates backend regression testing by replaying real user behavior. It can create and replay many API tests based on actual user flows.
Loadmill is a commercial web service that helps you to automate API tests and start load tests based on recordings or manual input.
It offers a free tier that should cover all needs by individual developers.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Can import test plans from other tools such as JMeter
- Can import recorded HTTP traffic such as HAR files
- Straight forward to extract and reuse data from previous responses
- Free tier includes all features
- Distributed load tests in various locations
- Offers npm package + REST API for CI/CD or custom scripts
- Support for teams
Cons:
- Current boxed UI doesn’t align well with smaller screens or windows
Assertible
Assertible’s main focus is reliability. It’s popular among recent developers and offers plenty of useful features.
Features
Assertible supports the automation of API tests at every step, from continuous integration to the delivery pipeline. It also has the following characteristics:
- Supports running of API tests after deployment
- Offers integration with tools such as Slack, GitHub, and Zapier
- Supports HTTP responses and their validation with turnkey assertions
Pricing
The standard version costs $25/month, the startup plan costs $50/month, and the business plan costs $100/month. There’s also a free personal plan if you want to try out Assertible yourself.
Artillery
Artillery is a modern, powerful & easy-to-use solution for load testing and functional testing. Ship scalable backends, APIs & services that stay performant & resilient under high load.
Artillery is an open-source CLI tool that can run load tests based on YAML files. It is based on Node.js and can run almost anywhere as well. It is best known for its simplicity yet many possibilities for load tests.
Pros:
- Really easy to use. You only need to get familiar with YAML.
- Can be easily integrated into terminals and CI/CD
- Can be used as an npm package for your own scripts/projects
- Quick tests
- Exports results as HTML reports
- Can run tests on HTTP, Socket.io, and WebSockets
- Supports environments, phases and random payloads from CSV files
Cons:
- No distributed testing
- File uploads only available in Artillery Pro
Conclusion:
As a software developers or testers working with web APIs, I’m sure you have been asked to optimize the performance of your Web APIs previously. Performance Testing of Web APIs is a very important task and it should be performed on every release of your web application to measure the quality of service provided by your APIs