Appium vs Espresso: Comparison & Which is Better?

Mobile device users are increasing day by day. In fact, some organizations are finding that they are receiving more hits from mobile devices than desktop devices. Organizations are considering mobile applications as a priority. When it comes to mobile testing, that has many challenges – such as device compatibility, and testing native features such as touch, NFC, infrared, bluetooth, camera, etc. Automating mobile applications can help to reduce the complexity involved in mobile testing. Appium and Espresso are the most popular mobile testing tools. However, they have many limitations. If you are in search of the right tool for testing mobile applications, you need to analyze them in detail. In this tutorial, we have compared Appium vs Espresso, which helps to pick the right tool.

Appium vs Espresso: Overview

Appium and Espresso are the most used frameworks for testing mobile applications. Espresso is shipped with Android SDK, and Appium is a third-party open-source framework. Let’s understand them.

What is Appium?

Appium is an open-source mobile test automation framework. Supports automation of both native and hybrid mobile applications of iOS and Android using webdriver. Appium is part of the openJS foundation. Appium is widely used by many popular organizations.

Check here – Appium Alternatives

What is Espresso?

Espresso is a mobile automation testing tool, developed by Google. It is free and open source. Using Espresso you can write UI test scripts using either Java or Kotlin. It is shipped as part of Android SDK. It is simple and powerful.

Appium and Espresso – Key Advantages

When it comes to advantages, both Appium and Espresso have many pros. Espresso is a simple UI testing tool that doesn’t require a complex set, however you can test only Android apps. On the other hand, Appium’s capabilities spread more than just the Android app as it can support iOS as well. Below are key advantages of Appium and Espresso

Key advantages of Appium

• Appium is open-source and free to use
• It supports both Android and iOS platform
• It is capable of testing both Native, Hybrid, and Web applications
• Appium can also support desktop platforms such as macOS and Windows
• Appium can be extended to support Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers on desktop platforms
• It is capable of supporting Television which uses Roku, tvOS, Android TV, Samsung operating systems
• Good and clear documentation
• As it is used widely for mobile app testing, community support is great.
• It supports many different languages for mobile automation scripting Java, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, and C# 
• Selenium-friendly syntax and environment make it easy to make the transition
• Appium is the unofficial standard for WebDriver development on iOS

Check here – Appium vs Selenium

Advantages of Espresso

• It is open-source and free to use
• Espresso provides faster test execution with automatic synchronization of the UI
• It supports scripting of test automation using Java or Kotlin
• Reduces test flakiness and results are more reliable
• Easy to set up and configure
• It works within Android IDE
• Easy to maintain and customize Android UI tests with concise Espresso APIs
• Espresso Test Recorder is one of the good features that helps to record and playback tests.

Check here – Detox vs Appium

Espresso vs Appium – Limitations

There are many limitations in both Appium and Espresso. Some of the limitations may block your mobile app testing feature or may not fulfill your requirements. It is important to understand the limitations before moving ahead. Below are the key limitations of Appium and Espresso.

Limitations of Appium

• Appium is complex to set up and requires good technical knowledge
• Appium tests are slower compared to other mobile testing tools
• You may need to manually locate the elements to write the UI tests
• Many users have opinionated that tests are flaky at times
• There is a steep learning curve involved

Check here – Calabash VS Appium

Limitations of Espresso

• Espresso supports only Android applications
• Expression cannot support the desktop platform
• It supports only Java and Kotlin programming language
• Espresso supports only UI testing, so it may be difficult to achieve non-UI testing requirements
• Less documentation is available for Espresso and the learning curve is high
• Community support is limited.

Check here – Appium Vs Cypress

Appium vs Espresso: Key Differences

We have discussed the pros and cons of Appium and Espresso in previous sections. You may still be confused when you are in search of the best mobile testing framework. Side-by-side comparison helps to resolve the many confusions and makes it easy to choose the better one.

Aspect	Appium	Espresso
Functionality	It is a cross-platform testing tool for mobile apps.	It is a testing framework made only for Android apps.
Platform Support	It works with Android and iOS.	It only works on Android.
Programming Language	We can write tests in Java, Python, Ruby, C#, or JavaScript.	Tests are written in Java or Kotlin, matching Android development.
Test Framework	It doesn’t depend on any specific development environment.	It’s a part of Android Jetpack and works with Android Studio.
UI Interaction	Uses WebDriver to interact with UI components. This makes it indirect.	Interacts directly with Android’s UI, so it’s faster and more reliable.
Setup Complexity	Needs more setup. We have to configure Appium Server, drivers, and dependencies.	Easy setup. It works well with Android Studio.
Speed and Performance	Tests run slower because of its cross-platform nature and WebDriver.	Tests run faster since it works directly with Android’s UI.
Cross-Platform Testing	One test script works for Android and iOS both.	Testing is limited to Android only.
Support for Hybrid Apps	It supports native, hybrid, and mobile web apps.	It mostly supports native Android apps. Hybrid apps are not well supported.
Community and Ecosystem	It has a large community because it supports both Android and iOS.	Smaller community, focused only on Android development.
Debugging Capabilities	Debugging is harder. We need extra tools or manual methods.	Debugging is simple with tools like Logcat in Android Studio.
Test Maintenance	Needs more maintenance for dynamic UI elements and frequent app updates.	Lower maintenance because of its integration with Android APIs.
Parallel Execution	We can run tests in parallel on multiple devices using tools like Selenium Grid.	It doesn’t have native support for parallel execution.
Dependency on OS/Tools	Needs Node.js, Appium Server, and different drivers.	Needs Android Studio, and Espresso is already included in its SDK.
Device Support	It works with physical and virtual devices on both Android and iOS.	Works only with Android devices, both physical and virtual.
Test Types	Good for UI, functional, and end-to-end testing.	Best for UI and functional testing.
Integration with CI/CD	Works with Jenkins, CircleCI, and GitLab.	Works with CI/CD tools, focusing more on Gradle and Firebase Test Lab.
Dynamic Element Handling	It’s harder to manage dynamic elements without custom locators or methods.	Manages dynamic elements better due to native access to Android’s framework.
Element Locator Strategy	Uses XPath, ID, class, or accessibility locators, which are slower.	Uses native Android locators like ViewMatchers, making it faster.
Licensing and Cost	Free and open-source.	Free and open-source as part of the Android SDK.
Advanced Gestures	We can perform gestures like swipe, pinch, and zoom on Android and iOS.	Only supports gestures on Android.
Script Reusability	Scripts can be reused for both Android and iOS.	Scripts work only for Android.
Learning Curve	It takes time to learn because of its many configurations.	Easier for those who know Android development.
Support for Older Versions	Works well with older Android and iOS versions.	Limited support for older Android versions.
Framework Independence	Works without the app’s source code, good for third-party apps.	Needs access to the app’s source code, so it’s better for in-house apps.
Flakiness in Tests	Tests can be flaky because of WebDriver and platform differences.	Tests are more stable due to better integration with Android UI.

When is Espresso Better than Appium?

Espresso can be considered for testing, if your mobile application is focused on the Android platform. It has greater speed, accuracy, and reliable results. It has very good integration with Android-based tools which makes Android application testing easier and smoother. However, if your mobile application is targeted at iOS and Android, you may need to look for another framework to achieve the iOS testing. This increases the maintenance and testing effort to a great extent.

When is Appium better than Espresso?

Appium is better if your application is targeted to cross-platform such as Android, iOS, etc. Though Appium follows a complex set-up process, once setup is completed it can do a lot more than just UI testing. As Appium is highly customizable and extensible you can configure the framework, as per your requirement.

It is an accepted fact that Appium is highly customizable, but it requires very good technical knowledge to build a framework. Building a good, readable, and robust framework with all integrations can take months. It is a challenging task for any tester or developer. 

To overcome such complexity the best alternative is Testsigma.

Beyond Appium vs Espresso: Are there any other options?

Appium and Espresso, both require good technical knowledge to set up and configure. Both of these are code-based tools, which means that you need to be proficient in one of the supported languages to perform automation scripting. The requirement of coding may upset many users who are less exposed to programming. 

As mentioned earlier, mobile testing is challenging because of its more advanced and demanding infrastructure. Setting up and managing those infrastructures is also challenging. 

Testsigma is one of the best alternative options to address all these challenges with simplicity. Testsigma is an AI-based test automation tool that supports codeless testing of Mobile and Web applications, from the same place.

Key Features of Testsigma in Comparison with Appium and Espresso

As discussed above, Testsigma can provide a lot more benefits than Appium and Espresso by overcoming the many challenges. Using Testsigma you will not compromise with quality of testing rather you make your day-to-day tasks easier. Below are the key differences between Testsigma vs Appium vs Espresso.

Feature	Testsigma	Appium	Espresso
No code testing supported	YesIt supports no code testing in-built.	Only supports record and playback	Only supports record and playback
Setup complexity	No setup required	High	Medium
Supported Mobile App Type	IOS and Android	IOS and Android	Android
CI/CD Integration	Yes, Out of the box	Configurable however technical expertise required	Configurable however technical expertise required
Cloud Testing Tool Integration	Cloud testing is supported out of the box	Supported with additional configuration	Supported with additional configuration
Real device testing support	Yes, It supports 3000+ cross-browser and mobile device environments	Not inbuilt	Not inbuilt
Visual Regression Support	Yes, out of the box	Not inbuilt	Not inbuilt
Test management	Yes, Supported	Requires additional Configurations	Requires additional configurations
Report	Provides the granular level of reporting feature	Configurable but requires technical knowledge	Configurable but requires technical knowledge
Support	Provides dedicated technical support	Community support	Community Support
Logs, Screenshots, and debugging information	All debugging information including reports, logs, screenshots, and videos are inbuilt	Testers need to handle manually using their technical expertise at the framework level	Testers need to handle manually using their technical expertise at the framework level

Check here – Android Testing Tools

Appium or Espresso or Testsigma – Which One should You Choose?

Appium, Espresso, and Testsigma all of these tools are popular and provide many good features. Appium and Espresso are code-based tools, which means you need to have good knowledge of coding and other development skills. 

Testsigma is a modern test automation tool that doesn’t require any coding knowledge. It is popularly known as a no-code automation tool. Testsigma also supports all different types of testing under a single platform which makes it more organization-friendly. 

Organizations can save a lot on budget as Testsigma doesn’t require upskilling of manual testing resources. Further, it helps to share the testing resources between the projects. It is a known fact that, while choosing the automation tool you need to evaluate a lot of organization-specific requirements. Though Testsigma wins in most of the user-friendly features, you can only decide after you evaluate organization-specific requirements.

Conclusion

Mobile testing is challenging and it requires a lot of time and effort. Appium and Espresso are popular tools in the market to perform mobile test automation. Espresso is Android-friendly and its scope is limited to Android. Appium is a highly customizable and extensible framework but it has a lot of complexity.  

Testsigma can help to overcome many challenges involved in Appium and Espresso. Testsigma doesn’t require any setup and installation as it is a cloud-based tool. Interestingly, it doesn’t even demand infrastructure, or a good configuration machine to write the script. 

Every complex scenario is taken care of by the Testsigma team and it allows testers to focus more on the automation of mobile applications in turn it can help to increase productivity. Ultimately it can lower a lot of costs involved in different testing activities and increase the Return on Investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Appium use espresso? 

Yes, Appium uses Espresso to communicate with Android applications. It can use Espresso as a driver in Android tests, as Espresso closely integrates with device UI. However, while doing so, Appium creates an additional layer between the code and the device, which makes the automation tests slower.

Appium vs Espresso: Does this require coding?

Appium and Expresso, both require coding and though they support record and playback features, tests produced by this feature are not reliable. Additionally, it follows a complex setup and configuration process which requires good knowledge of coding.

Appium vs Espresso: Does this support manual testing?

Both Appium and Espresso are automation testing tools. You can simulate the user actions using the API libraries provided by these tools and execute them. You cannot use these tools to perform manual testing.

Espresso vs Appium: Does this support real device testing?

Yes, Appium and Espresso support real-device testing. Note that the complexity is involved in setting up the infrastructure for real devices. You need to either buy physical devices or need to integrate with cloud testing providers to achieve this. There are tools like Testsigma that can provide both a Testing framework and real device integration-ready in one platform which can make your task much more easier.

Mobile Automation Testing Tools https://testsigma.com/mobile-testing-tools Android UI Testing Frameworks

Top 4 Android UI Testing Frameworks List to Look For

Automating Flutter Apps

Automating Flutter Apps with Appium Flutter Driver using Appium Java Client