Top Manual Testing Tools for Building High-Quality Software.

In the world of software testing, testers encounter a diverse range of tasks daily. Some tasks are repetitive and can be handled by automation testing while others have to be done manually as it is better suited and more efficient such as for exploratory testing. These manual testing tasks go through multiple challenges that are not part of the actual testing process. For instance, managing bugs for each tester or building a report manually. To tackle this, manual testing tools are designed with features that do not target the actual testing work (like clicking a button) but expedite the work around it. Different tools accomplish different tasks and learning about each of them is what will help the team in selecting the best tool for them and their project.

What are Manual Testing Tools?

Manual testing tools assist testers in executing test cases and performing testing activities. They ensure a software application’s proper functionality, usability, and performance.

Top 3 Manual Testing Tools for each Types

Test Execution Tools

Test execution is a critical phase in the software testing process, where test cases are executed, results are recorded, and test runs are managed efficiently. To accomplish this, testers rely on specialized test execution tools that streamline their efforts and enhance overall testing productivity.

• Testsigma

Testsigma stands out as an exceptional test execution tool, automating manual tasks, offering a user-friendly and codeless test automation approach. Its innovative AI-powered smart locators allow even non-technical testers to create and execute test cases seamlessly, eliminating the need for manual coding. Moreover, Testsigma’s unique self-healing capabilities enable tests to adapt and remain robust even when there are changes in the application’s user interface. This makes Testsigma a reliable choice for continuous testing in agile development environments.

Let’s consider a scenario where an e-commerce website undergoes regular updates to enhance its user experience. With Testsigma, testers can easily create test cases to verify the functionality of the shopping cart and payment process. Even if the website’s UI changes due to updates, Testsigma’s smart locators automatically adjust, ensuring uninterrupted test execution without the need for manual script modifications.

• Selenium

Selenium, an open-source test automation framework, has earned widespread aSelenium, an open-source framework, has earned widespread acclaim for its versatility and effectiveness as a tool in recording manual testing tasks related to web applications. Testers favor Selenium for its robust capabilities to test web pages across different browsers and platforms. The Selenium WebDriver API allows testers to interact directly with web elements, replicating real user interactions and enabling comprehensive web testing.

• HP Unified Functional Testing (UFT)

Formerly known as QuickTest Professional (QTP), HP Unified Functional Testing (UFT) is a comprehensive tool for automating manual tasks, developed by Micro Focus. UFT caters to diverse testing needs, including web, mobile, desktop, and API testing. Its rich feature set and extensive support for various technologies make it a reliable choice for testing complex applications.

For example, suppose a software development company is creating a mobile banking application. With UFT, testers can design test scripts to verify critical functionalities, such as account login, funds transfer, and bill payment. UFT’s versatility allows these test scripts to be reused for regression testing, ensuring that new updates or bug fixes do not adversely affect existing features.

Cross Browser Testing Tools

Cross-browser testing is a critical aspect of manual testing and software testing in general as well. It ensures that web applications function consistently across various web browsers, devices, operating systems, and their different versions. To achieve this level of compatibility, testers rely on specialized cross-browser testing tools that help them identify and rectify browser-specific issues.

• Testsigma (as mentioned earlier):

Testsigma proves to be a versatile solution by providing built-in cross-browser testing capabilities. With the help of Testsigma as the test automation tool, testers can automate their manual cross browser testing tasks and seamlessly validate the behavior of their applications across multiple browsers and versions without the hassle of setting up separate test environments for each combination. This empowers testers to identify potential compatibility issues and ensure a consistent user experience across the entire browser landscape.

• BrowserStack:

BrowserStack is a prominent cloud-based cross-browser testing platform that offers an extensive range of browsers and devices for real-time testing. This cloud-based approach enables testers to access browsers and devices remotely, making it convenient to perform cross-browser testing without the need for additional hardware resources.

Browserstack, as a tool for cross browser test automation, lets you automate your manual cross browser testing tasks via different supported languages like selenium, cypress, puppeteer and playwright.

• Sauce Labs

Sauce Labs is another widely recognized cloud-based platform dedicated to cross-browser testing. It provides instant access to an extensive collection of browsers and operating systems, allowing testers to execute tests quickly and efficiently.

Performance Testing Tools(Manual):

Performance testing is a crucial aspect of software testing, gauging an application’s speed, responsiveness, and stability under varying conditions. This testing can be done manually and through automation with both aspects targeting different areas. To accomplish this, testers rely on specialized manual testing tools that help them evaluate the application’s performance and identify potential bottlenecks.

• Apache JMeter

Apache JMeter stands out as a popular and powerful open-source performance testing tool,  It enables testers to simulate various user actions(usually done manually) and analyze system performance under different load scenarios. JMeter is widely used for web application performance testing and supports various protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and more.

• LoadRunner

Developed by Micro Focus, LoadRunner is a leading performance testing tool trusted by organizations worldwide. LoadRunner excels in simulating heavy user loads, capable of handling thousands of users interacting with the application simultaneously. Its comprehensive support for different application types makes it a valuable tool for performance testing complex software systems.
Imagine a banking application that caters to millions of users. With LoadRunner, testers can orchestrate performance tests to replicate a massive number of users conducting transactions concurrently. This will help identify how the application behaves under extreme load conditions and ensure that it can maintain its responsiveness and stability even during peak usage periods.

• Gatling

Gatling is an innovative open-source load testing tool designed with a focus on high scalability and efficiency. Written in Scala, Gatling supports scripting using a domain-specific language tailored for performance testing scenarios.

Suppose a social media platform is gearing up for a major new feature release. By utilizing Gatling, testers can simulate a realistic number of user interactions, such as posting updates, liking posts, and sending messages, to evaluate the application’s responsiveness under varying loads. Gatling’s efficient load generation allows testers to obtain precise performance insights, facilitating prompt improvements and optimizations.

Bug Reporting Tools

Bug reporting manual testing tools play a vital role in the software testing process, enabling testers to efficiently log, track, and manage defects discovered during testing. These tools streamline the bug reporting and resolution process, ensuring smooth communication between testers and developers.

• Jira

Jira, developed by Atlassian, is a widely adopted bug-tracking and project-management tool used by numerous organizations. Its versatile interface allows testers to log defects with detailed information, including steps to reproduce, expected and actual behavior, and severity. Testers can prioritize bugs based on their impact, facilitating efficient bug resolution. Jira’s seamless integration with other testing and development tools make it a central hub for issue tracking and collaborative bug resolution.

• Bugzilla

Bugzilla is a widely used open-source bug-tracking system known for its simplicity and ease of use. Testers can quickly log bugs, add comments, and track the status of defects throughout the bug lifecycle. Its customizable workflows allow organizations to tailor the bug resolution process according to their specific needs and in the process, making it one of the necessary manual testing tools to save time and effort in bug management.

Suppose a software company is developing a mobile application, and testers come across a bug where the app crashes when users attempt to access the settings menu. By using Bugzilla, testers can log the bug, categorize it as a critical issue, and assign it to the relevant developer. The developer receives email notifications about the new bug and can then focus on fixing it without delay. It also helps in maintaining a clean queue for each user so that they know can get their pending issues at a single place.

• MantisBT:

MantisBT is another popular open-source bug tracking system widely utilized for defect management. With its user-friendly interface, testers can efficiently report bugs, set priorities, and assign them to the appropriate team members. MantisBT’s email notification system keeps stakeholders informed about bug status changes, ensuring smooth communication within the team.

Test Case Management Tools:

Test case management tools play a crucial role in the software testing process, facilitating the efficient organization, storage, and management of test cases. These tools streamline test case creation, execution, and tracking, enabling testing teams to stay organized and maintain a comprehensive view of testing progress.

• TestRail

TestRail stands out as a comprehensive test case management tool that empowers testers to create, organize, and execute test cases with ease. Its user-friendly interface allows testers to structure test suites, prioritize test cases, and assign them to team members efficiently. TestRail’s integration with various test automation tools enhances the testing process by seamlessly linking test cases with automated test scripts.

Suppose a software testing team is working on a complex web application with numerous features to validate. Using TestRail, testers can create test suites based on functional areas, such as user registration, search functionality, and payment processing. They can then assign specific test cases to individual testers, ensuring efficient test execution and comprehensive test coverage.

• Zephyr

Zephyr is a widely used test management tool that integrates seamlessly with popular issue tracking systems like Jira. Testers can create and execute test cases directly within Zephyr, leveraging Jira’s project management capabilities and visualizing test progress on a single platform. Zephyr’s reporting features allow testers to generate detailed test reports to share with stakeholders.

• qTest

qTest is a robust manual testing tool that seamlessly integrates with popular test automation frameworks and defect-tracking systems for better test management. Its real-time collaboration features enable testers to collaborate efficiently, exchange feedback, and share insights on test cases. qTest’s extensive reporting capabilities provide stakeholders with valuable insights into testing progress and quality.

Imagine a software company with a distributed testing team working on a large-scale software project. By utilizing qTest, testers can access the same test cases simultaneously, review test results in real time, and collaborate on resolving issues. This fosters efficient communication within the team, reducing delays and enhancing overall testing productivity.

Test Data Preparation Tools

Test data preparation tools play a crucial role in software testing by providing testers with realistic and relevant data to create meaningful test scenarios. These tools enable testers to generate and manage test data efficiently, ensuring comprehensive test coverage and accurate validation of application functionality.

• Mockaroo

Mockaroo is a versatile data generation tool that empowers testers to create custom datasets with realistic data. Testers can define data relationships and specify data formats to generate a wide range of test data. With Mockaroo, testers can mimic real-world scenarios and ensure that the application performs optimally under various data conditions.

In a testing scenario for an e-commerce platform, testers need to validate the checkout process for different types of customers. Using Mockaroo, testers can generate diverse datasets with varying customer profiles, such as new customers, loyal customers, and VIP customers. This test data diversity allows testers to assess the checkout process’s responsiveness and accuracy for different customer segments.

• DataFactory

DataFactory simplifies the test data preparation process with its comprehensive test data management capabilities. This manual testing tool offers data masking and subsetting features, enabling testers to create test datasets that comply with data privacy regulations and security standards. By efficiently managing test data, DataFactory ensures that sensitive information remains protected during testing.

Suppose a healthcare software company is testing a patient management system that handles sensitive medical data. With DataFactory, testers can create masked test data, replacing real patient names and medical information with fictional but realistic data. This way, the testing team can thoroughly evaluate the system’s functionality while adhering to strict data privacy regulations.

• Databene Testdata

Databene Testdata is a powerful open-source test data generation tool that allows testers to create test data using predefined templates or custom data specifications. With support for various data formats, Databene Testdata enables testers to generate data specific to their test scenarios.

Test Case Generation Tools

Test case generation tools play a significant role in accelerating the test case creation process and ensuring thorough test coverage. These tools automate the generation of test cases, freeing up testers’ time to focus on other critical testing activities.

• Testsigma Copilot

Manual testing tools have come to a point today that they do not even need to generate test cases for execution. Testsigma’s Generative AI assistant Copilot is built for exactly this process but brings a lot more to the table. It can generate test cases within seconds automatically, suggest additional test scenarios for enhancing the coverage, and bring down testing efforts by 70%.

Copilot can also be integrated into automation suites affecting not only the functional tests but also API and data-driven tests.

• TestProject

TestProject is a popular and free test automation platform that offers codeless test creation and test case generation capabilities. Its intuitive interface allows testers to quickly create test cases for web and mobile applications without the need for manual coding.

• Cucumber

Cucumber is a renowned open-source tool that supports behavior-driven development (BDD). Testers can write test cases in a simple, human-readable format known as Gherkin, using keywords like Given, When, Then, and And. Cucumber’s powerful engine then automatically generates test scripts based on these specifications.

Read about – How to Write Test Cases for Manual Testing

Coverage Measurement Tools:

Coverage measurement manual testing tools play a crucial role in assessing the effectiveness of testing efforts by analyzing the extent to which the application’s code has been tested. These tools provide valuable insights into code coverage, helping testers identify areas that need further attention to ensure thorough testing.

• SonarQube

SonarQube is a widely adopted code quality and coverage analysis tool that aids in continuous inspection of codebases. It offers detailed code coverage reports, highlighting untested parts of the code. Testers can leverage SonarQube’s insights to identify potential gaps in test coverage and take necessary actions to improve it.

For example, a software development team is working on a complex banking application. By integrating SonarQube into the development pipeline, testers can regularly assess code coverage and identify critical areas that require additional test cases. SonarQube’s comprehensive reports guide the testing team in prioritizing test efforts and ensuring better code quality.

• JaCoCo

JaCoCo is a popular Java code coverage library that provides detailed coverage analysis for Java applications. It can be seamlessly integrated with build tools like Maven and Gradle, generating comprehensive coverage reports that highlight which parts of the code have been exercised during testing.

• Istanbu

Istanbul is a widely used code coverage tool designed specifically for JavaScript-based applications. It empowers testers to gain insights into code coverage metrics for web applications built using JavaScript frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js.

Project Planning and Tracking Tools

Project planning and tracking tools assist in organizing testing tasks, allocating resources, and monitoring progress throughout the testing lifecycle.

• Trello

Trello is a popular project management tool based on Kanban boards. Testers can crTrello is a popular manual testing tool used for project management and is based on Kanban boards. Testers can create boards to organize testing tasks, track progress, and collaborate with team members effectively.

• Microsoft Project

Microsoft Project is a comprehensive project management tool that allows testers to create detailed project plans, allocate resources, and track testing progress with timelines and Gantt charts.

• Asana

Asana is a flexible project management tool that supports agile methodologies. Testers can create tasks, set priorities, and manage test-related activities with ease.

I have been personally using Asana and it is the most flexible with easy navigation and task management tool, I have ever come across.

Incident Focused Manual Testing Tools

Incident management tools are crucial for tracking and managing incidents, enabling testers and developers to collaborate on resolving issues effectively.

• ServiceNow

ServiceNow is a robust incident management tool that offers a centralized platform to log, track, and resolve incidents. Its integration with other IT service management processes makes it a comprehensive solution for incident management.

• Jira Service Management

Jira Service Management (formerly Jira Service Desk) is a popular manual testing tool used for incident management that comes integrated with Jira. Testers can log incidents directly from test executions, facilitating seamless communication between testing and development teams.

• Zendesk

Zendesk is a versatile customer support platform that can also be used for incident management. It allows testers to create, track, and manage incidents, ensuring efficient issue resolution.

Screen Capture/Record Tools

Screen capture/record tools enable testers to capture and record test scenarios, facilitating effective communication of issues and defects.

• Snagit:

Snagit is a widely used screen capture tool that allows testers to capture screenshots, annotate them, and share them with team members easily. It’s handy for visually documenting bugs and issues.

• Loom:

Loom is a screen recording tool that lets testers record and share videos quickly. Testers can use Loom to demonstrate test scenarios or document defects with clear video instructions.

• OBS Studio:

OBS Studio is an open-source screen recording and streaming tool popular among testers and content creators. It provides advanced recording options and supports multiple audio and video sources.

Tools for Analyzing Logs

Log analysis tools aid testers in analyzing application logs, helping them identify errors, anomalies, and performance issues.

• ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)

The ELK Stack is a popular log analysis solution. Elasticsearch stores and indexes logs, Logstash processes and enriches log data, and Kibana provides a user-friendly interface for log visualization and analysis.

• Splunk

Splunk is a powerful log analysis and monitoring tool that offers real-time insights into log data. Testers can use Splunk to search, analyze, and visualize logs from various sources.

• Graylog

Graylog is an open-source log management tool that enables testers to collect, index, and analyze log data. Its intuitive interface and search capabilities make log analysis more accessible.

Other Tools

This section covers additional manual testing tools that don’t fit into the categories above but are still valuable for manual testing.

• Postman

Postman is a popular API testing tool that allows testers to send requests to APIs and analyze responses. It streamlines API testing and facilitates the validation of API functionality.

• Charles Proxy

Charles Proxy is a web debugging tool that enables testers to inspect HTTP/HTTPS requests and responses. It helps identify and resolve issues related to network communication.

• Fiddler

Fiddler is another powerful web debugging proxy that provides insights into web traffic. Testers can analyze HTTP requests and responses, enabling effective debugging of web applications.

Why do you Need Manual Testing Tools ?

Manual testing may give the perception that every task in this process is done manually. While this can be done if the testers desire, the path to success comes with multiple challenges that waste time unnecessarily and increase project costs. To avoid such issues and conduct testing smoothly, testers use manual testing tools, i.e., tools that will not automate the actions but facilitate them to reduce the overall time significantly. This can be observed from the following features of manual testing tools:

Defect tracking and management

When defects are found during manual testing, they must be propagated to the correct developer, who can fix them. In addition to this direct process, comments provided by developers and testers have to be logged as well for future use and reference. Such communication is hard to follow and keep a record of manually and most importantly, if there is no management, multiple duplicate bugs will start to be followed by different testers.

Screenshot from Bugzilla, a defect management tool

A defect tracking or bug management tool helps keep track of bugs, and their current status, logging communication from all the associated parties and even attaching relevant documents at the same place. It enhances the resolution of bugs and helps prioritize them based on set criteria at frequent intervals.

Enhance the productivity

Manual testing tools come equipped with features that enhance the productivity of a tester. Saving and reusing repetitive tasks with a single click, providing a timer to accomplish individual time-based tasks or getting time-bound estimates, and providing fixed templates to facilitate test authoring are just a few of such features. These features help testers write test cases and conduct testing in a very short time.

Manage, set, and mimic test environment

Manual testing is done on a running application in a hosted environment with set configurations. This is not as easy as it sounds. Testers have to repeatedly set the configurations and adjust the environments based on certain parameter values to mimic a certain section of end-users. For instance, to check how much time an API would take to respond on a 2G network band, the tester will require a SIM card with a 2G connection or restrict device bandwidth to 2G for every such test case.

Manual testing tools provide facilities for environment and configurational setup to the testers whereby options that can mimic certain conditions are readily available. If we take the above example, simulating network conditions is just a dropdown selection with manual testing tools as seen in the below image of Testsigma.

Test case management and organization

A tester has a lot of test cases to manage. These test cases may not be assigned to them but they could be the ones who opened them, are responsible for verifying that functionality, or are in direct contact with the developer. Managing and organizing so many test cases is a nightmare for a tester. Manual testing tools such as JIRA falling in the category of “test case management” help testers organize these test cases by creating a profile for them and listing all their tests beneath. These issues are often called “tickets” signifying an individual task with parameters such as “Reporter”, “Assignee”, “Description”, “Comments”, “Severity”, “Due Date”, etc. attached to it for better management.

Documentation and reporting

Documentation and reporting of test case execution is a time-consuming task that cannot be avoided or compromised. These documents and reports are the only links to non-technical stakeholders or anyone other than the testing team. They give an outlook of the complete testing cycle and designing them as per the standard takes a lot of effort.

Most manual testing tools provide features such as autonomous documentation and reporting. These tools do not need additional support from the testers in document preparation. All a tester needs to do is generate a test execution report from a particular session and the document will be ready.

It is important to remember here that while most of the tools will come equipped with this feature, their reports may vary from small to large extent. For instance, some tools do not provide any pictorial representation of test execution which is deemed extremely necessary in analyzing and making judgements quickly. Similarly, some may skip details such as the time taken for each test or device specification details. A manual testing tool that provides rich documentation and reports is preferred however considering that they can be paid, choosing the one that satisfies the requirement before jumping onto testing is a better idea.

Help in usability testing

Usability testing is conducted before production release to understand the point of view of an end-user. Usually, non-technical end-users are chosen for this job as technical users can sometimes overlook certain anomalies or already have a predetermined idea about the location of elements on a page. However, because these users are non-technical, they do not convey their testing observations clearly so a tester requires a tool that can facilitate this process.

Certain specific manual testing tools are designed for usability testing providing features such as task timers, task notifiers, heatmaps to understand the mouse area, session recording, snapshot capturing, etc. These tools shed off the heavy load from the testers leaving them with only analytical and observational tasks before they start to make changes accordingly.

Collaboration

Lastly, collaborating and sharing the data accumulated by each tester during testing is not an easy task, especially when the team is scattered at different geographical locations. The data stored by these testers needs sorting and arranging together with a filtering process to remove duplicates and then generate a final combined report as if all of this was a single process. This can take up a lot of the time of testers and raise the project costs when all a team would need is a manual testing tool. 

Manual testing tools like Testsigma are available over the cloud requiring just a browser and internet connection to conduct testing. All the testers that have the credentials can run the tests on the same application using their profile and collaboration is taken care of by the tool itself. The testers get a high-level image as well as deep insights if required without worrying about sorting, filtering, or organizing manually.

How Do You Choose a Manual Testing Tool? 

Choosing the right manual testing tool depends on various factors, such as the type of application being tested, testing objectives, budget, and team size. 

Here are some factors to consider when selecting a manual testing tool:

1. Type of application: Consider the type of application you are testing. Different tools may be better suited for web, mobile, and desktop applications.

2. Testing objectives: Define your testing objectives clearly. Some tools are better suited for performance testing, while others are better for usability testing.

3. User interface: The tool’s user interface should be intuitive and easy to use. This will help testers to learn the tool quickly and focus on testing.

4. Integration capabilities: Check if the tool can integrate with other tools in your testing stack, such as bug tracking tools, automation testing tools, and test management tools.

5. Reporting capabilities: The tool should be able to generate detailed reports on test results, test coverage, and defects found during testing.

6. Budget: Consider the cost of the tool and ensure that it fits within your budget.

7. Support and training: Check if the vendor provides adequate support and training for the tool. This will help ensure that your team can use the tool effectively.

Conclusion

Manual testing tools are indispensable in the quest to build top-quality software. Each category of tools serves specific purposes, and choosing the right tool can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of manual. Whether it’s test execution, cross-browser testing, performance testing, bug reporting, or any other aspect of manual, incorporating the appropriate tools can lead to improved software quality and a smoother testing experience. Remember to evaluate the tools’ features, compatibility, and ease of use before incorporating them into your testing toolkit. Happy testing!