Visual is a testing method that validates that all the elements on the webpage or application, such as buttons, menus, text, color, and images, display in the right size, shape, and position. This testing helps ensure the application looks appealing, user-friendly, and works as intended across different devices, browsers, screens, and platforms. Multiple Visual Layout testing tools help identify design issues and fill those gaps before your users uncover them and leave you stranded.
But first…
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What Are Visual Testing Tools?
Visual testing tools automate the testing process by identifying the application’s layout issues, design anomalies, and visual differences.
They identify the visual defects by comparing screenshots of the current page with a baseline image.
Using these tools, you can determine UX and UI changes, including color, shape, size, and position of the web elements. Some of the visual issues you can uncover with automated testing tools:
- Text and image alignment
- Position, size, and shape of GUI web elements
- Overlapping images, text, or interactive CTAs
- Menu bars and usability validations
- Pop-ups and error messages
- Breadcrumbs and navigation issues
- Visual inconsistencies
Top 10 Most Popular Visual Testing Tools
Let’s explore some of the most popular Visual layout testing tools:
There are many test automation tools that support testing. Here is a list of the top 10 visual testing tools to try if you’re,
Testsigma
Testsigma is a robust cloud-based low-code GenAI-powered test automation platform that allows you to automate web, mobile, desktop, API, and Salesforce applications in one place. It is compatible across different platforms and browsers.
Testsigma does not require any coding knowledge for test automation, you can automate tests in plain English using NLP engine or Recorder.
Features
- A one-click sign in to start automating tests on the cloud, without any setup hassles
- AI-driven test maintenance with the help of auto-healing tests
- Get automated test case and test scenario suggestions from Testsigma Copilot, a GenAI assistant for QA teams.
- Provides detailed and in-depth test reporting automatically after test run.
- Supports low-code/no-code
- Seamlessly integrates with third-party applications such as JIRA, Jenkins, GitHub, Bamboo, Azure DevOps, etc.
- Supports over 3000+ real devices/tablets and browser/OS combinations to execute tests on the cloud.
Advantages
- Compare your current web screen with the base image to identify visual differences without having to spend time manually looking for visual defects.
- Seamless integration with CI/CD tools to perform visual automated testing on every commit.
- Enable testing in one click for every test step to perform both functional and visual tests concurrently.
- A unified platform to run visual tests for web, mobile, API, and desktop apps in one place
Pricing
Testsigma offers custom pricing plans based on your company’s use cases, budget, and team size. Sign up for a free trial and start automating your visual and UI tests in less than 2 minutes.
Ranorex
Ranorex is a powerful GUI testing automation framework that analyzes web-based, desktop, and mobile applications.
Features:
- You can easily integrate the tool with numerous third-party software, such as Jenkins, Jira, TestRail, and many DevOps tools, to automate bug tracking and accelerate product release cycles. It does not have its own scripting language but uses VB.NET and C#.
- Ranorex supports functional UI testing using easy-to-use low-code/no-code automation tools and a full IDE for endless extensibility.
- The tool boasts of providing high-quality deliverables with faster feedback on testing and unmatched technical support to users.
Advantages
- Powerful and flexible: Ranorex is a powerful and flexible test automation tool that can be used to test a wide range of applications, including web, mobile, desktop, and embedded systems.
- Record and replay: Ranorex offers a record and replay feature that makes it easy to create test cases.
- Object recognition: Ranorex uses object recognition to identify elements on the screen, which makes it easy to create robust and reliable test cases.
- Comprehensive reporting: Ranorex provides comprehensive reports that can be used to analyze the results of your test runs.
Pricing details:
Studio: €3470 with one year of maintenance and support
Enterprise: €5750 with one year of maintenance and support
Runtime: €830 with one year of maintenance and support
Check here – Ranorex Alternatives
Telerik
Telerik is a modern UI automation testing tool that empowers QAs to build feature-rich experiences for examining web, mobile, and desktop applications. If your application runs on Kendo UI, Telerik is the best go-to option to check for the user interface and its functioning.
Features:
- Telerik Test Studio supports codeless GUI testing but also allows you to convert these codless tests into coded cases.
- Both QA and developers can perform the tests when the other experiences roadblocks or issues.
- The tool further enables integration with third-party libraries.
Advantages
- Integrated development environment (IDE): Telerik Test Studio is an IDE that provides a comprehensive set of tools for test automation.
- Codeless testing: Telerik Test Studio offers features that allow you to create test cases without writing any code.
- Support for multiple platforms: Telerik Test Studio supports testing for web, mobile, desktop, and API applications.
- Visual reporting: Telerik Test Studio provides visual reports that make it easy to analyze the results of your test runs.
Pricing details:
DevCraft UI: $1299 per developer
DevCraft Complete: $1499 per developer
DevCraft Ultimate: $2199 per developer
Maveryx
An intelligent UI automation testing tool, Maveryx is known for performing functional UI, regression, data-driven, and codeless testing capabilities for desktop and Web technologies.
Features:
- It goes beyond just the capture-replay process and offers innovative and intelligent technology to analyze the application’s UI at runtime; you do not require code instrumentation, GUI capture, maps, and object repositories to conduct any of the GUI tests for your application.
- Maveryx is extremely flexible and scalable with its integration features as it combines with usable CI/CD tools for delivering on-time quality releases.
- It is also available for custom extensions based on your project requirement.
Advantages
- Easy to use: Maveryx is a user-friendly tool that is easy to learn and use, even for beginners.
- Comprehensive features: Maveryx offers a wide range of features, including support for web, mobile, and API testing.
- Support for multiple programming languages: Maveryx supports testing in multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, and C#.
- Affordable pricing: Maveryx is a cost-effective test automation tool with a variety of pricing plans to choose from.
Pricing details:
Personal: €1.000/year for one subscription
Business: €2.000/year for 10 subscriptions
Enterprise: Request a Quote on their website for unlimited subscriptions
AyeSpy
AyeSpy is a Visual Regression testing tool that catches UI regression defects with high precision.
Features:
- AyeSpy also utilizes image comparison methods to identify UI issues. As you modify your site with new web elements or delete the existing ones, AyeSpy captures new images to compare against a baseline image. The tool reports any difference in appearance, which developers can then resolve as per requirement.
- The tool boasts high performance, with under 40 visual comparisons running in under 60 seconds.
Advantages
- Record and replay: AyeSpy offers a record and replay feature that makes it easy to create test cases.
- Object recognition: AyeSpy uses object recognition to identify elements on the screen, which makes it easy to create robust and reliable test cases.
- Support for multiple platforms: AyeSpy supports testing for web, mobile, and desktop applications.
- Affordable pricing: AyeSpy is a cost-effective test automation tool with a variety of pricing plans to choose from.
Postman
Usually, Postman is the tool that is commonly popular for testing APIs. It is useful in making HTTP calls and running scripts simultaneously. But you can leverage the same features to run and automate your UI testing.
Features:
- The tool assists QA in checking performance, accessibility, and website appearance.
- Under the performance aspect, it checks for response time, page speed, and page speed. Accessibility helps to determine if the application is mobile-friendly and easily accessible to differently-abled users.
- It even checks for page structure and webpage functionality.
Overall, Postman helps QA identify UI issues related to improving the user experience tremendously.
Advantages
- Easy to use: Postman is a user-friendly tool that is easy to learn and use, even for beginners.
- Wide range of features: Postman offers a wide range of features, including support for API testing, mock servers, and collaboration.
- Affordable pricing: Postman is a cost-effective tool with a variety of pricing plans to choose from.
Pricing details:
Free: $0
Basic: $12/user/month
Professional: $29/user/month
Enterprise: $99/user/month
Check here – Postman Alternatives
Cypress
Open-source software for front-end testing, Cypress is a powerful testing automation tool that you can run on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Features:
- One benefit of Cypress is that you can run the log command UI alongside the front-end UAT.
- Users often compare Cypress to Selenium as it is extremely developer-friendly and offers complete control over test automation from top to bottom. However, keep in mind that Cypress doe not use Selenium. Rather, it has its own architecture.
- The tool undertakes end-to-end UI testing where you can configure Cypress in your system and run required commands to verify web elements.
Check here – Cypress Vs Testcafe
Advantages
- Fast and reliable: Cypress is a quick and reliable test automation tool that can test web applications.
- Easy to use: Cypress is a user-friendly tool that is easy to learn and use, even for beginners.
- Support for modern web development frameworks: Cypress supports testing for modern web development frameworks, such as React, Angular, and Vue.js.
- Open source: Cypress is an open-source tool that is free to use.
Pricing details:
Free: $0
Team: $75/month for 10 users
Business: $300/month for 40 users
Enterprise: Request a quote on their website
Check here – Cypress vs React Testing Library
Rapise
Rapise is a product of Inflectra that enables you to test your desktop, web, and mobile applications in a single, easy-to-use package.
Features:
- The tool is extremely powerful and lets you record and play automated test cases; you can edit the recorded tests in a spreadsheet-based editor offered by Rapise.
- Highly extensible and codeless, the tool allows for keywords and data-driven testing capabilities and integrates with several third-party platforms.
- For testing, Rapise supports Analog recording and Object-based recording to identify web elements on the page. You can learn more about the process here.
Advantages
- Comprehensive features: Rapise offers a wide range of features for test automation, including support for web, mobile, desktop, and API testing.
- Support for multiple programming languages: Rapise supports testing in multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, and C#.
- Integrated development environment (IDE): Rapise provides an IDE that provides a comprehensive set of tools for test automation.
- Affordable pricing: Rapise is a cost-effective test automation tool with a variety of pricing plans to choose from.
Pricing details:21 days free trial available
Floating:
Monthly: Ranges from $299 for one user to $13,999 for 100 users
Annual: Ranges from $3239 for one user to $151,199 for 100 users
Fixed: Ranges from $2499 for one user to $99,999 for 100 users
Enterprise: Contact the company
Squish
A commercial GUI testing automation tool, Squish is relatively new to the market and assists QA in performing efficient and agile GUI automation.
Features:
- The tool proves quite useful in automating tests of multi-technology applications, data-driven testing, distributed-batch testing, image-based testing, and visual verifications.
- Squish is also popular among its users for supporting fully-integrated Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) and testing.
- It is further compatible with Gherkin, allowing you to create, record, maintain, and debug BDD GUI tests.
Advantages
- Vast features: Squish offers a wide range of features for test automation, including support for web, mobile, desktop, and API testing.
- Support for multiple programming languages: Squish supports testing in multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, and C#.
- Integrated development environment (IDE): Squish provides an IDE that provides a comprehensive set of tools for test automation.
- Affordable pricing: Squish is a cost-effective test automation tool with a variety of pricing plans to choose from.
Pricing details:
Starter: $600/year
Standard: $1200/year
Small Professional: $2000/year
Large Professional: $4000/year
CubicTest
CubicTest is an open-source Eclipse plug-in that allows users to test applications built on Eclipse. It is mainly used to verify and validate web-based applications or online websites.
Features:
- Like many of its counterparts, CubicTest is codeless, supporting verification and testing of code using the Selenium and the Watir tools.
- For UI testing, CubicTest allows checking on the web page progression and the state transitions.
- You can use this Eclipse plug-in for test-driven development of web applications as it replaces test scripts with GUI for model testing of the UAT.
Why Katalon is So Famous When it Comes to Software Testing?
Katalon is one of the reputable test automation tools in the market:
- It provides a user-friendly interface.
- You can automate web, mobile, and API testing in one tool.
- It allows its users to connect with global testers via their active and growing community support, which is highly helpful for beginners
- It provides regular updates for bug fixes and improvements.
Visual Testing Tools: Key Features
These features of Visual testing ensure consistency and ease of use for your application. As this testing checks for the website appearance, here are some of the key features of an ideal Visual GUI testing tool:
- Consistency: Promises a compatible, clean, and organized site structure for easy navigation.
- Quick Turn Around Time: Offers rapid and automated testing process.
- No Coding Necessary: Test scripts are not necessary to execute the test cases.
- Continuous Regression: Every new commit goes through Visual Regression testing to ensure existing elements do not break.
- Device Testing: Performs Cross-browser and Responsive testing to ensure overall compatibility of the website.
Tips to Select the Right Visual Testing Tools
This part is tricky. With so many Visual testing tools in the market with their advantages and disadvantages, how do you decide which is perfect for your business? The selection of the tool will always depend on your purpose of testing. Here are some of the points to look at before finalizing a GUI testing tool:
- Check if the tool supports Cross-browser and Cross-device testing.
- Ensure that the tool offers integration support with other testing frameworks and software your QA team uses.
- Look for Visual layout testing tools that can identify minute pixel differences and eliminate false positives.
- Check if your choice of tool requires coding or not based on your QA team’s requirements and skills.
- See if the tool supports screenshot comparison testing technique as it is a must when performing testing.
- Go for open-source tools if you prefer extensibility for your testing purpose.
- Check your budget if you are thinking about adopting a commercial tool.
The Takeaway
GUI automation testing is taking over the world; no business wants to spend time and money on manually testing their products when capable test automation tools are available in the market. And here we have a list of 10 Visual layout testing tools that will accelerate your GUI testing to the next level.
Some of the mentions here are open-source and have been around for quite some time now, while others are commercial tools. Our tool, Testsigma, is one of the best GUI testing tools in the market that supports testing through an image comparison process. But it can do a lot more than just compare a few images. You can go here to see Testsigma in action and decide for yourself.