Apache JMeter vs SoapUI comparison

Apache and SmartBear are both solutions in the API Testing Tools category. Apache is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.1, while SmartBear is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.0. Apache holds a 5.9% mindshare in APIT, compared to SmartBear’s 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Apache users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SmartBear users who would recommend it.

Apache JMeter

Read 97 Apache JMeter reviews

8,144 Views
2,932 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

SoapUI

Read 4 SoapUI reviews

598 Views
598 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Apache JMeter

SoapUI

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 11, 2024

Apache JMeter and SoapUI are leading tools in performance and functional testing. Apache JMeter holds the upper hand in load testing capabilities, while SoapUI is preferred for functional testing due to its extensive feature set.

Features: Apache JMeter offers powerful load-testing capabilities, extensive plugin support, and great flexibility. SoapUI provides comprehensive functional testing, ease in creating complex test scenarios, and suitability for detailed API testing.

Room for Improvement: Apache JMeter could improve its scripting capabilities, documentation, and script management. SoapUI needs better performance with large datasets, more intuitive error handling, and improved performance overall.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Apache JMeter is easy to set up but lacks comprehensive customer support. SoapUI offers a more user-friendly deployment experience with professional support options.

Pricing and ROI: Apache JMeter is highly cost-effective with no setup costs. SoapUI involves higher upfront costs but is considered worth the investment for its robust features and support options.

To learn more, read our detailed Apache JMeter vs. SoapUI Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Apache JMeter vs. SoapUI

June 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 900,644 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Apache JMeter

Ranking in API Testing Tools

4th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Performance Testing Tools (1st), Load Testing Tools (1st)

SoapUI

Ranking in API Testing Tools

13th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the API Testing Tools category, the mindshare of Apache JMeter is 5.9%, down from 8.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SoapUI is 1.9%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

API Testing Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Apache JMeter	5.9%
SoapUI	1.9%
Other	92.2%

API Testing Tools

Featured Reviews

Raja Rao Malkari

Principal Performance Architect at Tecnotree Corporation

Have built custom performance test scripts and integrated them into automated pipelines seamlessly

Apache JMeter has its own pros and cons when compared to other tools. It is easy to use the tool and it has open-source capability so we can build our custom scripts and execute them. It provides other capabilities, such as integrating a database and connecting to other application servers for monitoring and related functions. We use dynamic HTML reporting, which helps us in testing analysis by pinpointing the bottlenecks based on the reports. We can identify the specific areas that need attention, troubleshoot them, and report to the development team. The user-friendly GUI for creating and managing tests makes it very easy to drag and drop samplers. For example, if you want the HTTP sampler, you can drag and drop it and use it. For configurations, we have other samplers. For results, we have the view results samplers that we can also drag and drop. The UI is good in comparison with other tools. Regarding integration with CI/CD pipelines, we can create Apache JMeter scripts and use the Docker image. From the image, whatever scripting we have done can be connected. We can use the CI/CD pipelines and connect them with Jenkins tools and GitHub. Then we can create the pipelines and automate the end-to-end flow. For connecting Jenkins to Apache JMeter, JMeter plugins are available, and we have used them. Apache JMeter also has some third-party plugins, which are not native samplers. If we want to use custom test executions, we definitely use all the different plugins available in Apache JMeter. The capability to simulate users has impacted testing resources and outcomes as Apache JMeter is based on Java, which has a limit to the users in a particular load generator. Apache JMeter provides distributed load testing where you can connect multiple PCs in a master and slave concept, allowing you to pump the load with any number of users. In the past, I have done load testing with 10,000 users by connecting the Apache JMeter distributed network in BlazeMeter. There is a cloud version available, the updated BlazeMeter, and I used that. It is very easy to launch load generators in BlazeMeter, and then we can run the test, scaling up beyond 10,000 users.

Read full review

PramodChaudharyDarwha

Manager at tcs

Organizing and sharing reusable API test suites has improved our team’s regression testing

SoapUI is really great for my team because when we are trying to create test cases and the requests that we are going to send to an API, we can create one SoapUI folder which will be XML and this XML is used by SoapUI itself. If we want to share whatever request we are running on my system with another person, we can export the test suite that we are working on and give it to another person. It is shareable through file upload and download. However, we cannot share it through a link or something implemented on the cloud. The best feature of SoapUI is that we can build a suite in SoapUI. When we build a suite, it creates a kind of directory where we can organize our tests in one place, and then we can share it. Another best feature is that we can execute the tests that we want to do on API level in a sequential fashion or in parallel, through synchronous or asynchronous calls. For the feature where we can organize and share test suites, because we have the test suite now, there are many things that we want to check manually. This suite can be shared with a team, and then the suite can be divided into parts or we can divide the work by sharing the suite. We can update the suite and then we can make a final suite that will be useful for next iterations. This has helped us in creating a very efficient test suite and a way to organize our test cases and regression suite.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It is very quick and user-friendly."

"It is scalable. It is cloud-based."

"Apache JMeter is well-known and widely used among developers, particularly on popular developer forums. While it may not have the most user-friendly interface, it offers strong support through official manuals and various articles from companies providing load testing services. The tool is free, has a substantial community, and serves as a fundamental choice for testers, especially those new to performance testing. While other tools like K6 may be more developer-oriented, JMeter's affordability and accessibility make it suitable for those without extensive performance testing experience."

"To me, what's most valuable in Apache JMeter is that it's a lightweight tool for application testing."

"JMeter is a free tool with a large user population, which comes in handy because we have a vast knowledge base to tap into when needed. It's also easier to hire consultants who know JMeter."

"Monetary benefits with Apache JMeter are notable since it doesn’t require a licensed version."

"When someone in our organization wants to test web applications, they use Apache JMeter since they face no hurdles while using the solution."

"Due to process automation, I don't have to prepare reports, making it the perfect solution."

More Apache JMeter pros

"The solution's most valuable features are the designing of API, Property Transfer feature, and Groovy plugin."

"We need to test the APIs as we build them. I use the product for API testing. You can do AWS security in SoapUI. With SoapUI, we can even perform mutual SSL authentication by incorporating certificates into the SoapUI browser. This allows us to send transactions to the backend downstream."

"SoapUI is a pretty simple tool."

"SoapUI is really great for my team because when we are trying to create test cases and the requests that we are going to send to an API, we can create one SoapUI folder which will be XML and this XML is used by SoapUI itself."

Cons

"It should start supporting the presentation layer. It currently provides performance testing specifically at the application and API level. It can be extended to the presentation layer, which includes mainly Angular and React frameworks. It should also be easy to use and easy to train people."

"The solution could use some sort of educational features to offer tips and hints to help users navigate it better. They should improve the manuals and help files."

"The interface could be made more user-friendly."

"From an improvement perspective, consider a scenario where your application needs to retrieve data from PayPal and store it in an Excel file in an external network."

"Given that Apache JMeter is a free and open-source tool, documentation improvement may not be a major concern, as it is mostly contributed on a voluntary basis. The essential information is already available. However, in terms of the interface, there are occasional bugs, and the tool may not address them as quickly as some users would like. Fixing defects and bugs might take a considerable amount of time, with users sometimes having to wait for several months or even a year for the next release to address specific issues."

"Running JMeter in GUI mode uses a lot of memory, which means we need to switch to a non-GUI mode when using a heavy load."

"I need to consider it further because as features increase, it might become more complicated, and my goal has always been simplicity. Currently, I have to focus on other tasks, and I'm handling multiple responsibilities, so I can't juggle everything at once. However, if you ask me, I believe EJB covers most functionalities that are crucial. One improvement I'd suggest is adding a graphical aspect to the Gateway, making it a bit more colorful. Unlike JMeter, which lacks color, having a bit of color in the graphical aspects would be beneficial. Overall, for the essential features, EJB should work fine."

"The UI of the solution needs to be better. The UI takes up a lot of our bandwidth."

More Apache JMeter cons

"The product needs to be available as an extension for the Chrome browser."

"There are more advanced API testing tools than SoapUI, and SoapUI could be made better."

"SoapUI is not that scalable."

"The solution should include some plug-ins to share the generated reports over email."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is an open-source solution, and there are no fees."

"When comparing the price with Load Runner, and if the cost is an issue then JMeter is a better choice"

"Apache JMeter is an open-source solution, so it's free to use."

"Apache JMeter is a free, open-source solution."

"I was using the free version of the software."

"The main reason we chose Apache JMeter is that it is cost-effective and easy to use. There is no need to pay for additional services. Additionally, it does not require additional payment to vendors. The solution is open-source and free."

"Everything is included, and there are no additional costs."

"The solution is open source with no user fees or licenses."

More Apache JMeter pricing and cost advice

"SoapUI is a cheap tool that does not have an expensive license."

"SoapUI is an open-source solution."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which API Testing Tools solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	27
Midsize Enterprise	24
Large Enterprise	61

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

How does Postman compare with Apache JMeter?

Postman lets you easily define variables, which then get updated automatically. This is a huge time-saver and makes processes very efficient. We can also export the test cases we create and share t...

See all answers

How does BlazeMeter compare with Apache JMeter?

Blazemeter is a continuous testing platform that provides scriptless test automation. It unifies functional and performance testing, enabling users to monitor and test public and private APIs. We ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache JMeter?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that the cost and license are free because Apache JMeter is open source.

See all answers

What needs improvement with SoapUI?

One area where improvement can be made is the user interface. The user interface is pretty understandable compared to another platform like Postman. It is very minimal in terms of what we can see o...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SoapUI?

I have been working as a software development engineer for five years and have been using SoapUI for almost five years. We were working with REST APIs, and although there are other tools available ...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering SoapUI?

I suggest starting with a clearer goal, which will help. Begin with a few APIs, testing them manually, and then trying the features such as simpler automation or sequential and parallel running of ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Tricentis NeoLoad vs Apache JMeter

Compared 11% of the time

BlazeMeter vs Apache JMeter

Compared 6% of the time

Postman Enterprise vs Apache JMeter

Compared 5% of the time

OpenText Professional Performance Engineering (LoadRunner Professional) vs Apache JMeter

Compared 5% of the time

ReadyAPI Performance vs Apache JMeter

Compared 3% of the time

More Apache JMeter Competitors

Parasoft SOAtest vs SoapUI

Compared 32% of the time

ReadyAPI Test vs SoapUI

Compared 21% of the time

More SoapUI Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Apache JMeter

June 2026

Download Apache JMeter product report

Buyer's Guide

API Testing Tools

May 2026

Download SoapUI product report

Also Known As

JMeter

No data available

Overview

Apache JMeter is a versatile, open-source tool designed for performance and load testing, widely recognized for its user-friendly interface and robust test automation capabilities. It supports a range of protocols and integrates seamlessly into various environments, making it ideal for high-load scenarios.

Apache JMeter stands out in performance testing for its ability to handle high transactions per second and perform distributed load testing effectively. Its open-source nature and cost-effectiveness are enhanced by its user-friendly GUI, which simplifies the testing process. Despite memory consumption concerns, Apache JMeter remains a top choice due to its large community support, comprehensive scripting capabilities, and easy integration with CI/CD pipelines, allowing for continuous automated testing. Its robust protocol support meets diverse testing needs.

What are Apache JMeter's key features?

User-Friendly GUI: Simplifies test creation and management.
Open-Source: Offers flexibility and community support.
Protocol Support: Handles multiple protocols effectively.
Integration: Works seamlessly with tools like Jenkins.
Scripting: Extensive scripting abilities for custom tests.
Platform Independence: Operates on various operating systems.

Which benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-Effectiveness: No licensing fees due to open-source status.
Community Support: Access to a large user base for help and updates.
Scalability: Effective in high-load scenarios with distributed testing capabilities.
Automation: Integration with CI/CD for continuous testing.
Comprehensive Reporting: Provides detailed performance insights.

In industries like finance and banking, Apache JMeter is used extensively for performance validation to ensure system robustness under heavy user loads. It's integrated into CI/CD pipelines for automated testing processes, allowing organizations to simulate real-world scenarios and ensure high-performance standards.

Apache

SoapUI is a leading tool for testing SOAP and REST web services, known for its robust functionality and user-friendly interface. It supports functional, automated, and load testing, and offers powerful scripting and automation. Organizations appreciate its efficiency, protocol flexibility, and integration capabilities.

SmartBear

Sample Customers

AOL, Orbitz, Innopath Software, PrepMe, Sapient, Corporate Express Australia, CSIRO, Ephibian, Talis, DATACOM, ALALOOP, eFusion, Panter, Sourcepole, University of Western Cape

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Apache JMeter vs. SoapUI

June 2026

Free Report: Apache JMeter vs. SoapUI

Find out what your peers are saying about Apache JMeter vs. SoapUI and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Apache JMeter vs. SoapUI report.

See our list of best API Testing Tools vendors.

We monitor all API Testing Tools reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.