Apache JMeter vs Tricentis NeoLoad comparison

Apache JMeter is an open-source Java application that tests load and functional behavior and performance in applications. Created initially to test web applications, it has expanded its functionality to test other functions. For instance, you can test a server to see how efficiently it works and how many user requests can be handled simultaneously.

You can use JMeter to test functional performance and regression tests on different technologies. This Java desktop application has an easy-to-use graphical interface which uses the Swing graphical API. You can run JMeter on any environment that accepts a Java virtual machine, such as Windows, Linux, and Mac.

What protocols does JMeter support?

• Web - HTTP, HTTPS
• Web services - SOAP/XML-RPC
• Email service - POP3, IMAP, SMTP
• FTP service
• Database via JDBC drivers
• LDAP
• Native commands or shell scripts
• TCP
• Java objects

How does JMeter work?

JMeter sends requests to a target server by simulating a group of user requests. Then it collects and calculates statistics on the performance of the target. This target can be a server or an application.

You can test the performance of static resources, such as JavaScript or HTML, and dynamic resources, such as JSP, Servlets, and AJAX. It is also helpful to determine how many concurrent users your website can handle.

There are two main tests you can carry out with JMeter: load test and stress test. The load test models expected usage of a server by simulating multiple users accessing the web server simultaneously. The stress testing aims to find the maximum load capacity of the server or application.

Apache JMeter Key Features

• JMeter enables fast test plan recording, building, and debugging via a featured test IDE (integrated development environment).
• Command-line mode allows carrying out load tests from any OS compatible with Java.
• JMeter can extract data from most popular response formats, such as HTML, JSON, XML.
• JMeter is entirely portable.
• A multithreading framework allows you to simultaneously test multiple samplings and separate thread groups.
• Thanks to the caching feature, you can conduct offline analysis or replay test results.

Apache JMeter Benefits

• As open-source software, it is freely available and continuously improved.
• The setup is user-friendly, and no installation is needed.
• The GUI (graphic user interface) is intuitive and easy to use.
• You can write your own tests and use the visualization plugins to extend the testing.
• It is a platform-agnostic tool. For example, JMeter can work with Linux by clicking on the JMeter shell script. On Windows, you can call up JMeter by starting the jmeter.bat file.
• Since the test plans are stored in XML format, you can generate a test plan using any text editor.
• You can simulate a heavy load on a server, a group of servers, a network, or an object. Use JMeter to test an application or server's strength and performance under different load types.

The JMeter extensible core has numerous benefits:

• Unlimited testing capabilities via pluggable samplers.
• You can choose multiple load statistics with pluggable timers.
• Visualization plugins and data analysis enable customization.
• Continuous integration via third-party open-source libraries (Maven, Gradle, and Jenkins).

Reviews from Real Users

Stephen B., I.T. Architect, Analyst, and Developer at an educational organization, says, "The scripting ability is most valuable. It is easy to use. There is a UI, and you can go in there and figure those things out. After you've got a good set of tests, you basically have a scripted document that you can grab and execute in a pipeline. It is pretty quick to set up, and you can scale it and version control it."

"I like the fact that JMeter integrates well with other tools," adds the Founder and Principal Consultant at a tech services company.

A Quality Engineering Delivery Leader at a financial services firm says, “The performance of the solution is excellent. They have designed the product so that it is very easy to configure. You can basically do anything you like with the product. It's not very restrictive. We like the fact that the technology is open-source.”

Tricentis NeoLoad is a performance testing tool that provides developers and testers with automatic test design, test maintenance, realistic simulation of user behavior, fast root cause analysis, and built-in integrations with the entire SDLC toolchain. With NeoLoad’s plugins, teams can reuse and share test assets and results from functional testing tools, analytics, metrics, and APM tools in order to catch performance issues early. With NeoLoad’s full tech stack support, users can test the range of mobile, web, and desktop apps.

Tricentis NeoLoad Features

Tricentis NeoLoad has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

• Supports API technologies 
  
  
  • Support for SOAP/REST.
  • Assisted design with Swagger/Open API import and highly efficient extractors for quick test design and fewer errors in scripting.
  • Ability to test as code or GUI-based productivity.
    
    
• Automated testing of API performance
  
  
  • CI/CD automated API testing, dynamic load generation infrastructure, and auto pass/fail based on SLAs.
  • Real-time test results for fast dev feedback loop if bottleneck is found.
  • Non-regression API performance trends.

• API-based applications 
  
  
  • Ability to test stand-alone APIs or APIs within end-to-end tests. Same platform, same skills.
  • Dev, PO, QA, Ops share a common view of API performance.
  • Confidence in API and application speed and reliability.
    
    
• Design tests faster and update automatically
  
  
  • Assisted design using wizards and automatic parameter handling.
  • Reuse functional scripts and/or convert LoadRunner scripts to NeoLoad performance tests.
  • Update system-level scripts quicker with automatic user path updates.
  • Easy to reuse and maintain.
    
    
• Realistic user simulation
  
  
  • Simulate any business case.
  • Scale load tests with up to millions of virtual users.
    
    
• Bottleneck identification
  
  
  • Real-time test analysis.
  • Pass/fail based on SLA.
  • Root cause analysis.

Tricentis NeoLoad Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Tricentis NeoLoad. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

• Automate API testing within CI pipelines: Design, maintain, and run performance tests. Analyze results within continuous integration pipelines.

• Accelerate end-to-end app testing: Create test scripts fast for complex applications using a graphical user interface without the complexity of scripting new and updated tests.

• Find performance bottlenecks fast: Compare SLAs to server-level statistics to measure how an application is performing. See overall analysis of behavior or an analysis of the data flow to a particular user path.

• Manage across the enterprise: Collaborate across QA, operations, dev, and business teams to define SLAs and review results. Share test results and manage test infrastructure. Schedule and share resources across teams and apps.

Reviews from Real Users

Tricentis NeoLoad stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Some of these include its price, its user-friendly UX, its API support, and its scalability. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

Patrik B., Technical Lead at a tech services company, writes, “The licensing cost is very less for NeoLoad. It is user-friendly and easy to understand because they have created so many useful functionalities. When I started working with this tool, we just had to do the initial assessment about whether this tool will be able to support our daily work or not. I could easily understand it.”

A Global Delivery Head at a consultancy firm notes, “The API support is much better with this solution, compared with the competition. Pricing for it is also more affordable than its competitor. We have used Tricentis NeoLoad and we find it scalable.”