Appium vs Magic xpa Application Platform comparison

Appium and Magic Software are both solutions in the Mobile Development Platforms category. Appium is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.6, while Magic Software is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.0. Appium holds a 4.2% mindshare in MDP, compared to Magic Software’s 4.2% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Appium users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Magic Software users who would recommend it.

Appium

Read 30 Appium reviews

641 Views
510 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Magic xpa Application Platform

Read 10 Magic xpa Application Platform reviews

608 Views
217 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Appium

Magic xpa Application Platform

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Magic xpa Application Platform and Appium compete in application development and testing. Magic xpa shines with versatile development capabilities, while Appium stands out for specialized features in mobile testing.

Features: Magic xpa offers versatile development capabilities, seamless integration with databases, and rapid application development. Its database isolation allows easy migration across environments without altering program logic. Appium supports automation testing for native, hybrid, and mobile web apps, leveraging an open-source nature with extensive language support and cross-platform compatibility.

Room for Improvement: Magic xpa could enhance mobile testing features, improve user interface design, and expand support for non-enterprise applications. Appium would benefit from reducing technical setup complexity, enhancing parallel execution capabilities, and improving reporting and dashboard functionalities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Magic xpa facilitates straightforward deployment with robust enterprise support, favoring less technical involvement. Appium's open-source foundation offers a flexible deployment model, best suited for teams with technical expertise prioritizing customization.

Pricing and ROI: Magic xpa involves higher initial costs with promising ROI through its scalability and features. Appium's open-source nature provides lower upfront expenses with faster returns due to negligible licensing fees, though technical expertise is required for optimized use.

To learn more, read our detailed Appium vs. Magic xpa Application Platform Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Appium vs. Magic xpa Application Platform

April 2025

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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

Appium

Ranking in Mobile Development Platforms

6th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Regression Testing Tools (6th)

Magic xpa Application Platform

Ranking in Mobile Development Platforms

9th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Server (8th), Application Infrastructure (14th)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Mobile Development Platforms category, the mindshare of Appium is 4.2%, down from 7.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Magic xpa Application Platform is 4.2%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Mobile Development Platforms

Featured Reviews

Abhishek-Tiwari

Senior Associate at PwC

Has cross-platform flexibility and a record-and-play option

The challenging part with Appium is that installation can be a bit tricky. It can be challenging to set up in Android versus iOS environments. Appium has some limitations in terms of writing code using simulators and online cloud devices. I faced challenges with native based scenarios, battery turn out percentage, battery charging percentage, and memory capacity. The other challenge I faced involved codes changing from device to device. For example, the piece of code that works in iOS version 10.1 won't work in iOS version 6.0. In upcoming releases, if they can reduce some more of the dependencies like SDK, UIAutomator, etc., it would be great. That is, I'd like to see a consolidated package or bundle release that is much more user-friendly.

Read full review

Mylsamy T.

Senior Associate - IT at Himalaya Wellness Company

Enables us to develop more than 90 applications in-house, which are used across our organization

It's a bit difficult to work with purely web-based applications to get the data and display it. There have been a few times when the connection was disconnected between the server and your browser. The connectivity on browser-built applications needs to be improved. The mobile application development could be easier. They could include different external applications, like finger sensors. I'm not sure whether it's in version 3.8 or not.

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 has great documentation and excellent community support."

"The solution helps with test automation. We focus mostly on Java."

"Appium's wide support of programming languages is valuable."

"The solution is easy to use."

"The automation part is extremely helpful in streamlining our processes."

"Obviously because of automation, it reduces manual testing efforts."

"What I like about Appium right now is that it's like Cypress in the sense that............. to test the components in the way I want them to be tested."

"It's an open-source solution with a very large community and available documentation."

More Appium pros

"Without the need to compile code, the time spent in the development cycle is greatly reduced, allowing the programmer to test modifications to a program immediately after they have been saved."

"The Magic xpa Application Platform is very suitable for production since it is easy to update. The program is simple to upgrade and deploy. The solution is convenient in production. You need to adjust the data, then adjust the program which is not difficult."

"Magic’s unique approach to development ensures that the programmer stays focused on the objective of the program (i.e. display all customers in California), instead of the repetitive tasks that surround it (i.e. connect to database, open customers table, create the query to retrieve records within the specified criteria, fetch the result of the query, connect it to a data grid, etc.)."

"Magic is rapid, it's a tool which we use to develop, change and maintain our programs. xpa has a lot more features onboard and it gives us the opportunity to do such things so that we can easily adapt and maintain our programs. It gives certain benefits to stay with our customers and the market."

"The ability to use the same development environment for both Windows and Android applications. Magic xpa also supports iOS applications."

"What I found most valuable in the Magic xpa Application Platform is that it has a client-server and web browser technology that's perfect for company users."

"Speed of development and database connectivity (MS SQL, Oracle, DB2, Btrieve/Pervasive PSQL, ODBC, MySql, and SQLite)."

"Typically an experienced Magic developer can do the work of two to three experienced C#/.NET developers. Customers are amazed at how quickly most new features can be added and bug fixes implemented. I have worked for four employers - including myself - using Magic, and in most instances, bug fixes are addressed and deployed in under six hours."

More Magic xpa Application Platform pros

Cons

"Stability is an area that needs some improvement."

"What needs improvement in Appium is its documentation. It needs to give more context on the libraries that Appium is using under the hood. For example, my team is using Appium for Android automation, and a lot of times, I feel that there's functionality that's available through the Appium interface, that exists within the UIAutomator, but there aren't a lot of useful or helpful resources on the internet to find that information, so it would be good to have some linkage with the underlying platform itself. Another room for improvement in Appium is that it's buggy sometimes. For example, at times, there's a bug in the inspector application that doesn't allow me to save my desired capability set, so it would be nice to get that bug fixed, but overall, Appium is a good tool. The Touch Actions functionality in Appium also needs improvement. For example, if I want to initiate a scroll on the device that I'm running Appium on, sometimes Swipe works, but in other situations, I have to explicitly use action chains, so I'm not too sure what's the better approach. What I'd like to see in the next version of Appium is a more intelligent and more intuitive AppiumLibrary, in terms of identifying menus and scroll bars, etc., because right now, I'm unsure if I have to do a lot of export reversals to get to the elements I'm looking for. It would be nice to have some functionality built in, which would allow me to easily get those exports."

"The installation part of Appium is somewhat clumsy, requiring numerous dependencies and configurations."

"Configuring the project to be used in Appium is a little bit tedious."

"We previously worked with native applications, and there weren't any good mobile app testing tools. We started working with React Native, which works well with Appium, but it would be good to see better integration; the way elements are displayed can be messy. React Native is very popular nowadays, so it's essential to have that compatibility."

"The challenging part with Appium is that installation can be a bit tricky. It can be challenging to set up in Android versus iOS environments."

"There is always a concern about the amount of code that is required to enhance the automation process. The idea of having less code or no code is what we would like to see in future updates."

"It breaks down."

More Appium cons

"The configuration of the xpa RIA mobile environment is complex and a discouragement to new developers. Also, Magic's documentation can be less than complete at times which leads to frustration for new developers. (I encourage new Magic developers to join the Magic Users Group)."

"I would like to see a spell checker included with optional language support. Currently, this has to be purchased from a third-party."

"Throughout my career, I've encountered difficulties when integrating new technologies with Magic xpa Application Platform. In particular, when attempting to incorporate features from other development languages into earlier versions of the solution called uniPaaS. I struggled to integrate .NET components due to the limited options available. This made the process more challenging and complicated. I find it challenging to create a more user-friendly experience for users who may be comparing the system to other systems they have used outside or within the company on different platforms."

"When you have several tasks, you open a screen in a task in developing mode, and you don't see the parent screens. Debugging lacks the effects to solve problems. You have to do it first in a kind of studio. Then you have to be sure that you can do it in Magic because there is almost nothing to debug it. It's practically impossible to debug. You have to be sure before you put your snippets."

"Magic has a tradition, when it adds new technologies/features to the Magic development tool, to provide either no documentation or documentation that does not provide an organized approach for bringing this new technology/feature to experienced Magic programmers."

"In the next version of the Magic xpa Application Platform, I want tables or small programs where I can directly add expressions. I can do it on SQL, but it would make life much easier if that specification were added to the platform."

"The Android environment is missing a number of functions for file/folder manipulation, sending receiving text messages (SMS) and the menuing options are limited. For now, it is left to the developer to write his/her own Java functions to include in the APK."

"It is missing basic charting tools for bar/pie/series charts. It is left to the developer to acquire and deploy charting tools or the customer to purchase a third-party reporting tool to produce charts."

More Magic xpa Application Platform cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Appium is open source; we can use it for free."

"The solution is free."

"This is an open source solution so it does not cost anything for licensing or otherwise."

"There is no license for this solution because it is open-source."

"It's completely 100% free, and there are no hidden fees."

"The solution is open-source."

"We found out that we could explore features of the solution for 30 days trial. We can switch to a permanent license later if we want."

"The solution is open source."

More Appium pricing and cost advice

"My clients have to purchase additional licenses in order to use what I built. It's not a fair approach."

"The licensing cost varies because nowadays Magic has tailor-made offerings for clients. I think the solution is worth the money."

"The cost for developers is high because you have to pay for licenses as well as runtime."

"There are different licenses, we have the application and the online application. There are two different licenses for two different program sites for the Magic xpa Application Platform."

"The licensing is too costly."

"Magic is not the cheapest IDE out there. If you are considering Magic xpa, you should do a cost-benefit analysis to feel comfortable with your decision. The Magic sales staff is very helpful in providing pricing."

"It's not cheap. The licenses are not cheap. Not at all. They cost much money. There are other tools with free licenses but Magic asks for a lot of money."

"The main problem with the Magic xpa Application Platform is pricing. You have to pay a lot of money for development, and you also have to pay a lot for the deployments and runtime, while in most competitors, you have to pay a lot for one of the two and not both."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

20%

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Government

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

Do you recommend Appium?

I do recommend Appium. It is an open-source solution and completely free of charge. We use Appium and Appium Studio as our base for any type of mobile automation for testing. It has a great interfa...

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What do you like most about Appium?

Appium helps me to do as much as much as I want to.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Appium?

My experience with Appium from a pricing perspective is favorable due to it being open source, making it a cost-effective option.

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Appium

April 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Magic xpa Application Platform

April 2025

Download Magic xpa Application Platform product report

Also Known As

No data available

uniPaaS

Overview

Appium is an open-source mobile application development tool that is designed to give users complete control of their application development process. It enables them to optimize the development process when the need calls for it, and create the applications that they want in the most efficient manner they can.

Appium Benefits

Some of the benefits that come from using Appium include:

Ease of deployment. Appium is fairly simple for users to set up for the first time. Developers can download Appium and launch it with only a couple of clicks.

Easily track the results of application tests. Appium automatically creates reports when developers run application tests. These reports can give users insights into every aspect of the tests that they just ran. They can include detailed test results, screenshots of the test as it took place, and videos showing the test while it was in progress. Developers can also recall these reports with ease so that the information that was gathered is always at their disposal.

Gain deep insights into your application. Users can easily gain insight into the way that their application is running and how it might be improved. The reports that the system produces can provide developers with all of the data and insight that they need to improve their applications and make informed decisions.

Appium Features

When users choose to employ Appium’s mobile development solution, they gain access to many different capabilities. These features include:

Remote testing capability. Teams that are spread across the globe can collaborate and run tests from wherever they happen to be at the time. They can connect to Appium’s cloud testing feature and always have access to the latest iteration of the project they are working on.

Customizable test reporting capability. Appium enables users to customize the way that information from their tests is reported. They can create the kinds of reports that best reflect their objectives and needs. When specific information is needed, the reports can be formatted to show that particular aspect when the solution generates it.

Parallel testing capabilities. Developers who use Appium can run multiple application tests at the same time. This enables them to save time and resources while still accounting for every scenario that their applications might experience. Users can run all of the tests necessary to ensure that their applications are successful while spending the minimum amount of time doing so.

Reviews from Real Users

Appium is a solution that has a great deal to offer its users. It is a very complete mobile development solution that gives users the capabilities that they need to design their mobile applications with the greatest level of ease possible. Users can scale their application scripts to meet their needs. Additionally, developers can automate testing protocols, which reduces the amount of time and other resources that need to be devoted to the testing process. These two features make Appium a leader in the field of mobile application development.

Jayanta K., automation and nft manager at a computer software company, writes, “The interface for mobile automation is helpful for scripting and execution. It's scalable and there are many testers who would like to automate. In terms of scripting, scalability is very good.”

The head of solutions delivery (systems) at a wellness & fitness company writes, “Obviously, because of automation, it reduces manual testing efforts.”

Appium

Magic xpa Application Platform is a mobile development platform that is designed to enable organizations to simplify and manage every aspect of their application development process. It enables users to construct applications while expending a minimal number of resources. Developers can leverage AI technology in a way that maximizes their ability to effectively deploy their resources toward the end of producing the best possible applications. Ultimately, Magic xpa Application Platform allows developers to rapidly develop and deploy applications across multiple platform types.

Magic xpa Application Platform Benefits

Some of the ways that organizations can benefit by deploying Magic xpa Application Platform include:

Decrease time needed for application production and refinement. Magic xpa Application Platform comes with pre-built application components that can be used to quickly create iterations of the application that can then be deployed or tested. It also makes it so that any and all changes or upgrades that are applied to the application take effect across all of the devices that run the application.

Allows developers to be far more productive than they would be otherwise. Various features, such as Magic xpa Application Platform’s drag-and-drop capability, allow developers to worry less about the more technical aspects of designing the applications and have more time to design the best possible application.

Ease of use. Magic xpa Application Platform is a low-code application development platform. This means that developers do not need to have extensive programming knowledge to create applications. Solutions of this type are far more accessible to the general employee of an organization than a program that is code-heavy. Fewer resources need to be spent training users to employ Magic xpa Application Platform than would be true of other similar platforms. Organizations increase their overall productivity when the process of application development becomes something that even those employees who are not the most technically savvy can take part.

Magic xpa Application Platform Features

Some of the many useful features Magic xpa Application Platform has to offer include:

AI-powered development capabilities. Magic xpa Application Platform has a built-in AI that users can leverage to simplify every step of the development process. Users can use this AI to automate various development steps. This increases the speed at which they can produce applications.

Mobile use capability. Magic xpa Application Platform has a mobile application that organizations can use to run their product development from anywhere in the world.

Collaboration tools. Magic xpa Application Platform provides developers with tools that enable them to work with others to create the enterprise applications that their organizations need.

Reviews from Real Users

Magic xpa Application Platform is a solution that beats out the competition in a number of areas. Two major advantages are the way that it simplifies the application management process and its scalability. It greatly eases the work that developers and administrators do by providing all of the tools that they need to meet their objectives. Additionally, users never have to worry about running out of development capacity in their digital environment. Magic xpa Application Platform can scale up and provide developers with the capacity to design and create their applications in the way that best meets their needs.

Per H., the CEO of Mass Marketing Software AB, writes, “The solution makes the managing and adapting of the software very easy. When it comes to the application's service, mistakes can easily be resolved. This shortens the time it takes to progress from an idea to a new function.”

He also writes, “The solution is highly scalable, allowing one to use very large databases and systems.”

Magic Software

Sample Customers

Nuvizz, Coupa Software, Eventbrite, Evernote

ADD, Cape plc, Adecco, Kuno Kinzoku Industry Co., GE Capital, Dove Tree, CBS Outdoor, Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center, Allstate Life Insurance Company, Titan Software Systems

Buyer's Guide

Appium vs. Magic xpa Application Platform

April 2025

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