SmartBear TestComplete and Katalon Studio compete in the test automation tools category. Katalon Studio seems to have the upper hand with its ease of use and effective basic free offerings.
Features: SmartBear TestComplete is known for its cross-platform automation capabilities, including web and UNIX systems, with support for multiple scripting languages like JScript. It offers features like object browser, data-driven testing, and integration with Jenkins for continuous integration. Katalon Studio provides a wide integration framework that supports end-to-end testing for web and mobile applications, backing Cucumber BDD and API testing. Its straightforward setup and usability make it accessible to a broader user base.
Room for Improvement: TestComplete struggles with slow dynamic object recognition and Intellisense issues during web testing, alongside licensing complications. It also has limitations in supporting some programming languages. Katalon Studio faces challenges with limited platform support, such as Linux, and difficulties in handling continuous integration in hybrid environments. It requires better mobile testing capabilities and support for a wider range of programming languages.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both SmartBear TestComplete and Katalon Studio support on-premises deployment, with Katalon offering hybrid cloud deployment options for flexibility. TestComplete receives praise for its timely customer service and active user forums, though consistency in technical support can be uneven. Katalon Studio's support is slower and often limited, leaving some issues unresolved.
Pricing and ROI: TestComplete's licensing is considered expensive but competitive, offering good ROI by reducing testing time. Katalon Studio is primarily free, providing cost-effective solutions with additional paid features. However, the effort needed for comprehensive testing may offset the cost benefits of the free version, though it remains an attractive choice for businesses with a lower budget.
Once set up, only one person is needed to handle all tasks, reducing the requirement for multiple personnel.
Katalon's support is not very strong unless you opt for the enterprise version.
I encountered a couple of issues during the initial setup, but customer care resolved them quickly.
Documentation is good.
It allows me to develop, run, and deploy test cases extensively.
It needs more stability when test cases are executed.
Stability is important as it saves time and provides valuable reports to higher management for decision-making.
Parallel execution is available, but not with the free version.
Providing clearer guidance during the trial period for certification and training modules would also help.
There is significant competition, so providing a good offer with extra features could be beneficial.
While using SmartBear TestComplete, we are fine with the current capabilities, however, it would be beneficial to improve some performance aspects, especially the image comparison feature.
The approximate cost is around $8,000.
The pricing of Katalon Studio is affordable, making it a sensible option for those looking for an affordable range.
Katalon Studio is on the expensive side.
Additionally, it is easy to learn, quick to automate, and anyone can start automating test cases.
The browser compatibility and self-healing capabilities are excellent, which helps keep the code updated.
Katalon Studio has the highest number of integrations compared to other tools at a similar price point, such as Jira, Brokerstack, and Jenkins.
The most valuable feature of SmartBear TestComplete for me is the image comparison functionality.
Katalon Studio is a regression testing tool that enables you to go low-code, boost productivity, and ease scalability. It is suitable for all platforms and operating systems, regardless of application complexity. The software is built on top of the open-source automation frameworks Selenium and Appium, with a specialized IDE interface for web, API, mobile, and desktop application testing. As a robust automation tool, Katalon Studio lets you run automated tests of UI elements, including pop-ups, iFrames, and wait time. The solution is ideal for both large and small organizations.
Katalon Studio Features
Katalon Studio has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:
Katalon Studio Benefits
There are many benefits to implementing Katalon Studio. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:
Reviews from Real Users
Katalon Studio is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it has a valuable record and playback feature, is user friendly, and has fantastic integration capabilities.
Khurram K., Head of SQA, Project Manager at Vroozi, says, "The best thing about the solution is that there is a record and playback functionality. The solution allows for specific object files [and it] has great multi-parallel languages that work in the facilities here.”
Another PeerSpot user expresses the multiple benefits the solution provides for him exclaiming, “I'd describe it as extremely user-friendly. There's a lot of information that is readily available on the internet, and therefore it's easy to learn about the product itself. The scalability of the product is good. The solution was quite stable throughout the time I used it. We found the installation process to be quite simple. There is also very helpful online documentation that can help you if you ever get stuck during the implementation process itself,” comments a Senior Quality Assurance Analyst at an educational organization.
Tinnaphan W., Professional Services Manager at a non-profit, talks about the Katalon Studio’s advantages. He mentions, “The solution has very good integration capabilities overall. The client has an extremely stable testing framework, and therefore they rely on Katalon to get the results. The reporting is very good.”
What is SmartBear TestComplete?
TestComplete is a reliable, sturdy automated testing platform created by SmartBear Software. SmartBear Software is a worldwide technological leader known for developing quality enterprise-class development and testing solutions.
TestComplete simplifies the process of creating tests for numerous applications, including, but not limited to; Desktop, Android, IOS, Web browsers, and Windows. Application tests can be manual, scripted, and even recorded by using keyword-driven or data-driven functionality. There are even additional options for error reporting and automated playback. The object repository is extremely accurate and is fully customizable. TestComplete can easily be used by experienced developers and even by manual novice testers to develop quality automated UI tests quickly.
TestComplete offers three different testing scenarios:
Key Features
Reviews from Real Users
Sandhiya T S., Sr Solutions Engineer at Lexington Soft, relates, “The record and replay aspects of the solution are quite useful for people. With them, you don't have to write any scripts. Basically, you can record your actions and play them back later. The initial setup is also very easy.”
Sai S R., Staff Test Architect at a tech services company, says, "The most valuable features of the SmartBear TestComplete are self-healing, they reduce the maintenance required. The different languages SmartBear TestComplete supports are good because some of our libraries are written in Python, JavaScript, and C#. It's very easy to put them all under one project and use them."
We monitor all Test Automation 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.
