What is our primary use case?
HeadSpin is used for different kinds of testing including automated testing, manual testing, and performance testing. It can be used for different device brands; for example, testing on Samsung devices can be performed through live testing. HeadSpin helps us on one project where it is used for a mobile intelligence platform that helps identify issues with applications.
How has it helped my organization?
HeadSpin positively impacts our organization in several ways. It enables remote work continuity, allowing our team to keep testing without physical devices, which does not disrupt QA workflows. It helps us build a fast bug fixer by logging all details about device, network logs, and memory, making it easier for developers to fix bugs faster. Additionally, it reduces infrastructure costs because we no longer need to own various devices for testing.
What is most valuable?
The best features of HeadSpin include AV Box testing and performance parameters. Remote device testing allows us to test on real devices globally without needing any local physical hardware, reducing infrastructure costs. HeadSpin regularly ships new features, which helps us improve our product.
Performance parameters are one of the most useful features that we use on a daily basis. It provides very valuable features including keeping the metrics and device logs, network logs, memory usage, and video as well.
Another valuable feature is connected intelligence, which is the first connected intelligence in an all-in-one platform that combines performance testing, data science, and diagnostics all in one place.
What needs improvement?
There are several areas where HeadSpin can be improved. One major feature that is problematic for us is the iOS experience; we often receive complaints from our team that device interaction on iOS is very poor compared to Android, making it difficult to test on iOS devices. Additionally, when using tvOS, the Apple TV can only connect via LAN and not through Wi-Fi, which prevents multi-region testing for tvOS since mobile device support is required. Furthermore, devices connected to HeadSpin are constantly draining their batteries, necessitating continuous charging, which can be improved.
The support team for HeadSpin might need to scale up in size because there are many customers signing up, and their support team is not able to keep pace. Whenever we try to contact them or file a complaint, the response often takes a while.
If HeadSpin improves the iOS experience, tvOS experience, and customer support team performance, I would change my rating from three to four.
HeadSpin could improve by obtaining various devices, as sometimes we need to check devices not available in our country, which clients may have. It would be helpful if they could provide us with a device upon request.
There is room for improvement in customer support because response times are slow when we have outages or questions, so they could definitely enhance that area.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using HeadSpin for about two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
HeadSpin has not had any major outages or issues that I can recall; only minor issues arise occasionally, but they get resolved very fast, so it is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
HeadSpin is very scalable. We have over four million users on our devices, and we are receiving all the crash and network log reports without losing data, which indicates that it manages our growing needs effectively.
How are customer service and support?
The support team for HeadSpin might need to scale up in size because there are many customers signing up, and their support team is not able to keep pace. Whenever we try to contact them or file a complaint, the response often takes a while.
There is room for improvement in customer support because response times are slow when we have outages or questions, so they could definitely enhance that area.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
A decision was made after researching different platforms, and HeadSpin was chosen because it provided all the necessary capabilities needed.
Besides HeadSpin, Instabug was also considered, but HeadSpin was deemed the most suitable option according to our needs.
What was our ROI?
The return on investment is definitely very high because earlier, we maintained various devices and a lot of QA staff. With HeadSpin, we no longer have to invest in devices or as many people, which saves time and money.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
HeadSpin definitely helps us cut costs because earlier, when we owned devices, our testing cost for each project was around thirteen thousand dollars per month. After starting to use HeadSpin, the cost reduced to around six thousand to seven thousand dollars per month, as we are using it on a very large scale with a large number of QAs, which helps us reduce costs. It also allows us to ship and fix bugs faster, benefiting our users with fewer issues.
HeadSpin definitely helps us reduce costs, making it a win-win situation for both of us.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Besides HeadSpin, Instabug was also considered, but HeadSpin was deemed the most suitable option according to our needs.
What other advice do I have?
Regarding security and governance, HeadSpin is very secure because our reports and other data are kept secured on our servers and are not accessible to third parties. Even if HeadSpin employees want to access our database, they must seek permission from us first.
I do not fully trust the AI-driven test results and analytics one hundred percent, as it can make mistakes sometimes. While it does provide clean solutions, it struggles with complex logic or multiple screen bugs, which can confuse it and lead to bad results.
HeadSpin definitely should be considered because it provides details that other platforms cannot, and it is very helpful for the developer community in quickly identifying bugs and fixing them. I have rated this review as three overall.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other