If you want to make sure that web and mobile apps work, are safe, and are easy to use and find out about, you need to use a set of tools, and best practices called a test automation framework. We’re used to getting what we want in a hurry in a digital world. This is why there are so many test-automation frameworks on the market that are adopted and used by many test-automation consulting services.
People and money aren’t always worth it to spend time and money on complicated automated testing frameworks when they can get the same or better results with open-source tools, libraries, and frameworks that are already out there.
In addition, there are some advantages to using open-source test automation frameworks.
- Reusable
- Easy to keep up with
- In need of very little manual help.
- As the environment changes, they stay stable.
- Scalable
How to select a test automation framework?
A test-automation framework is hard to figure out what you’ll need because each business has different needs. However, it’s still important to look for certain things in a test-automation framework.
- A testing framework must be easy to write scripts for. It must be able to work with agile processes and short iterations.
- There aren’t any single departments that do software testing. A testing framework must be compatible with both development and QA testers, and it must be flexible enough to work with both types of testers.
- A framework should offer language support for several app platforms: This is a need for the framework. To put it another way, the testing framework must be able to run on iOS, Android, or any other coding language that is important to your work.
- Updates: An open-source testing framework should be kept up-to-date and compatible with the most recent operating system features to avoid gaps in the framework when it comes to testing.
Selecting a suitable test automation framework might be a challenge. Here are my picks for the best free and open-source business automation frameworks and tools to help you compare features and limit your choices.
1. Appium
Appium is a free and open-source framework for automating the testing of mobile applications using the WebDriver protocol. Built around uniformity lets, you write tests for different platforms with the same APIs that you use for tests on one platform.
The main features:
- It eliminates the need to recompile apps.
- The tool lets you run tests in different programming languages and frameworks.
- Test suites for iOS, Android and Windows can use the same code and tests written in Node.js. Allows testers to make and manage their element repositories.
2. Carina
People like Carina because it’s built on top of Selenium, which is a Java-based test automation framework. Code reuse across iOS and Android is possible up to 70 per cent of the time because it doesn’t rely on anyone’s technological stack.
The main features:
- A single application can test all kinds of things, from mobile apps (native and hybrid) to web apps, REST services, and even databases, all at the same time.
- Databases that are both rational and non-rational can be used with this tool (MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Servers)
- Involves the FreeMarker template engine, which gives testers a lot of power to make REST calls.
3. Galen
You should use Galen if your main goal is to improve the user experience (UX). Galen is a test automation framework. Galen is specifically designed for UX testing, with a syntax for testing and confirming the layout of your mobile or web application.
The main features:
- Allows you to set the size of the browser window so that you can run tests on the layout specifications that you write.
- The programme makes test files in Galen syntax, JavaScript, or Java and sends them to those who need them.
- HTML reports with detailed heatmap analysis are made.
4. Gauge
Gauge is a new test-automation tool that is both lightweight and cross-platform. It has a plugin architecture, which means it may be used with any language, IDE, or environment.
The main features:
- The framework is simple to set up; with a single command, and you can have the framework up and running.
- Automation texts are written in simple language syntax.
- With many extra plugins, it can be used in a modular way.
- Creates text documentation written in simple Markdown, which doesn’t have any specific structure.
5. Katalon
If you’re looking for a simple test automation framework that doesn’t skimp on detail, check out Katalon. Open-source: It is a testing framework that can run web, mobile, and APIs tests.
The main features:
- Like Groovy and Java, many scripting languages can be used with this.
- Supports the use of Jira.
- Web actions and associated objects are analysed and recorded to build test scripts that may be used to run automated tests (similar to Robotic Process Automation)
6. Robot Framework
The Robot Framework is the best bet for Python-based test automation frameworks. Even though it isn’t peculiar regarding acceptance-test-driven development (ATDD), Robot Framework is still a good choice for software developers and QA testers. One of the main things this test-automation framework has is how it lets you write tests that are simple to read and write.
The main features:
- Rich integration of APIs and generic text libraries, as well as many tools, is provided.
- A lot of different things are tested by this app. This includes websites and FTP, MongoDB, Android, and Apium.
- When it comes to Java and.NET, even though it’s based on Python.
- Supports the syntax for tabular data.
7. Selenium
Most people use Selenium, an open-source tool for automating tests for web apps. Selenium is a significant source of testing tools and frameworks. Different languages can be used for writing test scripts.
The main features:
- Because it can be used with a wide range of APIs and programming languages, such as Java, Python,.NET, C#, Ruby, and more, it is very flexible.
- It comes with a playback tool called Selenium IDE, which lets you write tests without learning to write specific scripts.
- It doesn’t require any special software or hardware to run
8. Serenity
Test automation framework Serenity, called Thucydides, is a free Java-based test automation tool that helps you write acceptance and regression tests. You might be interested in Serenity if you’re looking for a tool that works well with behaviour-driven development (BDD). Serenity could help you automate your software testing.
The main features:
- Writing BDD and Selenium tests is easier because it removes the boilerplate code.
- It allows you to run many different scenarios at a high level while keeping track of lower-level record details.
- WebDriver management, integration with Jira, running multiple processes, and more are all built-in.
9. Testproject.io
At the beginning of your software test automation career, Testproject.io is the best choice. It’s free and has a lot of people who use it.
People who want to become testers should try it out because it’s built on two open-source tools called Selenium and Appium. It lets new testers use everyday automation actions to run tests.
The main features:
- Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, and many other languages can be used with this app.
- This case allows testers worldwide to share software tests and APIs easily.
- Includes capabilities such as test recording, a global automation grid, and automation building blocks to assist inexperienced programmers with QA testing.
Closing thoughts
Many open-source testing frameworks and tools are available; however, it is impossible to list them in a single article. This list of nine tools and frameworks stands out; however, it’s important to remember that not all devices and frameworks are equal. These frameworks and tools are remarkable because they can run on many different operating systems and write in various scripting languages.
Automating your business processes, including testing, is a brilliant idea, but it comes with both advantages and hazards. More obstacles and opportunities will arise as automated testing grows in popularity. Many things like AI, RPA, and machine learning will produce a lot in the next few years.
Author Byline:
Rajalekshmy KR, SEO Content Specialist working in NeoITO– a reliable web development company in USA. She always seeks feedback from tech founders, product owners, and business strategists to write about subjects valuable to her readers.
