6 Best Mobile Testing Tools for Test Automation

It’s hard to imagine effective mobile app testing without automation. Automated tests are an absolute must-have if you really want to benefit from frequent deployments and faster time to market. But before enjoying the benefits of automated mobile testing, you need to onboard some best mobile testing tools or frameworks to help you create tests. Luckily, there are plenty of great mobile testing tools for test creation, and we’d like to share some of the best with you. So, if you want to ensure fast and efficient test script generation, continue reading.

What to Lomobile app testingok for in Mobile Testing Tools?

How do you find the right tool for test scripts generation? Start by paying attention to the following features – they are vital for successful mobile app testing.

• Support of multiple scripting languages. It’s important to have many different options for test creation. This includes being able to choose from a variety of scripting languages. Naturally, your QA team should be able to work with the ones they are already familiar with. So, seek for the tool that supports multiple programming languages.
• Creating tests for different mobile operating systems. You should look for a tool that supports running your tests across several mobile platforms. Ideally, it would also have a code reuse option, which means that you won’t have to create separate test scripts for each platform.
• Scriptless options for test creation. Creating tests without coding is vital. This mobile testing tools feature is valuable for those who lack programming skills. Plus, you can create tests this way very quickly.
• Seamless integration with CI/CD tools. Make sure that your mobile testing tool integrates easily with the tools you already use as part of your CI/CD processes.

Which Mobile Testing Tools are the Best for Creating Tests?

Meet our pick for the top five mobile testing tools for test creation.

1. TestComplete
2. Appium
3. Robot Framework
4. Xamarin.UITest
5. Espresso
6. XCUITest

Let’s take a closer look at the main features of each of these mobile testing tools.

1. TestComplete

TestComplete is an automated UI testing tool from SmartBear. It allows creating, maintaining and executing UI tests for web, desktop and mobile applications. TestComplete allows testing both native and hybrid mobile apps. What’s more, TestComplete can run tests on emulators, real devices or virtual machines. Flexible and easy-to-use, this tool offers both script and scriptless options for test generation.

Highlights:

• Supports testing on multiple mobile platforms
• Allows writing tests manually in Code Editor
• Supports JavaScript, Python, VBScript, Jscript, DelphiScript, C# and C++
• Easily integrates with popular CI/CD tool, such as Jenkins, Git and Jira
• Offers a record-and-replay feature for creating tests without writing a single line of code
• Supports keyword-driven tests generation
• Converts both recorded GUI tests and keyword-driven test scripts into the supported scripting languages

2. Appium

Appium is an open-source test automation framework that allows creating UI tests for native, mobile web and hybrid applications. It covers both iOS and Android mobile platforms and supports code reuse across Android and iOS test suites. Appium is similar to Selenium, so if you’re used to working with the test automation framework, you’ll have no problem setting up Appium.

Highlights:

• Supports cross-platform testing and code reuse
• Supports writing tests with multiple programming languages (Java, Python, Ruby, Javascript, PHP)
• Appium Desktop has a recording feature which allows recording gestures as code
• Easily integrates with Jenkins and other CI/CD tools

3. Robot Framework

Robot Framework is an open-source keyword-driven test automation framework that allows testing mobile, web and desktop applications. It’s used for acceptance level testing, acceptance test-driven development (ATDD) and robotic process automation.

Highlights:

• Supports cross-platform testing
• Supports keyword-driven tests generation
• Has a vast ecosystem of standard and external test libraries
• Integrates with a variety of supporting tools for running, building and editing tests

4. Xamarin.UITest

Xamarin.UITest is a mobile testing framework that helps create UI acceptance tests and run them across iOS and Android applications. It allows testing both apps written with Xamarin.iOS, Xamarin.Android and native mobile applications.

Highlights:

• A more straightforward choice for apps built with Xamarin.Forms
• Supports cross-platform testing
• Supports writing test scripts in C# with NUnit
• Easily integrates with other Microsoft Visual Studio products

5. Espresso

Espresso is one of the most popular mobile testing frameworks. Created by Google and integrated with Android Studio, the tool is familiar to anyone who develops native Android applications. Like TestComplete, the framework has several options for test script generation, but with Espresso, you can create Android UI tests only.

Highlights:

• A platform-specific solution
• Supports all Android instrumentation
• Supports manual creation of tests using Kotlin and Java
• Has a simple and flexible API
• Espresso UI tests can be executed on emulators as well as real devices
• With Espresso Test Recorder, you can record your tests instead of writing code

6. XCUITest

XCUITest is a testing framework created by Apple. It supports writing UI tests for iOS apps only. XCUITest runs within the Xcode IDE and allows writing tests inside it, which is especially convenient for iOS developers. Beyond that, the framework can be paired with Xcode’s UI test recording tools.

Highlights:

• A platform-specific solution
• Supports Swift and Objective-C
• Quick test execution against Apple devices
• Integration with Xcode
• Allows recording tests using the Xcode UI test recorder

How to Set up Automated Testing with a Mobile Testing Tool?

Selecting the right mobile testing tools for script generation is the first step toward automated testing. Having chosen the perfect tool, you should start thinking about setting up the testing environments.

To maximize the benefits of fast and efficient test generation, consider adding a cloud-based solution to your mobile testing tools. With the cloud as a testing environment, you’ll be able to automate your mobile tests on hundreds of devices simultaneously. Additionally, you can run them on different platforms and ensure high test coverage.

Conclusion

Test automation is a complex process, and its adoption requires you and your team to put a lot of time and effort into it. The success of automated tests, however, lies mostly in the mobile testing tools you choose.

While looking for the right tool or framework for writing test scripts, pay attention to its features. Be sure to pick a reliable solution that allows different options for test creation, supports multiple scripting languages and mobile platforms. Moreover, don’t forget to set up the cloud as a testing environment. This will allow you to maximize the benefits of swift test script generation. Consider implementing your mobile testing tool with Bitbar’s real device cloud. The hundreds of real devices they offer for testing are sure to boost your efficiency.