Top 10 Appium Alternatives For Mobile Testing

Appium is widely loved by the software testing community, especially for web and mobile applications. It offers strong cross-platform support along with language flexibility, and most importantly, Appium does not require embedding a testing agent inside the app’s code, maintaining its integrity during the testing process. However, Appium does have several disadvantages:

1. Appium requires coding expertise. It is only a framework, and the tester must know a programming language to be able to automate tests. Even if one knows how to code, the time it takes to write test cases is significant, and that is not to consider the debugging time. All of this lengthens the time-to-market, and we know that time is money.
2. Appium tests must be continuously maintained. The more complex your app is, the more tests you’ll need, and the more effort you’ll have to put in to maintain those tests. Every time you update your application, the test scripts also have to be updated accordingly. That is an extremely time-consuming process. For start-ups and SMBs, it becomes a question of resource availability.
3. Appium is complex to set up and integrate with your CI/CD pipeline. It is a high learning curve to achieve CI/CD integration in Appium. The issue boils down to how well you can code to perform the necessary actions within the framework.
    

This is when we need Appium alternatives. They are usually low-code or no-code platforms to help you do mobile testing faster. They shorten the testing time, which also shortens time-to-market, allowing you to gauge the market demand faster before making any investment decisions.
 

In this article, we list down the top 10 Appium alternatives for you to choose from. They address well the challenges testers usually encounter when working with Appium. These tools are also the market leaders, offering robust capabilities for any testing needs. Have a look, don’t forget to do your own research, and make well-informed decisions!
 

Here is the list:

1. Katalon Platform
2. Espresso
3. Perfecto
4. Ranorex
5. TestComplete
6. Selenium (with Selendroid and iOS-Driver)
7. XCTest
8. Detox
9. Kobiton
10. Robot Framework

1. Katalon Platform

Katalon is a leading automation testing platform for all QA teams. Literally. With Katalon, you have a tool to support you throughout the entire testing lifecycle (from planning, test creation, management, execution, to reporting) for web, desktop, mobile, and even API, without the need to code. This makes Katalon a perfect Appium alternative.
 

Here’s how Katalon solves the challenges of testing with Appium

• No-code, low-code, and full-code modes: Katalon provides testers with 3 test creation modes. 
  • No-code: With the Record-and-Playback feature, testers can record their on-screen manual actions and turn those actions into an automated test script that they can re-execute how many times they want. 
  • Low-code: Katalon also provides a library of Built-in Keywords, which are essentially just pre-written code snippets with customizable parameters designed to perform specific actions. For example, a keyword like “Click” would handle the internal logic to locate the element (e.g. a button) and perform the click action on it. The tester only needs to specify the element that they want to perform on, without having to worry about the underlying code.
  • Full-code: testers can easily turn on the Scripting mode and write the test script all by themselves. Of course, they can switch to the no-code and low-code mode whenever they want. The availability of those two modes complements the full-code mode. You get the best of both worlds: the convenience of creating tests with point-and-click mechanisms and the flexibility of full-on scripting. Instead of worrying about how to write tests, they can now focus on what to test, significantly improving productivity.
     
• All stages of testing unified in one workspace: with Katalon, you get to plan, write tests, organize them in test suites, execute across environments, then generate reports for those tests. This centralization is harder to achieve in Appium as you need several additional integrations and extensive framework development, while in Katalon, these features are readily available.
  
   

• Extensive support for mobile testing: mobile testing capabilities is strong with Katalon, when you can perform native app and hybrid app testing for both Android and iOS in Katalon, and you can choose to test locally, remotely, or on-cloud with Katalon TestCloud. If your product has an omnichannel presence, you can also switch to web, desktop, and API testing in no time. There is no limitation when you go with a comprehensive platform as compared to a single-point testing solution.

Here's a quick demo of how mobile testing in Katalon works:

That’s not all! Katalon has a rich array of AI-powered features that take your testing to the next level. In Katalon Studio, you can connect with your ChatGPT API to gain access to the Generate Code feature, which transforms your plain language instructions into test code, with just one click! Or you can try the Explain Code feature, which does the opposite: transforming your test code into human readable language for all stakeholders to understand.

Download Katalon and Witness its Power
 

2. Espresso

Espresso, developed by Google, is a powerful framework for automated UI testing of Android applications. As an alternative to Appium, it offers several features and advantages, particularly for testing within the Android ecosystem.
 

Here’s how Espresso a good Appium alternative:

• Espresso is tightly integrated with Android Studio, the official IDE for Android development. Developers can write both their application code and their UI tests within the same environment, eliminating the need to switch between different tools or environments for development and testing, boosting productivity.
• As Espresso is integrated with Android Studio, testers have immediate access to testing tools in the system. For example, Android Studio includes a Test Recorder to record actions they perform on a device or emulator. There are also Code Templates so testers can quickly scaffold new test cases, ensuring that the basic structure of the tests is consistent.
• Espresso also comes with an integrated test runner so testers can execute tests directly from the IDE. Testers can configure which tests to run on which device or emulator.
• In case of test failures, Espresso and Android Studio provide detailed reports, including stack traces and screenshots (if configured).
• Espresso is designed specifically for Android, meaning it understands the Android context better and can interact more effectively with Android UI components.
• Espresso is consistently updated and maintained alongside Android development tools.
   

Documentation: Espresso
 

3. Perfecto

Perfecto is a cloud-based platform for automated mobile and web application testing, offering a range of features that can make it a compelling alternative for Appium. Here are some of its strong features:

• Perfecto provides access to a cloud-based lab of 3000+ real mobile devices, allowing testers to run tests on a wide variety of devices. Perfecto simulates real-world conditions, such as network, battery level, and device orientation, giving a high degree of realism.
• Perfecto supports automated testing for both Android and iOS platforms, making it suitable for cross-platform mobile app testing.
• Perfecto integrates a wide range of testing frameworks, including Appium, Selenium, Espresso, and XCTest. This means you get a higher level of abstraction compared to using Appium
• Perfecto has AI-powered features to support you throughout the entire testing lifecycle.
• Perfecto offers performance testing capabilities to help teams gauge the responsiveness and stability of their apps. Read More: Performance Testing vs Load Testing
   

Website: Perfecto

4. Ranorex

​​Ranorex is a comprehensive automation framework that offers a range of features for mobile, web, and desktop application testing. It is a good choice for QA teams who want a tool with relatively low learning curve and strong automation capabilities. Here are some of its most noticeable features to be an Appium alternative:

• Ranorex offers a low-code approach with a drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible even to those with limited coding skills.
• The integrated development environment, Ranorex Studio, simplifies test creation, execution, and management, with tools for recording actions, editing scripts, and organizing test cases, all within a single interface.
• Ranorex supports mobile, web, and desktop testing, which is similar to Appium's cross-platform capability, but extends beyond mobile platforms.
• Ranorex allows the use of XPath and RanoreXPath for dynamic element identification.
• Strong CI/CD integration
• Users can extend and customize Ranorex by writing code in C# or VB.NET

Website: Ranorex

Read More: Top 8 Cross-browser Testing Tools For Your QA Team

5. TestComplete

TestComplete is an advanced automated testing platform suitable for a variety of applications, including Windows, .NET, WPF, Java, web applications, and mobile. It stands out as a robust option for quality assurance teams looking for comprehensive functional testing and unit testing tools. Key highlights of TestComplete as an Appium alternative include:

• TestComplete employs a keyword-driven approach, offering a wide array of built-in keywords (referred to as Operations in the product) for low-code test creation. This feature allows for the simulation of user actions on the Application Under Test with ease and precision.
• The platform is designed to cater to both beginners and experienced users, offering a Record-and-Playback feature that simplifies the creation of test cases.
• TestComplete supports testing across multiple platforms, including mobile, web, and desktop applications.
• TestComplete is equipped with features to streamline the test execution process, including test scheduling, parallel testing, batch test runs, and an option to shut down systems post-testing, all contributing to a more efficient testing workflow.
• Users of TestComplete benefit from a robust community and professional support from SmartBear, ensuring assistance and resources are readily available.
   

Website: TestComplete

6. Selenium (with Selendroid and iOS-Driver)

Selenium itself is already a widely popular automation framework for web testing. However, only in combination with Selendroid and iOS-Driver can it become a comprehensive solution for automating web and mobile application testing across various platforms. Here are some of the strong features of Selenium as an Appium alternative:

• Selenium excels in supporting a variety of browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. This feature ensures comprehensive cross-browser testing, verifying that web applications function consistently across different environments.
• At the heart of Selenium is the WebDriver, a sophisticated component that interacts directly with web browsers. It's designed for realistic browser automation, providing precise control over web page interactions.
• A standout feature of Selenium is its compatibility with multiple programming languages, including Java, C#, Python, Ruby, and JavaScript. This versatility allows QA teams to leverage their existing coding expertise, making Selenium adaptable to diverse tech stacks.
• Selenium Grid facilitates simultaneous execution of tests across various browsers and devices, significantly optimizing the testing process for large-scale applications.
• With its open-source nature, Selenium boasts a vast community, offering an array of plugins, libraries, and integrative tools. This rich ecosystem enables seamless integration with various frameworks and tools, enhancing its utility in complex testing scenarios.
• As an open-source tool, Selenium offers a budget-friendly solution for automated web testing, eliminating licensing costs.
   

Documentation: Selenium

7. XCTest

XCTest is a framework provided by Apple for unit, UI, and performance testing of iOS and macOS applications. It's an integral part of the Xcode development environment. Key strong points of XCTest include:

• XCTest is seamlessly integrated into Xcode, Apple's IDE, providing a smooth testing experience for developers working on iOS and macOS apps. This integration allows for convenient test creation, execution, and management directly within the development environment.
• XCTest supports both unit testing, UI testing, and even performance testing, giving a comprehensive experience.
• XCTest offers a record feature for UI tests. Developers can interact with their app's UI, and XCTest will automatically generate test code corresponding to those interactions.

Documentation: XCTest