Top 10 Regression Testing Tools and Frameworks That Boosts Automation

Regression testing is boring…only if you are doing it manually.
 

Indeed, it’s just not efficient when you have to manually repeat the same test steps over and over each iteration. Regression testing is best done with a regression testing tool. These tools allow you to create an automated regression test suite that you can run as a batch when the new build is available.
 

Let’s check out the top regression testing tools on the current market. Here's the list of tools we are going to review:

1. Katalon [Great For All Purposes]
2. Selenium [Great For Web Testing Automation]
3. Cypress [Simple and Intuitive Framework]
4. Applitools [Strong in Visual Testing]
5. testRigor
6. Tricentis Tosca
7. Leapwork
8. Apache JMeter
9. Rainforest QA
10. Postman

1. Katalon [Great For All Purposes]

Katalon supports automation testing for all AUTs: web, desktop, mobile, and even API. You can effortlessly write regression test scripts without having to code. Katalon offers 3 modes of test authoring:

1. No-code mode: turn on the Record-and-Playback feature and manually execute the regression test case. Katalon registers your on-screen actions and turn that sequence of actions into a test script that you can re-execute across environments.

2. Low-code mode: you can craft a full test case from the library of keywords that Katalon offers. For example, you can choose the keyword “Click", and specify which web element you want to click on by typing in the ID, and you already have a script that automate the clicking action on that web element.

3. Full-code mode: finally, you can switch to the Scripting mode to enjoy full customizability. Switch back to the other 2 modes whenever you want and get the best of both worlds. Together, these 3 modes significantly improve efficiency.

That's just the first part. All of your regression test cases can be grouped into test suites and test collections. These tests and their artifacts are stored in the Object Repository. You can assign them with tags, see their status, results, and schedule them for execution on the environment of your choice. 

Download and Witness The Power of Katalon

During execution, you also have a lot of options, from the type of device, operating system, to its version. This helps you cover a wide variety of test scenarios. 

After execution, Katalon generates a rich and detailed test summary report to help you gain a comprehensive view over the project.

Have a quick look at how you can do regression testing effortless with Katalon here:

Other Key Features:

• AI-powered features built-in to generate test scripts from a business language prompt, explain code, or even analyze web traffic to provide regression test recommendations.
• Support data-driven testing.
• Diverse integration ecosystem supporting all stages of the STLC with native plugins for CI and DevOps best practices
  
  

Do Regression Testing Better With Katalon

2. Selenium [Great For Web Testing Automation]

Selenium is favored by developers worldwide for its versatility in web testing. Selenium is compatible with all major browsers, including Chrome, Safari and Firefox, and can be operated on any of the 3 major operating systems, including Macintosh, Windows or Linux. As an automation testing framework, it still requires some effort from the tester to get used to its syntax and mechanism.

Read More: All You Need To Know About Web Testing

It offers three key tools:

1. Selenium IDE: A browser extension (Chrome/Firefox) with a simple Record-and-Playback feature to create automated tests without coding—ideal for regression testing.
2. Selenium Grid: Runs tests in parallel across multiple browsers and machines, speeding up execution and enabling large-scale testing.
3. Selenium WebDriver: A powerful automation framework for dynamic web pages, offering robust browser control through a sophisticated API.

The Catch: Selenium requires coding skills and technical expertise. Teams transitioning from manual testing may need time and developer support to onboard effectively.

3. Cypress

Cypress is an end-to-end testing framework designed for modern web apps, offering simple syntax for writing, running, and debugging tests.

Cypress and Selenium differ slightly in their underlying mechanism:

• Execution: Selenium uses WebDriver as an intermediary, introducing latency. Cypress runs directly in the browser, making tests faster.
• Waits: Selenium requires explicit waits for async behavior; Cypress handles waits automatically.

Key Features of Cypress:

• Control server responses, timers, and function behavior with spies and stubs.
• Test edge cases without involving the server.
• Fast, reliable, and consistent tests with automatic screenshot capture on failures.
• Runs locally on Firefox, Chrome-family browsers, Edge, and Electron.

Cypress Documentation: Cypress docs

4. Applitools [Great For Visual Regression Testing]

Applitools is an AI-driven tool for visual regression testing, ensuring code changes don’t break the GUI. Instead of pixel-by-pixel comparisons, it uses smart algorithms to avoid false positives caused by dynamic content, animations, or rendering differences.

Key Features:

• AI-powered visual analysis to detect regressions like a human eye.
• Configurable to ignore dynamic zones (e.g., ads, personalized content).
• Seamless integration with frameworks like Cypress, Selenium, and CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab, CircleCI).
• Connects with Jira and bug-tracking tools for better reporting.

Website: Applitools

Documentation: Applitools Docs

5. testRigor

testRigor simplifies end-to-end test automation with generative AI, enabling anyone to create and maintain tests in plain English. You can copy-paste manual tests and refine them with simple instructions.

As you can see here, in testRigor it is relatively simple to create a test case. All you have to do is type out the action you want to automate.

Key Features:

• Build tests in plain English for easy creation and maintenance.
• Supports web, mobile, desktop, API, and 2FA testing across 3,000+ browser and device combinations.
• Handles file validation, text in images (OCR), and Chrome extension testing.
• Integrates with CI/CD, test management, and ticketing systems.Supports JavaScript execution and reusable test steps.

Website: testRigor

Documentation: testRigor Documentation

6. Tricentis Tosca

Tricentis Tosca is a strong regression testing tool for QA teams. Its model-based automation separates test models from the application, ensuring tests remain stable despite frequent changes.

Key features include:

• Service Virtualization to test hard-to-access systems anytime, anywhere.
• Test Data Management for full traceability and visibility across projects.

Website: Tricentis

Pricing: Contact Sales

7. Leapwork

Leapwork simplifies UI test automation with a smart recorder that captures and defines elements with a click, turning test cases into automated flows effortlessly. Reusable sub-flows reduce maintenance and improve efficiency.

Key features include:

• Failure diagnosis with video recordings, data insights, and logs.
• Scalable testing across cloud providers, local, or remote machines, eliminating the need for physical devices.

Website: Leapwork

Documentation: Leapwork Documentation

8. Apache JMeter

Apache JMeter, a project under the Apache Software Foundation, is a versatile tool designed for performance testing, with an emphasis on web applications. It's a great addition to your regression testing tool arsenal.

Highlight Features:

• Ideal for both static and dynamic resources, including dynamic web applications.
• Capable of simulating heavy server loads to evaluate performance
• Supports testing for a range of applications, servers, and protocols, such as HTTP, HTTPS, SOAP/REST web services, FTP, JDBC databases, LDAP, JMS message-oriented middleware, email services, native commands, shell scripts, TCP, and Java objects.
• Offers a robust Test IDE for recording, building, and debugging test plans.
• Enables testing from any Java-compatible operating system via a command-line interface.
• Provides dynamic HTML reports for easy interpretation of results.
• Extracts and correlates data from various response formats, including HTML, JSON, XML, and plain text.
• Fully portable and 100% compatible with Java.
• Supports concurrent sampling by multiple threads and allows separate thread groups for different functions.

Website: Apache JMeter

9. Rainforest QA

Rainforest offers a web-based platform enabling users to quickly generate automated test scripts with simple, plain-English prompts such as: “Create a new user account” or “Fill out the demo form with dummy data”. Rainforest's AI can also update tests automatically to reflect changes in the application, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual updates after minor app modifications. There is even a Test Manager that verifies test results to prevent errors and ensure accuracy.

Key Features:

• No-code test automation: Users can create, maintain, and execute automated tests through a proprietary no-code framework. Tests can be organized into groups, scheduled, and assigned priorities.
• Manual testing: Rainforest QA employs a global community of experienced QA testers available 24/7 to perform scripted testing of applications.
• Test writing and maintenance: A dedicated QA Concierge manages the writing and maintenance of both automated and manual tests.
• Testing infrastructure: Tests are run on Rainforest's cloud-based virtual machines, which support multiple versions of macOS, Windows, and popular browsers.
• Parallel execution: Rainforest QA delivers rapid test results, with automated test suites averaging a 4-minute turnaround and manual test suites around 20 minutes.
• Detailed test results: Each test run provides comprehensive debugging insights, including repro steps, video recordings, HTTP logs, and browser logs.
• Exploratory testing: A specialized group of testers conducts unscripted testing to identify bugs and offer usability feedback.
• Integrations: Rainforest QA integrates with tools like JIRA and can be incorporated into any CI/CD pipeline via their API, CLI, or direct integrations.

Website: Rainforest QA

Changelog: Rainforest QA Changelog
 

10. Postman

Postman is a popular collaboration platform for API development, used by millions of developers and companies worldwide. It is a good regression testing tool specifically built for APIs. Postman allows users to create and send HTTP requests with various methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.). It supports a wide range of formats such as JSON, XML, and HTML. You can also create mock servers to simulate API responses without needing the actual API implementation.

Key Features:

• Support API development, documentation, and testing
• Mock servers to simulate API responses
• Environments and Variables to easily switch between settings
• Postman integrates with various CI/CD tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, and GitHub Actions. This integration allows for continuous testing and deployment workflows.
• Postman itself also provides an API to programmatically access its features, which can be used for automation and integration with other tools.

Read More: Top 15 Postman Alternatives You Should Know