So you have your first website up and ready to go live. You have tested it on a Chrome browser and even a Mozilla but oops! You missed out Safari, didn’t you? More importantly, have you even tested it on these platforms or did you run a random test for your project?
Anyhow the website goes live and you ask your friends for a feedback. But, instead, you hear about your website not functioning properly or working too slow. What do you do? You go back to testing, ensuring compatibility with every browser and device.
For the tests that you conduct on your site, manually testing for each type of browser is an impossible task. This is when cross browser testing tools come into the picture. These tools help you to test your website on hundreds of browsers that encompasses both desktops and mobile phones. Now, the most important question arises, ‘How do I select the best cross browser testing tool?’
The scenario sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, you aren’t the only one. Hundreds of people face the same issues and end up looking for the perfect cross browser testing tool on the internet. So, to end the problem once and for all, here we are with a guide on how do you select the best cross browser testing tool for your website.
First, we shall discuss some of the key features to look for in a testing tool and then we will look at some of the best cross browser testing tools present in the market.
Support for an array of browsers and devices
The first and the foremost is the compatibility list for the cross browser testing tool. This includes the latest devices and software but it also needs to be updated with older devices. As a prospective user, you should consider this as the deal breaker.
Some of the best platforms will offer live support on devices such as the iPhone X or Chrome 70. Since the combinations of browsers and devices can result in a massive number of possibilities, a good cross-browser testing tool will ensure that the user gets all of these at the click of a button!
Browser integration
A lot of cross-browser testing tools offer global browser support. Imagine testing on a specific browser. Would you jump from the testing tool to the browser testing tool’s website, to and fro during the entire process or would you rather have access to the testing tool itself? A perfect cross-browser testing tool will give the users such functionality.
Availability of simulators and emulators
It is practically impossible to test on every device. Hence, developers turn to simulators in an attempt to test their websites. Many of the good cross browser testing tools offer a plethora of emulators and simulators to enhance the quality of automation and regression tests. This speeds up the process and gives better output while giving access to a wider array of devices and platforms.
Secure Testing
Secure tunnel technology allows the developers to test their websites securely. It enables testing across a proxy, behind a firewall or even on local files. This feature is a must have and is offered by the best cross-browser testing tools. It ensures the security of the website and prevents any uncalled for attacks. More importantly, for websites which haven’t gone public, this feature is a must-have.
Quality of customer service
While not a technical feature, it is one of the important factors to be considered. No matter how experienced the developer might be, there can always be technical difficulties. This is when technical support is necessary.
Being an online platform used for testing, the technical response team needs to be on top of every query, complaint, and suggestion by the client. Promptness to reply and the interest they take sets a bar for their customer service. Imagine being stuck hours before your launch with nowhere to go! Scary, isn’t it?
Now let’s look at the top three platforms offering the best cross browser testing tool with a plethora of features and amendments.
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LambdaTest
The website says,” CROSS-BROWSER TESTING CLOUD: Ensure your web apps work seamlessly on every stop and mobile browser.” A powerful cross-browser testing tool, LambdaTest offers a faster response rate among other competitors.
A vast array of browsers are supported by their respective versions. Unlike other platforms in the market, LambdaTest offers a fully functional free plan, where the users get 60 minutes of VM testing every month. In addition to real-time testing, the platform offers a visual testing platform as well. This enables the testers to get screenshots. This smart testing technique is the perfect solution to work on the visual part of the project.
The only aspect missing in the platform is automation testing. But, with their excellent and responsive customer support team, we can hope the addition of this feature soon.
Pricing starts at $15 per month for one user and $25 for 2 concurrent users.
Sauce Labs:
One of the leading players in the cross-browser testing market, Sauce labs offers both real-time and automation testing. The platform offers stable and accurate testing but lacks in the performance speed. At times, there are issues with the slow virtual machines.
But, to make up it offers precise automation testing with an integration of the cloud-based selenium. The UI for automation testing is commendable and also makes it a leader of the mobile testing ability.
Their free plan offers the user a validity of 14 days with 60 minutes of real-time testing and 100 minutes of automation testing. The pricing starts at $19 for one user.
Browserstack:
Not only are they one of the best but also the oldest in the industry and offer top-notch solutions to testing problems. Along with Sauce Labs, they cover a major clientele in the market.
Browserstack offers a test-development environment where the user can test without the need to set up and configure any separate entities. While most platforms offer simulators and emulators, Browserstack offers real device support for your testing needs. Like their counterparts, Sauce Labs, they also support Selenium integration offering the fastest automation testing among the rest.
But, despite offering all the features questions have been raised on their processing speed. To add to the worries, customer service, which should be a key priority for the company lacks promptness. Considering the number of clients they handle, customer service needs to improve their operations in order to retain the clients and give them a better experience. Browserstack team, are you listening?
They offer a 30-minute live trial and 100 minutes of automation testing before the user has to upgrade to a paid plan. Pricing for these start at $29 for one concurrent user.
Conclusion
So, to conclude, there are a number of platforms offering some of the best cross-browser testing tools, but it is for the user to decide on the best. It depends on the needs of the developer as well some additional key factors. So make the right decision and find yourself the perfect cross-browser testing tool in the market!
