Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

TestComplete VS Selenium

Compare TestComplete VS Selenium and see what are their differences

TestComplete logo TestComplete

TestComplete Desktop, Web, and Mobile helps you create repeatable and accurate automated tests across multiple devices, platforms, and environments easily and quickly.

Selenium logo Selenium

Selenium automates browsers. That's it! What you do with that power is entirely up to you. Primarily, it is for automating web applications for testing purposes, but is certainly not limited to just that.
  • TestComplete Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-20
  • Selenium Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-08-22

TestComplete features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    TestComplete has a user-friendly interface that allows both technical and non-technical users to create automated tests with ease.
  • Scriptless Testing
    The tool supports keyword-driven testing, enabling users to create automated tests without any scripting knowledge.
  • Multi-Technology Support
    TestComplete supports testing for a wide range of technologies, including desktop, web, and mobile applications, making it a versatile tool.
  • Integration Capabilities
    It easily integrates with other SmartBear tools and third-party tools like JIRA, Jenkins, and Azure DevOps, facilitating a smooth CI/CD process.
  • Parallel Test Execution
    TestComplete allows for parallel test executions, which can significantly reduce the total testing time and speed up the development cycle.
  • Object Recognition
    The tool includes advanced object recognition methods that ensure automated tests are stable and resilient to changes in the application's UI.
  • Comprehensive Reporting
    TestComplete provides detailed test reports and logs, helping teams quickly diagnose and address any issues that arise during testing.

Possible disadvantages of TestComplete

  • Cost
    TestComplete is relatively expensive compared to other automated testing tools, which can be a significant investment for small and medium-sized businesses.
  • Resource Intensive
    The tool can be resource-intensive, requiring significant system resources for smooth operation, which might affect performance on less powerful machines.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there can be a steep learning curve for users who want to utilize its more advanced features.
  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to some other popular testing tools, TestComplete has a smaller user community, which can make it challenging to find solutions to uncommon issues.
  • Complex Licensing Model
    The licensing model can be complex, potentially confusing for new users who need to understand different types of licenses and their limitations.

Selenium features and specs

  • Open Source
    Selenium is an open-source tool, which means it is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This makes it a cost-effective choice for companies of all sizes.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    Selenium supports multiple browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. This allows testers to ensure that web applications work seamlessly across different browsers.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Selenium can run on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This provides flexibility to test on multiple platforms to ensure consistent user experience.
  • Supports Multiple Programming Languages
    Selenium supports multiple programming languages such as Java, C#, Python, and JavaScript. This allows testers to write their scripts in the language they are most comfortable with.
  • Rich Community and Documentation
    Being a widely-used tool, Selenium has extensive community support and a wealth of documentation and tutorials available. This makes it easier for new users to get started and find solutions to problems.
  • Integration with Other Tools
    Selenium integrates well with various testing frameworks and tools like TestNG, JUnit, and Maven, as well as CI/CD tools like Jenkins and Docker. This makes it a versatile and comprehensive automation solution.

Possible disadvantages of Selenium

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Selenium requires knowledge of programming to create and maintain test scripts. For those new to automation or coding, the learning curve can be quite steep.
  • No Built-in Reporting
    Selenium does not come with built-in reporting features. Testers must rely on third-party tools or build custom reporting solutions to generate test reports.
  • Limited Support for Desktop Applications
    Selenium is designed primarily for web application testing and offers limited support for desktop applications. This limits its use in scenarios where desktop application testing is needed.
  • Manual Effort for Maintenance
    Test scripts require regular maintenance to accommodate changes in the web application, such as updates to the UI or changes in element identifiers. This can lead to significant manual effort.
  • Performance Issues
    Selenium can be slower compared to other automation tools, especially when running extensive test suites. This can affect the speed of the overall testing process.
  • Browser Compatibility Issues
    Although Selenium supports multiple browsers, each browser's implementation of WebDriver may have unique quirks and bugs. This occasionally leads to test script compatibility issues across different browsers.

Analysis of TestComplete

Overall verdict

  • Overall, TestComplete is considered a robust and comprehensive tool for automated testing. Its user-friendly interface and powerful testing capabilities make it a worthwhile investment for many organizations aiming to improve their software testing processes.

Why this product is good

  • TestComplete is a popular automation tool for UI testing, known for its ease of use, broad range of supported applications, and testing capabilities. It supports multiple scripting languages, such as JavaScript, Python, and VBScript, allowing testers with varying coding skills to utilize it effectively. Its record-and-playback feature makes creating tests straightforward, and its extensive integration options with other tools enhance its functionality and flexibility. Additionally, TestComplete automates functional, regression, and performance testing, which contributes to higher-quality software releases.

Recommended for

    TestComplete is recommended for organizations seeking a reliable UI testing tool that supports both desktop, mobile, and web applications. It is especially beneficial for testers who appreciate the flexibility of choosing from multiple scripting languages or those who prefer a record-and-playback approach. It suits both small teams looking for straightforward solutions and larger enterprises that require more advanced integration and automation capabilities.

Analysis of Selenium

Overall verdict

  • Selenium is a valuable tool for automated testing of web applications, providing flexibility, broad compatibility, and extensive support. It is particularly beneficial for teams looking for an open-source solution with a wide range of capabilities.

Why this product is good

  • Selenium is a highly popular open-source framework for automating web browsers. It supports multiple programming languages such as Java, C#, Python, and JavaScript, providing flexibility for testers with different coding skills. Selenium WebDriver, a core component, allows for creative and sophisticated testing through direct interaction with web pages. Its broad browser compatibility, community support, and extensive documentation make it a valuable tool for automated testing. It also integrates well with other tools and frameworks like Selenium Grid for parallel testing, and it can be used with CI/CD pipelines to facilitate continuous testing.

Recommended for

  • Software testers and QA engineers
  • Development teams implementing continuous integration and continuous testing
  • Organizations needing cross-browser testing solutions
  • Testers with programming skills in languages like Java, Python, or C#

TestComplete videos

TestComplete: The Easiest-to-Use Automated UI Testing Tool

Selenium videos

What is Selenium | Selenium Explained in 2-minutes | Introduction to Selenium | Intellipaat

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to TestComplete and Selenium)
Automated Testing
35 35%
65% 65
Website Testing
46 46%
54% 54
Browser Testing
26 26%
74% 74
Software Testing
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare TestComplete and Selenium

TestComplete Reviews

Best Automation Testing Tools (Free and Paid) | July 2022
TestComplete is a commercial testing tool and it allows you to create reusable tests for all web applications including modern JavaScript frameworks like React and Angular on 2050+ browser and platform configurations.
Top 10 Best Selenium Alternatives You Should Try
TestComplete is an influential and tough automated tool for testing mobile, desktop and web applications. It can be integrated with open source tools like Selenium, Jenkins etc. TestComplete supports few name mapping functions and GUI features that are not available with Selenium.
Top 6 Complete Automation Testing Solutions
TestComplete is an automation testing tool developed by SmartBear and used for web, mobile and desktop applications. The main feature of this tool is the object recognition engine that can detect dynamic elements from a UI.
Source: dzone.com
Top 20 Best Automation Testing Tools in 2019 (Comprehensive List)
TestComplete is the top automation testing tool for desktop, mobile and web applications. With TestComplete, you can build and run functional UI tests via robust record & replay capabilities or by scripting in your favorite languages, including Python, JavaScript, VBScript and more.
Top 20 Best Automation Testing Tools in 2018 (Comprehensive List)
TestComplete is the top automation testing tool for desktop, mobile and web applications. With TestComplete, you can build and run functional UI tests via robust record & replay capabilities or by scripting in your favorite languages, including Python, JavaScript, VBScript and more.

Selenium Reviews

Top Selenium Alternatives
Nightwatch.js simplifies the setup and use of Selenium WebDriver, providing an abstraction layer that is easier to work with for JavaScript developers. While it offers the broad compatibility and standardization of Selenium WebDriver, it aims to improve the development experience with its simplified syntax and support for the Page Object pattern, making it a middle ground...
Source: bugbug.io
Top 5 Selenium Alternatives for Less Maintenance
And that’s why code-free test automation is important. Implementing codeless Selenium alternatives can address the challenges posed by traditional Selenium testing. They help testers with various skill sets to contribute to the testing process, enhancing collaboration and accelerating the testing lifecycle. For an in-depth discussion on the significance of codeless Selenium,...
Best Automation Testing Tools (Free and Paid) | July 2022
Automation testing is the process of testing the software using an automation tool to find the defects. In this process, executing the test scripts and generating the results are performed automatically by automation tools. Some most popular tools to do automation testing are HP QTP/UFT, Selenium WebDriver, etc.,
20 BEST Selenium Alternatives in 2021
Selenium is an open-source automated testing tool. It can perform functional, regression, load testing on web applications across different browsers and platforms. Selenium is one of the finest tools, but it does have some drawbacks.
Source: www.guru99.com
Top 10 Best Selenium Alternatives You Should Try
Selenium is a convenient and portable software testing tool specifically used for testing web applications. It acts as an API (Application Program Interface) for browser automation. Selenium is the widely used free and open-source tool used for automation testing of web applications through various browsers and platforms.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Selenium should be more popular than TestComplete. It has been mentiond 8 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

TestComplete mentions (2)

  • How to create step recording program like testcomplete?
    I've been working with Selenium and Python for the past two years and I can say I've good enough experience with them about now. One thing that has always bothered me is how much manual work I have to do in order to implement the steps I need my program to make. So I've been thinking of making my own "step recorder", something in the vein of TestComplete. I've been using PyAutoGui too and the thought of crossing... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Looking for OS automation software
    SmartBear TestComplete and Ranorex both offer 30-day free trials to try them out. Their suites make it easy to automate desktop apps, but licensing is expensive. Part of what you pay for is being able to write "codeless" tests by recording your mouse and keyboard activity and validating whatever you want on the app. Source: over 3 years ago

Selenium mentions (8)

  • How to write tests in Django for JavaScript fetch
    You won't be able to test the javascript function itself from within python, but you can exercise the front-end code using something like cypress (https://cypress.io) or the older but still respectable selenium (https://selenium.dev). Source: about 2 years ago
  • Having Issues with selenium
    In addition, .find_element_by_class_name is deprecated since selenium 4.3.0 and the replacement is .find_element(By.CLASS_NAME, "class"). Check selenium's site for more info. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Issues with Selenium 4.8.0
    This is the code again after checking selenium's official site :. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Having Issues with selenium
    I also tried the following code seen on the selenium.dev website. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Document Object Model Specification
    The following functions are defined within the Selenium project, at revision 1721e627e3b5ab90a06e82df1b088a33a8d11c20. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing TestComplete and Selenium, you can also consider the following products

Sauce Labs - Test mobile or web apps instantly across 700+ browser/OS/device platform combinations - without infrastructure setup.

Cypress.io - Slow, difficult and unreliable testing for anything that runs in a browser. Install Cypress in seconds and take the pain out of front-end testing.

Ranorex Studio - Accelerate testing with Ranorex Studio, the all-in-one tool for test automation. For desktop, web, or mobile app testing, with easy codeless automation tools, a full IDE, robust object recognition, flexible reporting and built-in Selenium WebDriver.

Katalon - Built on the top of Selenium and Appium, Katalon Studio is a free and powerful automated testing tool for web testing, mobile testing, and API testing.

soapUI - SoapUI Pro is one of the most prominent API testing platforms around, allowing developers to quickly prototype the functions of their apps and get them to market with little hassle.

BrowserStack - BrowserStack is a software testing platform for developers to comprehensively test websites and mobile applications for quality.

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