Apache JMeter vs k6

Overview

Apache JMeter

Stacks435

Followers285

Votes10

Stacks257

Followers226

Votes56

Apache JMeter vs k6: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Apache JMeter and k6

Apache JMeter and k6 are both popular tools used for performance testing, but they have several key differences that set them apart.

Scripting Language:
- Apache JMeter uses BeanShell or Groovy as its scripting language, which offers more flexibility and allows users to write complex test scenarios.
- k6, on the other hand, uses JavaScript as its scripting language, making it more accessible and approachable for developers who are already familiar with JavaScript.
Concurrency Model:
- Apache JMeter follows a multi-threading model where each virtual user runs in a separate thread, making it suitable for simulating a large number of users with its multi-threaded approach.
- k6, on the other hand, follows an event-driven model using JavaScript's asynchronous nature, allowing it to handle a large number of users with less hardware resources and giving it better scalability.
Test Execution:
- Apache JMeter executes tests in a distributed manner using multiple machines or servers, allowing for high scalability and load generation from different locations.
- k6, on the other hand, primarily focuses on executing tests from a single machine, providing easier setup and simplicity.
Metrics and Visualization:
- Apache JMeter provides a wide range of built-in listeners and plugins for gathering performance metrics, along with the ability to generate various types of reports and visualizations.
- k6 has a built-in real-time results dashboard, which provides live monitoring and metrics during test execution, making it easier to observe and analyze performance metrics during a test run.
Support for Protocols:
- Apache JMeter supports a wide range of protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, SOAP, REST, FTP, and more. This makes it suitable for testing different types of applications and systems.
- k6 primarily focuses on HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2 protocols, making it an ideal choice for testing web applications and APIs.
Usability and Extensibility:
- Apache JMeter has a large and active community, providing extensive documentation, online resources, and a wide range of plugins and integrations. It offers more options for customization and extensibility.
- k6 has a smaller community but focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It provides a user-friendly command-line interface and an intuitive script structure for creating tests.

In summary, Apache JMeter and k6 differ in their scripting languages, concurrency models, test execution approaches, metrics and visualization capabilities, supported protocols, and usability. These differences make each tool suitable for different use cases and preferences in performance testing.

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CLI (Node.js)

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Advice on Apache JMeter, k6

Aravinth

SSE

Nov 19, 2019

Needs advice

I want to do performance testing with HTTP protocol but the test script should be java script. For now, I kept "Artillery" and "K6" tools in my queue. Did you guys have any idea about this? Is there any tools which support Test script language: JavaScript Protocol: Http/web service Must Feature: Record OS: Mac os/windows

84.4k views84.4k

Comments

Ratan

QA Manager at Verisys

Feb 12, 2020

Needs advice

I have a team that is not heavy on programming skills. I am looking for a load testing tool that is easy to use. Preferably, the tool should be a record and playback tool without much programming. Also, the tool should be able to test APIs apart from web-based applications. What tool should I opt for?

36.3k views36.3k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

Apache JMeter	k6
It is open source software, a 100% pure Java application designed to load test functional behavior and measure performance. It was originally designed for testing Web Applications but has since expanded to other test functions.	It is a developer centric open source load testing tool for testing the performance of your backend infrastructure. It’s built with Go and JavaScript to integrate well into your development workflow.
-	Written in Go and JavaScript, built to integrate well into the modern developer workflow and automation pipelines; Primarily for load testing, it also works for functional testing of APIs and microservices with its powerful JS ES6 based scripting API; Straightforward CLI, sharing many UX aspects with the DevOps tools you already use
Statistics
Stacks 435	Stacks 257
Followers 285	Followers 226
Votes 10	Votes 56
Pros & Cons
Pros 5 Requires no programming knowledge 3 Supports distributed 2 Open-source Cons 1 Too complicated 1 It's GUI-first	Pros 13 Fits nicely in a CI workflow 11 It's code-first 11 Test scripts are written in javascript 11 Open-source 10 Easy to use Cons 3 Requires bundling and transpiling to use npm packages
Integrations
No integrations available	Kafka Linux Grafana InfluxDB macOS Datadog Debian Windows JSON

What are some alternatives to Apache JMeter, k6?

Locust

Locust is an easy-to-use, distributed, user load testing tool. Intended for load testing web sites (or other systems) and figuring out how many concurrent users a system can handle.

Gatling

Gatling is a highly capable load testing tool. It is designed for ease of use, maintainability and high performance. Out of the box, Gatling comes with excellent support of the HTTP protocol that makes it a tool of choice for load testing any HTTP server. As the core engine is actually protocol agnostic, it is perfectly possible to implement support for other protocols. For example, Gatling currently also ships JMS support.

Loader.io

Loader.io is a free load testing service that allows you to stress test your web-apps/apis with thousands of concurrent connections.

BlazeMeter

Simulate any user scenario for webapps, websites, mobile apps or web services. 100% Apache JMeter compatible. Scalable from 1 to 1,000,000+ concurrent users.<br>

RedLine13

It is a load testing platform that brings the low cost power of the cloud to JMeter and other open source load testing tools.

AWS Device Farm

Run tests across a large selection of physical devices in parallel from various manufacturers with varying hardware, OS versions and form factors.

Flood IO

Performance testing with Flood increases customer satisfaction and confidence in your production apps and reduces business risk.

Blitz

Build bulletproof, scalable solutions with Blitz - a simple and fun service for load testing web apps and APIs in the cloud. Blitz offers powerful yet simple capabilities including continuous monitoring, performance testing and remediation. Blitz enables you to instantly burst up to 50,000 concurrent users against your app in seconds from multiple points of presence around the world.

LoadNinja

It is  a  cloud-based platform for engineers and performance professionals who load test web applications. It makes load testing simple and fast. Test your website and web apps on real browsers, in the cloud, without the need for dynamic correlation.

Artillery

It is a modern, open-source, powerful & easy-to-use performance testing toolkit. Use it to ship scalable applications that stay performant & resilient under high load. It prioritizes developer productivity and happiness and follows the “batteries-included” philosophy.

Related Comparisons

Apache JMeter vs k6: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Apache JMeter and k6

Apache JMeter and k6 are both popular tools used for performance testing, but they have several key differences that set them apart.

Scripting Language:
- Apache JMeter uses BeanShell or Groovy as its scripting language, which offers more flexibility and allows users to write complex test scenarios.
- k6, on the other hand, uses JavaScript as its scripting language, making it more accessible and approachable for developers who are already familiar with JavaScript.
Concurrency Model:
- Apache JMeter follows a multi-threading model where each virtual user runs in a separate thread, making it suitable for simulating a large number of users with its multi-threaded approach.
- k6, on the other hand, follows an event-driven model using JavaScript's asynchronous nature, allowing it to handle a large number of users with less hardware resources and giving it better scalability.
Test Execution:
- Apache JMeter executes tests in a distributed manner using multiple machines or servers, allowing for high scalability and load generation from different locations.
- k6, on the other hand, primarily focuses on executing tests from a single machine, providing easier setup and simplicity.
Metrics and Visualization:
- Apache JMeter provides a wide range of built-in listeners and plugins for gathering performance metrics, along with the ability to generate various types of reports and visualizations.
- k6 has a built-in real-time results dashboard, which provides live monitoring and metrics during test execution, making it easier to observe and analyze performance metrics during a test run.
Support for Protocols:
- Apache JMeter supports a wide range of protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, SOAP, REST, FTP, and more. This makes it suitable for testing different types of applications and systems.
- k6 primarily focuses on HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2 protocols, making it an ideal choice for testing web applications and APIs.
Usability and Extensibility:
- Apache JMeter has a large and active community, providing extensive documentation, online resources, and a wide range of plugins and integrations. It offers more options for customization and extensibility.
- k6 has a smaller community but focuses on simplicity and ease of use. It provides a user-friendly command-line interface and an intuitive script structure for creating tests.

Apache JMeter vs k6

Overview

Apache JMeter vs k6: What are the differences?