Appium vs Experitest: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the key differences between Appium and Experitest in the context of mobile app testing.

1. Platform Support: Appium is an open-source, cross-platform mobile automation framework that supports both Android and iOS platforms. It allows testers to write tests using their preferred programming languages and works on various operating systems. On the other hand, Experitest is a commercial tool that also supports both Android and iOS platforms but provides additional support for other platforms such as Windows, BlackBerry, and more.

2. Test Development: Appium requires testers to have coding skills as tests are written using programming languages like Java, Python, or Ruby. It provides flexibility in terms of test development, enabling testers to leverage their coding expertise. Experitest, on the other hand, offers a more user-friendly approach with a visual test development environment. It allows testers with limited coding knowledge to create tests by simply dragging and dropping test elements.

3. Device Cloud: Appium relies on connecting physical devices or emulators directly to the testing machine, which can limit scalability and parallel testing capabilities. Experitest, on the other hand, provides a device cloud solution that allows testers to access a large pool of real devices or emulators remotely. This enables parallel testing on multiple devices and offers better scalability for large-scale test automation.

4. Integration with CI/CD pipelines: Appium seamlessly integrates with popular continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) tools such as Jenkins, CircleCI, and more. It allows testers to incorporate automated tests into their existing CI/CD pipelines, ensuring continuous testing throughout the development lifecycle. Experitest also offers integration with CI/CD tools but has a more comprehensive set of plugins and integrations, making it easier to incorporate tests into complex CI/CD workflows.

5. Community Support: Appium has a large and active community of developers and testers who contribute to its development, provide support, and share best practices. This ensures a rich knowledge base and quick resolution of issues. Experitest also has a support community but is relatively smaller compared to Appium's. However, as a commercial tool, Experitest offers dedicated customer support and more personalized assistance to its users.

6. Pricing: Appium is an open-source tool and, therefore, completely free to use. It provides a cost-effective solution for mobile app testing, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. Experitest, being a commercial tool, comes with a licensing cost. The pricing may vary based on the number of users, devices, and additional features required. It is a more suitable option for larger organizations with higher testing requirements and dedicated budgets.

In summary, Appium is an open-source, cross-platform mobile automation framework with a strong community support and free to use, while Experitest is a commercial tool with a user-friendly test development environment, extended platform support, and a device cloud solution for scalable testing. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements, budget, and expertise of the testing team.