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k6

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Loader.io

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Loader.io vs k6: What are the differences?

Loader.io: Simple Cloud-based Load Testing. Loader.io is a free load testing service that allows you to stress test your web-apps/apis with thousands of concurrent connections; k6: Developer centric open-source load and performance testing tool. 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.

Loader.io and k6 can be categorized as "Load and Performance Testing" tools.

k6 is an open source tool with 5.57K GitHub stars and 287 GitHub forks. Here's a link to k6's open source repository on GitHub.

Advice on k6 and Loader.io
Ratan Sharmacharya
Needs advice
on
Apache JMeterApache JMeter
and
Loader.ioLoader.io

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?

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Replies (2)
Deepak Naik
Product Owner at Digite Infotech Private Limited · | 3 upvotes · 29.7K views

My choice would be Apache JMeter, It's free and opensource plus it comes with lots of plugins and extendability. Apache JMeter needs a small amount of a learning curve and a basic understanding of Network, Protocols (TCP/IP ports, HTTP(S) and REST/SOAP, etc.) for initial setup. But it doesn't require programming skills. it has a nice record and playback option. You can still carry on without the developer skillset if you follow these steps. 1. Take backup. 2. Start recording and interact with the application. 3. stop recording and save the test case. This will give you your test-bed, after this, after these steps, every time just do Restore from backup and then Playback and observer results.

If you have longer recordings then an understanding of how to modify the recorded scripts will come handy.

For some of the advanced features such as Configuring variables, implementing loops, throttling adding think time, and automating test scaling to the number of users will require good planning of test scenarios and a Developer experience but this is true for any tool (even loader.io)

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Pepe Ruiz
Head of Content at k6.io · | 2 upvotes · 29.4K views
Recommends
on
k6k6

Disclaimer: I work at k6, and I recommend you try our tool.

It might require some coding skills, but we support a few options to record a user session to autogenerate the load test. Read How to record a browser session with k6 OSS.

The k6 Cloud also supports recording a user session with a Browser Extension. Additionally, it provides a Test Builder UI to generate a load test for testing APIs.

If you have questions or need help, you can ask on Slack and the Community forum.

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Pros of k6
Pros of Loader.io
  • 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
  • 9
    Easy to use
  • 6
    Free tier
  • 3
    Heroku add-on

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Cons of k6
Cons of Loader.io
  • 3
    Requires bundling and transpiling to use npm packages
    Be the first to leave a con

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    What is k6?

    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.

    What is 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.

    Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

    What companies use k6?
    What companies use Loader.io?
    See which teams inside your own company are using k6 or Loader.io.
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    What tools integrate with k6?
    What tools integrate with Loader.io?

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    What are some alternatives to k6 and Loader.io?
    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.
    Wrk
    It is a hiring platform that provides an affordable way for small businesses to get a handle on their hiring process—a seamless set of features to create custom job posts and application forms, manage incoming candidates, and document the entire journey.
    Apache JMeter
    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.
    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.
    See all alternatives