As technology advances, so does the need to keep up with it, and mobile app testing is no exception.

This article will discuss the top automation tools you should consider for testing your mobile applications in the coming year.

From open-source solutions to commercial products, we will cover the best of the best and provide some helpful advice on choosing the right one for you. So, if you want to stay ahead of the curve in 2024, read on further!

Those who design or QA apps understand that mobile app testing is an indispensable component of app development.

The significance of mobile testing is becoming increasingly pronounced as more companies strive to capture a share of the mobile user audience, numerous mobile device and version combination are being introduced to the market, and the number of businesses developing mobile products is on the rise.

According to a report by Gartner, by 2025, 80% of organizations will have switched from project-centric to product-centric delivery models, which will increase the demand for continuous testing.

This will require the use of automation tools to streamline the testing process and ensure faster delivery of high-quality products.

As the market welcomes more devices, platforms, and versions, and an increasing number of companies create mobile products such as mobile website builders, choosing the right mobile app testing tool has become an integral part of the testing process. However, with a plethora of options available, each with its unique strengths and limitations, picking the best mobile testing tool that aligns with your needs can be daunting.

Best Mobile Testing Tools & Apps in 2024

Kobiton

This mobile app testing tool was designed to provide an accessible manual and automated testing platform. It enables developers and testers to access a huge range of devices, supporting iOS and Android.

With Kobiton, testers can access real devices and obtain real-time insights into logs, facilitating the speedy identification and resolution of issues. Major corporations like AT&T, Coca-Cola, Uber and IBM use Kobiton for various functional, visual, and performance tests. It supports tests developed with Appium, Selenium XCUI and Espresso.

Kobiton is ideal for testers of all proficiency levels. It offers scriptless test automation, allowing you to validate user experience and interface across all mobile devices and replay scenarios to replicate issues without writing a single line of code. Moreover, testing coverage, automation, management, and remote enablement can be easily managed within one user-friendly platform.

Seamless integration with several popular tools: JetBrains, Microsoft Visual Studios, Travis CI, TeamCity, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, CircleCI, Jira Software, and Xebialabs, making it an irresistible choice for discerning professionals.

Pricing: starts at $75 per month for unlimited users and includes a 14-day free trial.

Appium

Appium has become a highly sought-after mobile testing tool due to its open-source, cross-platform nature. 

It is compatible with hybrid and native iOS and Android and offers a wide range of support for languages and testing frameworks to write test cases. The setup is easy to configure on most platforms and does not require any installation on the device. 

This tool works similarly to a Selenium server for mobile and allows multiple programming languages like Java, Ruby and C# to create automated test scripts through the WebDriver interface. 

The app uses the UI Automator library for Android provided by Google as part of the Android SDK and supports Chrome and Safari on mobile devices. It can be synchronised with the testing framework TestNG for generating detailed reports similar to Ranorex. 

Furthermore, it easily integrates with BrowserStack and Jenkins, making it easier to conduct tests such as web, performance, API and security testing. You also get extra features such as record-and-replay, cross-browser support, zero code automation and real device testing.

This tool comes with support from internal groups on Appium Chat or external on Discussion Groups and GitHub Issues and is compatible across iOS, Android, Windows and Linux platforms. 

Pricing: Open-source

Test Evolve

TestEvolve is an up-and-coming Agile Automated Testing Framework that is quickly gaining popularity in the industry. From its feature-packed dashboards to its Accessibility audits and low code test recorder, this all-inclusive tool will undoubtedly check off everything on your list.

Test Evolve provides support for complex end-to-end testing flows, meaning your tests can interact with browsers, APIs, desktop apps and mobile apps. The common API across all languages and test types allows users to quickly develop automated scenarios that replicate the end-user experience and thoroughly test their mobile app in the correct context.

TestEvolve features mainly consist of 3 main components:

Spark, the Automation Engine with JavaScript, TypeScript, or Ruby, combined with Selenium-Webdriver, Appium, and Cucumber, is the perfect framework for building tests.

Flare, the Studio App allows for easy management of all projects, easy test review, selection and running; it includes cross-browser and device support, multi-level reporting and numerous integrations with industry-leading tools for increased test coverage.

Halo, the Cloud Dashboard Platform, with both real-time and historical test audit and reporting features, enables users to see up to 8 dashboards with as much detail as you prefer.

Capabilities for: 

• Automating tests for browser, mobile app, API, database, and desktop apps.

• Cross-platform desktop app that facilitates recording and configuring tests.

• Covers cross-browser, cross-device, and security testing integrations.

• Includes features for Visual regression testing, Accessibility, and Lighthouse application auditing.

Pricing: 3 pricing packages (Free, Team and Business) ranging from £0-£139 monthly and also a Free Trial of 90 days

Calabash

Calabash (developed by the Xamarin team) is an open-source testing tool that is perfectly designed for all your mobile app testing needs. With Calabash, you can quickly write and execute automated acceptance tests for both Android and iOS.

This robust automation framework supports a wide range of native, mobile web, and hybrid applications, making it a must-have for anyone looking to automate their mobile testing process. And with its support for Cucumber, a BDD tool that can run tests written in plain English, there is no need to know Java, Objective-C, or any other programming language to get started. This feature allows for writing tests that business experts and non-technical QAs can understand.

Calabash's user-friendly interface makes it easy to interact with mobile applications, including pressing buttons, entering text, and verifying responses, meaning you can use applications faster and more efficiently.

The integration of Gherkin with Ruby allows developers to create automated tests that can be executed using BDD tools for a seamless flow between Devs and Testers. This ensures the developed mobile products are thoroughly tested and meet the highest quality standards on Android and iOS platforms.

Pricing: Open-source

Selendroid

Selendroid is an excellent tool for testing the UI of Android native and hybrid apps and mobile web. It has been designed with the help of the Selenium client API, making it easy to use and write tests. Additionally, it can perform parallel and scaling tests, is compatible with emulators and real devices and can be integrated into the Selenium Grid. Although knowledge of Selenium is necessary to use it effectively, its documentation provides clear instructions on installing and using it. 

For testing iOS native, hybrid, or mobile web applications, ios-driver is recommended, as it offers features such as full JSON Wire Protocol and Selenium 3 compatibility, making it user-friendly and requiring no modification of the tested app.

Selendroid is an excellent option for those who need to test multiple Android devices simultaneously. It enables users to locate necessary UI elements and provides an Advanced User Interactions API for gestures, allowing for a seamless experience. Selendroid also offers various extra features, including multiple Android target APIs and a powerful Inspector tool to make testing easier and quicker. Users can start and manage a variety of emulators, and they can also hot-plug real hardware devices. 

Pricing: Open-source

Perfecto

Perfecto provides cloud-based testing solutions for web and mobile applications. With Perfecto, you can craft and implement your tests, obtain reports, and scrutinise the test outcomes. You can execute automated tests or opt for live testing, fuse with numerous DevOps tools you're already familiar with, and quicken your testing phase to attain a swift time-to-market while preserving the app's quality.

The Perfecto Mobile cloud is an innovative web-based SaaS platform that empowers mobile app developers and QA Engineers to collaborate with advanced automation, monitoring, and testing services. The platform facilitates mobile app testers to automate testing on mobile devices connected to various mobile networks spread out in multiple geo-locations.

It has a broad range of test creation solutions to suit all levels of expertise and conditions, including BDD, Scriptless, or Coded tests for mobile and web applications in public or private cloud environments. 

Perfecto offers advanced mobile automation abilities, extensive reporting and test analysis functions and maintains a constantly up-to-date lab with the newest devices and platforms.

Perfecto is designed to work with a wide range of DevOps tools, ranging from IDEs to continuous integration tools and test automation frameworks. With an extensive library of integrations, you're bound to find the perfect match for your development needs. 

Perfecto Mobile has integrations with Appium, Espresso, Selenium and Jira, among the popular tools.

Pricing: Perfecto offers multiple packages Starting at $83/month and a 14-day free trial

Robotium

Robotium is an Android test automation framework fully supporting native and hybrid applications. It simplifies writing powerful and robust automatic black-box UI tests for Android applications. With Robotium, developers can write function, system, and user acceptance test scenarios that span multiple Android activities. As an open-source test framework, Robotium was created to make it easy to write compelling UI test cases for mobile Android applications.

Robotium tests can be executed on emulators and mobile devices, making it an ideal choice for testing Android apps, whether native or hybrid. One of the advantages of using Robotium is that minimal knowledge of the application under test is required. The framework automatically handles multiple Android activities, which helps reduce the time needed to write solid test cases.

Compared to standard instrumentation tests, Robotium dramatically improves the readability of test cases, resulting in more robust tests due to the run-time binding to UI components.

Additionally, test cases execute quickly, making it easy to integrate them smoothly with Maven, Gradle, or Ant to run tests as part of continuous integration.

Lastly, the Robotium Recorder is a great feature that allows you to record Robotium test cases in minutes, making it even easier to create practical UI tests for your Android applications.

Pricing: Open-source

Conclusion

In conclusion, the increasing complexity and variety of mobile devices and platforms make choosing the proper mobile app testing tool a crucial part of the testing process.

In this article, we have explored some of the top automation tools you should consider for testing your mobile applications in 2024, including Kobiton, Appium, Test Evolve, and Calabash. Each tool has unique strengths and limitations, and selecting one that aligns with your needs is essential. 

Test Evolve’s automated mobile app testing tool stands out as a leading tool to consider for mobile app testing due to its extensive testing framework coupled with strong reporting capabilities. This makes it an exceptional choice for teams seeking to optimise their testing procedures and elevate their testing outcomes.

Using these automated testing tools, you can streamline your mobile app testing process, ensure a better user experience, and stay ahead of the curve in the constantly evolving mobile industry.