Cloud-Based Mobile App Testing
What are the benefits and best service providers on the market?
The complexity of mobile application testing has increased exponentially as device and OS combinations have exploded in recent years, and the execution of the test cases across various devices also becomes quite demanding as applications evolve with additional features and capabilities. Testing mobile apps can be a pain, especially with the wide range of OS versions with different screen sizes, resolutions, capabilities, and so on. Therefore, it is becoming challenging each day, and it is also the most common concern whether to switch to a cloud solution or not.
We can not guarantee that the working fine app on Android will work without any problem on iOS too. Sometimes problems arise even in the same OS when only the version number changes. As it is defined explicitly in the previous article, 60% of people have deleted an app after just one attempt to use it, if there were problems with performance, and a total of 80% will eventually delete an app if problems continue. So first we have to make sure that our app works as it is expected in order to provide user satisfaction, and as a result of this stay competitive in the market.
Test automation tools provide thorough testing with the added benefit of rapid speed and early detection of issues. Cloud-based testing tools on the other hand can run required test cases on thousands of simulators as well as real devices, saving organizations from high capital expenditures for devices. These cloud tools provide access to simulators, emulators, and various real devices at highly competitive pricing.
Let’s analyze first whether we need it, then we can continue with the benefits of using cloud service providers, and finally, I will give some examples from the most commonly used ones in the market. This article is specific to mobile apps, however, the same cloud solutions may also be considered for web apps.
Do we really need a cloud platform?
There are some 6000+ apps launched on the Android Playstore and approximately 4000+ apps are released on the iOS app store per day. With such competitive figures, you have to be sure that apart from offering something innovative and interesting to your customers, your application should also be efficient and flawless.
This should be first analyzed to take the decision since using cloud providers might be costly, even though they offer tremendous advantages. I will try to list some points, which give an insight into whether a cloud solution is really needed.
1. First, we have to consider our end users. If we are developing an app, which is going to be used internally in the company, which means that our end-user is our employees, then we should think twice to switch to the cloud option unless the app has some critical functions which are vulnerable to failures. These applications are available in play stores but are installed by specific people, which is most of the time not over a thousand.
If we are developing apps, such as gaming apps, travel apps, or e-commerce apps, which are used globally by millions of people and are not limited to some specific audience, then we need to make sure that it works in numerous devices with numerous scenarios. In that case, it is logical to take support from cloud platforms. Without testing intensively, not only functional but also stress, penetration, or load tests, it is highly possible that the company faces some issues when the app is used among millions of users. Even one critical failure might cause a big budget problem.
2. If our mobile application is only web-based, then we might also not need a cloud solution, as nowadays almost all the automation tools provide an option to test with different browser types with mobile view. Again, it depends on the business requirement. If it has to be functional with all types of browsers and its versions, even back to 4–5 years, then cloud testing could be advisable again to make the job easier. Native apps and hybrid apps on the other hand need to be tested with different types of operating systems and/or their versions — finding the right cloud solution might facilitate the job of software testers.
3. Apps, which do not have fancy UI, in other words, the logic is in the backend, and the features that we see on the GUI will not vary with phone models — do not need to be tested for all screen sizes or phone features. Hence, it might not be a good idea to test on the cloud.
4. If the features in the app change frequently, or the customer is changing the functionality very often, then it is also not advisable to test it in the cloud since the app is not so stable.
5. Security concerns — If your app has some sensible and critical data, then you might again consider not put your all data into the cloud platform. When you submit your app to any cloud-based testing tool, you are giving away your data, information, your app, and sometimes the code as well.
6. Functional dependency — There are some apps, which require manual intervention, or parallel execution with another application. For instance, you are developing one mobile app to show scan results from another mobile device. In order to test one feature on your app, you need to open a socket server in another device parallel to simulate a dummy scanner, which means your functional tests are dependent on another functionality/server to execute the tests. In such cases, it is also not advisable to use cloud platforms.
Benefits of Cloud Testing for Mobile Applications
Using cloud testing platforms for mobile testing has several advantages, such as:
- Cost-effectiveness: If testing requires 5 OS versions vs 50 different phone models, then we can’t imagine how much it will cost for a company.
- Availability of varied devices and OS platforms.
- Easy access: This can be accessed from anywhere and at any time. You can even run your automated test scripts on geolocated machines with different time zones. Hence, it is perfect for the agile methodology since QA engineers are empowered with the same resources regardless of their location at the same time.
- Simplicity: All you need to do is visit a URL, which the cloud platform provides, in order to execute your tests. You don’t need to set the testing environment, which can be very challenging when it comes to mobile app testing.
- Enables integration with test management tools for team collaboration.
- Increased efficiency: The test results can be achieved in much less time when compared to manual testing, or even testing with an automation tool locally. This helps in increasing efficiency, thereby delivering a smoothly functioning app.
- Facility for parallel testing: Enables concurrent testing, thereby saving time during test cycles.
Of course, there might be some limitations as well despite its tremendous advantages, such as needing a large bandwidth to increase the effectiveness of your tool, or having no backup plans in the clouds when things go wrong, or testing some specific features like finger touch/touch id. And the biggest concern, of course, is the prices 😃, which are going to be covered partially in the next section.
Top cloud testing tools
Following is a list of some of the most popular and widely used cloud-based mobile application tools. Most of them offer similar solutions to different cases, so it is better to analyze them deeply before making a decision.
1. AWS Device Farm
This is a leading cloud-based testing tool made by Amazon and can be used to test your mobile apps on a growing selection of real iOS, Android, and Fire OS devices.
The service enables you to run your tests concurrently on numerous real devices to speed up the execution of your test suite and generates videos and logs to help you quickly identify issues with your app. It is possible and very easy to interact with devices in real-time, directly from your web browser.
The pricing models offered are of three types — pay as you go (0,17$ / Device Minute), unlimited testing, and private devices (starts at $250.00 / Month). Testers can choose anyone according to their need.
2. Kobiton
With this mobile app testing tool, you can test on the real devices you want, when you need them. Get the most accurate results by testing mobile applications on the latest devices — iOS and Android app testing included.
Users can execute manual and automated tests in parallel, at scale, as well as leverage Kobiton’s industry-first scriptless automation tool for mobile, with the option to export open standard Appium scripts without writing any code.
The price range starts with 50$ / month, which is suitable for teams who need to quickly test customer issues & identify bugs, up to 1400$ / month, which is for mobile-critical companies with advanced QA operational needs. The option with 700$ / month is very suitable for teams using test automation to ensure mobile quality at scale.
3. Perfecto
Its well-known continuous quality lab offers mobile performance testing, manual testing, real-device monitoring, and test automation. Perfecto supports thousands of device, OS, and browser combinations across the globe. They are also providing technical guidance on your testing strategies.
The price range starts with 83$ / month, which allows you to test manually. The automated option starts with 125$ / Month, which supports real devices and major frameworks. There are also the scriptless option is available, which provides a private cloud option. For both scriptless and enterprise options, you need to contact the service provider to get the price.
4. SauceLabs
Sauce Labs maintains the latest in Android emulators and iOS simulators, providing a scalable, highly reliable & efficient way to automate tests for native apps and mobile web.
You can also test mobile apps on a public or private Real Device Cloud with thousands of the latest devices to mimic real-world conditions and expedite testing for mobile applications without compromising quality.
The price range starts with 39$ / month, which allows manual cross-browser & mobile app testing on 1000s of real mobile devices, emulators & simulators. Virtual Cloud option starts with 149$ / month, which allows automated + manual cross-browser & mobile app testing on 1000s of mobile emulators & simulators. The real Device Cloud option starts with 199$ / month, which allows automated + manual mobile cross-browser & app testing of 1000s of real mobile devices.
5. BrowserStack
BrowserStack is a cloud web and mobile testing platform that enables software testers to test their mobile applications across on-demand operating systems and real mobile devices, without requiring users to install or maintain an internal lab of virtual machines, devices, or emulators.
Browserstack provides instant access to 2000+ mobile devices. The service includes interactive testing on iOS and Android devices.
Automated mobile app testing starts with 199$ / month, which includes all real mobile & tablet devices, secure local testing, unlimited automated testing minutes with unlimited users. For the enterprise edition, you need to get in touch with them.
6. Firebase Test Lab
Firebase Test Lab is a cloud-based app testing infrastructure that lets you test your app on a range of devices and configurations, so you can get a better idea of how it’ll perform in the hands of live users. You can run tests on a wide range of Android and iOS devices hosted by Test Lab.
Test Lab uses real, production devices running in a Google data center to test your app. The devices are flashed with updated APIs and have customizable locale settings, allowing you to road-test your app on the hardware and configurations it’ll encounter in real-world use.
It comes in both a free spark plan and pay as you go option. For the detailed price option please refer to the official website, as it offers detailed price options based on your needs.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned testing and test automation cloud solutions provide comprehensive device coverage with varying platforms, screen sizes, etc. thus, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. This, along with detailed logs and reports, helps QA teams deliver high-quality applications that meet customer expectations, time to market, and cost objectives.
We should be thankful to those service providers as they facilitate our work, however, the cloud testing platforms are not cheaper, has their own pros and cons, hence you need to analyze your app and the company needs to choose the best option.
I hope the above article helps you with selecting the right option.
☕️ Happy testing! ☕️
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