Manual Testing VS Automated Testing: Two Major Choices For Product Testing

Software testing is an integral part of software development that focuses on tracking, verifying, and validating the various qualitative considerations and requirements for a software product. Any accomplished Software Development Company India ensures to provide great software products to their customers and this is why it is important to check the product features and functionalities as well as user experience attributes before the market launch.

In earlier times, software testing used to be carried out manually. But now thanks to the availability of an array of tools and tech solutions software testing can also be carried out automatically. Thus, Automation testing became the new normal across software development companies.

But when do you choose automated testing over manual testing or vice versa, largely depends upon different scenarios.

What Exactly is Manual Testing?

Manual Testing refers to the manual process of testing software. To speak more specifically, it is the testing process involving human resources. Naturally, the testing skills, knowledge, and expertise about testing technologies and testing experience prove vital for the Manual Testing.

What Exactly is Automation Testing?

Using automation tools for test execution is widely known as Automation Testing. It is the kind of testing involving testing applications scripted by professional programmers experienced in coding tests for different software products.

As for examples of automation testing tools, we have a multitude of them such as Selenium, QTP, UFT, and several others.

How to Choose Between Manual Testing and Automated Testing?

Now that we have come to know what is manual testing and what is automation testing, we would explain making a choice between the two. Businesses have a plethora of test scenarios for software products and according to these scenarios, one needs to choose between manual and automated testing. Here we are going to explain some of these scenarios.

• Project Size

In the case of large and complicated project size with a heavy load of features, automation testing comes as the best option. In the case of a small project size, manual testing can prove to be enough.

In case of sensitive projects such as banking and financial software involving transaction data of too many people, automation testing is preferred to safeguard the data from manual access.

• Project Budget

In case the budget of a software project is not enough, then it is better to opt for manual testing as it is less expensive compared to manual testing. In the case of enough budget allocation, automation testing is a better option.

• Human Resource

In projects where enough capable human capital is available, then manual testing is a better choice. Users can also hire quality analyst testers from the company who have a large team, even then manual testing is a better option.

Automation testing on the other hand can be more appropriate for scenarios where capable human resources are scarce.

• Number of Testing

In all those testing scenarios where testing needs to be carried out too frequently or regularly, automation testing is an appropriate option. In the case of projects where only once the testing of the product is done, manual testing is more suitable.

Read More: Importance Of Unit Testing In Software Development

• Frequency of Code Changes

In case coding changes in software are carried out too frequently, then automation testing is a better option. Many times it occurs that when making code changes in one module, the other module gets affected, and then all the modules need to be tested. For such testing needs, automation testing is more appropriate.

• Choosing Between Parallel or Sequential Testing

In case you have to run the test parallelly across different systems, automation testing comes as the ideal choice. On the other hand, in case of carrying out tests sequentially through a series of tests, manual testing comes as the more appropriate choice.

• Choosing between Random and Ad-hoc testing

In case you need to check the app displays randomly, manual testing is a better choice. In case of fulfilling the testing needs by covering all areas exhaustively, you may need to use highly capable automation testing tools.

• A/B Testing of Image and Font

For simple A/B testing of images and fonts, you don’t have any option but to rely on manual testing professionals.

• Faster Testing in a Given Time

When the testing time is limited and you don’t have enough time allocated for the testing phase, automation testing remains the ideal choice.

• Detecting All Major User Issues

Since automation testing tools perform mostly like robots depending upon the test scripts and involving no human judgment, they are often not effective in finding out actual user issues with a software product.

Manual testing professionals on the other hand can break the programs into units and test many unexpected scenarios that users face. This is why the layout and usability aspects of software products are mostly tested through manual testing processes. This is also the reason why manual testing is carried out to explore a software product.

• Type and Niche

For certain software projects, manual testing is the ideal option. For example, in apps involving testing the Touch interface manual testing by humans are necessary to validate the output.

For software projects handling sensible and vulnerable data, automation testing is a better option to avoid human exposure. In case of repetitive testing and filling up forms with the same test data, automation testing again is a better option.

• Development Methodology

Selecting the type of testing also depends upon the testing methodology. In all projects where development scenarios and corresponding requirements change quickly, manual testing is a better choice than automation testing.

• App Installation and Setup

For checking the app Installation and setup, manual testing is best as such aspects are human-driven.

• Error Handling and Recovery

How software handles errors, unwanted crashes, and disasters and how it ensures recovery, are best tested through the manual testing procedures. Detecting problems with such aspects require creating different user scenarios such as server powering off, crashing of hard disk, etc, and hence manual testing is required.

• Software Load Time and Stress Testing

Automation testing is more suitable to test the load capacity, volume, stress, and other capacities. Bots simply by enhancing load, volume, and stress on the program can test capacity.

• Testing the GUI

When it comes to GUI testing or more specifically user interface testing, automation testing is a far better choice. The automation testing tools can be highly capable of recording user actions and using them a number of times in different scenarios.

Must read: 10 Best API Testing Tools

Types of Testing Where Both Manual and Automation Testing are Effective

As of now, it must have been clear that both manual and automation testing are highly effective in different scenarios. But in certain scenarios, both types of testing are effective. If you are asking which testing method is more beneficial, there is actually none and it entirely depends upon the specific development scenarios. Here we mention some of these scenarios where both types of testing can be carried out.

• In the case of Black box Testing that involves no coding knowledge, both manual and automation testing can be effective.
• In the case of the White box, Testing was checking the internal app structure is involved and requires a coding system and different conditions, both manual and automation testing can be carried out.
• In the case of Integration Testing that requires linking different modules, as well as tests both manual and automation testing, can be used.
• In the case of System Testing to check both usability and performance both types of testing can be used.
• For Unit Testing that involves checking a single module early in the development process, both types of testing can be appropriate.
• For Acceptance Testing that involves validating user acceptance, both types of testing can be utilized.

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Conclusion

Both Manual and Automation Testing have their respective pros and cons and making a choice between the two largely depends upon the specific project requirements, development time, and the software budget.