7 BrowserStack alternatives - table overview

BrowserStack – “App & Browser Testing Made Easy”

BrowserStack is a cloud-based testing tool that allows developers to test websites and mobile applications across different browsers and devices. It offers a wide range of real devices and virtual machines with various operating systems and browser versions to simulate different environments.

Key features

Some of the key features highlighted on the BrowserStack website are:

• Web testing: Allows users to run manual, visual, and automated tests on their web applications.
• App testing: Supports native mobile application testing on Android and iOS devices.
• Live testing: Allows for real-time, interactive testing of web and mobile applications across different devices and browsers.
• Automate testing: Offers automated testing capabilities, integrating with Appium, Espresso, XCUITest, and others.
• Security measures: BrowserStack implements security measures, including SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, CSA Star Level 1 and CSA Star Level 2 certifications, and GDPR compliance (General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679).
• Percy: Integration with visual AI engine Percy provides enhanced visual testing capabilities, highlighting UI issues and changes between releases.
• Accessibility testing: Allowing users to ensure their web and mobile applications can be used by everyone, regardless of their abilities.
• Test management: This service offers various test management capabilities, including a centralized dashboard for tracking test results across multiple projects.
• Test observability: Provides real-time visibility into test results, allowing users to identify and address issues quickly.

7 BrowserStack alternatives worth considering

1. Global App Testing – “Grow your product globally through best-in-class functional and UX testing.”

Check out Global App Testing! We are showcasing ourselves because we would be happy to be added to your supplier shortlist if you are looking for a BrowserStack alternative.

Global App Testing specializes in crowdtesting, providing a variety of testing services to assist developers in identifying application bugs and defects. With a global community exceeding 90,000 testers spanning 190+ countries and territories, we conduct tests on real devices and software environments. Utilizing our platform, you can distribute test cases to your target market and obtain results within 6-48 hours. Trusted by industry leaders such as Meta, Google, Booking.com, and more, Global App Testing delivers reliable and effective testing solutions.

Key features

General features: 

• Real-world testing: Conducts real-world testing on various devices and software environments.
• Localization testing: We evaluate app performance across international markets to ensure local relevance and compliance.
• Test in various environments: Our services include testing in various environments to ensure compatibility and functionality.
• Cross-platform testing: Our testing spans various platforms such as websites, web applications, and mobile applications (iOS and Android).
• Bug reproduction: We offer validation and detailed reports on existing bugs, streamlining the fixing process for developers.
• Global app testing platform: With an easy-to-use interface, our platform provides detailed bug reports, test case results, and qualitative insights into the testing process.
• Integrations: Easily integrate with your CI using our API, CLI, and Webhooks, and sync with popular project management tools like Jira, GitHub, TestRail, and more.
• Security measures: GAT implements a range of security measures to ensure compliance with GDPR and ISO27001 regulations, effectively addressing digital laws and standards.
• Comprehensive reporting: Clients receive reports detailing testing results, including graphical and video representations, to identify areas for improvement.

• Web app testing: Quality checks for web apps at any stage.
• Mobile app testing: Real-device testing for mobile apps, focusing on compatibility and performance.
• Functional testing: Tests significant functions with crowdsourced testing in any browser or operating system.
• Usability testing: Evaluates user experience across various devices and platforms.
• Accessibility testing: Led by WCAG-trained testers, including real impaired testers for diverse evaluations.
• Exploratory testing: Quick, ad hoc testing by experienced testers, providing results with videos and logs within 6-36 hours.
• Regression testing: Rapid quality assurance by dedicated QA engineers tailored to your product's maturity.
• Release testing: Ensuring the software release meets quality standards and is ready for deployment.
• Smoke & Sanity testing: Quick tests at the beginning of longer test sequences to decide if further testing is needed.
• IoT and device testing: Compatibility tests across various hardware, including IoT devices, smart TVs, and more.
• Translation testing: Verifying the accuracy and effectiveness of translations in the application.
• Competitor benchmarking: Comparing your product's features and performance with local competitors in the market.

2. Appium – “Designed to facilitate UI automation of many app platforms” 

Appium is an open-source automation testing tool. It supports native, hybrid, and mobile web applications on iOS, Android, and Windows platforms. A key feature is its ability to test apps without code modifications.

Key features

Some of the key features highlighted on the Appium website include the following:

• Multiple language support: Appium facilitates test scripting and automation API using various programming languages such as Java, Python, Ruby, and Javascript.
• Test framework support: Integrates with popular test frameworks like JUnit and TestNG for efficient testing.
• UI elements locating: Appium enables easy identification and location of UI elements, enhancing testing efficiency.
• Emulation of user actions: Appium mimics user actions like swiping, tapping, typing, and rotating to assess mobile app functionality and usability.
• Continuous testing: Appium offers continuous testing capabilities, providing rapid feedback on product builds.
• Extensibility: It can be extended with additional modules or scripts to accommodate specific testing requirements.

3. Sauce Labs – “Website and mobile testing at every stage of development”

Sauce Labs is a cloud-based platform for automated testing of web and mobile applications. It provides a wide range of virtual devices and browsers to enable testing of applications in various environments.

Key features

Some of the key features highlighted on the Sauce Labs website include the following:

• Automated testing: Execute tests quickly and accurately on over 1000+ browser and OS combinations.
• Manual testing: Test with real, cloud-hosted, physical devices powered by real SIM cards.
• Analytics: Get real-time insights to test execution and monitor progress across different platforms to resolve issues quickly.
• Integration with CI/CD tools: Sauce Labs can be integrated with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools for efficient testing within development pipelines.
• Security: Secure and reliable cloud testing with SOC 2 compliance and ISO 27001 certification.
• Sauce Low-Code: Automate testing with low-code scripting technology, eliminating the need for coding skills.

4. Applitools – “The All-In-One Next Generation AI-Powered Testing Platform”

Applitools is an AI-powered testing platform that mainly detects and diagnoses visual bugs and UI issues across browsers, devices, and screen sizes. It provides various automated testing and reporting features for web, mobile, and desktop applications.

Key features

Some of the key features highlighted on the Applitools website include the following:

• Visual AI testing: Uses patented visual AI technology to automatically detect visual bugs and other UI issues.
• Automated root cause analysis: Provides actionable insights into the root cause of bugs and visual regressions, saving time and increasing efficiency.
• Applitools platform: This platform offers autonomous testing with AI-powered end-to-end testing, ultrafast Eyes testing that enables front-end teams to focus on results, not just code, and Preflight for performance testing.
• Multiple test framework integrations: Integrates with 60+ frameworks, including Selenium, Appium, and Cypress, for easy test setup and execution.
• Accessibility testing: Offers advanced capabilities to detect and fix accessibility issues and provides comprehensive reports, allowing for quicker remediation in code.
• Self-healing tests: Uses AI to stabilize unstable tests, reducing flakiness automatically and time spent debugging, allowing for faster releases while assuring quality.

5. Headspin – “Optimize End Users’ Digital Experiences ‍with Data Science Capabilities”

HeadSpin is a mobile performance management platform that provides real-world testing solutions for mobile apps and websites. With its global network of real devices and carrier networks, HeadSpin enables users to test, monitor, and optimize mobile experiences across different locations, networks, and devices.

Key features

Some of the key features highlighted on the Headspin website include the following:

• A cloud-based platform: Access to a cloud-based testing environment that eliminates the need for physical devices or emulator-based testing.
• Mobile and web app performance testing: Includes user experience, network performance, and device performance testing on mobile (Android and iOS) and web apps.
• Real-world testing: This involves testing on real devices in various networks, locations, and under real-world conditions, providing accurate results in a true-to-life scenario.
• Integrations: Integrates with popular bug tracking, collaboration, and continuous integration tools, enabling an end-to-end testing solution.
• AI-driven analysis: Advanced AI algorithms analyze results and provide actionable insights to automatically improve mobile app quality.
• Smart TV testing: Offers the ability to test Smart TV applications on various brands and models to ensure compatibility and performance.

6. Datadog – “Modern monitoring & security”

Datadog is a monitoring and analytics platform designed for cloud-scale applications encompassing web and mobile app testing. With its tools, organizations can monitor infrastructure performance, analyze application logs, and gain insights into user experience across web and mobile platforms.

Key features

Some of the key features highlighted on the Datadog website include the following:

• Monitoring: This service provides real-time monitoring of infrastructure, applications, and user experience, offering insights into performance metrics and trends.
• APM (Application Performance Monitoring): Gain visibility into application performance, including latency, errors, and dependencies.
• Synthetic monitoring: Monitor web and mobile app performance from various locations worldwide, simulating user interactions to identify and resolve issues.
• Real-user monitoring: This feature tracks user interactions with web and mobile applications in real-time, providing insights into performance and user experience.
• Infrastructure monitoring: Monitor the health and performance of infrastructure components, including servers, containers, and cloud services.
• Integrations: It offers more than 700 built-in integrations, making it easier to monitor and correlate data from across an entire stack.

7. Katalon – “Seamless test automation, supercharged by AI.”

Katalon is a company that specializes in testing and automation tools designed to streamline software application testing. Their premier offering, Katalon Studio, is a comprehensive solution that facilitates testing of web, mobile, and desktop applications.

Key features

Some of the key features highlighted on the Katalon website include the following:

• Katalon studio: The flagship product of Katalon, offering a comprehensive environment for testing web, mobile, and desktop applications.
• Visual testing: Perform visual testing to detect UI changes and ensure consistency across different browser versions and devices.
• Web testing: Test web applications with ease using Katalon Studio's robust features for automation, validation, and reporting.
• API testing: Automate API testing tasks and validate API responses for accuracy, performance, and security compliance.
• Mobile testing: Test mobile applications across various devices and platforms, ensuring functionality, usability, and performance.
• Desktop testing: Validate the functionality and performance of desktop applications across different operating systems and environments

How do you choose the best BrowserStack alternative?

Appium, Sauce Labs, Applitools, headspin, Datadog, and Katalon are worthy BrowserStack alternatives, but choosing the right one depends on your requirements. Global App Testing provides benefits such as an integrated platform, rapid service, global feedback, comprehensive assurance, and additional resources:

• Efficient integration: Global App Testing offers a streamlined platform that integrates into your development workflow for optimized efficiency.
• Centralized management: Easily oversee testing projects, track progress, and communicate with testers through a centralized dashboard, fostering collaboration.
• Rapid results: We are committed to swift delivery and provide test results within 6-48 hours, even for urgent testing needs, ensuring reliability.
• Global testing community: Access a diverse pool of over 90,000 testers from 190+ countries, providing comprehensive testing coverage and diverse perspectives.