Apache JMeter vs SmartBear TestComplete comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Apache JMeter and SmartBear TestComplete based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Apache, OpenText, Tricentis and others in Performance Testing Tools.
To learn more, read our detailed Performance Testing Tools Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The most valuable feature of this solution is that it is free.""The solution is scalable.""JMeter's most valuable feature is the RegEx Extractor.""The solution helps by detecting bottlenecks.""This solution is very user-friendly, and allows for a lot of data capture when testing.""JMeter is basically the art of the entire performance testing process.""Apache JMeter is quite flexible.""The most valuable features are the integration with Jenkins and the reporting."

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"The most valuable feature is the integration with Azure DevOps.""The most valuable feature of this solution is regression testing tools.""The solution has a very nice interface.""The product has many features.""In TestComplete, I saw a conformed package of a tool that kept everybody in consistency. The team was able to regenerate further tests without having to manipulate more code because the record feature is great.""The product is stable for what we are currently using it for, and it is sufficient for us.""Recording and playback of tests were easier with SmartBear TestComplete...It is a scalable solution.""It is very easy to maintain tests with this tool. It covers all necessary items in the test plan. The most painful item in testing is maintenance. When changes occur, the tests should be maintained."

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Cons
"There is some work to be done with the integration.""It should be easier to combine multiple scripts. If you have multiple scripts, you need to write a new script to combine those scripts. The virtual user generator is slow.""Until now, JMeter is not supporting most of the protocols.""The solution needs more metrics for reporting.""Because so much is being done these days with authentication processes, a better system for either getting bearer tokens or some kind of token-based authentication prior to executing APIs would benefit the product. It is there, and you can do things. It is just not real clean at this point. There should be a better authentication process for JMeter or some automation or better guidelines for gaining and utilizing tokens on the fly.""Apache JMeter may have difficulty recognizing dynamic objects in some critical cases, which can lead to challenges in terms of object identification.""I sometimes found the documentation to be not as explanatory as I would've liked it. In the cases that I can think of, I was looking for a rather hand-holding approach with Step A, B, and C, but then I realized that with a product that is open source like this, you can't do handholding. That is because there are so many different uses and different unique environments and setups for it, but I remember thinking a few times that if they only just said this.""The tool needs to have a better Graphical User Interface. Many of the solution's features are difficult to understand due to the complex user interface and user experience. The product needs to add plugins. It should also work on the integration with external partners like IDE and API gateways."

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"In the cross-browser domain, it has a few snags with Microsoft Edge and Chrome; although, these problems are not critical.""SmartBear products generally have a weak link when it comes to integration with other test management tools like Inflectra.""We were testing handheld barcode scanners running WindowsCE with many menus of warehouse functions, and our biggest problem was the timing between input and responses.""The integration tools could be better.""What is currently missing from this solution is better support for mobile testing.""To bring it up to a 10, I would be looking for the addition of some key functional API testing.""The artificial intelligence needs to be improved.""In SmartBear TestComplete the integration with Jenkins could be easier. Additionally, some of the controls could have better customization options. For example, if a grid is used and it contains multiple controls within it, it can be a checkbox, radio button, or any kind of control, the way the Object Spy is operating currently there is a lot of room for improvement."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "Free"
  • "I switched to Apache because it is free. Other tools are much too expensive and can cost up to $50,000 a year if you are looking at commercial options."
  • "This is an open-source solution, and there are no fees."
  • "This is an open-source product."
  • "I was using the free version of the software."
  • "In terms of open-source adoption, it is completely free."
  • "We are using the free version, and if required, we can easily switch to the other version."
  • "When comparing the price with Load Runner, and if the cost is an issue then JMeter is a better choice"
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  • "The product is becoming more and more expensive."
  • "My advice so far, is that while it’s not quite as powerful and easy to use as UFT, its price tag more than makes up for it."
  • "The price is less, compared to other products, such as QTP."
  • "Buy modules on demand. If you have a four-person team and they will each automate tests only 25% of the time, it's better to buy a floating licence and share the tool during the work day."
  • "TestComplete now have come up with three modules (Web, Desktop & Mobile), so based on the type of product for automation, it is adequate to purchase the required module."
  • "This is a pay-per-use service that is not expensive, and cost-efficient if you have a small team."
  • "The option we chose was around $2,000 USD."
  • "The licensing costs are in the range of $1,000 to $3,000."
  • More SmartBear TestComplete Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    7.6
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    Also Known As
    JMeter
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    Overview

    Apache JMeter is an open-source Java application that tests load and functional behavior and performance in applications. Created initially to test web applications, it has expanded its functionality to test other functions. For instance, you can test a server to see how efficiently it works and how many user requests can be handled simultaneously.

    You can use JMeter to test functional performance and regression tests on different technologies. This Java desktop application has an easy-to-use graphical interface which uses the Swing graphical API. You can run JMeter on any environment that accepts a Java virtual machine, such as Windows, Linux, and Mac.

    What protocols does JMeter support?

    • Web - HTTP, HTTPS
    • Web services - SOAP/XML-RPC
    • Email service - POP3, IMAP, SMTP
    • FTP service
    • Database via JDBC drivers
    • LDAP
    • Native commands or shell scripts
    • TCP
    • Java objects

    How does JMeter work?

    JMeter sends requests to a target server by simulating a group of user requests. Then it collects and calculates statistics on the performance of the target. This target can be a server or an application.

    You can test the performance of static resources, such as JavaScript or HTML, and dynamic resources, such as JSP, Servlets, and AJAX. It is also helpful to determine how many concurrent users your website can handle.

    There are two main tests you can carry out with JMeter: load test and stress test. The load test models expected usage of a server by simulating multiple users accessing the web server simultaneously. The stress testing aims to find the maximum load capacity of the server or application.

    Apache JMeter Key Features

    • JMeter enables fast test plan recording, building, and debugging via a featured test IDE (integrated development environment).
    • Command-line mode allows carrying out load tests from any OS compatible with Java.
    • JMeter can extract data from most popular response formats, such as HTML, JSON, XML.
    • JMeter is entirely portable.
    • A multithreading framework allows you to simultaneously test multiple samplings and separate thread groups.
    • Thanks to the caching feature, you can conduct offline analysis or replay test results.

    Apache JMeter Benefits

    • As open-source software, it is freely available and continuously improved.
    • The setup is user-friendly, and no installation is needed.
    • The GUI (graphic user interface) is intuitive and easy to use.
    • You can write your own tests and use the visualization plugins to extend the testing.
    • It is a platform-agnostic tool. For example, JMeter can work with Linux by clicking on the JMeter shell script. On Windows, you can call up JMeter by starting the jmeter.bat file.
    • Since the test plans are stored in XML format, you can generate a test plan using any text editor.
    • You can simulate a heavy load on a server, a group of servers, a network, or an object. Use JMeter to test an application or server's strength and performance under different load types.

    The JMeter extensible core has numerous benefits:

    • Unlimited testing capabilities via pluggable samplers.
    • You can choose multiple load statistics with pluggable timers.
    • Visualization plugins and data analysis enable customization.
    • Continuous integration via third-party open-source libraries (Maven, Gradle, and Jenkins).

    Reviews from Real Users

    Stephen B., I.T. Architect, Analyst, and Developer at an educational organization, says, "The scripting ability is most valuable. It is easy to use. There is a UI, and you can go in there and figure those things out. After you've got a good set of tests, you basically have a scripted document that you can grab and execute in a pipeline. It is pretty quick to set up, and you can scale it and version control it."

    "I like the fact that JMeter integrates well with other tools," adds the Founder and Principal Consultant at a tech services company.

    A Quality Engineering Delivery Leader at a financial services firm says, “The performance of the solution is excellent. They have designed the product so that it is very easy to configure. You can basically do anything you like with the product. It's not very restrictive. We like the fact that the technology is open-source.”

    What is SmartBear TestComplete?

    TestComplete is a reliable, sturdy automated testing platform created by SmartBear Software. SmartBear Software is a worldwide technological leader known for developing quality enterprise-class development and testing solutions.

    TestComplete simplifies the process of creating tests for numerous applications, including, but not limited to; Desktop, Android, IOS, Web browsers, and Windows. Application tests can be manual, scripted, and even recorded by using keyword-driven or data-driven functionality. There are even additional options for error reporting and automated playback. The object repository is extremely accurate and is fully customizable. TestComplete can easily be used by experienced developers and even by manual novice testers to develop quality automated UI tests quickly.

    TestComplete offers three different testing scenarios:

    • Desktop: Users can easily and quickly automate UI tests using today’s most popular desktop applications, such as; Windows, Java, Python,.Net, VBScript, and more.

    • Web: Users can effortlessly create renewable tests for all of today’s popular web applications, including JavaScript frameworks on 2000+ trusted browser and platform integrations.

    • Mobile: Users can safely build and automate serviceable UI tests on actual or virtual android or IOS devices, locally or in the cloud. Users can create code or codeless tests. TestComplete seamlessly integrates with many of today’s popular frameworks.

    Key Features

    • Easily create automated UI tests: TestComplete offers scriptless Record and Replay or simple keyword-driven tests to quickly develop any type of UI test users may require. Tests can be recorded once, then replayed when needed across various applications on mobile, web, or desktop environments. TestComplete integrates with many different languages, such as Java, Python, C+, and more.

    • Keyword driven tests: Users can easily divide testing steps, actions, objects, and data with an integrated keyword-driven test structure. This makes it easy for every user to participate in the test automation process; there is no programming experience needed. Everything is made simple with easy-to-use point-and-click options.

    • Data driven tests: Easily distinguish data from test commands to keep administrative efforts simple. Users can improve overall coverage by running various automated mobile, desktop, or web UI tests.

    • Record and Replay: Users can reuse created automated tests across every environment as often as desired. This helps to expand overall test coverage and represents a huge cost and time savings.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Sandhiya T S., Sr Solutions Engineer at Lexington Soft, relates, “The record and replay aspects of the solution are quite useful for people. With them, you don't have to write any scripts. Basically, you can record your actions and play them back later. The initial setup is also very easy.”

    Sai S R., Staff Test Architect at a tech services company, says, "The most valuable features of the SmartBear TestComplete are self-healing, they reduce the maintenance required. The different languages SmartBear TestComplete supports are good because some of our libraries are written in Python, JavaScript, and C#. It's very easy to put them all under one project and use them."

    Sample Customers
    AOL, Orbitz, Innopath Software, PrepMe, Sapient, Corporate Express Australia, CSIRO, Ephibian, Talis, DATACOM, ALALOOP, eFusion, Panter, Sourcepole, University of Western Cape
    Cisco, J.P. Morgan, Boeing, McAfee, EMC, Intuit, and Thomson Reuters.
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company38%
    Financial Services Firm30%
    Energy/Utilities Company4%
    Renewables & Environment Company4%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm18%
    Computer Software Company17%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Government6%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company32%
    Manufacturing Company13%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Comms Service Provider6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Financial Services Firm11%
    Government7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business25%
    Midsize Enterprise24%
    Large Enterprise51%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business16%
    Midsize Enterprise13%
    Large Enterprise70%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business28%
    Midsize Enterprise28%
    Large Enterprise44%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business24%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise62%
    Buyer's Guide
    Performance Testing Tools
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Apache, OpenText, Tricentis and others in Performance Testing Tools. Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Apache JMeter is ranked 1st in Performance Testing Tools with 81 reviews while SmartBear TestComplete is ranked 8th in Test Automation Tools with 70 reviews. Apache JMeter is rated 7.8, while SmartBear TestComplete is rated 7.6. The top reviewer of Apache JMeter writes "It's a free tool with a vast knowledge base, but the reporting is lackluster, and it has a steep learning curve". On the other hand, the top reviewer of SmartBear TestComplete writes "A stable product that needs to improve its integration capabilities with other test management tools". Apache JMeter is most compared with Postman, BlazeMeter, Tricentis NeoLoad, OpenText LoadRunner Professional and Katalon Studio, whereas SmartBear TestComplete is most compared with Tricentis Tosca, Katalon Studio, Ranorex Studio and OpenText UFT One.

    We monitor all Performance Testing Tools reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.