Appium vs Ionic comparison

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Appium Logo
1,306 views|1,023 comparisons
96% willing to recommend
Ionic Logo
1,381 views|1,047 comparisons
100% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Appium and Ionic based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Mobile Development Platforms solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Appium vs. Ionic Report (Updated: March 2024).
768,578 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 way Appium server interacts with mobile apps is fantastic. It provides all the information about the elements inside the app, Android as well as iOS. I can interact with the element quickly, just type some text or get some text values from the element - whether it's a drop-down, or web text, or a native element.""We do not need to pay for the solution. It’s free.""The most valuable features of Appium are the in-built functionality, which we can use in our code. For example, move back, move front, navigate one page before, and navigate one page ahead. You can do this by using the in-built functions from Appium.""The solution is easy to use.""We get a list that shows all devices that are connected to the system.""I haven't explored other solutions in this particular area, but what I like best about Appium is the fact that it shares functions with Selenium. The extension of Selenium functions allows me to use all of the methods that exist in that domain, and it just makes it simpler for me. I've been using Selenium for some time as well, so using Appium just seems like a natural fit for me.""Appium has easy interaction with mobile.""The best feature of Appium is that it allows you to inspect the element. With the Appium Inspector, you don't have to install another application to do the inspection. I also like that Appium has Android device connectivity. Currently, most people use Appium as automation software, and I haven't found any other tool that's more powerful than Appium."

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"The most valuable feature is the one code deployed to all solutions, which means you do not need to have multiple teams.""Being able to have one set of code is valuable. I don't have to recode for different platforms. I don't have to recode for Xcode, Angular, or Android. So, the biggest feature for me is that it's a hybrid system, and I can have one set of code, and then the tool sets that are in there convert my code for Xcode or Play Store. It makes work a lot easier.""Because it's a hybrid mobile app framework, it is easy for us to develop iOS as well as Android apps for our customers with the same resource skills. We didn't have to have separate iOS teams and Android teams to build the apps. We still have to use the Apple Xcode for iOS, but the main development happens with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. We don't have to write separate code bases in scripts for iOS and Android. We create apps using web-based technology.""Ionic is easy to upgrade and is helpful for design purposes. It also is quite common and easy to use. It is a very reliable application. It's easy to write on and print. The UI is easy to use as well. My organization chose to go with Ionic because we can access both Android and iOS applications.""Ionic's best features are its hybrid app development, design, and tags.""The main value of this solution for our business, is that it is a hybrid product that allows us to write code that is compatible with IOS, Android, and web documents.""The solution is secure, reliable, and packed with features so we can easily implement apps even in the most complex situations.""What I like the most about Ionic is live reloading, which enables us to develop new features without having to build the application again and re-check the functionality."

More Ionic Pros →

Cons
"If it had more facility for configuration it would be a spectacular solution.""We haven't been able to fully leverage Appium for multiple reasons. I think number one is just that the tests take a long time to run. We have had some issues around just the results themselves and how predictable they are, but those are not issues with Appium directly.""They should add an in-built framework.""Configuration-wise, there is a lot of room for improvement.""I rarely use Appium nowadays because I'm now at the managerial level, but the last time I used it, whenever I selected and clicked on an element, Appium was very slow. I tried to debug it, but I still couldn't find the problem, so this is an area for improvement in the solution. Another area for improvement lies with the connector and server. For example, the effort to get into the local machine sometimes causes the emulator to become slow, which then leads to failure in testing, and this is the usual issue I've encountered from Appium. An additional feature I'd like added to Appium in its next release is being able to do automation in iOS without using XPath and the name of the element. In Xcode, you can use previous UI tests for detecting elements, but in Appium, you have to use Xpath and the element name instead of being able to directly put the X-UiPath, which is what you can do in Xcode. In iOS as well, sometimes the element doesn't have a name or a path. Sometimes, there's also no element.""The user interface needs improvement because there are issues when setting up environment variables.""The setup and installation were a problem for us at first.""We previously worked with native applications, and there weren't any good mobile app testing tools. We started working with React Native, which works well with Appium, but it would be good to see better integration; the way elements are displayed can be messy. React Native is very popular nowadays, so it's essential to have that compatibility."

More Appium Cons →

"There could be better support for augmented reality and other things. Geolocation and background app activity are some of the things that are a little more clumsy at the moment and could be improved.""In a future release, we would like to have a little more support for the desktop environment. Currently it is still focused on mobile devices.""There is a lack of a community environment.""As a developer, I would say one of the improvements is more plugins.""Ionic would be improved with dynamic design features.""It would be better if it had a speed niche system. There are a lot of things we need that weren't in the latest version. But I think they will be adding something.""Documentation for migrations and compatibility is insufficient.""Ionic's UI component doesn't always look like the native mobile app."

More Ionic Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "This is an open source solution so it does not cost anything for licensing or otherwise."
  • "Appian is open-source, which is not licensed."
  • "The pricing of Appium is fine."
  • "The solution is free."
  • "Appium is free and open-source."
  • "As far as I know, Appium is a free solution. It's not for commercial use."
  • "We found out that we could explore features of the solution for 30 days trial. We can switch to a permanent license later if we want."
  • "I'm unsure if there's any cost associated with Appium. I got the free package which includes the server GUI application and the inspector application, and it was free to download, and that's all I need to get my work done. I'm not aware of any additional costs associated with the tool."
  • More Appium Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "You don't have to pay anything except for certain projects. For example, Appflow has some costs related to it but you don't have to use it. You can also pay for extra support."
  • "You can use the free version, but if you still want to buy it, the price starts from $499/month."
  • "Ionic is an open-source solution, it is free."
  • "We pay 50,000 dinars per month."
  • "Ionic is an open source solution, and there are no hidden fees."
  • "The solution's open source option is free with no licensing fees."
  • "I think most of the plugins for Ionic are open source, and you can do a lot with many of the basic features. However, if you need to use a premium plugin for something like extra scroll list functionality, Ionic will ask for a certain sum of money."
  • "The starting cost for the enterprise option is around one hundred dollars per month."
  • More Ionic Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:I do recommend Appium. It is an open-source solution and completely free of charge. We use Appium and Appium Studio as our base for any type of mobile automation for testing. It has a great interface… more »
    Top Answer:Appium helps me to do as much as much as I want to.
    Top Answer:The price is good for people to be able to make a favorable decision for the value.
    Top Answer:Being able to have one set of code is valuable. I don't have to recode for different platforms. I don't have to recode for Xcode, Angular, or Android. So, the biggest feature for me is that it's a… more »
    Top Answer:When they jumped from version 3 to version 4, 5, and 6, they introduced something called Capacitor, which is basically the tool that you use to convert your code to Xcode, etc. They have a few plugins… more »
    Top Answer:We are using it for mobile applications that we are publishing to iOS, Huawei, and Google Play Store. It's a very nice hybrid framework for mobile applications.
    Ranking
    Views
    1,306
    Comparisons
    1,023
    Reviews
    17
    Average Words per Review
    510
    Rating
    8.0
    Views
    1,381
    Comparisons
    1,047
    Reviews
    13
    Average Words per Review
    621
    Rating
    8.5
    Comparisons
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    Xamarin Platform logo
    Compared 8% of the time.
    Ranorex Studio logo
    Compared 2% of the time.
    Xamarin Platform logo
    Compared 28% of the time.
    OutSystems logo
    Compared 15% of the time.
    Mendix logo
    Compared 10% of the time.
    Appzillon Digital Platform logo
    Compared 9% of the time.
    Learn More
    Ionic
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    Overview

    Appium is an open-source mobile application development tool that is designed to give users complete control of their application development process. It enables them to optimize the development process when the need calls for it, and create the applications that they want in the most efficient manner they can.

    Appium Benefits

    Some of the benefits that come from using Appium include:

    • Ease of deployment. Appium is fairly simple for users to set up for the first time. Developers can download Appium and launch it with only a couple of clicks.
    • Easily track the results of application tests. Appium automatically creates reports when developers run application tests. These reports can give users insights into every aspect of the tests that they just ran. They can include detailed test results, screenshots of the test as it took place, and videos showing the test while it was in progress. Developers can also recall these reports with ease so that the information that was gathered is always at their disposal.
    • Gain deep insights into your application. Users can easily gain insight into the way that their application is running and how it might be improved. The reports that the system produces can provide developers with all of the data and insight that they need to improve their applications and make informed decisions.

    Appium Features

    When users choose to employ Appium’s mobile development solution, they gain access to many different capabilities. These features include:

    • Remote testing capability. Teams that are spread across the globe can collaborate and run tests from wherever they happen to be at the time. They can connect to Appium’s cloud testing feature and always have access to the latest iteration of the project they are working on.
    • Customizable test reporting capability. Appium enables users to customize the way that information from their tests is reported. They can create the kinds of reports that best reflect their objectives and needs. When specific information is needed, the reports can be formatted to show that particular aspect when the solution generates it.
    • Parallel testing capabilities. Developers who use Appium can run multiple application tests at the same time. This enables them to save time and resources while still accounting for every scenario that their applications might experience. Users can run all of the tests necessary to ensure that their applications are successful while spending the minimum amount of time doing so.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Appium is a solution that has a great deal to offer its users. It is a very complete mobile development solution that gives users the capabilities that they need to design their mobile applications with the greatest level of ease possible. Users can scale their application scripts to meet their needs. Additionally, developers can automate testing protocols, which reduces the amount of time and other resources that need to be devoted to the testing process. These two features make Appium a leader in the field of mobile application development.

    Jayanta K., automation and nft manager at a computer software company, writes, “The interface for mobile automation is helpful for scripting and execution. It's scalable and there are many testers who would like to automate. In terms of scripting, scalability is very good.

    The head of solutions delivery (systems) at a wellness & fitness company writes, “Obviously, because of automation, it reduces manual testing efforts.

    Ionic is an open-source UI toolkit for developing high-quality mobile and desktop apps with web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Ionic focuses on the frontend UX and UI interaction of an app – UI controls, interactions, gestures, and animations. It is simple to learn and can be used without any frontend framework by utilizing a simple script inclusion.

    While previous versions of Ionic were strongly connected to Angular, version 4.x of the framework was re-engineered to serve as an independent Web Component library, with integrations for the newest JavaScript frameworks, such as Angular. Ionic works well in most frontend frameworks, including React and Vue, however some frontend frameworks require a shim to enable full Web Component support.

    The official Ionic CLI, or Command Line Interface, is a tool that enables developers to easily construct Ionic apps and offers a number of useful commands. The CLI installs and updates Ionic and also includes a built-in development server, build and debugging tools, and much more. If you are an Appflow member, you may manage your account and carry out cloud builds and deployments via the CLI.

    Ionic Features

    Ionic has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

    • One codebase: Ionic is the first mobile app stack that allows web developers to use a single codebase to create apps for all major app stores and the mobile web. Ionic apps look and feel natural on every device thanks to Adaptive Styling.
    • High performance: Ionic is designed to run and behave well on the latest mobile devices, using best practices such as efficient hardware accelerated transitions and touch-optimized gestures.
    • Simple, clean design: Ionic is built to function and display well across all popular mobile platforms and devices. You'll be building in style thanks to pre-made components, typography, and an attractive (but flexible) base theme that adjusts to each platform.
    • Native and web-friendly: Ionic uses native SDKs and emulates native app UI guidelines to combine native app device features and UI standards with the full flexibility and power of the open web. Ionic operates as a Progressive Web App in the browser or deploys natively via Capacitor (or Cordova).

    Ionic Benefits

    There are many benefits to implementing Ionic. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

    • Cross-platform: Create and distribute apps with a single code base. Apps run natively on iOS, Android, desktop, and the web as Progressive Web Apps. Publish once and go anywhere.
    • Based on web standards: Ionic is developed using cutting-edge web APIs like Custom Elements and Shadow DOM on top of reliable, industry-standard web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Ionic components have a solid API as a result, and they aren't subject to the whims of a single platform vendor.
    • Good design: Ionic is made to operate and look great right out of the box across all platforms. Start with typography, interactive paradigms, pre-designed elements, and an attractive (yet extensible) base theme.
    • Simplicity: Ionic was created with simplicity in mind, making it fun, simple to learn, and available to almost anyone with basic web development skills.
    Sample Customers
    Nuvizz, Coupa Software, Eventbrite, Evernote
    MRA, Napa Group, Sworkit, Airbus, Sense Corp, Interactive Gaming Company, Pacifica, Untapp'd, Diesel, National Museum of African American History and Culture
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm40%
    Computer Software Company20%
    Wellness & Fitness Company10%
    Manufacturing Company10%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company16%
    Financial Services Firm15%
    Manufacturing Company9%
    Insurance Company6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company21%
    Wholesaler/Distributor9%
    Insurance Company8%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business15%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise62%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business21%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise65%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business47%
    Midsize Enterprise13%
    Large Enterprise40%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business28%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise51%
    Buyer's Guide
    Appium vs. Ionic
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Appium vs. Ionic and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    768,578 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Appium is ranked 7th in Mobile Development Platforms with 25 reviews while Ionic is ranked 4th in Mobile Development Platforms with 14 reviews. Appium is rated 8.0, while Ionic is rated 8.6. The top reviewer of Appium writes "It's easy to launch applications". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Ionic writes "Great user acceptance and reliability, multiple teams not required, with prompt customer service". Appium is most compared with Tricentis Tosca, Katalon Studio, Perfecto, Xamarin Platform and Ranorex Studio, whereas Ionic is most compared with Xamarin Platform, OutSystems, Mendix, Appzillon Digital Platform and Microsoft Azure App Service. See our Appium vs. Ionic report.

    See our list of best Mobile Development Platforms vendors.

    We monitor all Mobile Development Platforms 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.