What Is the Difference Between TestComplete and Selenium?

| Updated on December 2, 2024
TestComplete vs Selenium

The global automation testing market is forecast to increase from 20.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 to 49.9 billion U.S. dollars by the year 2026 with a growth rate of 19.2% (Source: Linkedin, 2022).

This emphasizes the demand for automation tools and the significance of both TestComplete software and Selenium. 

However, to have the complete benefit of both tools, it’s pivotal to know what sets them apart, so you can implement them according to their features.

In this article, we will present to you the pivotal aspects of these two automation tools and also will represent TestComplete vs Selenium, so you can decide the best. 

Overview of TestComplete

TestComplete is a commercial product from SmartBear that is specifically designed for novices but can be used by an advanced tester easily, as it also boasts a user-friendly interface. 

Also, it supports all forms of testing, and permits users to record their activities on an application and test creation—that is why even non-coders may employ it very effectively.

Do You Know?
TestComplete was created by SmartBear Software in 2001 as a comprehensive test automation tool for web, desktop, and mobile applications.

Important TestComplete Features

TestComplete’s elaborate features guarantee that you can perform in-depth tests on multiple applications and platforms without any difficulty. 

Let’s look at some of its key features. 

  • Record and Playback: Users can easily record tests instead of writing code for you and save you plenty of time.
  • Support Multiple Languages: Allow users to write scripts from various languages such as Python, JavaScript, VBScript, etc.
  • Cross-Platform Testing: It supports testing both desktop and web applications.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Designed to make it easier for non-developers to utilize
  • Integration with CI/CD: Users operate in conjunction with tools like Jenkins, allowing continuous testing.

In conclusion, TestComplete is well regarded compared to other tools as its comprehensive features make it hard to surpass.

What is Selenium?

Selenium is a free, open-source test framework commonly utilized to automate a web application. 

Being free of cost, it has been adopted by developers all around the globe. 

Unlike TestComplete, it is not a tool suite but a series of tools that comprises WebDriver, Selenium IDE, and Selenium Grid. 

Such structure is flexible but more often than not it employs programming languages like Java, Python, or C#. 

Key Features of Selenium

Selenium web testing carries out the web testing process with a realistic approach and assists customers in determining if an application or system is reassuring. 

Let’s discuss some features of Selenium essential for automation testers.

  • Fully Free: Selenium is absolutely free to use and therefore available to all testers.
  • Cross-browser Support: Tests can be run on any of the commonly known web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
  • Multi-Platform Compatibility: Also supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Multi-language Support: Multi-language support includes Java, Python, and C#.
  • Advanced Test Control: As the name suggests, it provides advanced control of web elements for more highly customized tests.

The level of flexibility and usability it provides is staggering and the ability to integrate with other tools makes it a popular choice for automation testers trying to improve the processes. 

Selenium Global Market Report 2024

TestComplete vs. Selenium

In their review of TestComplete vs. Selenium, the former is portrayed as a commercial tool, while the latter is an open-source web test automation

1. Cost

  • TestComplete: It is a paid tool that one must pay licensing fees for; therefore, pretty expensive and out of range for smaller teams or a single tester.
  • Selenium: This tool is free to use; hence, pretty appropriate for small projects and organizations whose resources are slightly tight.

2. Ease of Use

  • TestComplete: This is user-friendly, and ideal for a beginner, as it utilizes features like recording and playback.
  • Selenium: It requires a programmer to get results and thus can be harder to work with for a beginner but effective for an experienced person.

3. Type of Testing

  • TestComplete: This can test both desktop and web application testing, giving it more versatility.
  • Selenium: This focuses more on web-based applications and lacks desktop support.

The grid between TestComplete vs. Selenium basically shows a tradeoff based on how pivotal each parameter is to you – TestComplete for ease of use, and Selenium for more complex coding.

Conclusion

Both are pretty good choices, and the appropriateness will depend on your project’s needs. 

If you have a simple, easy-to-use tool to test desktop and web applications, then TestComplete would be probably the best option. 

If it’s free, flexible, and for testing your web application, and you have coding skills, then Selenium would be perfect for you.

The choice between Selenium vs TestComplete, therefore, strictly depends on a good understanding of what your project needs are, budget considerations, and your team’s level of expertise. 

Each has a strong point and is probably the best in using the right one for testing.




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