Every free load testing service has its limits. Typically free and open-source load testing services focus on a number of criteria that limit your ability to properly load test. For example, with a “free” load testing tool you may only have access to a small number of virtual users, or you might only be able to run a short test or not many tests at all. You might be restricted to a single geographic location or browser or device type. Your reports might only remain online for a short period of time, as well, when using a free service.
A paid service like ours at LoadView, on the other hand, will be totally unrestricted in terms of the criteria mentioned. You’ll be able to load test without limits, simulating real users and browsers from a wide array of devices types and geographical locations. LoadView helps you cut right to what matters in load testing, so you can save time and hassle and devote your energies instead to effective load testing and development based on insights from our powerful reporting tools.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the more popular free load testing tools and compare them to LoadView. We’ll also look at criteria you need to consider when choosing the right load testing tool for your business, so you can start to make an effective load testing strategy that will lead to actionable insights for the current and future development of your website. Here are some criteria to consider when sourcing load testing tools.
Criteria to Select the Right Load Testing Tool
Web development is an ongoing process, with regular changes and improvements to both the front and back-ends of sites. With each new iteration of your website, features can be added, removed, upgraded, or adjusted, and every change to your website can affect how it performs for users.
When looking for a load testing tool, you’ll want to research these factors before making a decision:
Ease
Most people prioritize ease of use. Your willingness to put in the hours to learn a new methodology or a new coding language, for instance, will inform your decision. Many just want to skip the learning curve to find a load testing tool that doesn’t require much effort in training. This gives them more time to try out new scripts and try out a bunch of new scenarios. A tool that has a steep learning curve, however, will slow the process down.
Reality of Scenarios
The closer to reality a load testing tool can get with its features, the more accurate the results. Many load testing tools will only allow you to test with headless browsers that have no relevance to a real user. LoadView has a one-up because it offers the option to test with real browsers, thus emulating real user behavior.
Support
Most people who use open-source load testing tools find that their hands are tied when it comes to support. That’s because there’s limited availability of resources for them online. Answers take time to come by. LoadView’s top-tier online support system relieves you of having to do the entire process on your own.
Having an idea of where you sit along the matrix will help you take the next step: choosing a load testing tool.
Open-source Load Testing Tools: An Analysis
Open-source tools attract users because they appear to be free, and some power users are attracted to the ability to modify open-source code directly. That said, it’s important to consider the numerous benefits of paid load testing tool like ours at LoadView.
Our platform has the tools serious developers need to create a variety of simulations that match real user behavior in minutes and without complicated coding or scripting required. Saved developer time results in cost savings that likely far outweigh any “free” load testing option.
Complex testing isn’t possible with open-source tools without a great deal of time and expertise. With many open-source tools, it’s effectively impossible to emulate real user behavior using real web browsers as efficiently as you’re able to do with LoadView. LoadView uses real browsers giving you more incentive to invest in it. The LoadView platform will pay dividends for you in the long-run, as with it you can easily integrate load testing into your existing DevOps process.
If you’re still interested in learning more about free load testing tools, there are a variety of options available to you on the market. All of these provide good simulations in their own right. Some of the most used tools include:
JMeter
JMeter’s features come approximate that of a paid option but require a great deal of expertise to use properly. It also doesn’t match LoadView in ways that really matter – for example, large scale tests leveraging real browsers and the ability to match LoadView’s multiplicity in terms of geographical locations. LoadView makes complex load testing simple, so your development team can focus on actionable insights, not writing and re-writing test scripts and taking missteps based on results that are less accurate than they could be.
Gatling
Gatling, another free load testing tool, uses Java for its scripts. It gives results similar in nature to that of JMeter. It suits those who already know JavaScript, but can be a problem if someone is unaware of the language. You can run smaller tests with Gatling. But the difficulty of large scale testing with Gatling will probably push it down your list of choices.
Locust
Locust also gives you the option to perform load tests for free. It delivers the largest user pools amongst its free counterparts. However, Locust runs on Python, limiting its usability.
Without exception, our service at LoadView beats every open-source load testing tool in terms of ease of use, support, and quality of testing and reports. LoadView takes complex load tests and make them simple to run (even for non-technical users), with the most accurate and human readable reports available on the market today.
Are Free Load Testing Tools Sufficient?
The options listed above may prove insufficient in face of the requirements of your business. While they offer great services, and many may be preferred by users who know different computer languages, their technical side lacks some fundamental qualities which you will find in a load testing tool like LoadView.
A paid load testing tool like LoadView provides a different route. LoadView provides cloud-based testing with which you can avoid spending on training and equipment. LoadView goes a step beyond by offering a clean and user-friendly interface, giving you more time to get your website performing at optimal levels.
Load Testing With LoadView
Roadblocks can be avoided with LoadView’s cloud-based service. With LoadView, you can spend more time assessing and analyzing your website’s performance levels rather than spending time learning the skills required to operate an open-source tool. Its power lies in automation–all you have to do is access its platform and start using its user-friendly interface right away.
LoadView’s features include:
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- Cloud-based testing
- Real browser testing and scripting
- EveryStep Recorder
- Testing possibilities from multiple locations
- 24/7 expert help
- Easy interface
LoadView provides essential tools for the success of your websites and web applications. A wide range of easily run tests and simple, point and click incorporation of complex user behaviors makes LoadView the stand out option in the load testing space, both for those new to load testing and development teams seeking a better solution.
You can access our free trial, and if you’d like an introduction to the platform, book a one-on-one demo with a load testing expert today.