Published on Sep 27, 2022
The field of software testing is broad. Generally, we can divide it into two major categories: manual testing and automated testing. Before discussing the major differences between the two, it is necessary to explain what they are briefly.
Manual Testing: it is the procedure in which testers check, perform and look for defects within the application or software they are testing. Testers execute the test cases and produce the test reports without support from scripts, tools, or software.
Automation Testing: as in Manual Testing, the aim is to test applications and software, but here the tester will use codes and testing scripts that automate the testing procedure and reduce the time required. Those tools help testers to fix applications or software that they might not perform as expected.
Let’s look at the major differences between the two test methods.
Argument | Manual Testing | Automation Testing |
---|---|---|
Method | Tester test manual process. | Tester uses automation tools. |
Processing time | It is time-consuming and depends on human resources. | It is a faster process. |
Initial investment | It is lower than Automation Testing. | It is higher than Manual Testing. |
Reliability | It is not accurate as it is compromised by human error. | It is reliable because is processed through tools so there is no testing fatigue. |
Human observation | It allows human observation, which may be useful to offer a user-friendly system. | It can not do that, as its name explains is automated. So do not involve human opinions. |
Programming Testing knowledge | There is no programming. | It is a must in Automation. |
Ideal approach | It is useful when the test case should run only once or twice. | It is useful when we have to run the same test case over and over again. |
Deadlines | It has a higher risk of missing out the deadline already agreed. | It has no risk whatsoever about this. |
Framework | It does not have a framework but could use guidelines, checklists, and exigent processes to draft test cases. | It uses a framework like Data, Driver, keywords, Hybrid to speed up the process. |
When to use it? for | Manual testing is suitable for Exploratory, Usability and Adhoc Testing. | Regression T., Performance T., Load T., or highly repeatable functional test cases. |
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