9 Tools for Cross Browsing Testing

Cross browsing testing is the practice of making sure that the websites and web apps you create are providing a proper user experience across various devices, operating systems, and browsers so that users always see a web application the right way no matter what browser or device they are using.

Different browsers can display the same web application differently. That’s why as the web developer and tester it is your responsibility to check whether or not your website is delivering optimum results when accessed through different browsers like Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Android, iOS, etc. for all the users at the same time and for that you need to consider:-

• Different browsers are other than one or two that you use regularly on your devices, including slightly older browsers that some people might still be using that doesn’t support the latest one.
• Different devices with different capabilities from the latest tablets and smartphones, through smart TVs.

Now the next question that pops up here is how to perform this cross-browser testing. So it is basically done with two methods that are –Manual and Automated.

So in the first case which is Manual, here the developer identifies the browser that the application must support testers that run the same test case using the different browser observes the application behavior, and reports bugs if there are any. In this type of testing, it is not possible to cover many browsers, and also some applications might not be tested on major browser versions. It requires a lot of effort to do that. Performing cross-browser checks doing the comparison manually, you would need various devices for different combinations and browser versions. This involves larger expenditure and hence cost more plus time consuming too.

Talking about the Automated way, it is basically running the same test cases multiple times using the same device on different browsers with fewer bugs or errors and quick results.

Now the most challenging thing here is choosing the right tool that meets all your basic requirements. Some of them are expensive, while others have a complicated testing process.

To help you ensure testing your websites on different web browsers so that it works for as many users as possible here are some cross-browser testing tools to help you minimize your testing effort. Some of them are free and some are paid you need to select the test tool depending on your needs.

1/ LambdaTest

LambdaTest is a cloud-based cross-browser testing platform that supports over 3000+ desktop and mobile browsers. You can perform both manual and automated cross-browser testing using LambdaTest. You can also run automated Selenium/cypress scripts on LambdaTest’s scalable cloud grid, or can even perform live interactive testing on real browser environments. Users can also take benefit of their 100+ integrations and get bugs resolved quickly.

2/ Ranorex

Ranorex Studio is an automation testing platform that enables you to test any desktop or web application, regardless of the technologies used. It supports an extensive range of platforms and technologies. Ranorex Studio is designed for QA and test automation experts who want to achieve their automation goals quickly, efficiently, and easily. It enables you to record and playback tests in order to continuously improve quality by reducing manual testing in favor of automated testing.

3/ GhostLab

Ghostlab is a cross-browser testing tool that lets you do the testing in one go instead of testing your site in one browser or in one device and then start over again. It helps synchronize testing for web and mobile platforms across multiple devices. It allows the tester to action simultaneous clicks, check to refresh of web pages, scroll over the page, invigorating the pages using different inputs, which simplifies the testing process on a practical level ..Here the tester can conduct a synchronized inspection across browsers which allows them to identify CSS issues and resolve them. The tool keeps users updated on any changes that are relevant to them.

4/ Comparium

It is one of the Convenient online cross-browser testing platforms providing a range of browsers and versions along with different resolutions. It also allows the screenshot comparison (both manually and automated mode) of different browser versions all collected in one place which can be a useful feature. It runs real-time tests with just a single click right from the Google Chrome browser without installing and maintaining an expensive device lab. The tester can test the functionality of their websites on major web browsers like Mozilla, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera. Email reporting is available here, shortly after test completion the automated screenshot is emailed to the designated recipient.

5/ Browsershots

Browsershots is an open-source cross-browser tool that allows testing of mobile applications and websites in any operating system and range of browser versions. It provides developers a convenient way to test their websites in one place.. Browsershot also allows you to take website screenshots in more than 60 browsers and multiple operating systems. By simply inputting a URL and viewing the screenshots, you can get a quick understanding of how your website looks on different browsers. You can run your tests with great customization options like browser type, operating system, screen size, color depth, JavaScript status, and Flash enable/disable settings. It supports various browsers like Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, SeaMonkey, Arora, Dillo, Epiphany, Konqueror, Lynx, Luakit, Rekonq, and Midori have many more browsers with all versions.

6/ Experitest

Experitest is a software tool that helps you to test your web pages. It will help you to optimize the load times of your web pages and increase their usability.

The tool has a simple interface that allows you to set up the testing process in a few easy steps. You can define and run different tests and compare the results from one test to another. Experitest can also be used for creating comparison tables.

Experitest will show you all sorts of information about each test, such as which files took the longest to load, what was downloaded first, what was downloaded last, which file had the slowest response time, and so on. The information can be viewed graphically or in plain text format, whichever you find more helpful.

7/ Katalon Studio

Katalon Studio is one of the most popular cross-browser testing tools that reduce the risks of several things while testing like broken links, difficult navigation, web security, etc, and have seamless site quality. Katalon Studio is Compatible with the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. It provides a Codeless experience and creates tests quickly and easily to speed up your scripting process it efficiently identifies, detects, and stores test objects, and all the UI elements get stored automatically.

8/ Browserling

Browserling is a live interactive cross-browser testing service that provides effortless cross-browser testing for a smooth testing experience. In a live interactive session you get a real browser experience for better analysis apart from this it provides the latest browser capture, save the screenshot of your web pages in all browsers and share over email or save it in your account as per your choice. It also lets you record videos of your browsing sessions and also provides you with a bug hunter feature where you can mark the found bugs all while you are testing the website. you can try this tool as a new user without paying as it offers a free trial without registration.

9/ TestingBot

A testing bot tool is a powerful tool that can be used to test the functionality of your website. The bot is an online traffic generator that simulates how a real user would interact with your website. The Bot uses artificial intelligence technology and is capable of completing more than 40,000 interactions on your website. It can be customized to use certain words or phrases in order to make the interaction look more natural.

Testing the functionality of your website can be done by using different techniques but it is most efficient when the process is automated. In order to test your website, you need to have a good understanding of its functionality and this requires you to use some tools. For example, you might want to use Google analytics in order to see which aspects are most popular or which ones are getting less attention. You might also want to use some heat maps in order to determine where people click or where they hover over. These methods can be used individually or jointly in order to get better results but none of them can be compared with the testing bot tool when it comes to efficiency, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. This tool makes it possible for you to perform different types of tests on your website such as qualitative, quantitative, and AB testing among other things.

Now when you know that there are multiple tools available in the market know the importance of Cross Browser Testing. It is time to choose the best tool and get started with a best-in-class user experience. The choice of the perfect cross-browser tool is based on your specific needs, as each browser checking tool has its own set of benefits. Just list down the requirements and choose the best that fits you.