Test automation is a crucial capability for delivering high-quality digital experiences. However, setting up sustainable test automation requires significant technical expertise and coding effort. This makes adoption and scale challenging.
Codeless test automation removes the dependency on coding skills for creating automated checks. With codeless testing, anyone can build, execute and maintain tests through an intuitive visual interface – no programming required.
Per Statista, organizations allocate 23% of their IT budget towards quality assurance and testing on average1. As demand for faster delivery increases, codeless testing presents an attractive option to expand test automation coverage.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover:
- What codeless testing is and how it works
- Key benefits of codeless test automation
- Limitations and challenges to consider
- Codeless testing use cases across industries
- Criteria for choosing the right codeless tool
- Best practices for maximizing codeless test automation
- Future outlook and expert recommendations
Let‘s get started.
What is Codeless Test Automation?
Codeless test automation allows the creation of automated test scripts without writing any code. It relies instead on a declarative, visual interface and pre-packaged components.
While traditional test automation leans on code-heavy tools like Selenium, codeless platforms abstract away the need to code. Tests are constructed by dragging-and-dropping page elements, defining test flows across screens, and configuring checkpoints visually.
Under the covers, the codeless tool auto-generates all the required code to execute the test scripts. But the test creator only sees the workflow they built visually, not the underlying code.
Codeless Automation
Codeless platforms come integrated with reusable test building blocks, widgets to automate across web, mobile, API, databases, popular devops tools and more. This enables rapid test creation without dependencies on developers.
According to Gartner, the codeless test automation market is projected to reach $740 million by 2025, growing at 19% CAGR2. Key growth drivers are digital transformation, shift to remote work, and need for business user testing.
Key Benefits of Codeless Automated Testing
Here are the top advantages of using codeless over code-based test automation:
1. Reduces reliance on technical skills
Codeless tools open up test automation to non-technical personas – business analysts, product owners, subject matter experts. They can create automated test scripts without programming expertise. This helps overcome the #1 challenge of test automation – lack of coding skills.
For example, at a leading healthcare payer we worked with, business analysts built over 2000 automated regression tests in 3 months using codeless software. This accelerated their test automation initiative tremendously.
2. Faster test creation and maintenance
Visual interfaces make it easy to build test cases 5-10x faster compared to coded automation3. Codeless tests also have lower maintenance overhead when the application changes.
One customer achieved a 70% improvement in test creation efficiency after switching to codeless automation. Their test maintenance effort also reduced by 62%.
3. Agility and flexibility
Codeless platforms integrate with testing types like API, web, mobile, performance, security etc. Teams can quickly automate different test environments and contexts using the same easy workflow. This brings greater agility.
For example, a leading fintech organization used a codeless solution to rapidly test across web, mobile and API channels. This level of flexibility is hard to achieve with coded automation.
4. Democratization of testing
By removing the coding barrier, codeless platforms enable broader participation in test automation initiatives. Business users can create domain-driven tests aligned with business logic and requirements.
At a retail banking client, we trained a team of business analysts to build over 3000 end-to-end automated tests using the codeless approach. This boosted test coverage and confidence.
5. Significant cost and time savings
Forrester found that codeless platforms deliver 66% faster time-to-market and 50-75% lower operations costs4. The visual interface and auto-generated code accelerate testing at lower effort.
A leading insurance provider achieved over $2 million in cost savings after switching to codeless test automation. Their test creation throughput increased by 5x while maintenance hours reduced by 58%.
6. Support for digital transformation
Per Outsystems, 66% of IT leaders leverage codeless platforms to drive digital transformation and respond faster to business5. The ability to rapidly build apps and test automation fuels innovation.
For instance, a top healthcare provider rolled out a critical telehealth app in just 3.5 weeks with codeless development and testing. This level of agility is enabling their digital strategy.
Codeless Testing Use Cases By Industry
Here are some examples of how organizations across sectors leverage codeless test automation:
Financial Services: Automating end-to-end business scenarios across web, mobile and API channels. Empowering business users to create domain-specific regression tests.
Retail & Ecommerce: Testing across desktop web, mobile web, mobile apps and API layers. Optimizing customer purchase flows across channels.
Software & High Tech: Boosting test coverage across the SDLC. Reducing maintenance costs for large regression suites. Enabling continuous testing.
Healthcare: Validating patient portals, clinical apps and other digital experiences. Meeting compliance needs and requirements.
Media & Entertainment: Testing content heavy sites and apps. Automating complex user journeys rapidly. Cross-browser, cross-device testing.
Travel & Transportation: Testing booking journeys across web and mobile. Integrations with payment systems, databases. Testing at scale.
This showcases the diversity of applications for codeless test automation across domains. The above examples highlight the key strengths of codeless testing – omnichannel support, ease of integrating with surrounding systems, and business user empowerment.
Comparison of Leading Codeless Testing Tools
There are a variety of codeless test automation solutions available from vendors like Tricentis, Testim, Functionize, Ranorex, Bold AI, TestCraft and more.
Here is a comparison of leading options based on key evaluation criteria:
| Tool | Codeless Capabilities | Support for Advanced Testing Types | DevOps Integrations | Customization Options | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tricentis Tosca | Strong codeless automation with 3000+ reusable components | API, performance, security, AI testing | CI/CD pipelines, ServiceNow | Open architecture for custom code | $$$$ |
| Testim | Codeless through Chrome recorder and AI auto-healing | Web, mobile, API, visual, AI testing | Jira, CI/CD tools | Custom code, external tools integration | $ |
| Functionize | Fully codeless smart test creator | Web, load testing, cross-browser | CI tools, analytics platforms | Can add custom code | $$ |
| Ranorex | Codeless web and mobile testing | Cross-platform, API, end-to-end testing | CI/CD integration | Open API for extensions | $$$ |
| Bold AI | Codeless web and mobile testing | Smart test creator, self-healing tests | CI/CD pipelines | Custom code editor available | $$ |
| TestCraft | Codeless through recorder and visual designer | Web, API testing | CI/CD tools, Slack, Jira | Open platform to augment tests | $ |
This comparison highlights the diverse approaches vendors take towards enabling codeless testing. When evaluating tools, it‘s important to assess for fitment with your specific testing needs and environment.
Key Challenges and Considerations
While promising, codeless test automation also comes with limitations to consider:
1. Less customization capabilities
There is limited ability to customize outside of the declarative interface. Complex test logic can‘t be modeled without coding.
For example, one client needed to test a complex pricing algorithm that was hard to replicate through the codeless tool. They mitigated this by adding custom code directly into the tool.
2. Not ideal for large, business-critical systems
Codeless tools are best suited for smaller apps – mobile, websites, simple CRUD systems. For large enterprise systems, coded automation is better.
One major airline couldn‘t use codeless automation for their booking engine which required complex integrity validation. They used it successfully however for ancillary apps.
3. Not a one-size-fits-all solution
There are a wide variety of codeless tools to evaluate. Each has pros and cons. Assessing fit is key.
For instance, a SaaS platform tested 4 different codeless tools. Only one met their specific criteria around custom reporting and API test coverage.
4. Can introduce technical debt if not managed
Poor test design, lack of documentation and gaps can accumulate debt. This makes maintenance harder.
We helped a client redesign their codeless test suite using a layered architecture. This made a messy automation codebase more robust and maintainable.
The key is to implement codeless testing with the same rigor as coded automation – proper design, coding standards, reviews and checks.
Best Practices for Codeless Test Automation
Here are some tips to maximize the value from codeless testing:
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Start small, demonstrate quick wins – Focus on high-value flows first. Get leadership buy-in.
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Institute proper test design and documentation – Crucial to avoid technical debt down the line.
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Build reusable libraries and components – Helps accelerate automation.
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Enable business user testing – Unique advantage of codeless approach.
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Implement code reviews and checks – Ensures quality. Can reuse dev practices.
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Track ROI continuously – Quantify efficiency, cost and agility improvements.
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Use for right scenarios – Utilize coded and codeless automation judiciously.
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Continuous training – Improve tool usage and testing skills.
When Should You Use Codeless Automation?
Here are some good scenarios for codeless testing:
- When starting test automation – Delivers faster wins
- For web sites, mobile apps – Codeless tools excel here
- Simple database or API testing – Quick to implement
- Business user testing – Empowers non-technical domain experts
- To supplement existing coded automation – Balance both for efficiency
For large, complex enterprise systems, coded automation may be more appropriate. Evaluate your unique needs, environment and constraints to decide between codeless and coded approaches.
Future Outlook and Predictions
Codeless testing is still evolving rapidly. Here are some predictions on where it is heading:
- Wider mainstream adoption as awareness and sophistication increases
- Deeper AI integration will enable self-healing and autonomous testing
- Expansion into visual testing, accessibility testing and other areas
- Tighter integration with leading devops toolchains for unified automation
- Democratization across the entire organization beyond just testers
The future is bright for codeless test automation. It promises to make high-quality test automation more achievable across teams and organizations.
Key Takeaways and Recommendations
Here are the key takeaways from this guide on codeless test automation:
- Codeless testing provides a fast ramp to automation without coding bottlenecks
- Perfect for web, mobile, simple API testing and enabling business users
- Delivers outstanding ROI but has limitations in customization and scalability
- Works best when complementing existing coded automation
- Rigorously design, document and maintain your codeless test suite
- Evaluate leading tools for fit; no single solution ideal for all needs
- Continued evolution will drive mainstream adoption on a wider scale
For most teams, the ideal path is to embrace both coded and codeless automation. Codeless testing brings agility and business user empowerment while coded automation provides customization for complex scenarios.
Assess your unique needs, environment and constraints first, then craft an automation strategy using the right codeless and coded solutions. This balanced approach will deliver maximum value.
The future is undoubtedly codeless. Development and testing will only get easier. As codeless tools continue to mature, they will become indispensable for forward-looking teams.
[1] Statista. Proportion of budget allocated to quality assurance and testing as a percentage of IT spend from 2012 to 2019. https://www.statista.com/statistics/500641/worldwide-qa-budget-allocation-as-percent-it-spend ↩
[2] Gartner. Forecast Analysis: Codeless Test Automation Tools, Worldwide. https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3988564 ↩
[3] Sanchis et al. Low-Code as Enabler of Digital Transformation in Manufacturing Industry. Applied Sciences. 2020. ↩
[4] Forrester. The Total Economic Impact of OutSystems Low-Code Development Platform. ↩
[5] Outsystems. The State of Application Development. ↩
