Difference between Desktop, Client Server Testing and Web Testing

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In this post, I am gonna give an answer to reader's question.
There was one question asked by Srividya:

Q.What is the difference between client-server and Web Testing?
Vijay: Well Srividya I would like to add one more testing type i.e Desktop Testing in this discussion. So now we have three testing types Desktop application testing, Client server application testing, and Web application testing.

Each one differs in the environment in which they are tested and you will lose control over the environment in which application you are testing, while you move from desktop to web applications.

Desktop application runs on personal computers and workstations, so when you test the desktop application you are focusing on a specific environment. You will test complete application broadly in categories like GUI, functionality, Load, and backend i.e DB.

In the Client-server application, you have two different components to test. The application is loaded on server machine while the application exe on every client machine. You will test broadly in categories like, GUI on both sides, functionality, Load, client-server interaction, backend.

This environment is mostly used in Intranet networks. You are aware of a number of clients and servers and their locations in the test scenario.

The web application is a bit different and complex to test as tester don't have that much control over the application. The application is loaded on the server whose location may or may not be known and no exe is installed on the client machine, you have to test it on different web browsers.

Web applications are supposed to be tested on different browsers and OS platforms so broadly Web application is tested mainly for browser compatibility and operating system compatibility, error handling, static pages, backend testing, and load testing.

I think this will have an idea of all three testing environment. Keep in mind that even the difference exists in these three environments, the basic quality assurance and testing principles remain the same and applies to all.

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133 thoughts on “Difference between Desktop, Client Server Testing and Web Testing”

  4. Thanks for sharing the useful information, its really very nice stuff.. in my 5 years of experience I had never seen such an extensive check list..

    REgards,
    Maheedhar

  5. Hi ,
    Very interesting information.Under what type of testing do we classify desktop testing , client server testing and web based testing?

  10. hey bro, u r awsome yar………. now i got wat i wanted….
    Only people with great heart will help others… Keep up the simplicity of ur method of explaination….BIG THANX from my side…

  13. I have 3 + years of experience web and mobile application testing. But i want to switch my domain to banking|Telecom|Automation Testing.
    Can any one suggest me is that my decision is right ?

  15. Kindly let me know examples of dektop ,client-server and web applications ? Is yahoo messenger is a desktop app or client server or web app ?

  16. Kindly let me know examples of desktop ,client-server and web applications ? Is yahoo messenger is a desktop app or client server or web app ?

  23. I was working as a Test Engineer. Was into manual testing and mainly into web based testing. I was into web based testing for more than 2 years. Now I have shifted my job. At the new work place I need to test Desktop applications. Will it affect my career in any way? Should I be concentrating in any one – Desktop/Web Based/ Client Server?

  25. hi all
    this is daya can anybody explain me what is client server and web application? because here is an article on client server and web application but this is very confusing .pls reply me on same
    u can reply me on my id ensista.sandeep@gmail.com

  33. Hi, Very interesting one. I will share my thoughts here based on my industry experience.

    Let me give the use case and it will be easier to analyse the complexity of Mobile App Testing.

    1. Mobile Phone Screensize dependency

    2. Mobile Phone OS (Android version 5, 6,7,8,9) dependency

    3. Mobile Phone RAM dependency

    4. Mobile Phone Memory dependency

    5. Mobile Network dependency

    6. Mobile Screen rotation (horizonatal / vertical)

    7. Mobile different resources allocation (Camera/File Explorer) dependency

    8. Different interrupted testing like – Call/SMS/notification

    These all cases must be catered in Mobile Application Testing, where as Web application does not have these cases, hence Mobile application testing is much complex than of Web application testing.

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