In this tutorial, we are providing the list and review of the top open-source free and commercial Exploratory Testing Tools:
The exploratory testing tool is an application that will help you automate the exploratory testing through features like capturing screenshots and annotating feedback during sessions.
Combining exploratory testing with automated testing will increase test coverage and discover more edge cases. It will help to improve the overall software product.
Table of Contents:
Exploratory Testing Tools
Exploratory testing is about simultaneous testing designing and test execution. As there is no structural rigidity it encourages creativity and experimentation. It includes several activities like test documentations, and the exploratory testing tool will help you with such tasks.
The result is shown in the below image:
Exploratory Testing
The exploratory testing process has four main steps. These are as follows:
- Learn: This step identifies the user and the objective. Also, find the requirements for the test.
- Test design: Test design briefly describes the test instead of a test case. It links the test to the requirements.
- Test Execution: Test execution executes the test and finds out the results.
- Test Analysis: This step analyzes the test and results. It creates reports of the defects.
All the exploratory testing tools follow the above test process.
>>Recommended reading => Exploratory vs Scripted testing
List of Exploratory Testing Tools
Here is a list of the most popular Exploratory Testing Tools:
- Testpad
- PractiTest
- Testiny
- Test IO
- Exploratory Testing Chrome Extension
- Tricentis Exploratory Testing for Jira
- Bug Magnet
- QTest
- Session Tester
- Zephyr
- Test Studio
Let’s start.
#1) Testpad
Testpad’s flexible style of test plans (think spreadsheet + outliner + checklist) makes a great way to track your exploratory testing. Get the most out of your humans; let them tenaciously explore for bugs while steering them with a checklist of functionality. Testpad has a slick modern UI with keyboard-driven editing.
Reporting is simple but surprisingly effective, and there’s lightweight integration with issue trackers, including JIRA.
System Requirement: It is an online tool and hence works with any modern web browser.
Price: Testpad is available with four pricing plans, Essential ($49 per month), Team ($99 per month), Department ($249 per month), and Custom ($15 per user per month). All these prices are for annual billing. A free trial is available for all four pricing plans.
#2) PractiTest
PractiTest is a test management tool with an integral exploratory testing feature. It defines charters, documents different kinds of annotations, and report bugs directly from your runs. Add session-based testing to your testing efforts seamlessly for full QA coverage.
System Requirements: SaaS only. No other system requirements.
Price: PractiTest offers three pricing plans, Professional ($39 per user per month), Enterprise ($49 per user per month), and Unlimited (get a quote). A free trial is available.
#3) Testiny
Testiny – a new, straightforward testing tool – perfect for exploratory testing.
Testiny is built on the latest technologies and aims to make manual, exploratory testing & test management as seamless as possible. Create your tests with a rich-text editor and manage them in a tree-structure – fast and simple.
During exploratory testing sessions simply copy & paste screenshots or add comments to the test run. Integrations (like Jira, GitHub, Redmine, …) allow linking tests with requirements and/or defects. Any changes made on test cases, runs, etc. are tracked in an audit-history for perfect traceability.
Moreover, Testiny keeps all browser-sessions in sync automatically; no more refresh – you and your colleagues will immediately see any changes and updates.
System requirements: Chrome / Edge / Safari / Firefox / … (any modern web-browser)
Price: Testiny is free for open-source projects and small teams with up to 3 people. 14-day free trial with all features is available. Seats above 3 users cost $17 (€15) per month. Volume discounts are offered for bigger teams.
=> Create your FREE account at Testiny Today
#4) Test IO
Test IO provides QA testing as a service. It offers testing solutions by various approaches like Exploratory testing, Usability testing, etc. Its testing solutions are available for various platforms like Website Testing, Mobile Testing, Wearables Testing, and IoT Testing. It can provide customized solutions for your advanced QA and workflow integration needs.
A diverse group of global professional testers will perform real-world tests on various devices, OS, and browsers.
System Requirements: Test IO will test your websites and apps on all devices.
Price: Test IO solutions are available with three pricing plans, Starter, Professional, and Elite.
#5) Exploratory Testing Chrome Extension
Exploratory Testing Chrome Extension provides the features that will make web exploratory testing easier. It captures screenshots during the session. You will be able to report bugs, ideas, notes, and questions easily. It will automatically track the URL. It will let you save and import the session. You can export the session to JSON, CSV, or HTML.
System Requirements: Google Chrome browser.
Price: Free
=> Download Exploratory Testing Chrome Extension
#6) Tricentis Exploratory Testing for Jira
Exploratory Testing for JIRA is the add-on that will help you with the agile development projects. There are two types of JIRA add-ons, JIRA Cloud and JIRA Server. This add-on supports fully featured session-based testing. With this add-on, you will be able to apply exploratory testing to large-scale implementations. This will be helpful for continuous testing at an enterprise level.
It provides fully-featured session-based testing, managing & inviting multiple testers, manually capturing and annotating videos & screenshots, recording test actions automatically, etc.
System Requirements: Windows OS and it supports the same browser version as the corresponding Jira version.
=> Visit Tricentis Exploratory Testing for Jira Website
#7) Bug Magnet
Bug Magnet is a web-based testing tool that can be extended in the web-browser. The limitations and edge cases for exploratory testing are easily accessible by the Bug-magnet. There is very little overhead per page in the Bug-magnet. It does not depend on any third-party libraries. The user can easily extend their configuration files through Bug Magnet.
Bug-magnet works on the input fields, text areas, and multi-frames of the same domain.
System Requirement: Bug Magnet is extensible on web browsers (Chrome or Firefox).
Price: Bug Magnet is an open-source and free testing tool.
=> Bug Magnet
#8) Tricentis qTest
Tricentis qTest is the agile test management platform for the enterprise. It is a suite of agile testing tools that will improve efficiency. With this platform, you will be able to scale test automation, enhance collaboration, and increase speed to market.
qTest Manager is a powerful and easy to use test case management tool. It can be deployed in the cloud or on-premise. It will help you with planning and organizing testing activities according to project schedules.
System Requirement: qTest Explorer runs on all Windows Operating Systems.
Price: qTest Explorer is available for a 14-day free trial.
#9) Session Tester
Session tester is a simple and free exploratory testing tool. It manages and records the Session-Based Testing. The timer is one feature of the Session tester through which you can set a particular time length for the test session according to your need. Through Session tester, you can easily record session notes in XML format. This XML format is convertible.
You can convert into any other formats like HTML.
System Requirement: Session tester supports all Windows OS XP/Vista/7/8.
Price: Session tester is an open-source and free testing tool.
#10) Zephyr
Zephyr provides test management tools. These tools will optimize the speed and quality of software testing. Zephyr provides continuous testing agility from agile to automation and DevOps to analytics. It works natively inside JIRA with Atlassian tools. It is a scalable platform and can be used by teams of any size.
You will get the highest level of reliability and availability with Zephyr. It can be deployed in the cloud, on-premise server, and on a distributed network or data center.
System Requirements: Windows and Linux.
Price: Zephyr is available with two pricing plans, Zephyr for Jira ($10 per month) and Zephyr Enterprise (get a quote). A free trial is available.
#11) Test Studio
Test Studio is an automated testing tool that supports all the latest technologies such as AJAX, HTML5, JavaScript, Silverlight, MVC, Android, Ruby, and PHP. Test Studio can be used for all types of applications such as desktop, web, or mobile applications. Visual Studio integrates the Test Studio tool.
It has a Test Recorder feature that writes all tests in code that can immediately customize in the Visual Studio.
System requirement: Test Studio requires Windows OS with .Net 4.5 frameworks.
Price: Test Studio is available for a free trial. Its perpetual license is available for $2499.
Additional Tools
#12) JIRA Capture
JIRA Capture or Capture for JIRA is a team exploratory team-testing tool that records all sessions together. Annotated screenshots, browser extension, and fast bug reporting are the most important features of the JIRA Capture. Now Capture for JIRA is under Zephyr’s ownership.
System Requirement: JIRA Capture supports all types of operating systems and web-based applications.
Price: You can free try JIRA Capture for 30 days and after trial, you can purchase it.
#13) Rapid Reporter
Rapid Reporter is a Session-Based Test Management (SBTM) testing tool. For completing the exploratory testing process, the Rapid Reporter uses SBTM to review the notes. During the uninterrupted testing session, SBTM takes these notes. Providing good notes during the test session and building reports are the main features of the Rapid Reporter.
System Requirement: Rapid reporter supports the Windows OS (7/XP/Vista) or Mac OS. For Windows, .Net 3.5 or above framework is required.
Price: Rapid Reporter can be downloaded for free.
#14) Testuff
Testuff is a simple testing tool that works with the software as a service of cloud computing. In simple words, clients pay the only amount of requested services. The name of this service is an on-demand service. Using Testuff, users can easily do the test case, test planning, and their execution, time management. The bug tracker of the Testuff creates the report after collecting the detected bugs.
System Requirement: Testuff supports all operating systems like Mac OS, Windows OS, Web-based, and Mobile–web applications.
Price: Testuff is available for a free trial. It is available with three plans, Monthly ($27 user per month), Yearly ($270 per user per month), and Enterprise (get a quote).
#15) Rapise
Inflectra is the developer of the Rapise tool. Rapise is a flexible testing tool that provides automated test recording through which users can create test scripts, perform cross-browser testing, and integration testing. Rapise has many automatic tools like object manager, data-driven testing, drag and drop, API testing, etc.
One of the main features of Rapise is that it is extensible; it means the user can easily extend it through any third-party libraries. It also supports cross-platform applications. It has features for Scriptless Automation. It provides out of the box support for Dynamics AX, CRM, NAV, and 365.
System Requirement: Rapise runs on all Windows OS, Mobile OS (Android or Apple iOS), and Web applications (Browser, Ajax, or hybrid web pages)
Price: Rapise is available for a free trial. It costs $4,999.99 per machine.
#16) Incremental Scenario Testing Tool
An Incremental scenario testing tool provides a facility to complete the exploratory testing by creating efficient test plans and sessions. This hybrid and the innovative tool automatically perform complex testing. It selects the test according to its complexity that has a higher complexity. It gives a high-level test scenario.
The root tester, test manager, developer, or guest have a different use of Incremental Scenario testing tools.
System Requirements: Incremental scenario testing tool supports all platforms.
Price: This tool is a free testing tool.
=> Download Incremental Scenario Testing tool
#17) Defect Scribe
Defect testing is an automatic and simple testing tool that efficiently does exploratory testing. Defect testing has a free add-on named TestTrack. It records all test cases, captures detailed user actions, and creates bug reports. It also creates a history of the test session.
System Requirement: Defect Scribe supports Windows OS and web-based applications.
Price: Defect Scribe is a free testing tool.
#18) Azure Test Plans
Azure Test Plans is a manual and exploratory testing toolkit. It will capture rich data. It can test across the web and desktop. It provides end-to-end traceability. You can design and execute tests simultaneously.
Price: You can start for free. User Licenses have two plans, Basic plan (first 5 users free) and Basic + Test plans ($52 per user per month).
#19) TestRail
TestRail is a web-based testing tool that has a modern and user-friendly interface. TestRail can be installed directly on the server hence it uses the database to store application data. In TestRail, the tester can use agile or other methodology for testing. It is customizable, which makes it easy to access.
System Requirement: TestRail supports Windows OS, Linux-based OS, and Web-based applications.
Price: Free trial is available for the TestRail testing tool. TestRail Professional Cloud is for $34 per month and TestRail Professional Server is for $351 per year.
#20) Micro Focus Sprinter
Micro Focus Sprinter is a testing tool that performs exploratory testing by capturing user actions. During the testing process, Micro Focus Sprinter automatically generates user actions and defects. Micro Focus Sprinter has some automatic features like defect scanner, auto-generated documentation. The data injection deletes the repeated test, generated by Micro Focus Sprinter.
System Requirement: Micro Focus Sprinter supports all platforms.
Price: Micro Focus Sprinter is a free testing tool to add on offers.
=> Download Micro Focus Sprinter
#21) Qualitest
QualiTest is also an automatic testing tool that runs multiple lengths and complex test cases and identical tests on multiple configurations. This automation of testing improves the accuracy of testing and reduces the development life cycle. Also, it can test a large amount of data and generate test data documentation.
System Requirement: Qualitest supports Windows OS, Linux-based OS, and embedded systems.
Price: Qualitest is an open-source and free testing tool.
#22) Evernote as a supporting tool
Evernote is a supporting testing tool that creates and stores tests. Evernote performs automatic testing in a checklist-oriented manner instead of systematic instructions. Evernote has bug-tracking tools that trigger the test session and include bug details whenever a new bug arises. Dropbox and feedback are other features of the Evernote that help in the creation of the new session.
System Requirement: Evernote is as accessible on all platforms such as Windows OS, Linux-base, web-based and mobile applications.
Price: The basic edition of Evernote is available for free. However, the Premium editions will cost you $7.99 per month and the Business plan will cost you $14.99 per user per month.
=> Download Evernote as a supporting tool
Conclusion
In the above article, we have tried to cover the top exploratory testing tools that are used either by the testers or by the developers. If you think it is useful for you, then share your opinion about exploratory testing tools.
Research Process:
- Time taken to research this article: 30 hours
- Total tools researched: 28
- Top tools shortlisted: 21
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