Top iOS Testing Tools and Frameworks

Automated testing has become an integral part of the iOS app development landscape. Deploying automated scripts and test cases that can be executed repeatedly allows errors to be spotted much faster and with higher accuracy rates than manual testing alone.

Of course, making the most of automated testing requires you to choose the right frameworks and be aware of the pitfalls you might face.

In this piece, we’ll briefly introduce what iOS automation testing looks like, the challenges one faces with it, and what iOS testing tools to incorporate into your workflow.

What Is iOS Automation Testing, and How Is It Implemented?

Automation testing for iOS involves using software frameworks to create and run test cases on iOS devices and/or simulators. The goal is to verify the app’s expected behaviors across multiple device configurations, network conditions, and iOS versions.

It tests the app’s functionality, stability, and adherence to quality standards by replicating various real-world scenarios. Automated tests can run repeatedly across multiple iOS devices, making for more efficient bug detection and feature verification at scale.

Unit testing, regression testing, functional testing, performance testing, compatibility testing, and UI/UX testing all lend themselves well to automation testing.

15 Paid and Free iOS Testing Tools and Frameworks

Finding the perfect tester for your iOS application can seem daunting. You can’t falter with your research and must ensure that whatever you choose is delivered repeatedly. Fret not—we’ve done the homework with you. Have a look at this listicle.

1. TestGrid

TestGrid is a cloud-based, end-to-end testing solution that offers secure and scalable test infrastructure. It hosts real mobile devices and browsers on the cloud or on-premise.

When you use TestGrid, you don’t need any emulators or simulators. You can simply test the iOS app on actual world conditions and evaluate its battery life, network strength, and lighting conditions across the latest and legacy iOS devices and versions.

This enables you to guarantee optimal performance and compatibility across the board for your end users. In addition, you can easily automate your testing process by integrating iOS test automation frameworks like XCUITest and Appium.

A standout feature of TestGrid is CoTester, the world’s first AI assistant for software testing.

cotester - AI Agent assistant for software testing.
Upon prompting, it provides a thorough description of the test case and a step-by-step editor that demonstrates the automation workflow. You can view execution logs, screenshots, and step-by-step results to identify failures and resolve issues quickly.

What’s more—CoTester efficiently tests access controls and authentication flows, ensuring robust security. Take a detailed look at your awesome AI testing buddy.

Key features

• Benefit from an option for private, dedicated deployments to conduct critical business tests on TestOS without additional costs
• Effortlessly record user actions, generate test scripts, and automate testing within minutes using the Record & Playback feature
• Leverage its visual testing capabilities to identify even the smallest visual inconsistencies without requiring any external SDK
• Streamline project management tasks, including logging bugs, assigning issues to team members, recording sprint notes, and setting task reminders

Pricing

• Freemium: $0 per month (200 minutes per 2 minute session)
• Manual Testing: $25 per month (5 users, 1 parallel test)
• End-to-End Automation: $99 per month (5 users, 1 parallel test)
• Private Dedicated: Starts from $30 per month (5 users, 1 dedicated device)
• Enterprise (On-premise/Hosted): Custom pricing

2. Appium

Appium is an open-source automation testing tool for native, hybrid, and web apps. It’s used across different operating systems, including mobile (Android and iOS), browser (Safari, Chrome, and Firefox), and desktop (macOS and Windows).

It interacts with iOS applications through Selenium WebDriver using the JSONWire protocol. It tests apps on real devices and iOS emulators and simulators without requiring any modification or recompilation. You can test the exact binary you submit to the app store, ensuring what you test is what you release.

Key features

• Write tests in a language you already use or are most comfortable with, such as Ruby, Python, Java, C#, and PHP
• Run it as a process on some computer for as long as you want to be able to use it for automation since it’s an HTTP server
• Leverage Appium’s Desired Capabilities to specify the device type and set other parameters for the custom test execution environment
• Automate complex gestures, such as tap, pinch, swipe, and zoom—meaningful for testing mobile apps with rich touch interactions

Pricing

Free as it’s open-sourced; available under the MIT License

3. Calabash

Calabash is an automated testing technology for iOS and Android native and hybrid apps. It uses private APIs to inspect the app’s view hierarchy. To run it, you need macOS Mojave or Catalina, Xcode 10.3+, or Ruby 2.3. It supports testing on simulators and saves the cost of purchasing physical devices.

Key features

• Follow a set of predefined steps that can be used for interacting with the iOS app, including tapping the button, verifying the iOS app content, and entering text
• Build and run your project in Xcode, setting the target to an iOS simulator; Calabash will automatically identify the generated .app file.
• Generate HTML reports to view test results in Jenkins using plugins like HTML Publisher
• Integrate it with Jenkins and Travis CI for continuous testing

Pricing

mobile-app-automation.jpg

4. XCTest and XCUITest

XCTest is an iOS testing framework for writing unit, performance, and UI tests within Xcode projects. It integrates seamlessly with Xcode’s testing workflow, making it easy to ensure the code’s quality and performance.

On the other hand, XCUITest uses XCTest as its foundation to launch apps, interact with UI, and simulate actions like swipes, typing, and taps, confirming they appear as expected or react correctly to user inputs.

Key features

• Write test cases in Swift or Objective-C, mainly packed in an IPA runner—key programming languages used for iOS app development
• Benefit from black box testing; test the iOS app’s functionality even if you don’t know its internal structure and implementation
• Find elements by their title, label, value, or placeholder value using the unique “accessibility identifier” feature
• Run tests directly from the IDE and view results in the Test Navigator

Pricing

Available for free on the Mac App Store

5. Keep It Functional (Kif)

Kif is an iOS functional testing framework. It uses accessibility attributes to interact with and automate UI elements that assist users with visual impairments (like VoiceOver). It builds on top of the XCTest framework, meaning it uses a standard XCTest target to run its tests. Kif actively supports Xcode 11.6 and iOS 11-13.

Key features

• Avoid running additional web servers or getting additional packages installed because of direct integration with XCode projects
• Mimic actual user inputs and actions as closely as possible, prioritizing tap events for greater accuracy and reliability
• Perform iOS app tests synchronously in the main thread, enabling complex logic and composition
• Take advantage of the Xcode Test Navigator, command line build tools and Bot test reports

Pricing

Free as it’s open-sourced

6. Bugfender

Bugfender - cloud service for iOS to collects and debugs remote app logs.
Bugfender is a cloud service that allows you to upload your iOS app logs (even for remote devices) and provides a web console to view them.

It performs effectively across various deployment scenarios: it supports production apps released on the App Store, beta versions distributed through TestFlight, and enterprise applications published on corporate app stores.

Key features

• Integrating its custom SDK takes minutes, and it has a tiny footprint
• Drill down logs by device, OS, and even individual user using its log view and powerful filters
• Get a 360-degree view of the chain of events that caused the app to crash so you can build a proactive strategy to prevent a repeat
• Enable or disable the devices you want to debug with our Device Config panel, homing in on the users you need to track and offering bespoke support

Pricing

• Free (100K daily log lines for indie developers and experimental apps)
• Basic (1M daily log lines for startups caring about their app quality)
• Pro (1M daily log lines for agencies and product companies)
• Premium ($539 per month for companies with enterprise-grade requirements)

7. Detox

Detox is an automated end-to-end testing framework that lets you write tests in JavaScript. It currently only supports iOS and Android. It synchronizes with the iOS app lifecycle, waiting for the app to be fully loaded before executing any tests. Detox’s modern async-await API allows breakpoints in asynchronous tests to work as expected.

Key features

Use it with popular JavaScript test runners like Mocha and AVA
Execute your E2E tests on CI platforms like Travis CI, CircleCI, or Jenkins
Easily set up and configure it with the help of its clear and detailed documentation and user-friendly interface
Get support for multiple iOS versions that help you ensure the app works as expected across different versions of iOS

Pricing

Free as it’s open-sourced

8. EarlGrey

EarlGrey is an iOS UI automation test framework developed by Google. It has been used internally to test native apps like YouTube, Google Photos, Google Calendar, and others. It’s easy-to-read and understandable syntax for UI interaction equips you to write and maintain test scripts.

Key features

Automatically synchronize it with the UI, network requests, and various queues like Dispatch Queue and NSOperationQueue
Integrate it with Xcode so you can run your test directly within IDE and receive results in the Xcode console
Support accessibility testing to ensure even those with disabilities can use the iOS app
Simultaneously run tests on real devices and simulators

Pricing

Free as it’s open-sourced

9. OCMock

OCMock is a mock object testing library for creating stubs in an iOS app. Mock objects play a crucial role in software testing as they enable you to simulate the behavior of real objects, such as network services, databases, or other external dependencies your app interacts with.

Since Xcode does not support built-in Mock objects, OCMock is a unique library that supports Objective-C.

Key features

• Define specific return values for methods when they’re called during testing
• Receive detailed error messages and stack traces to aid in debugging test failures
• Enable testing of objects that rely on other objects indirectly through proxies
• Set expectations and stubs using blocks for more precise control over method responses

Pricing

Free as it’s open-sourced

10. TestCompete

TestCompete
TestCompete is an automated UI testing tool. It allows you to separate test steps, objects, actions, and data with a built-in keyword-driven testing framework.

You can get real-time information on the progress and status of your desktop, web, or mobile UI tests from a single interface. Reuse your automated UI tests across projects and environments to expand test coverage, save time, and cut costs.

Key features

• Manage objects in a single repository and set it up locally or to be shared depending on your needs
• Accurately identify dynamic UI elements with both property-based and AI-powered visual recognition
• Easily connect with popular defect tracking tools such as Jira and Bugzilla for instant feedback and continuous learning
• Test even the most dynamic and complex on-screen application components or validate information found embedded in images, charts, mainframes, and PDFs

Pricing

• TestComplete Base: $3,875 (Pay for only what you need)
• TestCompete Pro: $6,029 (Our entire base package at a bundled price point)
• TestCompete Advanced: Custom pricing (The most coverage for your app, infused with more AI)

11. Frank

Frank is an iOS testing framework designed to facilitate behavior-driven development (BDD). It enables you to write structured acceptance tests using Cucumber, which are then executed against apps.

Key features

• Run your tests on both the simulator and the device
• Record videos of your test runs to see the app in action
• Seamlessly integrate it with CI systems, allowing tests to run on every check-in
• Get detailed information on the running application with its powerful app inspector named Symbiote

Pricing

Free as it’s open-sourced

12. MonkeyTalk

MonkeyTalk is an automated iOS testing tool built by Gorilla Logic. It enables you to create and execute functional, performance, and acceptance tests for iOS apps, including Mac, iPhone, and iPad. You can write test scripts in plain English based on keyword-driven scripting language.

Key features

• Identify UI elements in your iOS app with its Object Spy feature
• Integrate it with IDEs like Xcode and Eclipse and CI tools like Bamboo and Jenkins
• Use simulators or real devices for performing tests—no iOS jailbreaking required

Pricing

Free as it’s open-sourced

13. Applitools

Applitools is a cloud-based visual testing tool for iOS test automation. Its AI-powered image comparison capabilities visually verify the UI across different devices and screen sizes. It can also adjust or fix minor UI changes, minimizing the need to update your test scripts constantly.

Key features

• Validate thousands of elements instantly with just a single line of code added to an Appium, Espresso, and other test scripts
• Add the Applitools SDK to your test project to capture screenshots at key points during your automation process
• See exactly what was changed in the DOM when a test fails; make fixes fast
• Test different languages without writing tons of repeat assertions

Pricing

While not open-source, Applitools Eyes offers a free tier for smaller projects and open-source initiatives.

14. Perfecto

Perfecto is a web and mobile app testing platform. It enables you to create stable, complex text automation using a scriptless flowchart builder or on the fly in your iOS app. You can run tests on multiple platforms and work environments parallelly. There’s no need to set up your own infrastructure or pay for external browser tabs.

Key features

• Stay on top of test results and errors by enabling notifications on your favorite channels: email, text messaging, Slack
• Simulate realistic traffic conditions to understand how your iOS mobile app performance is impacted under a load
• Perform tests on a programmed schedule so you can manage repetitive test actions; perfect for app monitoring
• Ensure your iOS app works with screen readers, speech recognition software, screen magnification, and more

Pricing

• Starter: Free
• Basic: Starting at $83 per month
• Pro: Starting at $125 per month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

15. TestFlight

TestFlight is an app beta tester that makes it easy for you to give feedback on your apps, games, and App Clips across Apple platforms before you roll them out. To share your beta with external testers, you only need a description of your beta app and review information.

You can set criteria, such as device type and OS version, for testing to get more relevant feedback for your app. Filter feedback by platform or OS version to get additional insight about potential improvements.

Key features

• Create multiple groups and add different builds to each one
• View tester metrics to evaluate tester engagement better and manage participation
• View feedback in the form of screenshots, comments related to crashes, and any additional written input
• Designate up to 100 members of your development team who hold the Account Holder, Admin, App Manager, Developer, or Marketing role as beta testers

Pricing

Free

Challenges in iOS Automation Testing

Some challenges to watch out for during iOS automation testing include:

1. Limited testing capabilities

Apple has security measures in place that could restrict your iOS app testing tool’s access to certain app features. This occurs most commonly with features that rely on hardware components like the microphone or the camera, making workarounds necessary to test them properly.

2. App Store guidelines

Apple also has strict requirements for apps listed on the App Store, including security protocols, certain UI elements, and data handling practices. The testing frameworks you use should be able to test apps for compliance with these requirements.

3. Device fragmentation

Testing across every combination of devices, browsers, iOS versions, and hardware specification is a complicated and time-consuming business. More often than not, you’ll need to calculate a balance to strike between device coverage and testing time, which always leaves room for some configurations to be left out.

4. Network conditions

App performance on the same iOS device can vary greatly depending on network connectivity and speed. iOS app testing tools need to be able to simulate different network conditions to assess user experience quality and identify problem areas in each scenario.

Best Practices to Adopt for iOS Automation Testing

Here are some ways to optimize your iOS automation testing and overcome the above mentioned challenges.

1. Be smart about test selection

Particularly at the beginning, prioritize high-impact tests that cover critical user journeys, regression-prone areas, and frequent changes. By focusing on these key areas, you can maximize the value of your testing efforts while minimizing redundant or low-priority tests.

2. Focus on test maintainability

Divide each test into smaller steps and use meaningful variable names. This will improve maintainability and readability in the future, enabling quicker updates when app requirements evolve.

3. Choose the right testing iOS testing tools

As discussed in the previous sections, several open-source and paid testing options exist. Factors to consider when choosing include your team’s expertise, the project needs, and your available budget. Evaluate these iOS testing tools based on their compatibility with iOS updates and your existing tech stack to ensure scalability.

4. Use the right mix of real devices and simulators

Simulators are easier to access and faster to deploy, making them ideal for early development. Real devices give you better insights into device-specific behavior, making them better for end-to-end scenarios and regression testing. Striking a balance ensures thorough coverage without excessive overhead.

5. Continuous integration and delivery

Automation in your CI/CD pipeline makes for faster releases and timely feedback while allowing you to track test results in detail over time. Incorporating automated testing early in CI/CD workflows ensures issues are identified and resolved before they reach production.

6. Data-driven testing

A data-driven approach lets you set better test parameters and enhance test coverage and efficiency by storing different data sets. This enables you to simulate a variety of real-world scenarios without having to create redundant test cases.

7. Accessibility testing

Remember to incorporate accessibility inspectors to see how well your app caters to users with disabilities. Ensuring compliance with accessibility standards broadens your audience and demonstrates a commitment to inclusive design.

8. Encourage team communication

Your team should collectively own the testing process and share best practices and testing updates for everyone’s benefit. Open feedback channels can help quickly identify bottlenecks and improve test processes collaboratively.

In Conclusion

iOS testing tools can significantly improve the speed and efficiency of your iOS app development. When choosing, remember to have clear goals for your app testing process and prioritize your team’s needs.

Source: This article was originally published at testgrid.io.