A subset of performance testing, load testing is just the concept of testing a given software’s ability to withstand the load, i.e., concurrent users. It refers to a kind of performance testing that determines the performance of the systems under real-life load conditions. And, this testing helps determine how the application behaves when accessed by multiple users simultaneously.
Load testing usually identifies:
- Application’s maximum operating capacity
- Reliability check of current infrastructure to run the application
- Application performance check to check peak user load
- Support & scalability to allow & check concurrent users
What that means is load testing analyzes the maximum number of users an app can handle at a time without the system’s performance taking a hit. As you can imagine, load testing is quite important in the world of software development: it ensures the system’s performance is tested in realistic environments, allows companies to determine bugs and vulnerabilities, and makes sure that the end product offers top-notch quality.
Now, it is time to take a quick look at some of the top tools available in the market for load testing:
- JMeter: Apache JMeter is a Java app meant to facilitate load testing albeit with the ability to also analyze the app’s response and performance times. Considering the abundance of high-tech features JMeter brings to the table, it would not be a stretch to think of it as an alternative to the LoadRunner load testing tool.
- Locust: One of the simplest tools on this list, Locust is a distributed user load testing tool that is rather simple to use. This testing tool, which makes use of Python, is used to enable performance testing for websites as well as other applications. Locust not only helps testing teams record the app or website response times but also determines just how many concurrent users the product can handle at any given time.
- nGrinder: Engineered to serve as a leading enterprise-level performance engineering offering that not only renders stress testing much simpler. nGrinder streamlines the testing process by enabling testing teams to easily build, execute, and keep a close eye on tests. One of its key features includes the ability to write the tests with Groovy or Jython, which means teams can build test scenarios and create stress against JVM via multiple agents.
- k6: An open-source and developer-focused load testing tool that enables one to gauge the back-end infrastructure’s performance. Built using JavaScript and Go, k6 offers a rather clean scripting API, ensures distributed and cloud-based execution, etc. What makes k6 even more popular is the fact that it also empowers developers with the cool REST API orchestration ability. Oh, and it may also help to remember that k6 can be used to add performance testing into the overall continuous integration pipeline.
Now, if you are wondering which one of the aforementioned testing tools or the others available in the market is the best — to be honest, there is no one answer. This is because the best load testing tool is a subjective concept, i.e. the ideal tool will depend on the unique requirements of the organization from said tool, the company’s budget and expectations, and other such factors that vary from company to company. So, if you want to find the tool that best fits your business requirements, you should first take the time to carefully understand your own needs to gauge which one of the leading load testing tools available in the market works best for you. For any more assistance with application performance testing, you can always hire a trusted service provider and leverage their expertise to get the best outcomes for your app.
