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Appium vs Apple Xcode comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Appium
Ranking in Mobile Development Platforms
7th
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
Regression Testing Tools (6th)
Apple Xcode
Ranking in Mobile Development Platforms
12th
Average Rating
7.6
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Mobile Development Platforms category, the mindshare of Appium is 5.5%, down from 8.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Apple Xcode is 2.3%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Mobile Development Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

Siddartha Rao - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 30, 2022
It's easy to launch applications.
I rate Appium eight out of 10 for ease of setup. When I first began using the product, I would rate it as six out of 10. Appium is challenging to set up for iOS and Android, but we can manage iOS automation on the Mac from Macintosh Missions. In Missions, we need to open our Appium project on the next board and create something like a bundle diary. The bundle diary from Appium doesn't work for outputs, so it should not work for our daily routine. We need to change the bundle ID and build the iPhone application. There are two ways to set it up. You can update the Appium server for HD and need to do programming and training. It will come in after 30 seconds or more.
Daniel Bell - PeerSpot reviewer
Sep 16, 2022
Efficient, up-to-date, and straightforward installation
Apple Xcode is used for writing code for developing software within Apple's ecosystem Apple Xcode has helped out organization by allowing us to efficiently create iOS apps without needed overhead, which allows us to engage the iOS community. The most valuable feature of Apple Xcode is that it is…

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The way Appium server interacts with mobile apps is fantastic. It provides all the information about the elements inside the app, Android as well as iOS. I can interact with the element quickly, just type some text or get some text values from the element - whether it's a drop-down, or web text, or a native element."
"The most valuable features of Appium are the in-built functionality, which we can use in our code. For example, move back, move front, navigate one page before, and navigate one page ahead. You can do this by using the in-built functions from Appium."
"We do not need to pay for the solution. It’s free."
"The automation part is extremely helpful in streamlining our processes."
"The solution is stable."
"The library is extensive so the driver interacts with most functions or actions on mobile devices."
"We get a list that shows all devices that are connected to the system."
"Appium's best feature is that it supports multiple frameworks."
"Xcode has quite a bit of code error checking built-in, which is great. It also goes a step further and suggests fixes."
"Xcode is pretty smart. It's easy to set up and works perfectly on Android."
"We like the ease of access and navigation that this solution provides."
"It is stable and user-friendly."
"The most valuable feature of Apple Xcode is that it is up to date."
"It is complete and relevant to the job at hand."
"The tool's most valuable features are debugging and code management."
 

Cons

"There is always a concern about the amount of code that is required to enhance the automation process. The idea of having less code or no code is what we would like to see in future updates."
"We need some bug fixes for nested elements."
"They should add an in-built framework."
"Image recognition could be improved. We have some images in our mobile applications. It should be able to run from the cloud, so we can automate the catcher."
"The initial setup is straightforward if you have previous experience with the solution, but it can be complicated for a novice user."
"What needs improvement in Appium is its documentation. It needs to give more context on the libraries that Appium is using under the hood. For example, my team is using Appium for Android automation, and a lot of times, I feel that there's functionality that's available through the Appium interface, that exists within the UIAutomator, but there aren't a lot of useful or helpful resources on the internet to find that information, so it would be good to have some linkage with the underlying platform itself. Another room for improvement in Appium is that it's buggy sometimes. For example, at times, there's a bug in the inspector application that doesn't allow me to save my desired capability set, so it would be nice to get that bug fixed, but overall, Appium is a good tool. The Touch Actions functionality in Appium also needs improvement. For example, if I want to initiate a scroll on the device that I'm running Appium on, sometimes Swipe works, but in other situations, I have to explicitly use action chains, so I'm not too sure what's the better approach. What I'd like to see in the next version of Appium is a more intelligent and more intuitive AppiumLibrary, in terms of identifying menus and scroll bars, etc., because right now, I'm unsure if I have to do a lot of export reversals to get to the elements I'm looking for. It would be nice to have some functionality built in, which would allow me to easily get those exports."
"Appium could improve by enabling record and run techniques similar to what they have in other licensing tools, such as Micro Focus. We have to all write the code, and then we can proceed."
"Stability is an area that needs some improvement."
"It is a bit challenging to sign in."
"There is a drag-and-drop visual system, but as soon as you do something dynamic, then you are unable to use it."
"As Apple has introduced more and more features on top of Xcode, it sometimes, but very rarely, hangs."
"We would like a 'light' version of this solution to be developed, as it currently uses a lot of memory space."
"The size of Apple Xcode could improve. It is too large."
"It consists of multiple components and needs a simplified process. This particular area could be more stable."
"There should be additional documentation on App Store deployment. In terms of features, they're pretty much on top of where they need to go. I've been happy with its progress so far. As things evolve, they need to evolve to match that need."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is open-source."
"Appian is open-source, which is not licensed."
"Appium is open source; we can use it for free."
"It's open source, so it's completely free."
"There is no license for this solution because it is open-source."
"It's completely 100% free, and there are no hidden fees."
"The solution is open source so it is free."
"The price is good for people to be able to make a favorable decision for the value."
"It has an annual renewal."
"We don't have to pay for Apple Xcode's licenses."
"There are no licensing costs for Xcode and no hidden charges. You just download it."
"You can start off using Apple Xcode for free but if you start using some more of their enhanced features, it's going to be hundreds of dollars a month. There are corporate licenses but most individual users will not be worried about the corporate license, only your CFO will or the person in charge of the software department."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
20%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
21%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Educational Organization
10%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Do you recommend Appium?
I do recommend Appium. It is an open-source solution and completely free of charge. We use Appium and Appium Studio as our base for any type of mobile automation for testing. It has a great interfa...
What do you like most about Appium?
Appium helps me to do as much as much as I want to.
What do you like most about Apple Xcode?
The tool's most valuable features are debugging and code management.
What needs improvement with Apple Xcode?
Apple Xcode's usability for developers needs enhancement. It consists of multiple components and needs a simplified process. This particular area could be more stable.
 

Comparisons

 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Nuvizz, Coupa Software, Eventbrite, Evernote
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Appium vs. Apple Xcode and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.