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Katalon Studio vs Selenium HQ comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Katalon Studio
Ranking in Regression Testing Tools
2nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
46
Ranking in other categories
API Testing Tools (4th), Test Automation Tools (3rd)
Selenium HQ
Ranking in Regression Testing Tools
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
110
Ranking in other categories
Functional Testing Tools (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Regression Testing Tools category, the mindshare of Katalon Studio is 17.1%, up from 16.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Selenium HQ is 5.4%, down from 7.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Regression Testing Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Anuradha.Kapoor Kapoor - PeerSpot reviewer
Functional automation features and the recording functionality saves time but the performance and script execution is slow
I would like to see improvements in how Katalon Studio works with iOS applications, especially with React Native applications. The speed is very slow. It takes time. Katalon Studio also takes my laptop memory, and execution becomes slow for the script. There are parallel execution options. I'm sure their online cloud version must be very fast, but as a service-based company, we are under NDA with our clients and can't run their code on our servers. I would like to see iOS improve and see a more capable recording feature. Katalon Studio has released an AI version, and I have a demo scheduled to see the new features.
Anil Kumar Shrestha - PeerSpot reviewer
An open-source solution that integrates with every programming language and library
What I like best about it is that it can automate everything on the front end with the help of other frameworks. The community worldwide provides support for any issues. Plus, it’s open-source, which is a big advantage. The solution integrates with every programming language and library and is very easy to use. It has a simple syntax, and the documentation on the website makes it straightforward to learn and implement.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I like the feature where you can define a model that represents your website and then reuse the components from the model. It makes creating more test cases easy."
"The solution is easy to learn."
"The most valuable feature of Katalon Studio is that everything can be managed from one platform."
"The most valuable feature of Katalon Studio is the ease of use of the solution."
"Smart Wait and XPath healing are valuable features."
"The initial setup of Katalon Studio was easy."
"Katalon Studio is easier to use compared to SmartBear TestComplete."
"Overall, I recommend it highly and find it easy to use with many integrations."
"The plugins, the components, and the method of the library with Selenium is very user defined."
"Selenuim helps us during testing. We are able to reduce the number and frequency of manual efforts by using scripts."
"The most valuable feature of Selenium HQ is the ability to create automatic tests that can replicate human behavior."
"The primary benefit is its cost and the ability to use the cloud."
"Some of the most valuable features of this solution are open-source, they have good support, good community support, and it supports multiple languages whether you use C-Sharp or not. These are some of the most important benefits."
"There is a supportive community around it."
"The solution is very flexible; there are different ways of using it. It's open-source and has a lot of support on offer."
"What I like the most about this product is that it gives us a lot of freedom to code anything, there is no restriction on the type of function you can do."
 

Cons

"It is difficult to identify elements on websites that use Angular or ReactJS because they don't have an option to view source code."
"The solution can be further improved with better loading time."
"We have had some issues when it comes to stability, which is something that needs to be improved."
"There could potentially be more reporting within the solution. We need more issue reports, for example."
"Katalon doesn't support testing of hybrid applications. It's a limitation."
"Object Spy is brittle. When I try to capture objects, I have to proceed multiple times before it works."
"One aspect that can be improved is testing for desktop applications. I would like to see them support more technologies in this area."
"Its stability needs improvement."
"One key area for improvement is the documentation."
"The most significant issue with Selenium is its difficulty in adapting to changing locators, which can hinder testing."
"For email-based applications, we can't automate as we would like to, making it necessary to bring in a third-party product to do so."
"The solution could be improved regarding communication with browsers, as it is slower and a bit tricky compared to other frameworks. However, with the latest changes involving BiDirectional communication, it is becoming a top choice in automation frameworks."
"I would like to see Selenium HQ support legacy platforms."
"It would be awesome if there was a standalone implementation of Selenium for non-developer users."
"I would like to see a library of bomb files with an automated process and integration with Jenkins and Slack."
"It would be better if it accommodated non-techy end-users. I think it's still a product for developers. That's why it's not common for end-users, and especially for RPA activities or tasks. It's hard to automate tasks for end-users. If it will be easier, more user-friendly, and so on, perhaps it can be more interesting for this kind of user."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"In terms of pricing, Katalon, Selenium, and Cypress all represent a similar level of investment. The software for these tools are either true open source or almost open source (because they charge a small fee), so pricing is a neutral point for me."
"Its pricing is quite reasonable. If you require their help in getting started, then there is a professional services fee on top of the product license cost."
"The price of Katalon Studio is reasonable. They recently had a price increase that might impact new subscribers. We are using a business license."
"The prices are very high."
"The product’s pricing is very, very low."
"Katalon Studio is a free tool."
"The product is expensive."
"The tool is free to use."
"Selenium is a free tool."
"Selenium HQ costs around $1000 per month, which is a bit high based on what they're offering."
"The solution is open-source, so it is 100% free with no hidden charges."
"Selenium HQ is a free and open-source solution and is supported by Google."
"Selenium HQ is a free, open-source solution."
"This is an open-source product that can be used free of charge."
"The pricing is open source."
"It is all free."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
33%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Katalon Studio?
I used the trial version of Katalon Studio, which I got for free. For TestComplete, I used an internal license as my organization was partnered with them.
What needs improvement with Katalon Studio?
Extending the certification validity, especially after the trial period, would be beneficial. Providing clearer guidance during the trial period for certification and training modules would also he...
How do I choose between Selenium HQ and Eggplant Digital Automation Intelligence?
Selenium HQ’s biggest advantage is that it is customizable. Its other most valuable feature is that the driver interface is really helpful and user-friendly; Selenium HQ makes it easy to navigate t...
What do you like most about Selenium HQ?
Selenium's open-source nature is a key advantage. Its extensive support for diverse web technologies.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Selenium HQ?
Selenium is easy to install and mostly free, so there's no need for a license. This lack of costs makes it an attractive option.
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

No data available
SeleniumHQ
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Coca-Cola Tesla Black Board TaTa Consultancy Services Sony
BrowserStack, Sauce Labs, experitest, Tricentis GmbH, SmartBear Software
Find out what your peers are saying about Katalon Studio vs. Selenium HQ and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.