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Practice Director - QA and SW Testing Services at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
MSP
Complete solution for testing on a variety of platforms
Pros and Cons
  • "Our clients have requested by all types of testing, including mobile, desktop, and API testing and all of those are covered by Katalon. I find that very valuable, very complete."
  • "I've seen that our clients are not truly aware of the power behind Katalon."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use is for web automation.

We are an IT consulting services company. As part of our services, we provide testing services. That is why we are constantly looking for some tools and frameworks that might fit with our clients' needs.

We call ourselves agnostic, which means we are not going to be with only one provider. However, I've seen very powerful things behind the Katalon.

What is most valuable?

I find Katalon Studio to be a very complete product. Our clients have requested all types of testing, including mobile, desktop, and API testing and all of those are covered by Katalon. I find that very valuable, very complete.

What needs improvement?

I've seen that our clients are not truly aware of the power behind Katalon. Many of the clients are now ready for the traditional Selenium, perhaps a more friendly layer like Cucumber or SpecFlow. But I think they will understand if we start doing automation with Katalon and they would be much more interested. The automation developers are starting to have really high demand and the salaries have increased, so with Katalon they might be interested in two things - the velocity of testing plus bringing manual testing to the automation world.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Katalon Studio for about a half year, now. I use it for demo purposes with our clients.

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Katalon Studio
November 2024
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Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously utilized Katalon for demo purposes. We also used Selenium, not Selenium HQ, but Selenium alone. And I think we are utilizing Cypress and Cucumber with Selenium, in different flavors of languages, et cetera.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I haven't precisely checked the business model behind Katalon, and I would like to understand that as well, because most of our clients ask for licenses and prices, and we don't know. From my understanding, the basic version is free, but it would be interesting to understand the full package.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Katalon Studio an 8.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1389177 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Quality Assurance Analyst at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
A simple installation with good video tutorials and great stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability of the product is good."
  • "The price of the solution is a bit high. It's one of the reasons we decided not to continue using the product."

What is our primary use case?

For Katalon Studio we tried using it for record and play tasks. We could test it on Windows and different operating systems, such as macOS.

What is most valuable?

I did a small POC and during that time I found the product to be very easy to use. I'd describe it as extremely user-friendly.

There's a lot of information that is readily available on the internet, and therefore it's easy to learn about the product itself.

The scalability of the product is good.

The solution was quite stable throughout the time I used it.

We found the installation process to be quite simple. There is also very helpful online documentation that can help you if you ever get stuck during the implementation process itself.

What needs improvement?

As of now, the product has a complete packet and they could develop more on it. It definitely could improve the interface as well for mobile. While I didn't use it too much while I was working with the solution at the time, I am using mobile a lot now, and I see how helpful it is to have a good interface in place. 

The price of the solution is a bit high. It's one of the reasons we decided not to continue using the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I didn't use the solution for very long. I did a small POC for about one month or so.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution was quite good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable and the performance is great.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is quite scalable. If you go ahead and use the paid version, you can expand it as you need to.

At the time, we had eight to ten people using the solution, however, we are no longer using it, and therefore do not have plans to scale or increase usage.

How are customer service and technical support?

I personally never dealt with technical support. We had a team member in DevOps that would sometimes touch base with them. I can't speak to any personal experience, however.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have used, and continue to use, an in-house automation tool. When that company developed our SIEM work, we built custom SEIM for work in Java and Selenium.

We simply tried Katalon as we were using different operating systems and we wanted to try a solution that worked across them.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not complex at all. The installation was very easy. The configuration, as well, was very straightforward. There are videos online that really help in walking you through the process. If you get stuck at any point you can watch them and they really help navigate you through the process.  

I can't recall exactly how long the process took to complete. 

In terms of maintenance, basically, there was one DevOps employee who was doing everything related to the maintenance part. We also had a manager heading it up. We were basically in different scrum teams and we were working on the same product. We only needed one person to look after everything and manage it as necessary. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Originally, we did pay a licensing fee, however, the company decided not to continue with the product in the end. For us, it was too expensive.

What other advice do I have?

On Katalon I didn't work much. I did a small POC and it was just for one month. After that, I switched back to our native and our custom in-house automation tool.

We didn't deploy it on the cloud due to the fact that initially, it was freeware, and then it got paid. At that point, our company was not interested in investing that amount of money into a new product when they had their own custom-built solution. They were parallelly building the automation framework in Java and Selenium. They're using test engines for reporting. Going forward, we will be using this framework and not Katalon.

I would recommend the solution to others. I would rate it at an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Katalon Studio
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Katalon Studio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Professional Services Manager at a non-profit with 201-500 employees
Real User
Good testing framework with a straightforward setup but needs more features
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is pretty straightforward and easy enough to complete."
  • "It seems to lack a few requirements that a typical customer would want. Compared to other solutions, this product is lacking."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution according to customer requests. We don't use it for a specific feature; we tend to use it when and if we are requested to. The client dictates that on their end. It's largely used as an automation testing tool. That's how it is meant to be used.

What is most valuable?

The solution has very good integration capabilities overall. 

The client has an extremely stable testing framework, and therefore they rely on Katalon to get the results. The reporting is very good.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward and easy enough to complete.

The stability, overall, seems to be reliable.

We haven't found the scalability to be lacking.

What needs improvement?

The solution could always add more features. It seems to lack a few requirements that a typical customer would want. Compared to other solutions, this product is lacking.

I'd like the integration with Jira to be a bit better. 

The pricing could be slightly improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about a year at this point. It hasn't been that long. We tend to switch back and forth, between solutions. We tend to switch month to month.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I haven't come across any stability issues. Our clients haven't complained. It's pretty much big and glitch-free. It does not crash or freeze. Our customers have found it to be reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't found any limitations with the scalability. Our clients haven't hit any barriers as of yet. It's my understanding that the solution can scale. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never been in touch with technical support in the past. Therefore, I can't speak to how easy it is to get in touch with them, or how knowledgeable or responsive they are. Unfortunately, I have no insights to share. 

Our team often Googles questions and can find answers online if they need to.

How was the initial setup?

We did not find the initial setup to be overly complex or difficult. it was very straightforward. It was simple.

We have a team that can Google questions and find information online pretty easily if there is any maintenance that needs to be handled. We tend to handle the maintenance aspect for our clients. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It's my understanding that the pricing could be improved upon. I cannot recall the exact pricing. I cannot speak to the cost or licensing terms. We're just basically maintaining the solution for our clients. 

What other advice do I have?

We are just end-users and use it according to our client's requirements. We don't have a specific business relationship with Katalon.

Some customers use ALM, and we use Jira, due to the lower price. These help us with project management aspects. This solution isn't well known, as it might be in other countries. 

This solution is very useful for companies, such as banks or insurance organizations, that need something that can be used for commercial purposes. It's a good solution for enterprise-level companies.

I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten. It's okay, however, if it offered more features to its customer base, it would be much better.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
Software Test Engineer at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
User-friendly with good object recognition, and priced well
Pros and Cons
  • "One of the features that I like is Object Recognition. It worked very well, and it allowed me to create a dynamic expert based on my requirements."
  • "Now we are having difficulties in using it and had to limit our automation experts to the features that Katalon allows us to use for free. It was free access and they claimed that it would be free for all time."

What is most valuable?

It's very user-friendly and convenient. The forum and the people who use Katalon have been very helpful.

One of the features that I like is Object Recognition. It worked very well, and it allowed me to create a dynamic expert based on my requirements. It was amazing and helped me resolve some of the issues that I was having.

Previously with another application, we had to create an expert dynamically and used the running of tests which provided a solution for it.

What needs improvement?

It would be helpful if we could develop from scripts in other languages. For example Python. It would be more convenient than working with Jira and Java. For some of my colleagues who don't have the knowledge in the development, it is easier to work with Python rather than with Java.

After two years of using this solution for free, we were limited in the features that we could use and had to start to pay for them. Now, we are having difficulties in using it and had to limit our automation experts to the features that Katalon allows us to use for free. It was free access and they claimed that it would be free for all time.

I would like to see it integrate other tools other than Jira, and to have support in other development languages would be helpful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Katalon Studio for over a year.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have three users in our organization who are using this product.

How are customer service and technical support?

My experience with technical support was that they were kind and friendly, but when I spoke with them regarding the pricing issue and the free solution, they were not as kind.

In other read or questions and requests, they are very kind and friendly. 

Also, they have a forum that is very useful.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we have used other applications and API. For some projects, we use a combination of applications and API.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy and straightforward. 

I didn't have any requirements.

It took a month to deploy 10 automating services.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Katalon Studio was offered free at first, and we could easily use it. After two years, some of the features were limited and we had to pay. Because of the sanctions, we had difficulties in being able to use a solution and having to pay for it. Our economic situation is not good and has created many difficulties.

The price is reasonable, but our sanctions do not allow us to pay for any international tools.

We have to find other companies to pay for us, without it costing us any money.

The price is not high, it's good. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

My colleagues and I did a comparison between Ranorex Studio and Katalon Studio. 

Katalon Studio provides us with a free solution for some of our basic features. Ranorex is very expensive for us. Both are user-friendly and we can work with both of these solutions easily.

What other advice do I have?

Once we developed a new solution, Katalon was no longer free, and we had to pay for all of the features.

Katalon has provided me with a solution to the issues and limitations that I was experiencing.

I have many limitations and issues with automating their application. I did not use the mobile features offered by Katalon Studio.

I would recommend it for anyone who doesn't want to be involved in developing a lot. some people want to use some resources to automate the application of their data system.

I think that if you have some knowledge of development and using Python in addition to Robot Framework, Framework is better. It allows them to do whatever they want.

For those who do not have development knowledge, I would recommend Katalon Studio.

I would rate Katalon Studio an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer782295 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Test Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Provides cost-effective functional testing for web-based GUIs
Pros and Cons
  • "We can write code in Java and it is easy to link to other JARs that we find on the internet, which is very handy."
  • "The Object Spy is rather frustrating to work with, so I tend not to use it."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for functional testing on some backends, APIs, the ServiceNow GUI, and other web GUIs. 

We have it running on a few machines, in-house. Each developer downloads it to their machine, and we also have it running on a test server. 

What is most valuable?

This solution is written in Groovy, which means that we can write Groovy scripts that work with it. We can write code in Java and it is easy to link to other JARs that we find on the internet, which is very handy.

From a user's perspective, this solution is better than Micro Focus UFT.

The documentation for this solution could be improved. However, it is a freeware, and the documentation is still better than that of UFT.

What needs improvement?

At the moment, this solution only works for web-based products. It's sort of like a Selenium wrapper, which is quite well done.

The Object Spy is rather frustrating to work with, so I tend not to use it. Instead, I just go and look at the objects in the HTML code, in Chrome for example. A more user-friendly Object Spy would be an improvement.

I would like to see the extension to other GUIs such as Windows and SAP.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for less than six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of this solution is good and improving.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This product is installed on your own client, and it runs fine there. Scalability is not really an issue. There are two of us using this solution at the moment, and we plan on maybe going up to three or four. There is only a certain amount of testing and automation required for our project.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support for this solution is mainly through forums, and the forums are quite good. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We are trying to get away from Micro Focus products because they're extremely expensive. For functional testing, we're migrating to Katalon Studio, for example. 

In the organization as a whole, people are using UFT from Micro Focus, and they are paying a lot of money for it. From the perspective of the user, I would say that this solution is better than UFT, and would encourage people to migrate from UFT to Katalon.

Personally, I have also used Rational Functional Tester, Tricentis Tosca, and Ranorex.

Tosca has a very good analysis, but if you're working with complex web GUIs, such as Angular for example, then Tosca is a pain in the neck. Tosca is more for test analysis.

Ranorex is a good product and it is more flexible. I believe that it can handle Windows GUIs, which Katalon cannot do at the moment. However, Katalon is free, and they are also implementing Winium if we should have the need for Windows GUIs.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. You just download a ZIP file, copy the contents of it into a directory, and you're ready to go. It is a bit like installing Eclipse. The deployment is quick.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This product is freeware, so there is no charge for using it.

There is a paid service available that offers a cloud database where you can store your test cases, pull your test executions, get reports, etc. We're not currently using this service so I cannot comment on it.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I was recently tasked with looking at different testing tools, and I evaluated several including Katalon. Once I tried it, I liked it, and so far we've been happy with it.

What other advice do I have?

My advice for anybody who is considering this project to have some familiarity with Groovy and Java. If you don't like coding then it will not be the product for you. Otherwise, in our experience, it's a good product. It is well thought through and continues to improve.

This solution semi-automatically updates to the latest version, so it is always up to date.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user752019 - PeerSpot reviewer
QA Engineer at a tech company with 11-50 employees
Vendor
It scales well, supporting the execution of large test suites

What is most valuable?

  1. Katalon Studio provides the team much flexibility to adapt to various situations to address a problem appropriately. There are certain test cases that can only be tested manually, but Katalon allows the team to automate as many test cases as possible.
  2. The “Debug from here” feature reduces the debugging time considerably.
  3. It produces detailed and useful logs, helping the team to detect a defect’s root causes easily.
  4. It scales well, supporting the execution of large test suites.
  5. It can be used to verify various issues, ranging from minor errors like typos to performance and stability problems of the system.

How has it helped my organization?

Before using Katalon Studio, we spent weeks to verify all test cases manually for every major build. Now, we need only several days to fully perform regression testing, reducing the time to market greatly.

What needs improvement?

While the web testing is great, we expect more from the API testing.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than six months.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No. It's very easy to deploy.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Rarely.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Not yet.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

They provide very good customer service.

Technical Support:

Excellent, since they promptly respond to our requests.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Robot Framework. However, it required more technical involvement, so the dev team needed to join and spent time setting up before our QA could join.

What about the implementation team?

In-house.

What was our ROI?

After several years using Katalon Studio, the team now already automates more than 20% of the test cases, saving much of the verification time as well as exceeding the target set when starting the test automation effort.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The tool has been completely free until now.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

TestComplete and UFT. They're all costly.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Software QA Engineer at a tech vendor with self employed
Vendor
Can convert the test steps from manual mode to script mode and vice versa.

What is most valuable?

  • Ability to convert the test steps from manual mode to script mode and vice versa.
  • The web recording feature is very amazing and helpful in capturing test steps as user interacts on websites.
  • Can create common test cases for later re-use.
  • Can define custom keywords.
  • Supports data-driven testing.
  • Free.

How has it helped my organization?

We achieve better productivity with this tool because of easily created, stored, maintained tests. We don't have to perform again and again every manual test step when it comes to regression. Moreover, this tool also solves our problem of having too many manual testers that are afraid of writing scripts.

What needs improvement?

  • Restricted choice for scripting language (just Groovy).

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used this tool for three months and still do not want to leave it.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

I did not encounter any deployment issues.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I did not encounter any stability issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I did not encounter any scalability issues.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Customer service is 8/10.

Katalon Studio customer service is good and fast. They rapidly answer users' questions and usually do surveys to enhance the performance.

Technical Support:

Technical support is 9/10.

Thank the technical support team for their help. I appreciate their efforts on giving us quick and correct answers. Their answers are always on point and polite.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used TestComplete, but now I use Katalon Studio because it matches my job requirements and it is free.

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup was easy.

What about the implementation team?

An in-house team implemented it. I think the tool can be easily implemented by an in-house team.

What was our ROI?

The learning curve is not steep, and it is quite easy to get used to it. I'm sure it won't take you much time, but the results will be worth it many times over. Plus, it's free, so especially teams with a low budget will find it worth investing.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It's free (freeware license). So, go ahead!

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing this product, I also evaluated Selenium, TestComplete, and Telerik.

What other advice do I have?

I think Katalon Studio and the team behind it did a great job. The tool is not only useful but also cost-effective. I think they are continuing to upgrade the tool (really hope so). I and other users will be very happy with upcoming astonishing features.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1457445 - PeerSpot reviewer
Executive at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Good tool for its price bracket, despite limitations and lack of support for some technologies
Pros and Cons
  • "Katalon Studio's biggest advantage is its price. It's a good tool for the price, albeit with some limitations when you compare it with tools like Tricentis Tosca."
  • "One aspect that can be improved is testing for desktop applications. I would like to see them support more technologies in this area."

What is our primary use case?

I am the manager of a team that provides testing services to clients and we use Kalaton Studio for test automation (mainly for web applications) as well as Jira which we use for test management.

Most of our Katalon Studio deployments are based on a private cloud because we work with companies that have particular concerns about security and they prefer to use either private cloud or on-premises infrastructure with machines internal to the company.

Being based in Portugal, our team size isn't that big compared with other countries like Germany, UK, or the United States. Thus, we are not officially partners with Katalon, but sometimes our clients ask us to facilitate the reselling of Katalon Studio.

What is most valuable?

Katalon Studio's biggest advantage is its price. It's a good tool for the price, albeit with some limitations when you compare it with tools like Tricentis Tosca. However, these tools are in completely differently leagues, just like in football where you have the National league and the Championship league. For specific needs, given its price, Katalon Studio is a good solution.

What needs improvement?

One aspect that can be improved is testing for desktop applications. I would like to see them support more technologies in this area. For example, Tosca, in contrast to Katalon Studio, has support for more than 150 different technologies.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Katalon Studio for about 18 months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have previously used Micro Focus UFT One and Tosca, and we also have experience using Selenium and Cypress in specific situations.

How was the initial setup?

It's tricky to say whether the setup is easy or not in an absolute sense. In some cases, it's very straightforward, and in general it is easy to set up. We usually take a few days for the installation of Katalon Studio.

What about the implementation team?

We implement Katalon Studio as part of a comprehensive solution that we provide as a service for clients, and it is just one piece of the whole solution. The number of people involved in the initial deployment is completely dependent on the size of the project and the stringency of the security required, but it usually only takes one or two people.

What was our ROI?

We have seen return on investment, but it depends on the application that you need to test. It's like a car; if you buy an expensive car that supports hundreds of thousands of kilometers without expensive repairs in the garage, you get the payback on that investment. And if you buy an expensive car and you only want to use the car on weekends, e.g. 100 kilometers per weekend, you might die before you get return on that investment. So it all depends.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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. The price isn't a problem. It's all about compatibility with the application undergoing testing.

If you took twice as many hours to finish something that in another tool you could finish in half the time, then it represents an unnecessary cost. What you don't spend in license fees, you may be spending in the service itself, or in people to support it. These are costs that may become evident later.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Other test automation tools that we evaluated are products that we have used previously such as Micro Focus UFT One and open source tools like Selenium and Cypress.

When it comes to Selenium, it is more of a scripting language, while Katalon is a keyword-driven solution in which you can use visual programming.

What other advice do I have?

The biggest piece of advice I can give to others is to first analyze whether the tool is compatible with the application to undergo testing.

I would rate Katalon Studio a seven out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user