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QA Automation Engineer with 501-1,000 employees
Vendor
An overview of the Selenium Suite

Selenium is an open-source browser automation suite consisting of three parts: WebDriver, Server/Grid, and IDE. The IDE portion s useful for doing quick recordings of steps, but the resulting scripts are extremely fragile. This portion is also slated for deprecation with the upcoming release of Selenium 3.0. The remaining two-thirds of the suite are the most useful parts of this product.

The WebDriver API is the interface used to control browsers. Most popular browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc.) are supported either directly or through secondary server interfaces that are available via the SeleniumHQ.org website. The ability to write tests that can be used cross-browser and cross-platform is one of the most valuable aspects of this product. In addition to being a cross-platform solution, Selenium has been ported from the original Java to multiple languages including Python, Ruby, and C#, which makes it a feasible option regardless of the language most frequently used in your organization.

Selenium Server/Grid allows for controlling a browser on a remote machine. If a grid is implemented, the tests will provide information regarding the browser and environment needed and the hub will then direct the test to an appropriate node. When the test is completed, the results are return via the hub. Establishing an in-house grid can be costly and difficult to maintain if your product requires multiple OSs and browsers. To date, my experience has been limited to working within a local grid environment, but other options, such as SauceLabs, can be used to outsource the grid while keeping the test development in-house.

One drawback of Selenium is that is does require development experience in order to create tests are not fragile and can be reused. There are many resources to teach someone how to use the API and some recommended strategies, such as the Page Object Model. The testing framework can be developed to work with Cucumber front-end to allow non-developers to create tests using Given-When-Then scenarios.

In regards to pricing, the Selenium Suite is a free automation API. This means that the cost of implementation is limited to personnel time and hardware required. This is an excellent deal when you consider that the learning curve/employee time and hardware tend to be the same regardless of the product used.

While it isn't without faults, Selenium is probably the best and most versatile web testing tool available. I highly recommend it's use over any of the products I have used in the past.

Update for 2.49.1: 

The version seems to be a bit buggy. I noticed a greater sensitivity to screen resolutions and intermittent issues connecting with Firefox over Selenium Grid. I was forced to revert to 2.45.0 by these instabilities. I have seen that 2.52.0 has been released, but I have not had time to review it.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user376134 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user376134Senior Automation Test Developer/Automation Test Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Real User

I upgraded our selenium to 3 and chromedriver is working fine but gecko driver 0.19. So I downgraded to 0.17, the issues gone.

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it_user373947 - PeerSpot reviewer
QA Manager at a retailer with 501-1,000 employees
Vendor
The cross browser testing functionality helped us to find issues quicker in specific browsers.

What is most valuable?

  • Automate any web page by providing URL
  • One can use any programming language such as Ruby, Java, Python and few others
  • Support for several types of locators
  • Cross browser support

How has it helped my organization?

We run automated test cases after every deployment. The product helped us to implement continuous integration and worry free deployment process.

What needs improvement?

I had issues testing a flash application with Selenium Webdriver.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used it for five years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

There were no issues with the deployment.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There have been no issues with the stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There have been no issues with the scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

It is an open source product with a strong user base and lot of user community support.

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

I have briefly used QTP. There are a few reasons.It is an open-source tool and it has cross browser support. Testers can run automated test cases in different browser, and QA engineers can write test cases in his/her choice of language such as Java, Ruby, Python and a few others.

How was the initial setup?

The set up is straightforward if you have a programming background.

What was our ROI?

It is an open source tool but price in terms of time it is totally worth it. It saves us lot of time and cost once implemented. The cross browser testing functionality helped us to find issues quicker in specific browsers.

What other advice do I have?

The product has record and play back tool but it is always better to write your own code and implement the framework.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user376134 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user376134Senior Automation Test Developer/Automation Test Architect at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Real User

Jenkins is free and it has so many plugins even.
I experienced 2 migrations to Jenkins from TeamCity and CircleCI because of the growing automation needs.
(Sorry, I wanted to post this comment in the Build tools area. And it seems I cannot delete this comment now.)

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it_user323916 - PeerSpot reviewer
QA Manager at a comms service provider with 501-1,000 employees
Vendor
We use it as a base product for automation, reducing the time for regression testing and improving the quality that we deliver.

What is most valuable?

This product doesn’t need a license and doesn’t cost anything. In the consulting companies every cent matters so it’s not easy to introduce a paid product without good background. It’s even harder to sell this idea to customer.

How has it helped my organization?

Automation testing improves the quality we deliver and reduce the time for regression testing.

What needs improvement?

Actually I’m quite happy with that product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using it for at least six years. Usually I use Selenium WebDriver, NUnit, and C#. In some projects we can use WeDriver IO and JS. Tests run using Remote Phantom. But as a base product for automation I use lately Selenium as it’s a free product.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No, usually it works perfectly fine in any platforms and languages. Fits any servers including Azure and has no problems to run the tests.

How are customer service and technical support?

As it’s a free product there is no customer support but there is a community that takes in consideration all found bugs for further improvement.

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

For about 10 years ago I used TestComplete for Windows Forms to write the regression suite for application. I didn’t choose this product, it was a part of the solution by the time I started to work there. As I remember it was a great product but it requires the license. It can be good for the product company which I was working in but it doesn’t fit consulting companies.

How was the initial setup?

It’s really easy to set up Selenium tests. Usually you need to make a framework which you can you as a part of setup project in any project later.

What other advice do I have?

Just try it.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2082114 - PeerSpot reviewer
QA Automation Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 20
Useful automation, streamlines testing, but difficult implementation
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Selenium HQ is it provides support for third-party tools, such as screenshots, and automates Windows-based applications."
  • "The initial setup of Selenium HQ is difficult in many areas, such as the framework."

What is our primary use case?

I use Selenium HQ to streamline our regression testing procedures and minimize the amount of manual testing required, we chose to automate our entire regression suite. This includes all of the flow cases, as well as various other test cases, such as those for UI testing and negative and false validation tests. We automated a wide range of test cases to maximize efficiency.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Selenium HQ is it provides support for third-party tools, such as screenshots, and automates Windows-based applications.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Selenium HQ for approximately four years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have two people using this solution in my organization.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Selenium HQ is difficult in many areas, such as the framework.

I rate the initial setup of Selenium HQ a three out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Selenium HQ a seven 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
Veronica Maria - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Operations Officer at Forward Software
Real User
Useful automatic tests, reliable, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Selenium HQ is the ability to create automatic tests that can replicate human behavior."
  • "Selenium HQ can be complex. The interface requires a QA engineer or an expert to use it."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the solution as a trial at the moment and have not implemented it for customers.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Selenium HQ is the ability to create automatic tests that can replicate human behavior.

What needs improvement?

Selenium HQ can be complex. The interface requires a QA engineer or an expert to use it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Selenium HQ for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Selenium HQ is salable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Selenium HQ is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Selenium HQ has a great community. You can receive information from forums. If you are stuck with something you have a community that can help you.

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

Miro Focus was a better solution than Selenium HQ for none programmers, it is easier to use.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Selenium HQ was easy. However, I was not directly involved.

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

Selenium HQ is a free solution.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

When evaluating other solutions, such as Micro Focus, their price was not reasonable for our needs.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Selenium HQ 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
reviewer1607841 - PeerSpot reviewer
QMS Lead at a pharma/biotech company with 11-50 employees
Real User
An automated testing solution with a useful record and playback feature, but it would be better if you could run tests without technical skills
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the record and playback features. We also appreciate that it's not just writing on a script that we create. While we were browsing our web application, it automatically records all the clicks and movements of points. We also appreciate the fact that it provides screenshots of everything in the output."
  • "It would be better if we could use it without having the technical skills to run the scripting test."

What is our primary use case?

My company started using Selenium HQ two years ago for unit testing. We were trying to evaluate the record and playback features. We are basically outsourcing this function, and we're charged for every developed feature and testing. So, we thought that we could test it ourselves using the record and playback feature. We were navigating our web application records in a macro and tried to reproduce that later. But for some reason, it's not the best solution for us.

What is most valuable?

I like the record and playback features. We also appreciate that it's not just writing on a script that we create. While we were browsing our web application, it automatically records all the clicks and movements of points. We also appreciate the fact that it provides screenshots of everything in the output.

What needs improvement?

It would be better if we could use it without having the technical skills to run the scripting test.

For how long have I used the solution?

I think we have been using Selenium HQ for two years, but I only joined the company six months ago.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We are satisfied with its stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are satisfied with its scalability. We have five or six users working with Selenium HQ.

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

Selenium is an open-source solution, and It's free.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Selenium HQ a seven.

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
reviewer1456452 - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems Analyst at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Good API and we are happy with the UI, but we have to spend a lot of time on maintenance
Pros and Cons
  • "In general, I would say that the API set is the most valuable feature."
  • "Whenever an object is changed or something is changed in the UI, then we have to refactor the code."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Selenium for web application automation and mobile automation.

What is most valuable?

In general, I would say that the API set is the most valuable feature.

We use sticker boards and we are happy with the UI.

What needs improvement?

Whenever an object is changed or something is changed in the UI, then we have to refactor the code. This means that we have to spend a lot of time on maintenance. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Selenium HQ for the past two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability has been a problem during my testing. I have run the same code several times and faced issues for no apparent reason. Problems were identified, though the objects are all in place and no changes have happened in the UI, the test failed unwantedly. Then, we run the test case for the second time, the result will be true. This means that there is instability in the tests.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We only have a small number of test cases and haven't faced any problem with scalability. However, I am not sure what will happen when we try bulk testing.

There are three different teams for automation in my organization, and each has a single point of contact, so there are three different people.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not been in contact with technical support. When we did have a problem, we were able to resolve it by finding the solution online.

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

We were using another set of tools for quite some time before we switched to Selenium HQ.

We are also using Appium, which has native support for Android and iOS devices.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was complex and it took us approximately five days to complete.

What about the implementation team?

Our in-house team handled the deployment.

One person is responsible for maintenance, although this is one of the problems that we faced. There is no separate team for maintenance.

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

This is an open-source product so there is no cost other than manpower.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We conducted a PoC using UiPath for RPA. We are planning to try using Tricentis Tosca for codeless automation. We are continuing with our evaluation and ultimately, want to find the best tool.

What other advice do I have?

My advice for anybody who is considering Selenium HQ is that if there is a timeframe that is separate from the automation then it is suitable. However, if there is no timeframe and the issue does not fit into the automation, and it needs to be adapted manually, then this product is not a good choice.

I would rate this solution a six 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
reviewer956898 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Test Automation Specialist at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Stable and scalable, but the initial setup can be complex for new users
Pros and Cons
  • "You can build your own framework. I think that's the most powerful feature. You can connect with a lot of other tools that use frameworks, or keywords, etc. That helps make it a stronger solution."
  • "The solution is open-source, so everyone relies on the community to assist with troubleshooting and information sharing. If there's a complex issue no one has faced, it may take a while to solve the problem."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution in a web environment.

What is most valuable?

You can build your own framework. I think that's the most powerful feature. You can connect with a lot of other tools that use frameworks, or keywords, etc. That helps make it a stronger solution.

What needs improvement?

The solution should listen to the community and build new features for it based on their advice.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution since 2011 or 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Normally, the solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable, but there are boundaries to it.

How are customer service and technical support?

The solution is open-source, so everyone relies on the community to assist with troubleshooting and information sharing. If there's a complex issue no one has faced, it may take a while to solve the problem.

How was the initial setup?

If you've dealt with the solution before, it's fairly easy, but if you are new to Selenium, you will find it complex to implement. It's not a simple click-to-install product.

Deployment times vary depending on a company's rights and frameworks as well as the application deployment environment. If you have to do it from scratch, and you have to build a development pipeline, then it takes several days, and possibly even weeks. If you already have a development pipeline, and you just have to install the Selenium web line onto a machine, then it's done in five minutes.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to only use Selenium in a unit test environment, and not an end test environment. It's very technical; you need a programmer and/or a developer to create your scripts. If you do not have development skills, then you will not be able to create scripts, at least in Selenium.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Selenium HQ Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: November 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Selenium HQ Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.