The Katalon Platform

What do you like best about the product?

Katalon offers a good balance between manual and automation testing. It’s easy to learn, even for beginners, and has powerful options for advanced users. I like how it supports different types of testing (Web, API, Mobile) in one platform. The test recorder and object spy make creating test cases much faster.

What do you dislike about the product?

The performance could be improved for complex test suites, and sometimes browser drivers or version mismatches cause issues. The execution logs could also be more detailed to make troubleshooting easier.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

Katalon helps automate end-to-end testing across web and API applications, reducing manual testing time. It also makes integration with CI/CD pipelines smoother, allowing faster releases. The built-in reporting helps quickly identify failed test areas, which improves overall efficiency.

My main use case for Katalon Studio  is to automate desktop applications, which was a primary requirement for us, and subsequently, we utilized it for web, API, and eventually mobile application requirements that came up later.

For a specific example of how I used Katalon Studio  to automate a desktop app and the web API side, I was working with a US-based manufacturing domain client who had many web and desktop applications, and I aimed to automate their test case functionalities. I discovered that Katalon Studio was the best compatible and suitable tool, so I adopted it after the purchase, primarily due to its modularized design compatibility which minimizes the need for extensive coding and allows for quick automation delivery across web, API, and desktop applications.

Katalon Studio has proven effective in our deliverables, particularly in designing the framework where other tools typically require coding in client libraries such as Python or Java. With Katalon Studio, there is no such complexity, allowing us to organize projects modularly based on folder structures without needing to write separate code. The self-healing feature for web application automation and its built-in CI/CD ecosystem integration eliminates the need for external tools for pipeline setup.

Katalon Studio excels in CI/CD integration, providing an inbuilt ecosystem without the need for external setup, and it features a postings structure along with keyword and library availability. Newcomers to the team can easily adapt to the setup or project structure, which contributes to its popularity, along with its low-code or no-code capability that allows for a comprehensive platform supporting web, mobile, API, and desktop automation. The self-healing mechanism for test cases autonomously identifies issues with locators and ensures they continue functioning, which is impressive, along with the robust object repository.

Katalon Studio has significantly aided our team, especially when clients expect deliveries for CI/CD integration that requires automation test scripts to run on a daily schedule. The self-healing feature automatically identifies available locators for elements in the DOM, ensuring that test cases remain functional.

Katalon Studio has positively impacted our organization by facilitating faster delivery when clients have urgent requirements. We can deliver quickly based on urgency due to the features Katalon Studio provides. This has led to significant reductions in time spent on framework configuration, designing, and training individuals who are unfamiliar with the tool, helping us save both time and costs.

Based on my experience with Katalon Studio, improvements are needed, particularly regarding desktop application recording and playback, which should be more flexible and not limited to relying solely on .exe files installed on the system. We've encountered issues when connecting to remote machines where applications are installed, making it necessary for the tool to accommodate testing in such cases. This flexibility is crucial for service providers who may not have the option to onboard clients directly at their locations. Additionally, there is a need for improvements in mobile application automation compared to other applications available in the market.

I have been using Katalon Studio for a couple of years.

For 100 test cases we were expected to deliver within a month, we initially needed to spend 20 to 25% of the time on automation before delivering test case scripts, and thanks to Katalon Studio, that much time and cost is saved.

Katalon Studio offers a dual scripting interface that allows for both manual record and playback as well as automation or scripting. Testers can switch to manual mode or record and playback if they prefer, and for those comfortable with scripting, Groovy script support is readily available, which is a valuable addition.

My advice for anyone looking to use Katalon Studio is that if you're eager to deliver quickly without getting bogged down in scripting or framework design, this is certainly the tool for you—it's easy to adopt and start delivering soon. It is particularly beneficial for small teams or individuals who might not want to undergo extensive training to begin delivering automation features.

I would recommend Katalon Studio, as I have been doing for months to those who reach out to me for tool validation or automation needs, and I will continue to encourage others to explore it.

I rate Katalon Studio 9 out of 10 because there is room for improvement and some requirements that still need to be fulfilled; addressing these areas would make it a perfect fit for every tester.

On-premises

Other

What do you like best about the product?

Easy to update the browser version. E.g- edge, chrome etc

What do you dislike about the product?

After updating the version, sometimes the web recording is performing correctly

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

Web recording captures the updated application elements.

What do you like best about the product?

Very Impressive in terms of user friendliness

What do you dislike about the product?

Some feasible features missing on Menu bar

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

No Problems

What do you like best about the product?

There are many benefits that Katalon platform provides to automation engineers

- The setup process is straightforward and user-friendly.
- Easy of use and integration with CI CD tool is available.
- Converting manual test cases into automated scripts is simple.
- There are no restrictions on executing test cases across TestOps, Katalon Studio, and TestCloud.
- Many core automation features are accessible in the free version, making it suitable for test case automation for testing community
- The Katalon customer support provides great assistance when contacted.

What do you dislike about the product?

While Katalon offers great features, it does have a few feature which still need to improve. The self-healing capability is useful, but sometimes it fails to handle elements accurately. Handling large test suites may lead to slower execution speeds sometimes.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

The platform is mainly utilized to conduct different types of web-based tests, such as validating core functionalities and performing regression checks. Katalon platform provide a great solution in automated testing by removing the need of various libraries and frameworks.