LOAD TESTING TOOLS: Top 11+ Best Load Testing Tools 2023

Load testing determines how your system works under various loads. Testing program performance in realistic contexts is critical for identifying underlying weaknesses and ensuring software quality. It is difficult to reduce the danger of your product crashing after release without load testing. Effective testing is all about selecting the optimal load-testing tool for your needs. Top performance testing tools aid in the simulation of virtual users and the execution of test scripts. It can be tough to identify the appropriate load-testing solution for your organization because the software market is flooded with options ranging from open-source to premium. In this article, we’ll go over our favorite free and open-source API load-testing tools for your website.

What is Load Testing?

Load testing is a type of performance testing that involves multiple concurrent users executing the same program at the same time. This is done to determine whether the infrastructure of a system can manage the load without compromising functionality or with acceptable performance degradation.

Load testing is performed to assess whether:

The response time returned from crucial tasks in your application is acceptable in comparison to specifications, user requirements, or key performance indicators (KPI).
Is your essential business functionality functioning appropriately under high load?
Is your infrastructure built to withstand stress tests?

Front-end performance testing determines how quickly your website loads and displays content to users. Back-end performance testing, on the other hand, is sending several requests to your servers to see if they can manage multiple requests at the same time. Most performance testing tools just test API endpoints, however, xk6-browser goes above and beyond by also checking browser performance.

What are Load Testing Tools?

Load testing tools are cloud-based programs that aid in the load testing of a website or application. Load testing is a type of performance testing that analyzes the performance of a system under real-world load conditions. The test findings aid in determining how the program operates when numerous users access it at the same time.

Selecting the Most Appropriate Load Testing Tools for Your Website

If you’ve done any research on load-testing tools for your website or app, you’re aware that there are numerous load-testing choices to consider. There is no shortage of solutions in the market today, ranging from open-source software to free load-testing tools, paid load-testing tools, and even “freemium” load-testing options. With so many options, determining the appropriate load-testing tool for your individual needs can be difficult. We’ve put up what we like to call the ultimate guide to load-testing tools to assist you understand which load-testing tools to use for your website and app.

Best Load Testing Tools

This list only contains open-source and free options for the best load testing tools for automated performance testing and API load tests, so you can download and get started right away.

#1. Apache JMeter

Simply said, Apache JMeter is one of the greatest free load-testing tools for developers. It is also the most widely used tool, therefore it takes the top spot without a doubt. It can run a 100% Java-scripted desktop application as well as assess the functional performance of online apps.

Because Apache JMeter is open-source, it is easily accessible to software companies of all sizes. Despite being open-source, the testing tool is quite adaptable. It works with a variety of web and networking protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, LDAP, SOAP, and TCP. Because the program is built on a Java platform, it also supports JDBC and Message-oriented middleware (MOM) via JMS.

#2. LoadRunner

Micro Focus LoadRunner, formerly known as HP LoadRunner, is an advanced software load-testing tool that detects performance issues in web applications. It is, however, not limited to testing web apps or services. It is also designed to test ERP software, legacy system applications, and Web 2.0 technologies.

Furthermore, Load Runner is a tool for testing old-school proprietary protocols, thus we believe its second place on this list is very appropriate.

LoadRunner provides software testers with total visibility into the performance of their system from start to finish. It specializes in discovering bottlenecks before the application’s implementation phase. As a result, users can assess each component separately before it goes live.

#3. PFLB Platform

PFLB Platform is a new generation load testing solution that allows anyone interested in load testing to execute complicated tests in the cloud. You may be a marketer, product or project manager, developer, or, of course, a performance engineer: in any case, the PFLB Platform will be extremely valuable.

PFLB Platform is a subscription-based cloud solution, so you only pay for what you use. A free license allows for up to five test runs, with additional tests costing $50 per month. You save money because no staff is required, and product operations are included in the subscription fee.

Are you putting a website, API, or app through its paces? Use the load-testing PFLB platform to significantly shorten your testing cycles. If you don’t have any expertise with performance testing, that’s fine: the PFLB Platform doesn’t require it.

#4. Gatling

If you are comfortable with Scala, Gatling is an open-source code-based load-testing solution that is ideal for you. With just a few load generators, you can simulate thousands of requests and get a detailed execution report. Jenkins can also be used to embed continuous integration methods. Consider using a Gradle, Maven, or SBT Gatling project for long-term projects.

#5. K6

K6 is a modern open-source load-testing tool primarily aimed at developers. Its primary objective is to evaluate the site’s performance. The tool’s backend is written in Go, while the scripts themselves are written in JavaScript. If your load testing budget is limited but you still need to do the tests, your engineers can do it themselves with K6. After all, simpler load testing is preferable to no load testing at all.

The tests are conducted in console mode, and the results are likewise output to the console by default, however, there are plugins available for displaying results in Kafka, Datadog, InfluxDB, JSON, and StatsD.

#6. LoadNinja

LoadNinja is a simple load-testing application that enables users to create complicated load tests without the use of scripts. As a result, customers can cut their testing time in half and switch from load emulators to real browsers.

The tool provides options for actionable browser-based metrics that allow you to evaluate your application’s performance. You can also troubleshoot in real time, uncover performance issues, and swiftly capture client-side interactions in real-time

LoadNinja is a fantastic software testing tool for web developers and software testers who want to use scriptless testing processes. The pricing plan, on the other hand, makes it ideal for medium- to large-sized organizations.

#7. WebLOAD

WebLOAD is a load-testing solution for enterprises that allows users to construct reliable, real-world stress scenarios. It is a dependable tool that can handle complex systems and offers advanced capabilities such as performance insights and smart analytics to users. At the same time, the tool is developed on a versatile platform that supports multiple technologies and integrates with a variety of tools ranging from performance monitoring to CI/CD pipelines.

#8. BlazeMeter

BlazeMeter is a software testing company that specializes in performance and load testing. The service includes a unique and comprehensive Continuous Testing Platform, allowing businesses to move to the left. The application’s web-based interface is handy for creating static load tests and doing dynamic load tests with JMeter scripts.

BlazeMeter is well-known for fully utilizing Apache JMeter, the best open-source load testing tool. It adds some enterprise features to the free platform. In other words, customers can obtain access to a wide range of advanced features, including application performance monitoring (APM), real-time reporting, distributed testing, and connection with development tools for continuous integration (CI).

#9. NeoLoad

NeoLoad is a popular load-testing tool for testing websites and mobile applications under high load. It was created in Java. NeoLoad includes all of the tools required to run such tests and analyze the results.

NeoLoad allows you to examine not only the system’s reaction time to incoming requests but also the performance of the entire server infrastructure, including the databases and the web server, by simulating a high number of users.

#10. Locust

Locust is a Python-based open-source framework. Its event-driven architecture makes it simple to scale. Because the code on GitHub is open, the community is expanding.

Locust requires at least fundamental programming expertise. Fortunately, the developers have produced extensive documentation that includes a complete description of the framework’s capabilities, as well as examples of code, testing, preparing Locust for a distributed load, deploying via Docker, and so on.

#11. Headspin

HeadSpin is an AI testing and dev-ops collaboration platform that provides several loading metrics such as low frame rate, low page content, poor video quality, screen freezing, slow app launch, and slow downloads to estimate how quickly your app or website responds when multiple connections are attempted or when the network infrastructure is under heavy load.

#12. Akamai

CloudTest from Akamai allows you to precisely mimic your major events in production while producing a live analysis of what your site or app is capable of on your big day and assisting you in locating the source of any performance bottlenecks.

One of the software’s strengths is that it requires less resource allocation to achieve high-performance outcomes, which can be critical when working with sub-optimal systems or hardware.

API Load Testing Tools

API (Application Programming Interface) load-testing tools simulate real-world user behavior and traffic to test the performance and scalability of APIs.

Also, API load testing tools are used to replicate the behavior of a large number of users simultaneously accessing an API and to test how the API reacts under heavy load. They can assist in the identification of bottlenecks and performance issues in the API, as well as provide vital insights into its capacity and scalability.

Most API load-testing tools function by sending a high number of requests to the API, often via HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. They can imitate many sorts of user activity, such as sequential requests, concurrent requests, or random requests, as well as various data payloads.

API load testing tools can also provide thorough statistics and metrics, such as response times, error rates, and throughput, to assist in identifying and optimizing performance issues. They can be used in conjunction with various test management and continuous integration systems, including Jenkins, GitLab, and Travis CI, to automate and integrate testing into the development workflow.

While there are numerous API load testing tools available, it is critical to select the correct tool for your unique requirements. Consider the API’s complexity, the number of requests to be emulated, the types of data payloads to be used, and the level of reporting and analysis required.

In conclusion, API load testing tools are critical for guaranteeing API speed and scalability, and they can assist identify and resolve performance issues before they harm consumers.

Is Jmeter a Load Testing Tool?

Yes, Apache JMeter is a popular open-source load-testing tool that is used to test the performance and scalability of web applications, including websites and APIs. JMeter can simulate various types of user behavior, such as sequential requests, concurrent requests, or random requests, and can generate reports and metrics to help identify performance issues and optimize the application.

Is Postman a Load Testing Tool?

Yes, Postman is an API development platform that includes a load-testing feature, that allows users to create and run load tests for APIs directly from the Postman interface. This feature is available in the Postman Pro and Enterprise versions.

How Do You Conduct a Load Test?

Conducting a load test involves the following steps:

Define the test objectives
Identify the test scenarios
Set up the test environment
Configure the load-testing tool
Run the load test
Analyze the results
Optimize the system

What Are the Types of Load Testing?

There are several types of load testing, including:

Load testing
Stress testing
Soak testing
Spike testing
Endurance testing

What Is Load Testing in QA?

Load testing in QA (Quality Assurance) is a type of testing that is used to simulate real-world user traffic and determine how well the system can handle the expected load. The goal of load testing is to identify performance issues, such as slow response times, errors, and crashes, and to optimize the system to handle the expected traffic.

How Load Testing Is Done Manually?

Load testing can be done manually, but it is a time-consuming and error-prone process. Manual load testing involves simulating user behavior and traffic by hand, using tools such as web browsers, command-line interfaces, or scripts.

Here are the general steps involved in manual load testing:

Define the test objectives
Identify the test scenarios
Set up the test environment
Conduct the load test
Analyze the results
Optimize the system

What Is Load Testing Also Known As?

Load testing is also known as performance testing, stress testing, and endurance testing.

What Do You Measure in Load Testing?

In load testing, several metrics can be measured to evaluate the performance of the system under a simulated load. Here are some common metrics that are typically measured in load testing:

Response time
Throughput
Error rate
CPU usage
Memory usage
Network latency

Conclusion

There is no uniform solution for the best software load-testing tool. If you want to locate the greatest performance testing tool for your company, carefully consider each option and choose the one that best meets your requirements.

Whether you’re looking for your first load testing tools solution or are ready to replace your current test system, I hope this top 12 list has assisted you in finding the best fit for your team and use case.