9 BEST Manual Testing Tools (2023)

Manual testing tools help you simplify tasks like issue tracking, application testing, automation testing, debugging, API testing, etc. The ideal manual testing tools help enterprises with the entire software testing process, from planning to documentation to development to test analysis.

We have curated a list of the 9 top manual testing tools for you. Our research process involved evaluating tools based on platforms, features, customer support, etc.

Best Manual Testing Tools

Name Supported Platforms Used For Open Source Link
👍 Jira Software Windows, Linux, and macOS Time Tracking, Bug Tracking, Milestone Tracking, Issue Management, etc. Yes Learn more
Selenium Windows, Linux, and macOS Web Automation Tool Yes Learn more
TestLink Windows and Cloud Test Management Tool Yes Learn more
LoadRunner Windows, macOS, and Linux Load and Performance Testing No Learn more
Bugzilla Windows, Linux, macOS Bug Tracking, Test Management, etc. Yes Learn more
Expert Advice:

Manual testing tools can be critical in helping businesses optimize and streamline the software testing process. You should select the tools that integrate best with your workflow, meet all your use cases, and should help you to speed up your growth.

1) Jira Software

Best Agile Testing Tool

Jira Software is a bug tracking tool used by development teams to track and debug software defects. It provides comprehensive tools for administrators to perform multiple functions, such as assigning, prioritizing, and reviewing various tests. You can follow the development of a particular issue, predict when it will be resolved, and get up-to-the-minute project status using the features in JIRA tickets.

It offers administrators configurable permissions to provide rights and capabilities to specific users. It maintains all project information that simplifies development, aids progress tracking, improves productivity, and ensures no gaps exist in your security.

#1 Top Pick
Jira Software
5.0

Open Source: Yes

Used For: Time Tracking, Bug Tracking, Milestone Tracking, etc.

Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS

Free Trial: Lifetime Free Basic Plan

Visit Jira Software

Features:

  • Offers complete visibility and provides teams with the context they need to make swift decisions.
  • Scrum boards enable you to divide work into smaller chunks and work for large projects.
  • Create customizable workflows that map to any style of work.
  • Built-in dashboards and data-rich reports provide vital context-specific insights that keep your teams informed
  • Use roadmaps to keep your teams and organization in sync for better planning and adherence.

Pros

  • There are varieties of 1st party and 3rd party plugins available.
  • Flexible workflow makes it easy to be integrated into the existing systems.
  • You can define your bug’s security level when it is created or edited.

Cons

  • Jira Software’s process for renaming categories, statuses, etc., is complicated.

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS
They are used: Time Tracking, Bug Tracking, Milestone Tracking, Issue Management, etc.
Pricing: Free

Visit Jira Software

Lifetime Free Basic Plan


2) Selenium

Best for Multi-browser Web app Testing

Selenium is one of the ideal manual testing tools for web applications. It provides robust features that assist in performing in-depth software testing for all web browsers. The Selenium IDE can speed up development, create scripts for exploratory testing, perform administrative tasks, etc. Moreover, it comes with built-in support for breakpoints to allow effortless debugging.

Selenium is capable of working without the need to have an intermediate server. It can be scaled up according to your needs and run tests on machines and environments from a central location.

Selenium

Features:

  • Supports parallel test execution, which helps you to reduce testing time and increases the test efficiency.
  • Selenium WebDriver API assists in effortless deep testing of web applications.
  • Easily integrates with Jenkins Selenium Pipeline plugins such as Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery
  • Use of multiple locators for each Web element helps in writing better code.

Pros

  • Effortless integrations with frameworks like Ant and Maven
  • The robust online community and support make it beginner friendly.
  • Supports API Testing
  • Create Test Code in Java, Python, Ruby, C#, or JavaScript

Cons

  • Lacks support for codeless automation

Key Specs:

Used For: Web Automation Tool
Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Pricing: Free

Link: https://www.selenium.dev/


3) TestLink

Best for administrating and managing tests

TestLink manages your end-to-end test management process. It synchronizes all the test specifications and requirements to ensure optimum testing. You can also construct test projects and record data-rich test cases. It provides data-dense test reports in various formats, including MS Excel, MS Word, and HTML5.

TestLink allows you to create accounts for multiple users and assign user roles with different capabilities. It helps administrators to manage and post new test cases through the dashboard interface. Moreover, testers can use this tool to generate a test plan and reports using this manual testing tool.

TestLink

Features:

  • It is one of the best software testing tools that supports powerful search functionality with hotkeys features
  • Numerous add-ons are supported to connect with different software to ease out work.
  • Allows you to import test results from CSV or Excel, which expedites result logging.
  • Test cases are stored in an organized structure, making it easier for beginners to understand.

Pros

  • Integrations with software tools such as Rally and VersionOne
  • Easy filtration of test cases with version, keywords, test case ID version, etc.
  • Provides reports like build-wise reports, multiple build execution reports, etc.

Cons

  • Lacks support for automation and integration with other tools like Bugzilla or Mantis.

Key Specs:

Used For: Test Management Tool
Supported Platforms: Windows and Cloud
Pricing: Free

Link: https://testlink.org/


4) LoadRunner

Best for Discovering performance bottlenecks

LoadRunner is one of the best testing tools for providing users with an accurate and complete picture of an app’s overall performance. It assists you in discovering, analyzing, and debugging performance issues quickly. You may use it to perform ethical hacking by simulating thousands of users at the same time.

It captures component and system-level performance data via a complete set of diagnostic modules and system monitors. QA teams can also use it to test their applications by simulating the actual user load. It is among the most potent manual testing tools for analyzing applications based on various parameters and comparing results with your target performance requirements.

LoadRunner

Features:

  • Easily perform load, volume, stress, or any other type of performance test
  • Graphs provide you with data-rich information to identify bottlenecks quickly.
  • Runs high-scale tests with essential hardware and resources.
  • Businesses may create robust service-level agreements before product launch.
  • Compatible with your existing VuGen so that you can scale up without any limit.

Pros

  • It allows for finding the root causes of performance issues
  • Supports performance testing for 50+ technologies and protocols
  • Performs load testing in the cloud with unlimited virtual use

Cons

  • Test lab sometimes lags in between the execution.

Key Specs:

Used For: Load and Performance Testing
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
Price: Community Edition is Free to Download

Link: https://www.microfocus.com/en-us/products/loadrunner-professional/overview


5) Bugzilla

Best for Tracking and managing bug reports

Bugzilla is a robust bug tracking system that allows developers to track bugs and pending issues. Its advanced systems help you estimate the time needed for fixing each bug. You can use it to create data-driven bug reports with various search criteria and filters. It allows requesting code review, obtaining information from a specific user, or getting a sign-off from the administrator.

It is an ideal manual testing tool for custom workflow management, bug visibility control, bug email notifications, etc. You can use the Bugzilla Patch Viewer for a colorful view of any patch attached to a bug, making code review much more manageable.

Bugzilla

Features:

  • Scans database for inconsistencies and assists in fixing the discovered errors
  • It has an advanced search system with multiple filters to quickly find anything
  • You can create custom searches, including time-based searches, to observe changing trends of a bug’s priority
  • It allows you to club similar bugs for easier management and working.

Pros

  • Send data-rich reports to anyone at a specified time to provide insights.
  • You can create a new bug or modify an existing bug through email
  • Add custom fields to your bug database to record and search data

Cons

  • Sometimes, searches can become challenging to manage.

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Used For: Bug Tracking
Pricing: Free

Link: https://www.bugzilla.org/


6) JMeter

Best Open-Source Performance Testing Tool

JMeter is a performance testing tool that supports data parameterization and scripting in various languages. You can use it to easily export data in file formats like HTML, JSON, XML, etc. Its advanced Test IDE supports quick Test Plan building, recording, and debugging.

This software testing tool can simulate a heavy demand on a single server, set of servers, network, or object to examine overall performance under various conditions. JMeter supports variable parameterization, assertions, configuration variables per-thread cookies, and multiple reports. Moreover, it can record test data from different applications and web browsers.

JMeter

Features: 

  • Test IDE allows you to record, build, and debug test plans.
  • It provides offline analysis and caching of the test results
  • Supports protocol include HTTP, SOAP, REST, PHP, ASP.NET, FTP, LDAP, etc.
  • Built-in support on Linux/Unix makes it easily accessible in the operating system.

Pros

  • You can choose several load statistics with pluggable timers
  • Supports a wide variety of servers for performance and security tests
  • Ability to load test from any JAVA compatible OS using CLI mode

Cons

  • Using in GUI mode may result in high memory usage.

Key specs:

Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Used For: Performance Testing
Pricing: Free – Open Source

Link: https://jmeter.apache.org/


7) UFT

Best for Automated Software testing

UFT is an automated testing tool that can automate testing of any test environment imaginable. It can create automated tests for 200+ enterprise apps and technologies. This tool primarily automates UI-based and non-UI test cases such as file operations and many more. It analyses actual and expected outcomes and reports the findings in an executive summary.

UFT enables testers to include checkpoints to ensure that the application’s test results are as expected. It is one of the best automation testing tools supporting AI-based machine learning and advanced OCR for object recognition.

UFT

Features: 

  • Supports continuous testing through integrations with DevOps, Jenkins, bamboo, and many more
  • True end-to-end testing from a single tool
  • AI drive testing automation
  • Accelerate End-to-End Testing of Enterprise-Grade Apps
  • Cross Browser Testing Support allows testing across common web browsers like Chrome, Firebox, etc.
  • Easy to use API and Webservices Testing
  • Offers an extensible framework for building and running tests on “headless” apps.
  • Provides integration with ALM to allow effortless scheduling and monitoring.
  • Parallel testing helps perform tests on the web, mobile, API, or a combination of platforms across dispersed infrastructures.

Pros

  • Online Community forums help you with your technical concerns.
  • Supports Mobile Application Testing on both Android and IOS devices
  • Excellent Object Identification process/mechanism
  • Easy Cross browser coverage.

Cons

  • Only supports VB scripting (and JavaScript)

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms: Windows
Used For: Regression Testing of the Application, Defect Logging, Implementing, Executing, Tracking changes, etc.
Pricing: Contact Customer Support for Pricing
Free Trial: Lifetime Free Basic Plan

Link: https://www.microfocus.com/en-us/products/uft-one/overview


8) ALM

Best Test Management Tool

ALM is one of the best software testing tools to manage testing processes and establish end-to-end traceability. It helps achieve high testing efficiency and manage quality with a risk-based approach. You can use its reusable assets, automatic test execution, result gathering, and other techniques to test your tools efficiently.

It helps create standardized processes to improve traceability, perform an audit, and implement security measures. It also performs advanced software analysis to quickly discover common trends, anomalies, and unexpected correlations in your code.

ALM

Features:

  • It helps auditors to conduct audits against regulations and standards throughout the application development lifecycle.
  • Supports various development Methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall, Spiral, Hybrid, or custom processes
  • ALM allows you to provide reports like application quality metrics, an executive dashboard of KPIs, and many more.
  • It helps you to establish standardized procedures, implement traceability, and perform audits
  • You can keep track of the links between the requirements, issues, and tests throughout the application’s lifetime.

Pros

  • ALM secures sensitive product and project data with the proper measures
  • Offers a variety of SaaS options to fulfill every business requirement
  • Integrates with a wide range of open-source and proprietary tools from
  • It can run as a virtual machine on any public or private cloud infrastructure

Cons

  • Custom reports flexibility is not very easy to compare to ALM.

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, AIX, etc.
Used For Test Script Reviews, Defect Tracking, Requirements Based Testing, etc.
Pricing: Starts at $6000
Free Trial: Yes, 28 days

Link: https://www.microfocus.com/en-us/products/alm-quality-center/overview


9) ZAP

Best for Performing security testing

The Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) is an open-source software testing tool that detects web application vulnerabilities automatically. It is a project of the Open Web Application Security Initiative (OWASP). It also supports active penetration testing for conducting ethical attacks on systems to find critical vulnerabilities.

ZAP can act as a proxy for the browser and the app server. It can also be used as a standalone application process with no user interface.

OWASP ZAP

Features:

  • ZAP proxy helps analyze, change, and inject traffic into the message content between the browser and server.
  • The Jenkins Plugin enables the integration of security testing within the CI/CD pipeline
  • ZAP is appropriate for both seasoned security specialists and web developers.
  • Fuzzer is a security tool to inject ethical payloads to test applications in authoritarian states and expose vulnerabilities.
  • Supports automating various tasks for better reliability and time-saving. To find suitable tools that can help with this, explore these top test management tools.

Pros

  • ZAP support any scripting language that allows JSR 223
  • API is easily accessed programmatically by a wide range of tools
  • Easy to intercept the WebSocket traffic between the client and server.
  • Supports running scripts that can be embedded to test internal data structures.

Cons

  • No search functionality on Slicers in reports.
  • Lacks support to use DAX when connecting PowerBI to the cube.

Key Specs:

Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Used For: Security Testing
Pricing: Free

Link: https://owasp.org/www-project-zap/

FAQ

Manual Testing is used to manually runs test cases and discover various performance, stability, usability, and security flaws in systems. Software testers utilize the most robust software testing tools to evaluate multiple areas without needing automation technologies.

Here are the top manual testing tools:

It would be best if you considered the following factors while choosing from the top manual testing tools:

  • Change management: It’s almost certain that some adjustments will need to be made to the application’s user interface over time (UI). So, you should select automated testing tools that will not break down and fail when the user interface changes.
  • Tester skills: The bench strength within any given QA department might vary significantly, and you must evaluate the skill levels of your staff. Select an automated testing application that is compatible with the skill level required by your QA team.
  • Collaboration: Look for automated testing applications that allow for parallel work with project files. Script code sharing across several projects and integration with source code management and issue-tracking systems.
  • Data in and Data out Data sources and the venues to which you must send data are constantly changing. Look for a testing instrument that can generate reports in XML+HTML, Excel, and many more.

Best Manual Testing Tools

Name Supported Platforms Used For Open Source Link
👍 Jira Software Windows, Linux, and macOS Time Tracking, Bug Tracking, Milestone Tracking, Issue Management, etc. Yes Learn more
Selenium Windows, Linux, and macOS Web Automation Tool Yes Learn more
TestLink Windows and Cloud Test Management Tool Yes Learn more
LoadRunner Windows, macOS, and Linux Load and Performance Testing No Learn more
Bugzilla Windows, Linux, macOS Bug Tracking, Test Management, etc. Yes Learn more