Software Alternatives & Startups

GNU Emacs VS TestComplete

Compare GNU Emacs VS TestComplete and see what are their differences

GNU Emacs

GNU Emacs is an extensible, customizable text editor—and more.

GNU Emacs Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
TestComplete

TestComplete Desktop, Web, and Mobile helps you create repeatable and accurate automated tests across multiple devices, platforms, and environments easily and quickly.

TestComplete Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, GNU Emacs should be more popular than TestComplete. It has been mentioned 6 times since March 2021.

social mentions
6 vs 2
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

GNU Emacs
TestComplete
Website gnu.org smartbear.com
Pricing
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

GNU Emacs 5 features
TestComplete 7 features
  • Highly Extensible
    GNU Emacs is highly customizable, allowing users to configure nearly every aspect using Emacs Lisp. This makes it remarkably adaptable for various workflows.
  • Rich Plugin Ecosystem
    There is a wide array of plugins available for Emacs, extending its functionality for programming, text editing, project management, and more.
  • Versatile
    Aside from text editing, Emacs can function as an email client, web browser, terminal emulator, and more, making it a powerful multi-purpose tool.
  • Free and Open Source
    GNU Emacs is free to use and modify, with source code available under the GNU General Public License, encouraging collaborative improvement and transparency.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Emacs runs on many different operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and various Unix-like systems, ensuring a wide reach and consistent experience across platforms.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its vast array of features and unique keybindings, new users often find Emacs difficult to learn initially.
  • Performance
    Emacs can be slower compared to more lightweight text editors, especially when heavily customized or handling large files.
  • Keyboard-Centric Interface
    Emacs relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts, which can be overwhelming and complex, leading to potential finger strain from extensive use.
  • Complex Configuration
    While its customizability is a strength, configuring Emacs to fit personal needs can be time-consuming and complex, requiring knowledge of Emacs Lisp.
  • Ease of Use
    TestComplete has a user-friendly interface that allows both technical and non-technical users to create automated tests with ease.
  • Scriptless Testing
    The tool supports keyword-driven testing, enabling users to create automated tests without any scripting knowledge.
  • Multi-Technology Support
    TestComplete supports testing for a wide range of technologies, including desktop, web, and mobile applications, making it a versatile tool.
  • Integration Capabilities
    It easily integrates with other SmartBear tools and third-party tools like JIRA, Jenkins, and Azure DevOps, facilitating a smooth CI/CD process.
  • Parallel Test Execution
    TestComplete allows for parallel test executions, which can significantly reduce the total testing time and speed up the development cycle.
  • Object Recognition
    The tool includes advanced object recognition methods that ensure automated tests are stable and resilient to changes in the application's UI.
  • Comprehensive Reporting
    TestComplete provides detailed test reports and logs, helping teams quickly diagnose and address any issues that arise during testing.

Possible disadvantages

  • Cost
    TestComplete is relatively expensive compared to other automated testing tools, which can be a significant investment for small and medium-sized businesses.
  • Resource Intensive
    The tool can be resource-intensive, requiring significant system resources for smooth operation, which might affect performance on less powerful machines.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there can be a steep learning curve for users who want to utilize its more advanced features.
  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to some other popular testing tools, TestComplete has a smaller user community, which can make it challenging to find solutions to uncommon issues.
  • Complex Licensing Model
    The licensing model can be complex, potentially confusing for new users who need to understand different types of licenses and their limitations.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

GNU Emacs
TestComplete

Overall verdict

  • GNU Emacs is widely considered to be a powerful and versatile text editor, especially among programmers and developers.

Why this product is good

  • Highly Customizable: Emacs can be extensively customized with Emacs Lisp, enabling users to tailor the editor to fit their specific workflow.
  • Rich Ecosystem: There is a large variety of plug-ins and extensions available, which can transform it into much more than just a text editor.
  • Built-in Tools: Emacs includes numerous built-in tools such as a debugger, calendar, email client, and file manager, making it a comprehensive development environment.
  • Cross-Platform: Emacs runs on multiple platforms, which makes it accessible to a broad audience.

Recommended for

  • Programmers and developers who appreciate a customizable and extensible tool.
  • Users who want to integrate various development tools into a single environment.
  • Individuals comfortable with learning Emacs Lisp to create and understand custom scripts and configurations.
  • People interested in a text editor that has a strong and supportive community.

Overall verdict

  • Overall, TestComplete is considered a robust and comprehensive tool for automated testing. Its user-friendly interface and powerful testing capabilities make it a worthwhile investment for many organizations aiming to improve their software testing processes.

Why this product is good

  • TestComplete is a popular automation tool for UI testing, known for its ease of use, broad range of supported applications, and testing capabilities. It supports multiple scripting languages, such as JavaScript, Python, and VBScript, allowing testers with varying coding skills to utilize it effectively. Its record-and-playback feature makes creating tests straightforward, and its extensive integration options with other tools enhance its functionality and flexibility. Additionally, TestComplete automates functional, regression, and performance testing, which contributes to higher-quality software releases.

Recommended for

    TestComplete is recommended for organizations seeking a reliable UI testing tool that supports both desktop, mobile, and web applications. It is especially beneficial for testers who appreciate the flexibility of choosing from multiple scripting languages or those who prefer a record-and-playback approach. It suits both small teams looking for straightforward solutions and larger enterprises that require more advanced integration and automation capabilities.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

GNU Emacs 1 video + Add
TestComplete 1 video + Add

Switching to GNU Emacs

TestComplete: The Easiest-to-Use Automated UI Testing Tool

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
GNU Emacs
TestComplete
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
IDE
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using GNU Emacs and TestComplete. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

GNU Emacs no reviews yet
TestComplete no reviews yet
  • 14 BEST LaTeX Editor for Mac & Windows in 2022
    www.guru99.com · Sep 2022

    Emacs is a Unix based text editor tool which is used by programmers, engineers, students, and system administrators. It is one of the best LaTeX editor for Mac that allows you to add, modify, delete, insert, words,...

  • The Top 7 Notepad++ Alternatives for You
    www.technize.com · Nov 2020

    Emacs has been around in its various forms since 1976 and is another very worthy Notepad++ alternative. When I first started using Emacs I have to admit that I didn’t find it the easiest to use. But once I got used to...

  • 10 Best Notepad++ Alternatives in 2020
    www.guru99.com · Nov 2020

    Emacs is a Unix based text editor tool which is used by programmers, engineers, students, and system administrators. It allows you to add, modify, delete, insert, words, letters, lines, and other units of text.

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

GNU Emacs 6 mentions
TestComplete 2 mentions
  • Emacs daemon as sytemd service in debian 12 (gnome)
    Cat .config/systemd/user/default.target.wants/emacs.service [Unit] Description=Emacs text editor Documentation=info:emacs man:emacs(1) https://gnu.org/software/emacs/ [Service] Type=notify ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/emacs --fg-daemon #... Source: about 3 years ago
  • Why does emacs exec path variable not just copy the users path variable?
    ## If your Emacs is installed in a non-standard location, you may need ## to copy this file to a standard directory, eg ~/.config/systemd/user/ . ## If you install this file by hand, change the "Exec" lines below ## to use absolute file... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Hi DM's, what medium do you use to organise your campaign?
    For gathering notes, writing and organizing, Org-Roam which implies Org and Emacs. Source: almost 4 years ago

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  • How to create step recording program like testcomplete?
    I've been working with Selenium and Python for the past two years and I can say I've good enough experience with them about now. One thing that has always bothered me is how much manual work I have to do in order to implement the steps I... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Looking for OS automation software
    SmartBear TestComplete and Ranorex both offer 30-day free trials to try them out. Their suites make it easy to automate desktop apps, but licensing is expensive. Part of what you pay for is being able to write "codeless" tests by... Source: over 4 years ago

Alternatives to GNU Emacs and TestComplete

When comparing GNU Emacs and TestComplete, you can also consider the following products.