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TestNG VS Selenium

Compare TestNG VS Selenium and see what are their differences

TestNG logo TestNG

TestNG is a testing framework.

Selenium logo Selenium

Selenium automates browsers. That's it! What you do with that power is entirely up to you. Primarily, it is for automating web applications for testing purposes, but is certainly not limited to just that.
  • TestNG Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-12
  • Selenium Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-08-22

TestNG features and specs

  • Parallel Testing
    TestNG allows the execution of tests in parallel, which can greatly reduce the time required for test execution by making full use of available resources.
  • Annotations
    TestNG uses more powerful and flexible annotations compared to JUnit, which provide greater control over the setup, execution, and teardown of tests.
  • Data-Driven Testing
    It supports data-driven testing through the use of data providers, allowing the execution of tests with multiple sets of data seamlessly.
  • Flexible Test Configuration
    TestNG provides flexible test configuration options, such as setting the order of test methods execution, grouping tests, and allowing dependencies between test methods.
  • Integration with Build Tools
    TestNG easily integrates with popular build tools such as Maven and Gradle, facilitating continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) processes.

Possible disadvantages of TestNG

  • Complexity
    TestNG's extensive feature set can lead to added complexity in test suite configuration, especially for new users who are unfamiliar with the framework.
  • Verbose XML Configuration
    Managing test configurations through XML files can become verbose and hard to maintain, especially for large test suites with numerous configurations.
  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to more established frameworks like JUnit, TestNG has a smaller community, which can limit the availability of tutorials, documentation, and best practices.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    For teams that have traditionally used other testing tools, the transition to TestNG may involve a steeper learning curve due to its different approach and features.

Selenium features and specs

  • Open Source
    Selenium is an open-source tool, which means it is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This makes it a cost-effective choice for companies of all sizes.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    Selenium supports multiple browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. This allows testers to ensure that web applications work seamlessly across different browsers.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Selenium can run on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This provides flexibility to test on multiple platforms to ensure consistent user experience.
  • Supports Multiple Programming Languages
    Selenium supports multiple programming languages such as Java, C#, Python, and JavaScript. This allows testers to write their scripts in the language they are most comfortable with.
  • Rich Community and Documentation
    Being a widely-used tool, Selenium has extensive community support and a wealth of documentation and tutorials available. This makes it easier for new users to get started and find solutions to problems.
  • Integration with Other Tools
    Selenium integrates well with various testing frameworks and tools like TestNG, JUnit, and Maven, as well as CI/CD tools like Jenkins and Docker. This makes it a versatile and comprehensive automation solution.

Possible disadvantages of Selenium

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Selenium requires knowledge of programming to create and maintain test scripts. For those new to automation or coding, the learning curve can be quite steep.
  • No Built-in Reporting
    Selenium does not come with built-in reporting features. Testers must rely on third-party tools or build custom reporting solutions to generate test reports.
  • Limited Support for Desktop Applications
    Selenium is designed primarily for web application testing and offers limited support for desktop applications. This limits its use in scenarios where desktop application testing is needed.
  • Manual Effort for Maintenance
    Test scripts require regular maintenance to accommodate changes in the web application, such as updates to the UI or changes in element identifiers. This can lead to significant manual effort.
  • Performance Issues
    Selenium can be slower compared to other automation tools, especially when running extensive test suites. This can affect the speed of the overall testing process.
  • Browser Compatibility Issues
    Although Selenium supports multiple browsers, each browser's implementation of WebDriver may have unique quirks and bugs. This occasionally leads to test script compatibility issues across different browsers.

Analysis of Selenium

Overall verdict

  • Selenium is a valuable tool for automated testing of web applications, providing flexibility, broad compatibility, and extensive support. It is particularly beneficial for teams looking for an open-source solution with a wide range of capabilities.

Why this product is good

  • Selenium is a highly popular open-source framework for automating web browsers. It supports multiple programming languages such as Java, C#, Python, and JavaScript, providing flexibility for testers with different coding skills. Selenium WebDriver, a core component, allows for creative and sophisticated testing through direct interaction with web pages. Its broad browser compatibility, community support, and extensive documentation make it a valuable tool for automated testing. It also integrates well with other tools and frameworks like Selenium Grid for parallel testing, and it can be used with CI/CD pipelines to facilitate continuous testing.

Recommended for

  • Software testers and QA engineers
  • Development teams implementing continuous integration and continuous testing
  • Organizations needing cross-browser testing solutions
  • Testers with programming skills in languages like Java, Python, or C#

TestNG videos

TESTNG FAKE DESIGNER ITEMS FROM VOVA - IS IT A SCAM?!

Selenium videos

What is Selenium | Selenium Explained in 2-minutes | Introduction to Selenium | Intellipaat

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to TestNG and Selenium)
Automated Testing
9 9%
91% 91
Testing
11 11%
89% 89
Browser Testing
6 6%
94% 94
Website Testing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare TestNG and Selenium

TestNG Reviews

Top 10 Best Selenium Alternatives You Should Try
Important and influential features of TestNG over Selenium are flexible test configuration, powerful execution model, annotations, supports data-driven testing, multi-threading, etc. TestNG means Test Next Generation.

Selenium Reviews

Top Selenium Alternatives
Nightwatch.js simplifies the setup and use of Selenium WebDriver, providing an abstraction layer that is easier to work with for JavaScript developers. While it offers the broad compatibility and standardization of Selenium WebDriver, it aims to improve the development experience with its simplified syntax and support for the Page Object pattern, making it a middle ground...
Source: bugbug.io
Top 5 Selenium Alternatives for Less Maintenance
And that’s why code-free test automation is important. Implementing codeless Selenium alternatives can address the challenges posed by traditional Selenium testing. They help testers with various skill sets to contribute to the testing process, enhancing collaboration and accelerating the testing lifecycle. For an in-depth discussion on the significance of codeless Selenium,...
Best Automation Testing Tools (Free and Paid) | July 2022
Automation testing is the process of testing the software using an automation tool to find the defects. In this process, executing the test scripts and generating the results are performed automatically by automation tools. Some most popular tools to do automation testing are HP QTP/UFT, Selenium WebDriver, etc.,
20 BEST Selenium Alternatives in 2021
Selenium is an open-source automated testing tool. It can perform functional, regression, load testing on web applications across different browsers and platforms. Selenium is one of the finest tools, but it does have some drawbacks.
Source: www.guru99.com
Top 10 Best Selenium Alternatives You Should Try
Selenium is a convenient and portable software testing tool specifically used for testing web applications. It acts as an API (Application Program Interface) for browser automation. Selenium is the widely used free and open-source tool used for automation testing of web applications through various browsers and platforms.

Social recommendations and mentions

Selenium might be a bit more popular than TestNG. We know about 8 links to it since March 2021 and only 6 links to TestNG. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

TestNG mentions (6)

  • Five Advanced Techniques to Improve Automated Testing by 50%
    However, you must note that over-parallelization can cause resource contention and performance issues, so monitor it. Use tools like pytest-monitor, TestNG, and Appium to find your optimal parallel execution configuration. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Top 10 Java Testing Tools Every Developer Should Know
    Inspired by JUnit, TestNG offers advanced features for complex, large-scale testing scenarios, covering unit, functional, integration, and end-to-end tests. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Test Automation: Guide to Selenium with Java and TestNG
    If you’re interested in learning more about TestNG, visit its official website for additional information. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • The Top 15 API Testing Frameworks: Your Ultimate Guide
    Introduction: TestNG is a versatile testing framework that accommodates various testing needs, including unit, functional, and integration testing. It's particularly useful for Java developers looking for a comprehensive solution. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Why does Rusts testing tools seem so much less polished compared to its other tooling?
    Testing tools on the JVM stopped using reflection about twenty years ago, they all use annotations these days (e.g. https://testng.org, https://junit.org). Rust has annotations too, obviously. Source: almost 3 years ago
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Selenium mentions (8)

  • How to write tests in Django for JavaScript fetch
    You won't be able to test the javascript function itself from within python, but you can exercise the front-end code using something like cypress (https://cypress.io) or the older but still respectable selenium (https://selenium.dev). Source: about 2 years ago
  • Having Issues with selenium
    In addition, .find_element_by_class_name is deprecated since selenium 4.3.0 and the replacement is .find_element(By.CLASS_NAME, "class"). Check selenium's site for more info. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Issues with Selenium 4.8.0
    This is the code again after checking selenium's official site :. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Having Issues with selenium
    I also tried the following code seen on the selenium.dev website. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Document Object Model Specification
    The following functions are defined within the Selenium project, at revision 1721e627e3b5ab90a06e82df1b088a33a8d11c20. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing TestNG and Selenium, you can also consider the following products

JUnit - JUnit is a simple framework to write repeatable tests.

Cypress.io - Slow, difficult and unreliable testing for anything that runs in a browser. Install Cypress in seconds and take the pain out of front-end testing.

Cucumber - Cucumber is a BDD tool for specification of application features and user scenarios in plain text.

Katalon - Built on the top of Selenium and Appium, Katalon Studio is a free and powerful automated testing tool for web testing, mobile testing, and API testing.

Arquillian - Arquillian is an open-source testing platform that offers no more container lifecycle, deployment hassles, and mocks.

BrowserStack - BrowserStack is a software testing platform for developers to comprehensively test websites and mobile applications for quality.