Finding the top API testing tools in 2023 is a tricky and difficult task. However, I came to the conclusion that it was worthwhile because of the current increase in API services and the requirement for thorough API testing.
With the advent of cloud apps and networked platforms, API testing has become extremely important. Numerous linked APIs are used by most of the services we use on a regular basis. The whole service may be jeopardized if one of them isn't functioning properly. We can make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible thanks to a number of API testing solutions available on the market.
The top 10 API testing tools are presented in this article. However, before we get started, let's define an API and discuss some of its advantages.
What is API?
Simply said, an API (Application Programming Interface) is the channel via which two pieces of software may communicate and share data. But how does an application always stay completely functioning, as intended, without jeopardizing user privacy? API testing tools are the solution.
Why API testing?
The interchange of data between two separate programs is facilitated by an API, which acts as a middleman. Any website or application may incorporate information more rapidly with the help of an API.
Not only does it allow a business or user to modify the services and information that are most commonly used by them but also foresee upcoming improvements to the software. APIs are straightforward, adaptable, and simple to use. Excellent development assistance is offered by it.
Image Credits: SoftwareTestingHelp
Benefits of using API testing tool
Before software reaches consumers' hands, development and testing teams evaluate its performance using API testing tools. The key advantages QAs and developers are pursuing now are led by the Agile principles and include:
Prior to the program being fully constructed, testing and feedback should be conducted.
More efficient test maintenance and refactoring
Compared to UI testing, more flaws and problems were found in less time.
Choosing the right API testing tool
The following assessment factors will help you choose an API automation testing tool:
1. User Interface (UI): Does the design have a neat, welcoming layout? Are there thoughtful navigational components that allow users to easily move between related tasks or menus? The ability to emphasize crucial activities in their current context without being intrusive is a sign of a successful user interface.
2. Usability: API testing teams must get started right away. They shouldn't take too long to understand how an automated tool functions. Determining how difficult it would be to learn, understand, and use an automation program.
3. Value for money: How competitive a tool's price rates are in comparison to others. An exceptional testing tool should offer the customer value that goes above and beyond the amount it costs.
4. API minimum requirements: Is it capable of handling the vast majority of HTTP requests? Can settings and artifacts be imported across projects/tests to save time?
5. Complexity: Ascertain that the skillsets in your team can learn and utilize the program as quickly as feasible.
6. CI/CD Integration: Look at the tool's list of integrations to see whether it is native, which will save you time from having to configure everything, and whether it is compatible with the CI systems that your team uses, such as Jenkins or Bitbucket.
7. Interoperability: Can the product be integrated with your team's toolchain, project management tools like Jira, and communication platforms like Slack, or Git for version control?
Top 10 API Testing Tools
TestGrid
To help you test more quickly and deploy more effectively, TestGrid API Testing is a lightweight, web-based API development suite with a simple UI. It is 70% quicker than standard API automation processes. Engage your testing and business teams to create and execute test cases without the need for technical experience.
Pricing: Free- $49
ACCELQ
The only continuous testing platform that effortlessly automates API and web testing without requiring programmers to write a single line of code is ACCELQ. By automating crucial lifecycle steps including test design, planning, creation, and execution, ACCELQ helps IT teams of all sizes speed up their testing.
Customers of ACCELQ often save over 70% of the costs associated with change & maintenance activities in testing, solving one of the key industry pain areas. This is made possible by ACCELQ's AI-powered core, which also provides other distinctive characteristics including self-healing automation.
Pricing: $70 onwards
Keploy
Keploy Features
Keploy is a no-code testing platform that creates tests from API requests.
Test Cases are created by converting API requests. With the real request and answer, mocks are automatically produced.
Keploy collects all API calls and subsequent network traffic supplied by the application.
To develop test-cases, you may use any current API management tool, such as Postman, Hopscotch, or Curl.
Interoperability with common testing libraries such as go-test. Code coverage will be reported together with already-existing test cases and Keploy recorded test cases, and it may also be linked into CI infrastructure/pipelines.
To provide high quality tests, accurate noise detection in replies such as (timestamps, random values) is used.
Repetitive test cases are prevented through statistical deduplication.
To alter behavior, communicate findings with your team, and visually comprehend the results, use the web console.
Auto-Mocked Dependencies
Keploy recognises the precise API call and the appropriate answer, including dynamic aspects. Therefore, Keploy will automatically simulate the answer from any external service you need, such as databases, third-party suppliers, cloud services, etc., removing the requirement for external dependencies. Reduce unstable testing with repeated, reliable conditions. Keploy records all network calls for an API request and replays them afterwards during testing.
Record-Replay
Real-world scenarios can be recorded and replayed to evaluate APIs.
When your application's behavior has changed, Keploy automatically analyses test cases created from previously gathered traffic against it and alerts you to any discrepancies.
Test Coverage
With the new application version, you will receive immediate notifications for incorrect schema or attribute modifications or unexpected behavior.
In order to ensure that you don't miss anything, Keploy will quickly test the new version of the application with thousands of test cases and generate rapid results and alerts.
Katalon Studio
DevOps and testing teams are given many tools by Katalon Studio to guarantee they have a solid plan in place for creating well tested apps.
It is quite versatile and lets you conduct tests on desktop, web, and mobile platforms alike. It may be used with a variety of operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. You may use Katalon to execute automated tests on UI components including pop-up windows, iFrames, overlays, and more. The ability to build and reuse automated scripts without having to endure the onerous task of programming code is one of Katalon Studio's selling advantages.
Pricing: Free- $1899
Using the Open API Specifications as a starting point, users of the API testing tool Swagger may begin testing for performance, security, and functionality. It is simple to build, organize, and carry out API tests in the pipeline rapidly thanks to Swagger tools and the Ready API platform.
Apigee
Developers can easily test API proxies using Apigee Edge. To enable programmers to quickly create business solutions, Apigee Edge enables API architects to construct these API proxies, gateways, or intermediates.
It does this by encasing your API in a proxy layer and supplying sophisticated API management tools. If your application doesn't have an Apigee, then other APIs that wish to use its services must directly use its API.
Pricing: Contact Sales
SoapUI
Since it is headless, the software tool SoapUI, which is entirely devoted to API testing, allows for the execution of tests on both SOAP APIs and RESTful web services. Since it enables users to design complicated scenarios and further facilitates asynchronous testing, it is frequently one of the chosen tools for testers. It also stands out for its excellent data-driven testing and user-friendliness.
Pricing: Free- $749
Postman
One of the best tools for testing APIs was once a Google Chrome plug-in called Postman. Its services now offer native Windows and Mac versions in addition to its primary goal of testing API services. It's a fantastic choice for manual or exploratory testing in any case. You may use Postman to perform requests, automate tests, debug, and monitor APIs.
Pricing: Contact Sales
JMeter
Despite being designed for load testing, JMeter is frequently used for functional API testing. The replaying of test results is supported. Working with CSV files automatically allows the team to swiftly build unique parameter values for API testing. The API tests may be used in CI processes.
Assertible
Monitoring API performance and uptime is made simple and dependable with Assertible. Web service testing is ongoing, with an emphasis on automation and dependability. a new function that offers an alternative method of storing the tokens, passwords, and secret fields required for API testing. It has long been acknowledged as a trustworthy API utility.
Pricing: Free- $100
Closing
Therefore, these are my top choices for the best API testing tools. I'm interested in your feedback on the lists, as well as your ideas on any tools you feel should have been included.
We hope that this article on the top 10 API testing tools will assist you in making a decision about which tools to be included in your stack. I personally recommend using Keploy, given the reason it’s open-source, and also its a combined set of all-in-one set of tools of operations.
Let me know if you have any queries in the comments section.
And would you be interested in using an open-source tool like Keploy? Do let me know in the comment section below. I hope you enjoyed reading it!
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