BrowserStack is a cross-platform browser and app testing tool that uses real devices (not emulators and simulators).
It provides a network of real machines to visit your website or app on various live browsers. You’ll be able to see how your website or app shows up on different devices and browsers, such as Chrome on Linux, Firefox on Windows Vista, or an iPhone.
However, many users complain that BrowserStack’s service is rather slow, even if it encompasses a large network of different device types. Also, it’s not free to use.
In this guide, I will review the best paid and free BrowserStack alternatives. Regardless of what you are testing, these alternatives will help you test and improve your website or app.
Let us get into it.
Why Run Cross-Browser Tests?
When you release a website or mobile application, you must ensure it shows up correctly on all devices. Some people will use Android devices to access it, others will use Safari on a Mac, and others will use Internet Explorer on Windows 7.
Sometimes, the same person will access the website or application from multiple platforms. For example, they may visit your store on their mobile phone but later complete their purchase on their desktop machine.
Take a service like Netflix as a better example. Depending on their location, some people will view it on their phones and laptops at different times.
It’s impossible to test your application or website on all devices fully. Not only is every computer type different, but every browser has multiple versions, some having dozens of versions.
In addition, there are many mobile phones, and not all Android or iOS phones are the same. Certain errors may only appear on some devices.
That’s why cross-browser testing services are so useful.
They allow you to run multiple tests on thousands of device and browser configurations to uncover all errors.
Also Read: Best Open-source Tools For Web Developers
The 10 Best BrowserStack Alternatives (Free & Paid)
1. LambdaTest – Best BrowserStack Alternative
Testing your websites and applications on latest Android & iOS mobile browsers is simpler than ever. LambdaTest allows locally hosted & geo location testing, along with debugging, collaboration & more. Try it today!
LambdaTest offers something that BrowserStack does not: A forever-free plan! The free plan is limited but free forever, not just a free trial.
The free plan includes the following limitations:
- Only five users testing at once
- Six sessions of real-time browser testing a month
- Only 10 minutes per session of real-time browser testing
- A total of 60 real-time browser testing minutes per month
- 10 screenshot tests per month
- Only 10 responsive tests per month
- Only 30 minutes of LambdaTest browser testing every day
I’ll cover premium plans later, but I prefer LambdaTest because it offers an on-demand pass, which you can buy without signing up for a monthly plan. This gives you more flexibility if you only need to test stuff occasionally.
For just $10, you will get 120 minutes of testing time, valid for the next 30 days. After 30 days, those minutes will expire.
Not only won’t you have to sign up for a plan, but you’ll be able to spend less money, as the cheapest premium plan is $19/month when billed monthly.
Here are the platforms available for live testing on LambdaTest:
- Windows
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 8
- Windows 7
- Windows XP
- Mac OS (10 versions available)
- Android phones
- iOS phones
You can run live and automated tests on more than 2,000 browser types at once. Also, you can set up automated screenshot testing on many devices to see how screenshots look on all those devices.
You can also do the mobile responsiveness test to see how your website reacts on various types of mobile devices. Finally, you can use the LT browser to see the mobile version of your website on more than 25 devices, with live debugging.
LambaTest also integrates with various applications to help you log bugs and manage your projects.
Some of the integrations include:
- Slack
- GitHub
- ClickUp
- GitLab
- Circle CI
- Azure Pipelines
- Microsoft Teams
- Rocket.Chat
- TestCafe
- Shopify
- And many more
You can see a full list of integrations here.
So, what’s pricing like? Pretty reasonable.
Pricing ranges from $19/month to $2975/month, depending on which plan you choose (Live, Live + Web Automation, or Live + Web + Mobile Browser Automation) and how many parallel tests you need to run simultaneously.
See the pricing page for updated pricing information, as rates are subject to change at any time (remember to select how many parallel tests you will need to get an accurate price).
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Testing your websites and applications on latest Android & iOS mobile browsers is simpler than ever. LambdaTest allows locally hosted & geo location testing, along with debugging, collaboration & more. Try it today!
2. Browserling
Browserling is one of my favorite BrowserStack alternatives because it is easy to use and does not require you to create an account to try it out. In addition, it has a free plan, although it is pretty limited, which is why it’s not my first choice on this list.
Just enter any website you want to test on the homepage to see how it will look on live browsers. All of the tests are run on live browsers, not on emulators or simulators, so you can be sure that what you see is accurate.
On the free plan, you can only test on Windows 7 computers. You can’t test on other Windows versions, on other computers, or mobile devices.
In addition, you can test only these browsers:
- Internet Explorer 11 ONLY
- Chrome 1-90 & Canary
- Firefox 3-88 & nightly
- Safari 4, 5.0.5, & 5.1
Also, each session on the paid plan will be limited to three minutes only, and the only resolution available will be 1024×768.
Finally, you can only run several daily tests on the free plan. Clearing your cookies and switching to private mode won’t change that.
Here are some tools available when running a browser test:
- Share the URL for viewing that browser
- Leave feedback
- Change the resolution
- Take screenshots
Browserling uses safe encryption to ensure your data is safe. Also, all browser runs are sandboxed, so there’s no chance of getting some virus or malware.
Also, Browserling has several browser extensions to deploy tests when visiting any website. Extensions are available for:
- Chrome
- Operate
- Firefox
- Safari
Pricing is simple. I already talked about the free plan, but there are also two premium plans.
Both plans give you access to all browsers, all devices, and unlimited testing minutes. However, the cheaper plan is for just one user, while the team plan is for multiple users.
You can see updated pricing information here.
Check Out: Best Sandboxie Alternatives
3. TestCafe Studio
TestCafe is a cool alternative to BrowserStack with a free, open-source, and a premium version.
While the open-source version is free, it is somewhat more complicated to use, as you won’t have access to the Visual Recorder. The Visual Recorder will allow you to run tests without writing any code, as I will explain later.
Therefore, for this guide, I will focus mostly on TestCafe Studio, which is the premium version. However, TestCafe (the free version) also allows cross-browser and cross-platform testing out of the box.
So, how does TestCafe Studio work?
It’s pretty cool, actually. Using the Visual Editor, you can start running a test on any webpage.
To do that, just load the URL and start interacting with the page. You can click on a button, for example, or scroll down.
Each interaction will be recorded, logged, and added to the test automatically. You won’t have to write any code.
Once your test is complete, it will include all the actions you performed on the web page, and you will be able to run that exact test on multiple browsers to see how they differ for each action or engagement.
You can also modify the tests at any time. For example, you can delete actions you don’t want to compare anymore.
You can run tests on multiple browsers at once or on multiple instances of the same browser (such as multiple Chrome browsers). Select the browsers you want to run and how many concurrences of each browser you want.
That will help you get a more complete comparison.
When the test is complete, you will get a full report, which will include any failed actions. Not only will you get links to those failed actions, but you will get screenshots as well, allowing you to see exactly how it looked.
All tests are stable, with no manual time-outs needed, as TestCafe uses an intelligent wait mechanism to ensure page elements are loaded.
While TestCafe Studio uses a visual editor that does not require coding knowledge, there is a coding option for those who would like to edit test code.
As mentioned, TestCafe has a free version that is open source.
However, The premium version is more expensive, with plans starting at $249.99/year. However, it will be significantly cheaper after the first year, with renewal prices starting at just $99.99/year.
There is a free 30-day trial available. I’d suggest checking out the TestCafe Studio page for updated pricing information.
Also Read: Best Udemy Courses For Web Development
4. SmartBear CrossBrowserTesting
SmartBear’s CrossBrowserTesting tool lets you run live tests on more than 2,000 browser combinations. Just pick the device you want, the browser you want, and the resolution.
You can also run tests on real mobile devices, switching between regular mode and portrait mode.
While running your secured tests, you can take screenshots, capture network traffic, or record videos of the tests.
Once a test is complete, you can share the URL directly or via one of the integrated tools, such as Slack.
You can also run automated screenshot tests. To do that, enter the URL and select as many browser versions as you want.
For example, you can select different releases of Chrome, Safari, Opera, Firefox, and so on, as well as different resolution strengths. You can save lists of browser types, so you can reuse them for future tests.
The test will automatically capture three different types of screenshots for each browser configuration you selected. You can filter test results by browser type.
These screenshots can be scheduled to run every day, every week, or every month, allowing you to continually track your website or app and discover bugs.
SmartBear CrossBrowserTesting allows you to run automated recording tests without doing any coding or programming. Just enter a URL and perform actions to create a test that will be run on other browsers.
You then select exactly which browser combinations you want to run the test on.
All mobile tests are run on real devices, with new devices being added every day. You can see some of the devices here, which include:
- iPhone 11 Pro
- Pixel 4
- iPhone X
- iPad Mini
- Nexus 5
- Many others
So, how much does SmartBear CrossBrowserTesting cost? The starting plan is $29/month, billed annually, which is the same as BrowserStack.
The difference is that BrowserStack’s starting plan does NOT include mobile device testing, limiting you to desktop testing only. SmartBear’s starting plan, on the other hand, does include mobile testing, for the same price.
The starter plan includes unlimited manual live tests and unlimited screenshot tests. You must upgrade to the premium plan for automated tests, which varies based on how many parallel tests you need.
Check out the pricing page for updated information.
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5. Datadog
Datadog has an automated browser testing solution that allows you to run automated browser tests without doing any coding.
Using the visual web recorder, you can record tests that can run automatically based on the actions you did on your first test.
The tests are self-maintaining and update themselves, and you can view screenshots from your tests.
Datadog is much cheaper than BrowserStack. It is less than half the price.
Pricing starts at $12/month for a thousand browser test runs a month. It costs just $5/month for a thousand API test runs a month.
Check this link for updated pricing information.
6. Applitools
Applitools, unlike BrowserStack, has a forever-free plan. It is powered by visual AI and claims to be up to 50x times faster than traditional cross-platform testing tools.
According to Applitools, you can use it with your traditional testing framework, using the AI “eyes” to replace only certain aspects of your testing framework to be faster, more accurate, and detect up to 45 percent more bugs.
Applitools lets you get more done faster and cut down on the amount of code you need.
As you can see in the screenshot, the UltraFast Grid lets you render only one version of your test on your local device, and it will then run parallel tests on all your selected browser and device configurations with great speed and accuracy.
The UltraFast Grid supports all major browsers. On mobile devices, it uses native browsers (Chrome on Android devices and Safari on iOS devices).
One of the reasons the UltraFast Grid is so much faster than other tools is that it does not take traditional screenshots. Instead, it takes smaller snapshots, which include HTML and all other elements needed for page rendering; since it is smaller, it is quicker to upload.
7. Sauce Labs
Sauce Labs is a BrowserStack alternative with a wide selection of browser and device options for testing. It supports real desktop and mobile devices, as well as emulators and simulators for iOS and Android.
The list of supported browsers, devices, and emulators is too long to mention here. However, you can see it on this page.
A cool thing about Sauce Labs is that it provides a free service for open-source projects. If you operate a free, open-source project, and you don’t have the budget to pay for BrowserStack, why not use Sauce Labs’ free testing service?
It’s called Open Sauce. It includes unlimited testing minutes, which is pretty rare for a free service!
Also, it allows for five concurrent parallel sessions and thousands of operating system, browser, and emulator configurations.
Using the free version for open-source projects, you can take videos and screenshots and send them to colleagues via Slack.
The only thing about Open Sauce is that you have to apply for it. Since it’s only meant for open-source projects, only certain projects will qualify.
You can also use the regular, paid version of Sauce Labs. It allows for live and automated continuous testing, helping you gradually improve your website or app.
Sauce Labs’ pricing plans are reasonable. The cheap plan includes unlimited testing minutes and both desktop and mobile tests for just $39/month, billed annually.
While BrowserStack also has a $39/month plan that includes unlimited testing and desktop + mobile testing, there is a big difference. BrowserStack’s $39/month plan is single user, while Sauce Labs’ $39/month plan is for multiple users, making it a more economical choice for teams.
Always check the pricing page for updated information, as pricing is not only subject to change but varies based on how many parallel tests you need to run, regardless of your plan.
8. Ranorex Studio
Ranorex Studio is an excellent BrowserStack alternative that allows you to run multiple tests on multiple browsers, without any programming. Supported platforms include all major browsers, Windows, and iOS/Android devices.
For iOS and Android, both emulators and real devices are supported.
After conducting your tests, you can generate HTML or PDF reports and send them to colleagues or friends.
How much does Ranorex Studio cost? A studio license costs $3,590, with additional add-ons available.
Although this seems more expensive than BrowserStack at first, keep in mind that it is a one-time fee. If your business has a lot of cross-browser testing needs, paying a one-time license fee can turn out a lot cheaper than continually paying a monthly or annual fee for years on end, especially if you are choosing a somewhat higher-priced BrowserStack plan.
There is also a trial version available for download, so you don’t have to pay anything before trying it out yourself and seeing how you like it.
In either case, make sure to check the pricing page for updated pricing information.
9. Digital.ai
Digital.ai, which used to be known as Experitest, allows you to conduct both live and automated tests on all kinds of browser and device configurations, including over 1,000 iOS + Android real devices, emulators, and simulators.
With Digital.ai SeeTest accessibility testing, you can test accessibility features on mobile devices for your app. Most mobile phones will have accessibility features, which will do voiceovers of actions for the visually impaired.
For example, by touching on the power button, a voice will tell the user what the current battery percentage is.
The global data centers help remove any latency issues when running tests.
Digital.ai allows for a bit more flexibility when it comes to pricing and managing your budget compared to BrowserStack. You buy “points,” which you can then exchange to use a product.
You can find out more here.
10. Functionize
Functionize’s cross-browser testing application allows you to test your website across all the major browsers. It aims to resolve compatibility issues upfront, saving you time on debugging.
The cross-browser testing features available from Functionize are available as part of a larger plan, which might make it a better option for you than BrowserStack if you need their other features.
You can see all of their plans here, but exact pricing is unavailable. Instead, you will have to request a quote.
What Is The Best BrowserStack Alternative? – Wrapping Up
LambdaTest is the best alternative since it offers a free plan, and their premium plans are also very reasonably priced and compare very well to BrowserStack.
On the other hand, if you need a one-off test on a specific browser, and you don’t want to sign up for an account, you can consider Browserling, but you will only be able to test on Windows 7 browsers.
