Manual Testing Vs Automation Testing – What Is The Difference?

Software testing is a large domain, but it can be broadly classified into two areas: manual testing and automated testing.

Both manual and automated testing have advantages and disadvantages. It’s worth knowing the difference, and when to practice one or the other for best outcomes.

In manual testing (as the name implies), test cases are performed manually (by a human, that is) without any help from tools or scripts. But with automated testing, test cases are performed with the help of tools, scripts, and software.

Testing is an essential component of any successful software project. The kind of testing (manual or automated) depends on several factors, including project requirements, expertise, budget, timeline, and suitability.

Three important factors of any project are of course time, cost, and quality – the purpose of any successful project is to decrease the cost and time needed to complete it successfully while preserving quality output. When it comes to testing, one type may achieve this purpose better than the other.

What Is Manual Testing?

Manual testing is the method in which QA analysts perform tests one-by-one in an individual manner. The goal of manual testing is to detect bugs and feature issues before a software application goes live.

When manually testing, the tester verifies the key features of a software application. Analysts perform test cases and generate summary error reports without specialized automation tools. 

What Is Automation Testing?

Automation testing is the method by which testers employ tools and scripts to automate testing efforts.

Automation testing helps testers perform more test cases and enhance test coverage. When comparing manual vs. automation testing, manually takes longer. Automated testing is more effective.

How Manual Testing Works

Manual testing is very hands-on. It needs analysts and QA engineers to be deeply engaged in everything from test case formulation to actual test execution. 

How Automated Testing Works

Automation testing includes testers writing test scripts that automate test execution. (A test script is a set of instructions to be executed on target platforms to verify a feature or expected outcome.)

What Are the Strengths and Weaknesses of Automated Testing and Manual Testing?

Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Manual testing is slow and tedious. But its strength is that it better manages complex situations. Automated testing needs coding and test maintenance. But on the plus side, it is much faster and incorporates many more permutations.

Manual vs. Automated Testing: the Pros and Cons

Manual testing and automated testing incorporate two vast areas. Within every category, particular testing methods are available, such as black-box testing, white box testing, performance testing, integration testing, system testing, and load testing. Some of these methods are better adapted to manual testing, and some are best achieved through automation. Here’s a brief example of each type, along with some pros and cons:

When Should I Use Manual vs. Automated Testing?

In short, manual testing is best fit to the following areas/situations:

• Exploratory Testing: This kind of testing needs the tester’s knowledge, experience, creativity, analytical/logical skills, and intuition. The test is described here by poorly written specification documentation, and/or a short term for execution. We require human skills to perform the testing process in this scenario.
• Usability Testing: This is an area in which you require to estimate how user-friendly, efficient, or convenient the software or product is for the end users. Here, human observation is the most significant factor, so a manual method is preferable.
• Ad-hoc Testing: In this situation, there is no particular approach. It is a totally unplanned method of testing where the information and insight of the tester are the only vital part.

Automated testing is the preferred option in the following areas/scenarios:

• Regression Testing: Here, automated testing is becoming because of frequent code changes and the capacity to run the regressions in a timely fashion.
• Load Testing: Automated testing is also the best way to perform the testing effectively when it comes to load testing. 
• Repeated Execution: Testing which needs the repeated execution of a task is best automated.
• Performance Testing: Similarly, testing which needs the simulation of thousands of simultaneous users needs automation.

Also Read: Is There Any Right Level Of Automation?

Conclusion

Keeping these circumstances in mind, you can discover the best method in any given testing situation and deliver quality output well within your budget and timeline.

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