Choosing the Right Automated UI Testing Tool : - A Comparative Study of Selenium and TestComplete

Abstract: Automated UI testing tools are an essential part of the software development process. While comparative studies have been conducted to evaluate various tools, the identification of the challenges faced by today’s testers remains a crucial task. Our study aims to provide insight into this subject by comparing two widely used testing tools, Selenium and TestComplete, and determining their ease of use and time efficiency. We also consider the learning curve for new testers and provide guidelines for selecting the right tool. Our goal is to evaluate how Selenium and TestComplete compare in terms of ease of use and time efficiency. Our research questions are: (RQ1) Which tool has a shorter implementation time for developers, Selenium or TestComplete? (RQ2) Which tool has a faster execution time for test cases, Selenium or TestComplete? (RQ3) Which tool has a higher number of defects found during testing, Selenium or TestComplete? (RQ4) Which tool has a higher number of false positives found during testing, Selenium or TestComplete? To answer these questions, a controlled experiment was conducted, showing that both tools have similar implementation times. However, Selenium has a faster execution time than TestComplete and a significantly lower occurrence of false positives. These results suggest that Selenium provides a more reliable and user-friendly testing process. In terms of defects found, the data gathering was insufficient and future research is required. Furthermore, we found that there is a limitation to what elements and applications can be tested. In this regard, Selenium showed a more significant limitation than TestComplete for testing an online game application.