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Katalon Studio vs SmartBear TestComplete comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Katalon Studio
Ranking in Regression Testing Tools
2nd
Ranking in Test Automation Tools
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
46
Ranking in other categories
API Testing Tools (4th)
SmartBear TestComplete
Ranking in Regression Testing Tools
5th
Ranking in Test Automation Tools
6th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
76
Ranking in other categories
Functional Testing Tools (9th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Test Automation Tools category, the mindshare of Katalon Studio is 10.2%, down from 11.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SmartBear TestComplete is 5.9%, down from 7.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Test Automation Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Anuradha.Kapoor Kapoor - PeerSpot reviewer
Functional automation features and the recording functionality saves time but the performance and script execution is slow
I would like to see improvements in how Katalon Studio works with iOS applications, especially with React Native applications. The speed is very slow. It takes time. Katalon Studio also takes my laptop memory, and execution becomes slow for the script. There are parallel execution options. I'm sure their online cloud version must be very fast, but as a service-based company, we are under NDA with our clients and can't run their code on our servers. I would like to see iOS improve and see a more capable recording feature. Katalon Studio has released an AI version, and I have a demo scheduled to see the new features.
Prakhar Goel - PeerSpot reviewer
Used for integration automation, user-based automation, and web automation
The solution's most valuable features are the drag-and-drop feature, keyword-driven approach, and reusability of the scripts. The solution has introduced a new feature that helps us identify objects we cannot normally identify. It gives you a fair idea of objects, resolving the object recognition issue. The solution can be used to perform different tests on different machines.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It is good with iOS and Android."
"The basic framework and project organization is very good."
"It provides us daily feedback on the status (failing/working) of the core features of our websites."
"Katalon Studio is easier to use compared to SmartBear TestComplete."
"It is easy for a non-technical person to use and adopt."
"The most valuable feature is that the browser and the API testing is available in a single tool, and I don't have to look at other options."
"I would recommend Katalon Studio, especially if you do not require a license."
"Overall, I recommend it highly and find it easy to use with many integrations."
"Test items, project variables helps in managing automation suite and scheduling execution."
"TestComplete is simple, it's a very easy-to-use tool."
"The product's initial setup phase was easy."
"When compared to other tools, it is very simple."
"It is very easy to maintain tests with this tool. It covers all necessary items in the test plan. The most painful item in testing is maintenance. When changes occur, the tests should be maintained."
"The solution is great as a record and playback tool. It also has valuable regression testing."
"The reporting is ready to use and doesn't require any setup."
"The most valuable feature is the integration with Azure DevOps."
 

Cons

"Extending the certification validity, especially after the trial period, would be beneficial."
"Object Spy is brittle. When I try to capture objects, I have to proceed multiple times before it works."
"It should be faster while executing, and there are some defects, like choosing the new device with the test case."
"What it lacks is the Selenium Grid capabilities."
"It seems to lack a few requirements that a typical customer would want. Compared to other solutions, this product is lacking."
"Katalon Studio's pricing is expensive."
"The product’s regression testing time could be reduced."
"Katalon's support is not very strong unless you opt for the enterprise version."
"In SmartBear TestComplete the integration with Jenkins could be easier. Additionally, some of the controls could have better customization options. For example, if a grid is used and it contains multiple controls within it, it can be a checkbox, radio button, or any kind of control, the way the Object Spy is operating currently there is a lot of room for improvement."
"Headless testing would be a big improvement."
"It is very hard to read the test log generated by TestComplete Executor if the log file is very big. TestComplete Executor is a small tool for just running the TestComplete test framework (not for developing)."
"SmartBear products generally have a weak link when it comes to integration with other test management tools like Inflectra."
"The artificial intelligence needs to be improved."
"What is currently missing from this solution is better support for mobile testing."
"In scenarios where two of our engineers work on the same task, merging codes is a bit difficult."
"The learning curve of the solution's user interface is a little high for new users."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's pricing is cheap compared to other alternatives. I would rate the tool's pricing a three out of ten."
"I am using the free version."
"The product’s pricing is very, very low."
"The approximate cost is around $8,000."
"There is no cost for setup or licensing."
"In terms of pricing, Katalon, Selenium, and Cypress all represent a similar level of investment. The software for these tools are either true open source or almost open source (because they charge a small fee), so pricing is a neutral point for me."
"The tool's licensing costs are yearly."
"The product is affordable. It has an average and competitive pricing compared to other vendors."
"Overall, for us, the cost of the TestComplete platform and the three extra modules is around $8,000."
"Our ROI is about $10,000 a year."
"The solution is around $1500. Some are perpetual licenses, and some get a yearly report card."
"The price is less, compared to other products, such as QTP."
"This is a pay-per-use service that is not expensive, and cost-efficient if you have a small team."
"The product is becoming more and more expensive."
"The solution's pricing is too high."
"The licensing costs are in the range of $1,000 to $3,000."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
33%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Katalon Studio?
I used the trial version of Katalon Studio, which I got for free. For TestComplete, I used an internal license as my organization was partnered with them.
What needs improvement with Katalon Studio?
Extending the certification validity, especially after the trial period, would be beneficial. Providing clearer guidance during the trial period for certification and training modules would also he...
What do you like most about SmartBear TestComplete?
TestComplete has strong reporting capabilities. The reports they generate are really good.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SmartBear TestComplete?
I don't know much about the pricing, however, I think it's cheaper.
What needs improvement with SmartBear TestComplete?
The recording function, when using Python, could be improved, as it does not work well in recording testing.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Coca-Cola Tesla Black Board TaTa Consultancy Services Sony
Cisco, J.P. Morgan, Boeing, McAfee, EMC, Intuit, and Thomson Reuters.
Find out what your peers are saying about Katalon Studio vs. SmartBear TestComplete and other solutions. Updated: February 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.