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Katalon Studio vs SmartBear TestComplete comparison

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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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.4
Katalon Studio is cost-effective, streamlines testing, boosts efficiency, saving time and resources, especially with CI/CD integration.
Sentiment score
6.8
SmartBear TestComplete automation saves time, enhances client satisfaction, and boosts efficiency, with annual savings of approximately $10,000.
It saves almost 80% of your manual testing time, so it is better to switch to Katalon Studio.
Lead Automation Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
We already have the automation pipeline in place, and we are also using the cloud, allowing us to test multiple browsers and platforms simultaneously, which is great for time and cost savings.
System Engineer at Tata Consultancy Services private Limited
I have seen a return on investment with Katalon Studio because the number of resources allocated to the project has reduced, making it very time-saving and efficient.
Senior Software Qulity Assurance Engineer at a energy/utilities company with 501-1,000 employees
Once set up, only one person is needed to handle all tasks, reducing the requirement for multiple personnel.
QA Analyst at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.0
Katalon Studio offers efficient support with quick responses, though some rely on community forums; enterprise users receive better service.
Sentiment score
6.9
SmartBear TestComplete's customer support is knowledgeable but inconsistent, with delays and unresolved issues needing faster escalation and responses.
Katalon's support is not very strong unless you opt for the enterprise version.
Senior Consultant at Yethi Consulting
I encountered a couple of issues during the initial setup, but customer care resolved them quickly.
Senior Quality Specialist at Zenya
Within 24 hours, I received support from the customer support team through their forum.
Software Development Engineer in Test at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
Katalon Studio scales well for small to medium projects but may struggle with larger test suites and execution time.
Sentiment score
7.4
SmartBear TestComplete is scalable and adaptable, with flexible scripting, but may require licensing for wider deployment.
We achieve scalability through building modular tests, leveraging features such as parallel execution, and using CI/CD integration and pipelines.
System Engineer at Tata Consultancy Services private Limited
It allows me to develop, run, and deploy test cases extensively.
Senior Quality Specialist at Zenya
Katalon Studio handles larger projects and more complex test cases very easily.
Software Development Engineer in Test at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
6.8
Katalon Studio is stable, though some users report minor issues, particularly with large tests and new application updates.
Sentiment score
6.9
SmartBear TestComplete generally stable, but users report crashes, memory leaks, and HTML5 testing delays in certain scenarios.
It needs more stability when test cases are executed.
QA at Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, LLC
In my experience, Katalon Studio is stable, but sometimes I encounter lag and crash issues.
Software Development Engineer in Test at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
I have not encountered any major bugs or crashes.
Software Test Engineer at a tech services company with self employed
 

Room For Improvement

Katalon Studio needs enhanced scripting, platform support, tool integrations, documentation, execution speed, and improvement in customer support.
SmartBear TestComplete faces challenges in object recognition, integrations, licensing, performance, and support across browsers and mobile devices.
Parallel execution is available, but not with the free version.
QA at Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, LLC
Providing clearer guidance during the trial period for certification and training modules would also help.
Consultant at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
There is significant competition, so providing a good offer with extra features could be beneficial.
Senior Quality Specialist at Zenya
While using SmartBear TestComplete, we are fine with the current capabilities, however, it would be beneficial to improve some performance aspects, especially the image comparison feature.
QA Analyst at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
 

Setup Cost

Katalon Studio's pricing is competitive, offering value with free basic use and reasonable costs for premium features.
SmartBear TestComplete's pricing and licensing receive mixed reviews, seen as both reasonable and costly depending on usage and modules.
The approximate cost is around $8,000.
QA at Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, LLC
Although there are free automation software options available, Katalon Studio offers everything in a single hub for a fee.
Software Test Engineer at a tech services company with self employed
From a user perspective, Katalon Studio offers good value, particularly for teams looking for quick automation without significant upfront investment.
Quality Automation Specialist at SymphonyAI
 

Valuable Features

Katalon Studio is favored for its user-friendly automation, robust features, strong integrations, and adaptability to testing needs.
SmartBear TestComplete excels in cross-platform automation, integration, and support for multiple languages, enhancing automated testing efficiency and maintenance.
We can schedule our test cases, and the report which we get can be shared with higher-level management.
Senior Quality Specialist at Zenya
Katalon Studio has positively impacted my organization because I have noticed that I can save more than 50% of our time automating test cases.
Software Development Engineer in Test at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Now, using Katalon Studio, we have a 50% increase in velocity in the test and create automatic tests.
IT Projects Director at a tech consulting company with 11-50 employees
The most valuable feature of SmartBear TestComplete for me is the image comparison functionality.
QA Analyst at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Katalon Studio
Ranking in Regression Testing Tools
3rd
Ranking in Test Automation Tools
3rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
56
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 (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Test Automation Tools category, the mindshare of Katalon Studio is 3.6%, down from 8.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SmartBear TestComplete is 5.3%, down from 5.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Test Automation Tools Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Katalon Studio3.6%
SmartBear TestComplete5.3%
Other91.1%
Test Automation Tools
 

Featured Reviews

TM
Quality Automation Specialist at SymphonyAI
Fast UI automation has reduced regression effort and has improved tester onboarding
The best features Katalon Studio offers include how even a manual tester can use it with built-in keywords and recording features. A framework does not need to be built from scratch, unlike other tools. Katalon Studio provides an out-of-the-box automation framework, which allows quick starts, and its built-in keywords and record and playback functionality make it easier for manual testers transitioning to automation. Additionally, the object repository simplifies test creation and makes maintenance more manageable. The test suite and execution profiles also allow easy test organization for environment-specific execution, and the built-in reports provide ready-to-share insights with the team. If I had to select one standout feature, the framework setup stands out as the best feature, as it makes starting automation quickly and straightforwardly without heavy setup. Katalon Studio has positively impacted my organization by helping the team reduce manual regression effort and improve release confidence by catching UI issues earlier. It positively impacted the company by speeding up test execution and allowing faster feedback before releases, which reduces last-minute defects. The quick setup of the framework enabled the team to start automation faster, improving overall QA productivity without increasing team size. Additionally, automated regression tests maintained consistent test coverage and reduced the risk of repetitive manual reports, which overall helped Katalon Studio reduce manual regression effort, improve test consistency, and provide faster feedback to the team, enhancing release quality.
Prakhar Goel - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr Test Lead at Emerson
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.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Construction Company
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise25
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business23
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise32
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Katalon Studio?
Pricing felt reasonable for the features provided, especially considering the time saved during the automation setup and execution. From a user perspective, Katalon Studio offers good value, partic...
What needs improvement with Katalon Studio?
I feel nothing needs improvement for Katalon Studio, as it is already the best in the industry, providing the best enhancement for users. Katalon Studio is already top-notch with no need to improve.
What is your primary use case for Katalon Studio?
My main use case for Katalon Studio is to work on many projects, and my tester has four years of experience in testing, which allows me to specialize in functional testing, regression, web, and mob...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SmartBear TestComplete?
I am not involved in pricing or licensing; our management team handles these aspects.
What needs improvement with SmartBear TestComplete?
While using SmartBear TestComplete, we are fine with the current capabilities, however, it would be beneficial to improve some performance aspects, especially the image comparison feature. Occasion...
What is your primary use case for SmartBear TestComplete?
We are using SmartBear TestComplete ( /products/smartbear-testcomplete-reviews ) for automation over applications.
 

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: September 2026.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.