Welcome to the Free Manual Testing Training Series, your ultimate guide to mastering software testing fundamentals. In this tutorial, we will delve into the key differences between Manual Testing and Automation Testing, a critical aspect of the testing domain.
If you’re exploring different types of software testing, check out our detailed breakdown in the Types of Testing Series.
Manual Testing vs. Automation Testing: Core Differences
Manual testing requires active human involvement in test execution, making it ideal for UI testing and exploratory tasks. On the other hand, automation testing leverages test scripts to automate repetitive tasks, enhancing efficiency in regression testing and validating complex applications.
Advantages of Automation Testing:
- Ideal for frequent code changes during regression testing.
- Ensures consistent execution with faster test results.
- Reduces human resource dependency after test suite creation.
Advantages of Manual Testing:
- Essential for user interface testing and one-off test cases.
- No programming skills required, making it accessible to a broader QA audience.
- Cost-effective for projects with minimal regression.
For those interested in taking their learning further, explore:
- Instructor-Led Training: Master of Manual Testing
- Self-Paced Courses: QA Manual Tester Beginner to Advanced
Let’s see what are the main differences between Manual Testing and Automation Testing:
| Automation Testing | Manual Testing |
| Automation testing performs the same operation each time. | Manual testing is not reliable. Using this method, the test execution result is not correct all the time. |
| Automation testing is very helpful for regression in testing where code changes frequently. | To execute the test cases the first time, using manual testing will be very much useful. But it is not sure that it will catch the regression defects if the code changes frequently. |
| Automation testing will be useful to execute the set of test cases frequently. | Manual testing will be useful when the test case only needs to run once or twice. |
| After making Automation test suites, fewer testers are required to execute the test cases. | To execute the test cases every time, the tester requires the same amount of time. |
| Using Automation testing, testers can test complicated applications too. | It does not involve programming tasks to fetch hidden information. |
| Automation runs test cases significantly faster than human resources. | Manual testing is slower than automation. Executing tests manually can be very time-consuming. |
| Sometimes it is not helpful to test UI testing | It is very much helpful in UI testing |
| The initial cost of automation testing is more than manual testing but is useful always. | Manual testing requires less cost than automation. |
Conclusion
Understanding the balance between manual and automation testing is crucial for QA professionals. Stay tuned for the next tutorial in this series, where we’ll cover test cases and test plans—essential tools for quality assurance excellence.
Happy learning, until then!
