Need to learn more about exactly what is a quality software testing tool? For any team looking to learn more about what a quality software testing tool is, our software testing experts have created this quick guide with all of the most important details.

What is a quality software testing tool?

A quality software testing tool usually refers to any of the tools used to check for issues within the software project, usually with the goal of improving software quality by identifying issues that the team can decide whether or not to fix.

In some cases, this software quality testing process can be served by a single tool, and in others a set of tools working together.

Teams of any experience level and set of skills can gain significant value from software quality testing tools, and some tools require more technical knowledge than others.

In the modern context, when teams discuss software quality testing tools from the ground up, much of the conversation is often centered around software quality testing automation for any project of significant size with a need for a lot of repetitive tests. Software quality testing automation has become standard practice for many teams, and there are several tools on the market that can help address software quality testing automation needs.

What you should look for in a quality software testing tool

When deciding which quality software testing tool to use for your team, it’s important to start by considering the many aspects of your team, your goals, and the larger organization that your team operates within.

While there are many different aspects to consider, we’ll cover the most important high-level considerations here.

Skills, expertise, and who will write and maintain tests

As alluded to earlier, an important area to consider is level of technical skills and expertise. Some tools require more technical expertise and programming skills, while others can be effectively used with very little technical knowledge.

For example, quality software testing tools like testRigor allow non-technical team members to write tests in plain English and record tests by simply interacting with a web page, which can help keep technical team members focused on solving problems that require technical expertise.

Whether or not your team is highly technical, you may still want to choose a quality software testing tool that non-technical team members can use, because it can help reduce bottlenecks with scarcer technical resources.

Documentation and stability is a must

As with choosing pretty much any software project tool, documentation and stability are a must.

Look for tools with well-documented APIs that your team feels comfortable with, as well as guides and information about expected and intended behavior. In addition, how mature the tool is can make a big difference. A tool with a large, active community usually means there are other teams out there that you can collaborate with to trade notes with respect to how to design solutions or troubleshoot issues.

Consider budget and type of solution

For many teams, budget and pricing can also be a significant consideration when choosing which tool to use. There are a range of solutions available from open-source to commercial and even custom solutions.

Many teams that don’t want to spend a lot of time maintaining their internal testing tools end up choosing a commercial solution which is backed by a professional team of maintainers, and usually comes with some level of support depending on which pricing tier is chosen.

For any team considering a commercial tool, it’s important to consider the quality and availability of support provided.