In today's digital age, app testing services are crucial for all businesses that want to have an efficient mobile and web presence. To rephrase, they ensure the app's performance, user-friendliness, and functionality so it meets the end-users requirements.
App testing can be divided into two distinct categories: mobile apps and web apps testing. It’s important to use different methods and develop a tailored test strategy for each system.
In this post, we offer insights into the features and benefits of mobile app testing and web app testing. Drawing on our extensive experience in QA testing, we will also shed light on the key factors to consider when testing mobile and web applications.
Table of Content
- What Are Mobile Applications?
- What Are Web Applications
- Differences Between Mobile App Vs. Web App Testing
- Choosing the Best Tool for Mobile & Web Application Testing
- Role of Devices In Testing Mobile And Web Applications
- Conclusion
What Are Mobile Applications?
Mobile applications (apps) are software programs designed to run on mobile devices like tablets. Here are the different types of mobile applications and their purposes with advantages:
Hybrid App
Combining aspects of native and web-based apps, hybrid mobile apps are built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript wrapped within a native application container. Hybrid apps are available on multiple platforms and app store distribution. They also require less development time and fewer resources than native mobile apps.
Native Application
Native applications are built using platform-specific programming languages and designed for specific operating systems such as IOS and Android. The primary advantage of these apps lies in their ability to use the full capabilities of the device they are running on, including the camera, GPS, and other sensors. They also deliver faster loading times and more responsive interfaces.
Mobile Web Applications
Mobile web applications are a type of app accessed via a mobile web browser rather than being downloaded from an app store. Built with web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, these applications offer:
- Cross-platform compatibility
- Require no installation
- Provide real-time updates.
What Are Web Applications?
Web applications are software programs designed by web-based languages like HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript. They operate on web servers and are accessible via different browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
Static Web Applications
A static web application is a type of web app that doesn't include server-side processing. Developed by static files such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, these software don‘t need dynamic servers to generate content. They are typically used for simpler websites that do not require complex dynamic functionality, such as blogs, portfolios, or even small business websites.
Dynamic Web Applications
Dynamic web applications include server-side processing to generate and manipulate content. Built using technologies such as PHP, Ruby on Rails, ASP.NET, or Node.js, dynamic apps interact with databases, file systems, and other server-side services. They are ideal for e-commerce sites, social media apps, and enterprise-level web applications that require server-side processing and real-time updates.
Single Page Applications
Single-page applications (SPAs) rely on JavaScript frameworks such as Angular, React, or Vue.js to load content and update the page dynamically. Since they only need the browser to update the current view, SPAs offer smoother and more responsive user experiences compared to other types of web apps.
Multi-Page Web Applications
Multi-page web applications are built as a series of separate HTML pages linked together by navigation. They use the browser to reload the entire page each time the user navigates to a new page. The multi-page web applications offer better accessibility and search engine optimization compared to SPAs. However, they require more development time and resources.
Differences Between Mobile App Vs. Web App Testing
When discussing app testing vs. web app testing, we should remember that they are two distinctive types of software testing. In mobile app testing, the primary focus is on ensuring the optimal performance of the app on different devices, screen sizes, and resolutions. It also checks whether the app supports different network conditions and hardware features or not.
Additionally, it includes verifying the app‘s compatibility with the latest operating systems, platforms, and devices while making sure that it is secure and user-friendly.
However, in web app testing, testers perform test codes to ensure that the web application works well on different web browsers and is compatible with target systems and network conditions.
Choosing the Best Tool for Mobile & Web Application Testing
Both mobile app and web app testing use various tools to find errors and glitches and resolve them effectively. Depending on several factors, such as testing requirements, platform compatibility, cost, and ease of use, testers may choose one or a combination of tools for their project.
A key difference between mobile app vs. web app testing is the types of tools:
Mobile App Testing Tools
App testing includes a range of automated and manual testing tools that help testers ensure that the application runs smoothly and meets the standards set forth by the industry. Testers evaluate the project‘s specific requirements and choose a suitable strategy to get comprehensive and consistent results. Some of the most popular mobile app testing tools are:
- Appium
- Espresso
- XCUI Test
- Robotium
- Selendroid
Web App Testing Tools
Testers use manual and automated web app testing tools to identify issues in web application functionality, security, performance, and usability. Depending on the project's complexity, timeline, scale, and objectives, testers choose from the following web application testing tools:
- Cypress
- Playwright
- Tosca
- Ghost Inspector
- Lambda Test
Different Types of Mobile App Tests
Mobile app testing services involve several methods that help developers verify their optimal user experience. Testers have to work closely with the developers to understand their needs and the application's structure to plan an appropriate and thorough mobile app testing plan. This may involve one or a combination of these testing techniques:
- Usability Testing
- Performance Testing
- Security Testing
- Interruption Testing
- Compatibility Testing
- Localization Testing
- Installation Testing
Different Types of Web Application Tests
There is a range of web application testing techniques, each designed to test different aspects of the web application to ensure it’s dependable, stable, and provides the desired user experience. The following are the most common techniques testers utilize for reliable results:
- Functionality Testing
- Usability Testing
- Interface Testing
- Performance Testing
- Security Testing
Role of Devices In Testing Mobile And Web Applications
Devices ensure the compatibility of software programs with the target environment. That’s how they play an essential role in determining the mobile and web applications testing strategy.
Testers often perform a suite of tests on a variety of devices to identify any errors and defects related to the application's performance on multiple operating systems, hardware configurations, and screen sizes.
To test mobile applications, testers must select devices from the newest and most popular designs (e.g., iPhone 14, Galaxy S23, etc.) to guarantee compatibility with an extensive consumer network. Similarly, for web applications, testing on multiple web browsers and devices is necessary to guarantee the web application performs correctly.
Conclusion
In this blog, we went through mobile app testing vs. web app testing and discussed the different techniques and tools for identifying and addressing defects. By investing in comprehensive testing tools, methodologies, and strategies, developers can minimize costs and stand out in the competition.
PixelQA's expert testers have an extensive experience in fragmentation issues and can help developers and business owners optimize their user experience, security, and performance. With our agile approach to mobile application testing, rest assured knowing that errors are detected and resolved early.
Contact us today and learn how we can reduce your time-to-market and maximize ROI.