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Apache JMeter vs BlazeMeter: What are the differences?
Apache JMeter and BlazeMeter are both popular tools for load-testing web applications. Let's explore the key differences between them.
Scalability: BlazeMeter offers a more scalable solution compared to Apache JMeter. It leverages the cloud infrastructure to distribute the load across multiple machines, making it suitable for testing large-scale applications. On the other hand, JMeter typically runs on a single machine and may have limitations in handling high loads.
Ease of use: JMeter is known for its comprehensive features and flexibility, but it can be more complex to set up and configure. BlazeMeter, on the other hand, provides a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop capabilities, making it easier for non-technical users to create and execute performance tests quickly.
Reporting and analytics: BlazeMeter offers advanced reporting and analytics features, providing in-depth insights into test results. It offers real-time dashboards, trend analysis, and integration with third-party tools like Grafana and New Relic. JMeter, while it provides basic reporting capabilities, may require additional plugins or custom script development for advanced analytics.
Collaboration and teamwork: BlazeMeter is designed to support collaboration and teamwork. It allows multiple team members to work on the same project simultaneously, share test plans, and collaborate on test scripts. JMeter, on the other hand, may require manual merging of changes made by different team members, making it less conducive to collaborative work.
Integration and API testing: JMeter is highly extensible and provides extensive support for API testing. It allows users to add custom scripts and integrate with various protocols and technologies. BlazeMeter, while it supports API testing, may have some limitations and may not offer the same level of flexibility as JMeter.
Cost and licensing: Apache JMeter is an open-source tool and is available for free. It can be downloaded and used without any licensing costs. BlazeMeter, on the other hand, offers both free and paid plans. The paid plans provide additional features, scalability, and support.
In summary, BlazeMeter provides a more scalable and user-friendly solution with advanced reporting and collaboration capabilities, while JMeter offers extensive flexibility, extensibility, and cost advantages as an open-source tool.
I have a team that is not heavy on programming skills. I am looking for a load testing tool that is easy to use. Preferably, the tool should be a record and playback tool without much programming. Also, the tool should be able to test APIs apart from web-based applications. What tool should I opt for?
My choice would be Apache JMeter, It's free and opensource plus it comes with lots of plugins and extendability. Apache JMeter needs a small amount of a learning curve and a basic understanding of Network, Protocols (TCP/IP ports, HTTP(S) and REST/SOAP, etc.) for initial setup. But it doesn't require programming skills. it has a nice record and playback option. You can still carry on without the developer skillset if you follow these steps. 1. Take backup. 2. Start recording and interact with the application. 3. stop recording and save the test case. This will give you your test-bed, after this, after these steps, every time just do Restore from backup and then Playback and observer results.
If you have longer recordings then an understanding of how to modify the recorded scripts will come handy.
For some of the advanced features such as Configuring variables, implementing loops, throttling adding think time, and automating test scaling to the number of users will require good planning of test scenarios and a Developer experience but this is true for any tool (even loader.io)
Disclaimer: I work at k6, and I recommend you try our tool.
It might require some coding skills, but we support a few options to record a user session to autogenerate the load test. Read How to record a browser session with k6 OSS.
The k6 Cloud also supports recording a user session with a Browser Extension. Additionally, it provides a Test Builder UI to generate a load test for testing APIs.
If you have questions or need help, you can ask on Slack and the Community forum.
Pros of BlazeMeter
- I can run load tests without needing JMeter scripts.10
- Easy to prepare JMeter workers3
Pros of Apache JMeter
- Requires no programming knowledge5
- Supports distributed3
- Open-source2
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Cons of BlazeMeter
- Costly1
- UI centric1
Cons of Apache JMeter
- It's GUI-first1
- Too complicated1
