Software Testers happen to be individuals committed to ensuring the overall quality of a software. This quality is assessed not only in terms of functionality, but also in terms of scalability, reliability, usability, portability and re-usability. Now, this software testing Course procedure can be performed in a Manual as well as in an Automated fashion. Consequently, the question of Manual Testing vs. Automation Testing has evolved as a significant point of debate wherein experts argue over the viability of each method for conducting different kinds of tests.

1. Syntax Technologies
Manual vs. Automation Testing: Things to Know

2. Software Testers happen to be individuals committed to ensuring the overall quality of a software. This quality is assessed not only in terms of
functionality, but also in terms of scalability, reliability, usability, portability and re-usability. Now, this software testing Course procedure can be
performed in a Manual as well as in an Automated fashion. Consequently, the question of Manual Testing vs. Automation Testing has evolved as a
significant point of debate wherein experts argue over the viability of each method for conducting different kinds of tests.
In this blog, we will look at the issue of Manual vs. Automation Testing by considering the pros and cons of each method, evaluating the differences
between the two as well as by digging into the utility of each method for different types of tests.

3. What is Manual Testing?
Advantages and Disadvantages of Manual Testing
What is Automation Testing?
Advantages and Disadvantages of Automation Testing
Manual vs. Automation Testing: Comparison
Automation vs. Manual Testing: When to Automate
Manual Testing vs. Automation Testing: When to Go with Manual Testing
Scenarios providing for Manual as well as Automation Testing
Conclusion

4. What is Manual Testing?
Manual Testing involves the testing of software products manually, before they are released into the market. It entails
the involvement of human resources as testers or QA Analysts who are responsible for manually executing test cases
and in the process, finding bugs and defects in the software being developed. This method of testing is carried out
without the usage of Test Automation Tools.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Manual Testing
 Advantages:
 Manual execution of test cases provides for the possibility of handling complex test scenarios
 This method is often opted for short life cycle products
 In terms of Manual vs. Automation Testing, the former is cheaper than the latter, at least in terms of initial investment
 It can be used for all kinds of applications
 Testers do not necessarily need to possess knowledge of Automation Tools
 Lowers the risk for false negatives, thus significantly reducing the burden of the DevOps team who do not need to continuously check whether the reported
error is true or false

5.  Disadvantages:
 Time-consuming and can become a significant bottleneck as there is mounting pressure for
faster release of software products
 It provides for far less test coverage as compared to Automation Testing. Manual Testing
covers only a certain number of OS permutations and devices
 In terms of Manual Testing vs. Automation Testing, the former is less reliable than the latter
as being manually conducted by humans, there is always a greater chance for mistakes and
errors
What is Automation Testing?
Tester writes test scripts or codes with the help of appropriate Automation Testing Tools which
helps validate the software and automate the process of test execution. These pre-scripted tests
developed by the tester are made to run in an automatic fashion and eventually compare the
actual results with the expected ones. The proximity or divergence of the results helps in
determining the quality of the product.

6. Automation Testing helps in the automatic execution of repetitive tasks without human intervention. It seeks to enhance the effectiveness, coverage and
efficiency of Software Testing.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Automation Testing
 Advantages:
 It facilitates more testing in less time
 In terms of Manual vs. Automation Testing, the latter is cheaper in the long run, considering the ROI possible
 As Automation Testing lessens human involvement, it increases reliability
 It is versatile and provides for reusability as test cases can be recorded
 It provides for greater test coverage
 Disadvantages:
 The initial cost of conducting Automation Testing is high
 It requires the testers to possess knowledge of Test Automation Tools
 Suitable for simpler, more repetitive tasks
 It is not possible without knowledge of Programming Languages
 Automated Testing does not provide for Random Testing

7. Basis Manual Testing Automation Testing
Definition Testing is performed manually by a QA
Analyst in order to assess functionality of
product as per customer requirement.
After initial manual creation of test scripts,
test cases are executed automatically with
help of Automation Testing Tools.
Execution Time Time-consuming due to high processing
time
Faster, with more testing in less time
Efficiency of Tests Less efficient with greater possibility for
mistakes and errors. Hence less reliable
Greater efficiency and more reliability due
to execution of tests with the help of tools
and scripts
Investment Initial investment is less. However, ROI in
the long run is lower as compared to
Automation Testing
Initial investment is more. However, ROI in
the long run is higher as compared to
Manual Testing
Manual vs. Automation Testing: Comparison

8. Test Coverage Limited test coverage. It is difficult to test the
application on different OS platforms and browsers
Greater test coverage. Provides for testing on
different OS platforms as well as browsers
Exploratory Testing Possible Does not provide for random testing
Parallel Testing Manual testing can be undertaken simultaneously;
however, this would entail the need to increase the
number of individuals required to conduct the test
Tests can be executed simultaneously across
different browsers and OS platforms, seamlessly
Knowledge of Programming Languages Not required Required
UI Change Small changes in elements like the ID, Class and so
on; does not disrupt Manual Testing
Even the smallest of change in the UI of the
Application Under Test, would necessitate the need
to modify the test scripts accordingly
Framework Does not make use of frameworks, but can rely upon
checklists, processes and guidelines for drafting test
cases
Makes use of frameworks like Hybrid, Keyword and
Data Drive

9. Report Generation Testers need to draw up reports by recording
their findings
Tools can be used for automatic generation
of test reports
Automation vs. Manual Testing: When to Automate
The increasing significance of Automation Testing does not indicate the
end of Manual Testing. While indulging in the matter of Manual vs.
Automation Testing, it is important to remember that the viability of
each method is dependent upon a number of factors, especially on the
nature of the test to be conducted.

10.  Automation Testing works best when:
 Situations which require frequent testing or involve the execution of repetitive tasks
 Test cases which involve testing of large volumes of data
 Situations which require parallel testing or tests which cannot be performed manually
 where there is possibility of human error
 It is preferred for non-functional testing as well as when tests need to be executed on different browsers and different environments
 Automation Testing can be opted for testing the stable parts of an application
One of the significant points of discussion in the matter of Manual vs. Automation Testing, is the type of tests which is preferred to be conducted
under each method. On the basis of the scenarios identified above, let us look at some of the tests which are preferred to be conducted in an
automated fashion alone.
 Regression Testing
Automation Testing is preferred for these kinds of tests as it involves the
testing of repetitive tasks and there are frequent code changes.

11.  Performance Testing
This type of testing is used for evaluating the stability, scalability and/or speed attributes of the application under test.
 Load Testing
This type of testing is used for determining whether an application can handle a certain number of transactions (load). Thus, it checks the behavior of
the product under normal as well as peak conditions.
Manual Testing vs. Automation Testing: When to Go with Manual Testing
In this section, we will look at scenarios and tests which are best to be conducted in a manual fashion.
 Manual Testing works best when:
 It is required to test those areas of the applications which change continuously
 It is suitable for projects which are in the initial stage of development
 Manual Testing is preferred when Ad-hoc or Exploratory Testing needs to be performed or when the test case is not automatable
 Writing test scripts for short term projects can be a time-consuming activity. In such cases, Manual Testing is preferred

12. On the basis of the scenarios identified above, let us look at some of the tests which are preferred to be conducted in a manual fashion alone.
 Ad-hoc Testing
These are unplanned tests which fall under the category of informal testing. Usually, when testers possess significant knowledge of the
application under test, they can randomly test them without following any definite guideline and procedure.
 Exploratory Testing
Under this category, the requirements of the test are not spelled out in sufficient detail. Thus, testers merely rely on their skills in testing and
exploring the functionalities of the application.
 Usability Testing
This testing is used for determining how the product would be perceived
and received by the end-user. Determining this user-friendliness is only
possible with the help of a tester who can understand the mind-set of a
consumer.

13. Scenarios providing for Manual as well as Automation Testing
There are a number of test scenarios wherein testing is possible through any of the two methods. Let us look at some of them.
 Acceptance Testing
Also known as pre-production testing, it is performed by testers along with the end-users who determine the feasibility of a product in terms
of its need.

14.  System Testing
It is the way of determining whether the application is working as per the
requirements specified.
 Integration Testing
It tests the interface between two software units and links different
modules to check how they work together.
 Unit Testing
Also known as Component or Module Testing, it is conducted to test a
single module or an individual unit in terms of its functionality.

15. Conclusion
The increasing significance of Automation Testing, by no means imply that Manual Testing has become redundant. There are a number of
scenarios wherein Software Testing Training is not possible. Moreover, test scripts are developed as well as automation tools are designed by
humans alone and thus human intervention cannot be sidelined completely. Thus, the choice of a particular testing method would largely be
dependent upon the requirements of the project at hand as well as the budget.