Manual Testing vs Automation Testing

8 min readSep 24, 2024

Software testing is the process of verifying and validating the application or software with different requirements. These requirements are broadly classified into functional and non-functional requirements. Performing the actions, getting the required data, viewing details, etc. are considered functional requirements. Non-functional requirements are the performance of the software under different loads, accessibility standards, security issues, etc. Both functional and non-functional requirements can be validated using manual testing or automation testing. Manual testing involves human interactions to validate the requirements, whereas non-functional requirements involve validating the software without human intervention. Both Manual and Automation testing are used widely across the organization. Let’s compare Manual vs Automation.

What is Manual Testing?

Manual testing is the process of validating applications by humans without using automated scripts, programming languages, etc. In manual testing, testers manually log in to applications and perform setup operations. Manual test cases are maintained in an Excel sheet or stored in the manual testing repository, the validated test cases will be marked as pass or fail in the respective columns. Manual testing is more popular in the company that uses complex architecture, where there will be a lot of dependency on third-party systems, edge-case scenarios, etc.

When to Perform Manual Testing?

Manual Testing will be beneficial in various circumstances. If the application is not mature or if it is in an early stage of development then Manual testing will be more beneficial than automation testing. Similarly, If the application has a complex architecture then manual testing is easier and most effective. Manual testing is suggested for exploratory testing where there will be no actual test cases. Testers simply perform random testing across the application to find the defects as much as possible. It is also suggested to perform manual testing if a project is short-term and small. Manual Testing requires limited skills, unlike automation it doesn’t require technical proficiency. It is most cost-effective when it comes to small organizations. Non-functional testing such as security testing involves performing some hacks to the applications by configuring the ports, injecting scripts, hijacking sessions, etc. In such scenarios, manual testing is the most recommended and powerful approach.

Advantages of Manual Testing

Manual Testing has several advantages depending on the type of application, and duration of the project. For example, if the application is small and the project duration is less then automation testing may not yield good results. Below are a few advantages of manual testing

Manual Testing doesn’t require technical expertise
Easy to share the manual testing resources across the projects
If the application is complex and involves a lot of restrictions, manual testing becomes more efficient and effective
Manual testing yields better results if the application has non-repetitive use cases.
It helps in producing good results for the application that contains largely dynamic results.
Non-functional requirement testing like Security Testing involves identifying the security issues that require a lot of complex setup in such cases manual testing is more beneficial
Manual testing helps to uncover defects that rely on edge-case scenarios
It helps the organization that has less skilled resources

Limitations of Manual Testing

Though manual testing provides benefits depending on use cases it has many limitations. Manual testing may not fit into modern software development approaches like Agile. It cannot be part of the DevOps ecosystem. This makes software delivery slower and reduces the time to market. Below are some limitations of manual testing.

Manual testing is more prone to human errors
It takes more time and requires more effort
It demands more human resources
Documenting every test case and updating them frequently is a challenging task
Performance testing cannot be done using manual testing. It’s difficult to generate the load on the application manually
Manual testing cannot be integrated as part of the DevOps ecosystem
Manual testing is non-scalable, as the application matures the use cases increase, tester may not be able to validate all the use cases
Measuring the metrics, and repeating use cases are difficult in manual testing

What is Automation Testing?

Automation testing is a process of validating applications using a specialized testing tool that doesn’t require human intervention to test. Automation tests automatically perform the actions, and actual outcomes compared with expected results, and then mark the test case as pass or fail. Modern automation tools like Testsigma provide more options and make automation testing easier, by eliminating all major challenges by providing the abstraction of complexity

When to Perform Automation Testing?

Automation testing has large use cases, anything that repeats is worth automating. Automation testing makes re-testing easier. Automation testing is known for accurate results and is less prone to human errors. If an organization is working with tight release cycles then automation is preferred as automation testing provides instant feedback. Additionally, it perfectly fits into modern development ecosystems such as Agile, CI/CD integration, etc. Many non-functional tests such as performance testing can make use of automation testing to generate real user loads and capture the performance metrics accordingly.

Advantages of Automation Testing

When we compare Manual vs Automation Testing, automation testing provides many benefits. Below are some of the advantages.

Automation testing helps in performing regression testing. As regression testing is more repetitive
API Testing can be performed easily with automation when compared to manual testing
Performance testing includes generating the required number of loads and capturing the metrics by observing the system’s behavior. Automation testing can handle the complete life cycle of Performance testing with ease
Organisation always focuses on critical functionality, that usually doesn’t change often. Automation testing helps to ensure the critical functionality of the application never breaks. This is also known as Smoke Testing
Automation testing can be easily integrated with the DevOps ecosystem. You can configure the automation tests as part of the CI/CD pipeline. In such scenarios, automation testing provides instant results without human intervention
If there is a requirement to test the functionality with different datasets then data-driven automation testing is most recommended and it considerably reduces the time compared to manual testing

Limitations of Automation Testing

Automation testing may look more promising at a high level but it may not be true in all circumstances. Automation testing also has many limitations as mentioned below.

Setting up an automation testing framework is complex; it involves a lot of time, effort, and cost.
Organizations may need to spend a lot of costs to set up infrastructure, procure automation tools, skilled resources, etc.
Automation testing has skillset dependency, it demands more technical expertise.
Automation testing requires a stable environment or production-like environment to produce accurate output.
As the application grows it may be difficult to maintain the automation suites.
Automation test suites don’t produce accurate output for complex, dynamic, or highly variable scenarios.
It may not be suitable for all different types of testing for example, it may not fit well if you want to perform security testing.
It is not preferred for exploratory testing, edge case scenario testing, etc.
Automation testing requires time to develop the scripts.

Difference Between Manual Testing and Automated Testing

In the previous sections, we have understood the limitations and advantages of both automation and manual testing. The table comparison makes the difference clear and easy to understand.

Criteria to Select Automation Testing Over Manual Testing?

Manual testing and Automation testing both can provide good benefits if they are chosen carefully. As both of them have advantages and limitations you may have to choose them based on some criteria.

Automation testing produces better outcome on below scenarios

If there are repetitive tasks such as regression, smoke, etc.
If the application environment is stable
If it requires to carry out the Performance Testing by generating the load
If the team has a good number of skilled resources
If the requirement is to get faster feedback and early go-to-market
If there is a need to execute the tests on multiple device and browser combinations
If you are seeking a fully integrated development process into the CI/CD pipeline

Manual testing performs better on the below scenarios

If the project is short-term and the application is Small
If the application nature is highly dynamic and complex
If you want to validate the compliances and regulatory documents
If the team lacks technical expertise
If the delivery timeline is flexible
If your application requires more exploratory and ad hoc testing
If the requirement is for Security testing

Can Automation Testing Replace Manual Testing?

Automation testing has a boundary, it cannot go beyond that. Because of the automation limitation, manual testing cannot be replaced. It can help to streamline the testing process. Automation testing is highly effective in repetitive tasks, and re-testing scenarios. It offers a high degree of consistency and accuracy with matured applications and stable environments. It can be integrated with CI/CD tools for faster feedback. Automation testing demands good infrastructure, specialized testing tools, and technical skill sets. However, automation testing struggles with varying requirements, the initial phase of development, etc. Automation testing goes well when the test steps and its output is definite.

Manual testing is purely based on human intelligence and expertise. It can solve any complex challenges. Manual testing can make the testing smoother during the initial phase of development. It doesn’t demand a product-like environment as long as the application is stable; manual testing can be carried out. Manual testing shines whenever there are complex configurations, long duration scenarios such as step 1 to step 2 waiting period, and applications that contain more dynamic and non-similar contents. In short, Automation Testing cannot replace manual testing.

Manual Testing vs Automation Testing: Which Approach is the Best Choice for Your Business?

Manual Testing and Automation Testing both yield good results based on criteria. Rather than sticking to one type of testing organizations should look at different aspects like when to use what type of testing. However, based on application complexity, the nature of the organization, resources, infrastructure budget, and other requirements organizations may need to evaluate the need for automation and adapt accordingly.

The automation can reduce the testing cost is a Myth, it may not hold good in all circumstances. If the decision is not made carefully automation can incur more cost than manual testing. The organization should look to produce better quality in a shorter time. It is okay to stick to Manual testing if that is the most feasible option. Automation is a fancy word and many organizations choose them without understanding the effectiveness and suitability.

When you choose automation tools, keep in mind that it should be simple and easy to learn, and it should provide more capability by supporting both the legacy component and the advanced component. Additionally, If one platform serves all of your testing needs you can reduce the maintenance effort and cost. Testsigma is one such test automation that is built with advanced technology. It overcomes the challenges faced by both testers and organizations thus it becomes a friendly and popular tool for all.

Conclusion

Automation Testing and Manual testing both are required in Software Testing. To Maximize the benefits, organizations should carefully decide when to use what type of applications. Though automation involves initial setup costs it can save a lot in the future. Testsigma has made automation testing simple and easier by integrating advanced AI capability into automation. Manual testers no longer struggle to automate the application; the no-code feature in Testsigma aims to uplift the manual testers into automation space. Choosing the hybrid type or incorporating both automation and manual testing on a case-by-case basis is a smart way to streamline the testing process.