This blog is a look into the differences between manual and automation testing which will highlight the positive side, their downfalls.

Why Software Testing 

• To ensure software application is defect free before release.
• Ensures software meets customers’ requirements.
• Software testing is done to improve product quality and reliability
• Software testing is done to validate performance, security, and usability.

MANUAL TESTING

Manual Testing is the process of manually executing test cases without using any automation tools. 

Pros of Manual Testing: 

• Best for exploratory, usability, and ad hoc testing. 
• Great for short-term projects or features in development. 
• Works well for testing user interfaces and visual elements. 
• Needs less upfront investment in tools.
• There can be higher chances of human error.
• It's difficult to carry out regression testing regularly.
• It doesn't scale well for continuous integration or continuous deployment (CI/CD). 

Cons of Manual Testing:

• It is not suitable to test large test suites as it is time consuming.

AUTOMATION TESTING

Automation Testing uses software tools, like Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, or TestNG, to run pre-written test cases. It works especially well for regression testing, performance testing, and load testing.

Pros of Automation Testing: 

• Less reliable: Manual testing is less reliable because it does not cover all testing aspects. 
• Cannot be reused: You must create separate test cases for each new software. 
• Large human resources required: Manual testing needs many human resources, and some tasks cannot be done manually. 
• Needs experience: The tester must understand the application well. They create test cases based on their experience, but there is no guarantee that all functions are covered. 
• Time-consuming: If the project is large, the testing process takes a lot of time.

Cons of Automation Testing

• Increased speed and efficiency: 
• Automated tests run much faster than manual tests and can be executed repeatedly without human intervention. This leads to quicker feedback and faster problem solving.
• Improved accuracy and consistency: 
• Automated tests follow set scripts, which reduces the chance of human error and ensures consistent test execution.
• Better test coverage:  Automation makes it possible to test a wider range of scenarios and
• Edge cases. This results in more thorough testing.
• Reduced costs:  While there's an initial investment in automation tools and scripts, automation can lower costs over time by cutting down on manual work and boosting efficiency.
• Faster feedback:  Automated testing provides quicker feedback loops. This lets developers spot and fix problems earlier in the development process.

Conclusion 

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for software testing. A mixed testing strategy that combines manual and automated tests usually yields the best results. Use manual testing for exploratory and UI validation and automation for repetitive, large-scale, and performance-critical tests.

By understanding the pros and cons of each method, teams can produce higher-quality software more quickly and confidently.