Today web browsers online are used for all kinds of tasks, not only because it’s easier to get the results but also due to the accurate and efficient outcomes it provides quickly. Websites and web applications might serve as a backbone to the online presence of users. But web browsers online are the primary interface which provides the users a platform to access the needed web content or to showcase their content to other users.

Each browser showcases the elements of each website differently, which is why it’s important to run tests over web browsers online to get a better analysis. This is one of the best practices for developers and testers to use different web browsers for testing.

In this article, we will see how using web browsers online is really beneficial, the categories within it, and the different techniques of testing.

Cross-Browser Testing

When building any website or web application, it is very crucial to ensure that it gets deployed properly and works smoothly across all web browsers in the same manner. It is a challenge to get the exact same display on all the web browsers as different web browsers uses different rendering engines, which can result in variations in display and might affect some functionality as well.

Benefits of Using a Web Browser Online for Testing

Here are some of the benefits of using a web browser online for testing:

Reducing infrastructure and maintenance expenses with cloud solutions

Nowadays, most applications are launched simultaneously on the web, mobile devices, TVs, and tablets.

Cross-browser testing involves verifying compatibility across all possible device, platform, and browser combinations to ensure a seamless and consistent user experience for everyone.

Is it feasible to acquire, set up, and maintain such a vast array of combinations manually and in-house? Even if the IT infrastructure management team undertakes this enormous task, the effort, time, and expenses are overwhelming. These significant costs can be avoided by shifting cross-browser testing to the cloud.

1. Infrastructure

Setting up cross-browser testing infrastructure on your own requires purchasing devices, which is costly. However, with a cloud-based solution, these setup costs are eliminated since the infrastructure is hosted in the cloud.

Accessing cloud facilities incurs only a fraction of the setup cost, and you pay only for what you use. For more complex issues, top cloud consulting services can offer broader solutions.

1. Maintenance

Upgrading or maintaining devices, whether through software or hardware updates, demands time, effort, and money.

With a cloud-based lab, switching to upgraded devices and environments is straightforward. It simply requires selecting the option on the service provider’s website.

Guarantee a consistent and dependable environment.

In an on-premise test lab, any damage to the devices can result in downtime. Additionally, to keep up with new OS and browser releases, the environment must be frequently upgraded, causing further downtime and instability.

Moreover, in the event of a disaster, outage, or accident, the test environment’s reliability is compromised, leading to delivery delays that must be avoided.

A cloud-based testing lab addresses these issues effectively. It is resilient to disasters and accidents, with backups and multiple servers ensuring a reliable and stable testing environment. Upgrades and new versions are managed by the service provider, making it a hassle-free solution for testing needs.

Instant scalability of the testing environment

In today’s dynamic world, the test environment needs to be adaptable.

Consider an e-commerce platform initially available only on desktops. It is tested for cross-browser compatibility on various desktop browsers and operating systems.

As the platform gains popularity, the company decides to expand its availability to mobile devices and tablets. This requires scaling up the test environment to include new device, OS, and browser combinations.

Cloud-based tools make it easy to accommodate these new platforms. Simply select the desired options and begin testing.

Likewise, when the need for certain devices decreases, they can be easily removed from the cloud testing plan.

Ideal for supporting distributed teams

In today’s world, where teams are geographically dispersed, effective collaboration is crucial for project success.

With cloud-based cross-browser testing, any team member can access the cloud-device lab at any time. Additionally, if you use a test automation tool,  test cases, test reports, defect details, and other related information are readily available from anywhere at any time.

This makes it exceptionally convenient for remote testing teams to collaborate effectively when cross-browser testing is conducted in the cloud.

24×7 and parallel test case execution

Cross-browser testing can be slow when thousands of devices are involved. However, with cloud-based testing, these devices are accessible around the clock.

Automating cross-browser testing in the cloud allows test executions to run in parallel, 24×7. This significantly reduces the time needed to achieve comprehensive test coverage.

For example, consider a project with testing teams in the US and India. Using cloud-based test automation, the India team runs test cases during IST hours. After their workday ends, the US team begins testing on the same platform in their timezone.

This approach ensures seamless collaboration and uninterrupted testing workflows despite time zone differences.

Enhanced cross-browser test coverage

The previously mentioned benefits contribute to this through:

• Parallel testing.
• 24×7 execution.
• A reliable and stable environment.
• Time saved in infrastructure setup.
• Faster testing across diverse device combinations.

These factors ensure the delivery of a high-quality product on or ahead of schedule.

Speeding up product release

In an in-house lab, cross-browser testing can be time-consuming and may encounter quality issues.

Moving to the cloud guarantees faster and higher-quality testing. This is due to better coverage, parallel testing (with test automation), 24×7 testing, and the elimination of time lags in infrastructure setup, among other advantages.

Saving money with cloud-based testing services versus in-house labs

Setting up an in-house lab for cross-browser testing requires significant effort, time, and expense.

Several obstacles are eliminated when testing is moved to the cloud, including:

• Software and hardware installation.
• Wear and tear.

As a result, you save on time, human effort, and costs.

Cloud-based testing platforms (SaaS) offer a user-friendly UI and provide the following features at a nominal fee, making them inexpensive:

• Easy selection of the test environment.
• Stable cloud testing environment.
• Faster test execution.
• Better coverage, leading to bug-free products and less rework.

Best Cross-Browser Testing Tools

There are many helpful cloud testing tools available to streamline the process. Here are some of the best cross-browser testing tools:

LambdaTest

LambdaTest is an AI-driven test execution cloud platform that enables both manual and automated testing of web and mobile apps across thousands of real desktop and mobile environments. Its scalable cloud grid allows you to perform comprehensive cross-browser testing across various operating systems, browsers, and devices.

LambdaTest supports all major test automation frameworks, including Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, and Appium, making test automation exceptionally quick and efficient. You can execute parallel tests across their cloud infrastructure, which features over 3000 real browsers and operating systems.

Key features include:

• Automated testing across a cloud-based infrastructure with over 3000 real desktop and mobile environments, encompassing all major browsers, operating systems, and devices.
• Real device cloud enabling real-time responsive testing on actual smartphones and tablets.
• Parallel test execution to speed up test cycles and provide quick feedback on code changes.
• Visual testing through automatic screenshot comparisons across browsers to identify layout or rendering issues.
• LT Browser is to test site on mobile across more than 50 device viewports without the need for physical devices.
• Support for testing local web and mobile apps during development phases.
• Advanced analytics and reporting to pinpoint browser-specific defects.

Functionize

Functionize offers a cloud platform for cross-browser testing, allowing developers to assess their websites and apps on real devices under real-world conditions. The platform features performance evaluation, network emulation, and integration with widely used development tools. It uses exclusive RF-compliant hardware and a custom USB hub for clear data.

Key features include:

• Running multiple tests at once.
• Sending you alerts if something goes wrong.
• Connecting with other software through APIs.
• Letting you test with different input values.
• Making sure your tests cover all your requirements.

QA Wolf

QA Wolf provides on-demand quality assurance services for comprehensive test automation. Their dedicated QA team manages every aspect of testing, including creating test cases, executing tests, reporting bugs, and maintaining tests.

Key features include:

• Extensive test planning and optimization.
• In-depth bug reporting with logs, videos, and reproduction steps.
• Live monitoring of test status via a web dashboard.
• Integration with internal tools for real-time app performance insights.

Autify

Autify is an intelligent test automation platform designed for web and mobile applications. It facilitates end-to-end test creation, execution, and maintenance, ensuring improved test coverage.

Key features include:

• Simple test recording with the Autify Chrome extension.
• Compatibility across multiple platforms.
• Testing on actual devices for precise real-world evaluation.
• Integrations available with Jenkins, TestRail, Slack, and more.

 

Autify also enables visual validations by automatically flagging DOM differences across test runs. This simplifies debugging and helps deliver pixel-perfect UIs.

Best Practices for Cross-Browser Testing

Following are some best practices for cross-browser testing:

Develop a Robust Test Execution Plan

Similar to other testing methods, cross-browser testing can be performed manually or through automation. Manual testing, however, lacks scalability and is not suitable for complex websites or applications.

To achieve faster testing, it’s beneficial to use QA automation tools such as Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright. These frameworks can be combined with codeless automation tools, allowing you to utilize the skills of your manual testing team effectively.

Select the Optimal Test Automation Framework

Frameworks like Selenium can be integrated with automation tools that support popular programming languages such as Python, C#, Java, JavaScript, PHP, and Ruby. Conversely, Cypress is specifically designed to test modern web applications and is built entirely in JavaScript.

Choose a test automation framework that aligns with both the team’s skills and the project’s requirements.

Explore Cloud-Based Testing Solutions

Whether using Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright, you can run web automation tests on either a local Grid or a cloud-based Grid. A local Grid setup can be challenging to scale due to the need for ongoing investment and maintenance.

Cloud-based test automation platforms offer a solution by reducing costs and providing broader test (or browser) coverage, making them a more efficient choice for many companies.

Focus on Browsers and Devices

Achieving complete web automation testing across all browsers, device viewports, and operating systems is unrealistic. Aiming for 100% coverage can delay the release of your website or app.

Instead, prioritize testing based on the user personas of your target market. This approach helps identify the most critical browsers and devices for testing. Develop a browser and device compatibility matrix to focus on the ones that are most relevant to your audience.

Conclusion

From all the above points, we can conclude that the advantages of using a web browser online for testing are multifaceted and crucial for modern development workflow. Above all this proactive approach not only ensures consistent performance but also an enhanced user experience with every new feature and functionalities.

Online web browsers also facilitate the validation of responsive designs which is very important to make sure all the websites work seamlessly on all sizes of device specially on smartphones where the screen size is less comparatively but all the features and functionalities should be present.

Additionally, the online testing tools streamline development lifecycle have become more efficient and scalable, reducing time-to-market and also minimising the costs associated with post-release bug fixes.

Embracing online web browsers to work out multiple processes throughout the building or any website or web application has allowed developers to share their ideas more freely and easily with today’s demanding user base.