Top 11 Software Testing Trends (2024)

Software testing is a critical aspect of software development and adopting the latest testing trends is indispensable for businesses looking to develop high-quality software. In recent years, software testing has witnessed a massive shift towards automation due to the emergence of new technologies, changing user expectations, and evolving business demands.

Being a business owner, staying up-to-date with the latest software testing trends can give you a competitive edge and help you build high-performing, reliable, and user-friendly software.

As we navigate through 2024, which trends are redefining software testing and quality assurance? In this blog, we explore the top software testing trends and explain how adopting these trends can benefit your business.

What is Software Testing?

Software Testing is the process of evaluating a software product or application. The purpose of software testing is to detect and remove any errors, bugs, or performance issues before launching it. It enables developers to assess the functionality and performance of the application and ensure that all requirements are fulfilled.

What are the Latest Software Testing Trends of 2024?

Software development and testing are evolving with time due to emerging technologies and evolving business demands. Here are some of the new trends in software testing to watch out for in 2024.

1. Combination of Automated & Manual Testing

In today's competitive business environment, speed, and efficiency are the keys to success and this applies to software testing. Adopting automation in software testing significantly improves testing speed, accuracy, and efficiency and frees up the human resources to take on more complex tasks.

However, a few aspects of software testing such as user interface (UI) testing, usability testing, exploratory testing, and others can't be performed through automation, and manual testing is required. So, a combination of automated and manual testing offers a holistic approach to software testing, making it one of the top emerging trends in software testing.

2. Adoption of Agile and DevOps Methodologies

Testing is an integral part of Agile and DevOps environments. Automation facilitates continuous testing and development throughout the software development lifecycle.

If you want to know more about Agile software development methodology, consider reading our blog, Ultimate Guide to Agile Software Development for your Business.

Automation enables the testing team to execute testing more frequently and efficiently. This helps them identify and remove defects and bugs early in the development process, ensuring a high-quality software product.

For example, you want to develop a new e-commerce platform to capitalize on market opportunities. By adopting Agile and DevOps processes in the testing, you can facilitate continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD).

It helps the development team to release new features and updates frequently, ensuring a faster time-to-market and helping you gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

3. IoT (Internet of Things) Testing

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a revolutionary technology that connects a wide range of devices, from smartwatches to industrial equipment. According to Statista, the number of IoT devices worldwide is expected to grow from 15.14 billion in 2023 to 29.42 billion in 2030. This is why IoT testing has become essential, and it is among the top software testing trends in 2024.

The IoT platform has four major components including application, network, sensors and data center. Each of these elements requires unique testing to ensure the devices work seamlessly.

Some common IoT testing are usability, interoperability, data integrity, reliability and compatibility testing.

4. Big Data Testing

As businesses are undergoing digital transformation, a large amount of data is being generated every day. Big data refers to a massive volume of data generated through various sources, including social media, IoT devices, websites, mobile apps, customer service interactions, transactions, internal software and others.

Big data plays a critical role for businesses as it helps them make informed decisions. The data can range from hundreds of terabytes to petabytes and even exabytes. It is also very complex as the data comes from different resources. Industries such as banking, finance, healthcare, e-commerce, telecom, etc., leverage big data to make various business and marketing strategies.

Analyzing massive data requires an efficient software system to ensure consistency, accuracy, and completeness. Due to these reasons, Big Data testing has emerged as the latest software testing trend enabling businesses to identify hidden patterns and potential issues and solve them proactively.

5. Cybersecurity Testing

Cybersecurity is a huge concern across the globe due to the growing number of incidents of cyber attacks every year. According to a Cybercrime Magazine report, cybercrime can cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Due to this, Cybersecurity testing has become one of the top software testing trends in 2024 and will remain so in coming years.

Software developers and testers should collaborate with cybersecurity experts and undertake security testing throughout the development cycle to ensure the application remains secure and resistant to attacks. Cybersecurity testing includes vulnerability testing, security audits, penetration testing, API security testing, and others.

6. Infrastructure as Code

Digitization of businesses has resulted in significant growth in the use of software and the generation of huge volumes of data and storing them in on-premise servers has become a major challenge.

That's why companies are moving towards cloud technology to store their applications and data and opting for software-as-a-service (SaaS) as it offers a cost-effective alternative to developing software.

Traditionally, software and infrastructure are managed separately but infrastructure as code (IaC) has transformed how we build and manage IT infrastructure. IaC treats infrastructure like software, defining it through code which brings many advantages but introduces new testing challenges.

Incorporating IaC testing helps organizations significantly reduce the risks of deployment failures and ensures a smooth transition to the cloud which is the reason it has become one of the top software testing trends.

7. Integration of AI/ML in Testing

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are recent trends in software testing and it will dominate testing for the next few years. AI-powered software testing tools can improve testing efficiency and reduce time by automating repetitive tasks and predicting potential issues more effectively than traditional tools.

Tools like Selenium, Katalon, LambdaTest, etc. use AI which is the reason why these are the most popular software testing tools in 2024. Moreover, ML algorithms can analyze huge amounts of testing data to identify faults and anomalies, helping testers address them quickly and improving test accuracy.

8. Low-Code/No-Code Test Automation

Low-Code/No-Code Testing is another popular software testing trend that is gaining momentum in recent years. It refers to a software testing approach that minimizes or eliminates the need for extensive coding for testing, allowing non-technical stakeholders to perform testing.

Scriptless test automation platforms have pre-built components, templates, and drag-and-drop interfaces that enable testers to plan, create, and execute test cases. This trend democratizes software testing and improves productivity by freeing up skilled testers to take on more complex tasks.

For example, small and medium-sized businesses that don't have the resources to hire expert testers can use Low-code/No-code platforms like Parasoft, Katalon Studio, and Tricentis Tosca for software testing.

9. Regression Testing

Regression Testing has emerged as a new addition to the current software testing trends. Developers and testers implement this type of testing when they add a new feature or make some changes to the coding. This testing practice helps developers to check whether the new feature and the software is working properly according to the expectations after the new changes are made to the coding.

Imagine you are an e-commerce business owner who wants to add a wallet to your application or website. Before deploying you need an update whether the new feature is working properly or not. Regression testing helps you validate that all the previous features work flawlessly after every update, giving you the confidence to push out new features seamlessly.

10. Performance Testing

Whether you are building an application for your customer or internal business operations, you want to ensure that the software functions correctly and delivers optimal performance. Imagine you have a social media platform, and some video goes viral. Everyone will be glued to their phone and access your site.

This will cause a surge in the number of users accessing your site, and you want to ensure your application can handle such a situation perfectly. That's why performance testing is the emerging software testing trend, as they help businesses ensure the software performs as expected in all conditions.

11. Integration Testing

With the popularity of Agile software development and microservices architecture, integration testing has also emerged as a new trend in software testing. Integration testing is a software testing type that focuses on how the entire system works when different modules are combined.

This testing enables testers to detect issues like broken databases and corrupt module integration.

For instance, an e-commerce platform has multiple components such as a user interface, a database, a payment gateway, a logistics system etc. Integration testing ensures every part works seamlessly together so customers can enjoy a smooth shopping experience from landing on the site to checkout.

5 Benefits of Using the Emerging Trends in Software Testing

Here are some of the top benefits of using the emerging trends in software testing. They are:

1. Enhanced Efficiency

Leveraging the latest software testing industry trends like automation, and low-code/no-code testing can accelerate the testing process from hours to minutes. This streamlines the testing processes and optimizes resource utilization, thus improving the efficiency of software testing.

2. Improved Quality

This is another benefit of using the latest software testing trends. Integrating automation and AI/ML in testing reduces the time and helps identify the defects accurately, enabling developers to deliver better quality software.

3. Budget Optimization

Automation significantly reduces testing time and errors and enables testers to utilize their time in complex tasks that require human intervention. It helps businesses reduce operational costs and reworks and accelerate time-to-market.

4. Better User Experience

The benefits of incorporating automation and other emerging software development trends like integration testing, regression testing, big data testing, etc., go beyond functionality. They also empower businesses to ensure the software is intuitive and delivers excellent user experience.

5. Seamless Scalability

Scalability is a critical aspect of software development, and businesses want to ensure their applications are adaptable to future growth. The latest testing trends like big data, performance testing, and regression testing evaluate the software's future readiness, helping businesses build scalable software.

Wrapping Up

Software quality is the critical factor for any business success and every organization must embrace these top software testing trends to ensure they have high quality software. From testing automation to integrating AI/ML in testing, adopting cutting-edge software testing trends helps businesses stay relevant and competitive and meet user expectations.

By collaborating with the best software testing partner like Mayura Consultancy Services, you can unlock the full potential of your software and drive business growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I choose the right software testing trends for my software project?

Selecting the right software testing trends requires you to consider various factors such as your project requirements, development methodology, and available budget and resources.

2. What is the next big thing in software testing?

Integration of AI/ML and Low-code/No-code testing are considered the next big thing in software testing.