From desktop studio to browser tab
Katalon Studio is a desktop IDE: install it, keep it updated, teach each new team member its record-and-playback flow and its keyword tables, and drop to Groovy when a scenario outgrows them. Testnova has no studio. The whole workflow — describing features, reviewing generated cases, watching runs, reading bug reports — happens in the browser, so a new teammate contributes on day one without installing anything.
- Nothing to install or update — the entire platform runs online.
- Plain English instead of keyword tables and Groovy scripting.
- Cloud browsers and real Android devices included — no local execution rig.
- Everyone on the team works from the same place, no per-machine setup.
AI authorship instead of record-and-playback
Recorded tests replay the exact clicks you made once, and break when the UI shifts. Testnova generates tests from intent — “a user can reset their password” — grounded in the real elements it captures from your live application. When the app changes, it re-grounds, repairs the affected scripts, and opens the fix as a pull request. The suite keeps pace with the product instead of decaying behind it.
Output your engineers already know
Katalon’s artifacts live in Katalon’s project format. Testnova generates standard Playwright committed to your own GitHub or GitLab repository — readable, editable, and runnable by any engineer who knows the open ecosystem, with no translation layer. Results export as JUnit and Allure, runs gate CI over the REST API, and confirmed bugs push to Jira.
When Katalon is still a fine choice
Teams with dedicated automation engineers who like owning a scripting environment — especially ones already invested in Katalon’s ecosystem and desktop workflow — can be well served by it. Testnova earns the switch when you don’t want testing to require an IDE, a scripting language, or a specialist: when the goal is coverage that writes and maintains itself while your team stays on the product.
Frequently asked questions
How is Testnova different from Katalon?
Katalon is a desktop studio built around record-and-playback, keyword tables, and Groovy scripting, with cloud services attached. Testnova is fully online and AI-first: you describe features in plain English, it generates standard Playwright into your own repo, runs on cloud browsers and real Android devices, and self-heals as your app changes.
Do I need to learn Groovy or any scripting language?
No. Test cases are written and reviewed in plain English. Engineers who want to inspect the generated automation get standard Playwright in their own repository — a mainstream, open format rather than a tool-specific scripting layer.
Can Testnova run tests on real mobile devices like Katalon’s cloud?
Yes. Real Android devices run in the cloud on demand, provisioned per run — no device lab, no separate mobile project setup. Emulator minutes are included on every plan, and real-device minutes come with paid plans and pay-as-you-go top-ups.
We have an existing Katalon suite — how do we switch?
You don’t migrate scripts; you regenerate them. Point Testnova at your application and requirements, and it builds a fresh, grounded Playwright suite. Most teams run both in parallel for a release or two, then retire the old suite once coverage matches.
Keep exploring
- AI-powered testing tool — Testnova is an AI-powered QA and testing tool that writes, runs, and repairs your tests. Real browsers, real Android devices, API checks. Start free.
- Software testing tool — One software testing tool for web, mobile, and API. Testnova writes test cases from plain English, runs them on real devices, and reports bugs with repro steps.
- QA tool — Testnova is the software QA tool that covers the full workflow — test cases, scripts, runs on real devices, bug reports, and traceability — powered by AI.
- Affordable QA tool — Looking for a cheap QA tool that doesn’t cut corners? Testnova starts free — no credit card, no sales call — with flat, public pricing from $99/month.
- Online QA tool — Testnova is an online QA tool that runs entirely in the cloud — real browsers and real Android devices, no install, no device lab. Sign in and start testing.
- Best QA tool — What makes the best QA tool? A practical checklist — authoring, real-device execution, maintenance, honest reporting — and how Testnova measures up. Start free.
- Playwright alternative — Love Playwright, hate writing and maintaining it? Testnova generates standard Playwright into your own repo, runs it, and self-heals it. Start free.
- Regression testing tool — Testnova is a regression testing tool that builds its own suite, repairs it when your app changes, and catches visual and performance regressions too. Start free.
- Test automation for startups — Test automation for startups that ship fast and can’t hire QA yet. Testnova writes, runs, and repairs the tests for you. Free to start, flat pricing after.
- AI test automation tool — Testnova is an AI test automation tool that writes the automation, runs it on real browsers and devices, and repairs it when your app changes. Start free.
- Online test runner — Testnova is an online test runner that executes your tests in the cloud — parallel runs, on real browsers and devices, gated into CI. Nothing to host. Start free.
- Real device testing — Real device testing without a device lab. Testnova runs your tests on real browsers and real Android phones in the cloud, on demand. Start free.
- Online app testing — Test your mobile app online. Upload your build and Testnova runs its real flows on real Android devices in the cloud, then reports the bugs. Start free.
- testRigor alternative — Looking for a testRigor alternative? Testnova also writes tests from plain English — but outputs standard Playwright to your own repo, with public flat pricing.
- mabl alternative — A mabl alternative that skips the trainer: Testnova generates tests from plain-English intent, hunts bugs autonomously, and commits Playwright to your repo.
- The seven Testnova services — what each one does and when to switch it on.
- Full capabilities — everything the platform covers today.