Top 10 Desktop Automation Tools for Faster Software Testing

 

Many businesses today heavily invest in automation software to make teams more productive and deliver faster without compromising accuracy.

While browser and cloud automation often dominate the conversation, a significant portion of business-critical workflows still relies on desktop applications. Many teams use automation testing tools for desktop applications to ensure reliability and speed.

From performing routine tasks like opening files, extracting data, or launching websites to testing application performance, desktop automation does the heavy lifting, allowing teams to focus on strategy and decision-making.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the best desktop automation tools, how they streamline workflows, and how to choose between cross-platform solutions or specialized Windows automation tools for your business.

What are Desktop Automation Tools?

Desktop automation tools are software applications designed to automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks within desktop applications. The automation is done by simulating user actions such as keyboard inputs, mouse clicks, and file management.

A capable automation tool for desktop applications can perform these actions consistently across different operating systems.

Here are some ways you can use desktop automation tools:

1. Desktop application testing

Automation tools let you create and execute automated test cases for desktop apps. Automation ensures thorough test coverage, accelerates the testing process, and reduces human error risks.

2. Automates system administrator tasks

Desktop automation tools can help system administrators manage desktop interfaces by automating tasks such as system configuration, software installations, security management, and user account management.

3. Data entry and manipulation

With desktop application testing tools, these processes become accurate and repeatable. Automation eliminates the need for manual data input, saving a significant amount of time. Desktop automation tools help fill forms, facilitate data transfer between apps, and execute complex data manipulations.

4. Report generation

Automation testing tools for desktop applications make it easier to consolidate data from multiple sources into clean reports. Automation tools streamline the process of data collection and report generation by automatically extracting data from multiple sources, cleaning it, and creating visually appealing reports with minimal human oversight.

How Does Desktop Automation Help Developers and Testers?

1. Increased productivity

Validation testing for standard features of desktop apps and compatibility testing for the new versions are repetitive tasks that can be automated to speed up productivity. Bots can be implemented to complete the checklist of test cases while QA can focus on high-value tasks like designing test methodologies and improving UI.

Teams using desktop application automation tools reduce repetitive workload and speed up test cycles even further.

2. Fewer errors

Windows automation tools and cross-platform frameworks can perform every step of test execution in desktop apps, whether it’s filling out text fields or selecting menu options, and repeating them precisely, free from human errors. Automation helps accelerate the testing process by identifying bugs easily in the development process and makes desktop apps more robust.

3. Lean operations

Complex tests that involve multiple apps interacting with the backend system can be difficult to replicate manually with every code change.

Desktop automation tools integrate with CI/CD workflows and execute tests in the background at scale around the clock to ensure development teams get feedback faster. This helps with identifying and resolving issues before they affect integration points.

Best Desktop Automation Tools

1. WinAppDriver

WinAppDriver is an automation tool developed by Microsoft designed specifically for testing Windows apps. Built on the WebAppDriver protocol, it offers Selenium-like UI testing and integrates with Appium. Developers and testers can write test scripts in multiple programming languages like Java, C#, Python, and Ruby.

WinAppDriver supports testing Universal Windows Platform (UWP), WinForms, Win32 apps, and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).

Features

• Find elements, including accessibility IDs, class names, and XPaths, using tools like Appium Desktop Inspector
• Automate user interactions like login, mouse clicks, touch gestures, and keyboard inputs for thorough app testing
• Integrate with DevOps pipeline and CI/CD workflows (Jenkins, GitLab, and Azure) for automated testing throughout the SDLC

Pros

• Supports multiple test automation frameworks such as NUnit, xUnit, and JUnit
• Offers flexibility to set up the test environment via a standalone server or as an Appium plugin

Cons

• Requires manual setup to enable the Developer Mode
• Is compatible with only Windows 10 and 11

Pricing

• Open-source

2. Winium

Winium is an open-source desktop application automation tool built on Selenium. It’s designed for testing Windows apps that are developed using WinForms, WPF, and UWP, as well as integrates with Appium for cross–platform automation.

Features

• Write test scripts in Java, Python, PHP, and C# to launch apps, verify their status, and interact with UI elements
• Execute tests on multiple environments and machines via Selenium Grid simultaneously, using the JSON wire protocol for remote communication
• Interact with various UI elements like accessibility IDs, control types, and XPaths by leveraging object identification methods

Pros

• Offers Selenium-like syntax, which makes it easier for developers with Selenium WebDriver experience to adapt to desktop automation easily
• Integrates with test runners like NUnit and JUnit

Cons

• Doesn’t support other operating systems like macOS or Linux
• Lacks some advanced features, like in-depth reporting

Pricing

• Open-source

3. Robot Framework

Robot Framework is an open-source desktop application testing tool primarily designed for test automation and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). It’s implemented in Python, and supports multiple programming languages, including Java, PyPy, and IronPython (.NET).

Features

• Write test cases effortlessly with easy-to-understand syntax and predefined keywords
• Use autocomplete functionality and syntax highlighting to develop code efficiently and reduce errors
• Integrate with tools and libraries, including Selenium, Appium, and JMeter, to enable diverse testing scenarios

Pros

• Allows the use of Eclipse, Robot Framework IDE, and text editors to make testing more flexible
• Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and Unix

Cons

• Demands a steep learning curve due to its keyword-driven testing approach
• Heavily relies on third-party libraries, making setup, maintenance, and version compatibility complex

Pricing

• Open-source

4. SikuliX

SikuliX is an automation tool for desktop applications that uses image recognition (powered by OpenCV) to identify and control GUI interactions. This attribute is particularly handy when the source code of the desktop apps isn’t accessible.

SikuliX supports Python, Ruby, JavaScript, and any Java-aware programming/scripting language like Jython, Scala, JRuby, and Clojure.

Features

• Automate tasks, mouse clicks, and keyboard inputs on remote systems and multi-monitor setups
• Use built-in text recognition to search and interact with text within images
• Write test cases easily in plain text and tabular format using built-in keywords

Pros

• Is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux
• Supports image masking to ignore the irrelevant features of an image and focus on the target element

Cons

• Varying pixel sizes on different devices might affect the test automation process
• Might select the wrong image during testing if duplicates are present on the screen

Pricing

• Open-source

5. AutoIt

AutoIt is a lightweight scripting language that automates the Windows GUI (both standard and custom) and scripting. It simulates keystrokes, mouse movements, and window/control manipulation to automate tasks like engaging with desktop apps and managing files.

Features

• Edit test scripts easily with SciTE, which comes with syntax highlighting, code folding, and advanced debugging features
• Compile test scripts into standalone executables for seamless distribution and deployment of automated tasks and tests
• Use AutoIt syntax checker (Au3Check) to analyze your scripts and identify potential issues like syntax errors, usage of undefined macros, and variables that are used before they’re declared

Pros

• Offers user-friendly syntax, string handling functions, and a Perl-compatible regular expression engine (PCRE) library
• Has a large active community with resources like tutorials and User Defined Functions (UDFs)

Cons

• Limited to only Windows apps
• Doesn’t offer advanced features like object recognition

Pricing

• Freeware

6. Microsoft Power Automate

Microsoft Power Automate is a cloud-based low-code Windows automation tool with pre-built drag-and-drop actions. It lets you record your desktop flows and run them later to perform complex rule-based tasks like organizing documents using file and folder actions or interacting with everyday tools like Excel and email.

Features

• Extract data from websites and store it in dedicated Excel files using web and Excel automation
• Input UI elements to interact with apps and webpages without resorting to absolute coordinates
• Use error handling actions to get notifications and a detailed description in a pop-up pane about design-time or runtime errors

Pros

• Integrates Office 365, SharePoint, Dynamics 365, Google Drive, Slack, and Salesforce
• Offers an AI builder to process unstructured data, extract information from documents, and perform predictive analyses

Cons

• Only supports work or school account users with a Dataverse database set up in the default environment
• No more than 10,000 actions can be logged in a single desktop flow run

Pricing

• Power Automate Free: 30-day free trial
• Power Automate Premium: $15 per user per month
• Power Automate Process: $150 per bot per month
• Power Automate Hosted Process: $215 per bot per month

7. AutoHotkey

AutoHotkey is an open-source scripting language designed for Windows that offers easy keyboard shortcuts (hotkeys) and fast macro creation to automate repetitive tasks (launch programs, open documents, and simulate mouse clicks and keyboard strokes) on Windows apps. Also, you can extend or modify UI elements, for example, overriding the Windows control key commands with their Emacs equivalents.

Features

• Write test scripts to assign, retrieve, and modify variables, run loops, and control Windows files and folders
• Create hotkeys to trigger test scripts, such as Ctrl+Alt+I, which, when pressed by the user, opens an internet browser
• Create test scripts to start running automatically when the computer turns on, with no keyboard action required

Pros

• Offers a compilation of test scripts in standalone executable files that can be run on other computers without installing AutoHotkey
• Offers built-in commands for beginners and full-fledged scripting for experienced developers

Cons

• Not aware of HTML elements or DOM
• Scripts might break in case the form layout changes

Pricing

• Open-source

8. Pywinauto

Pywinauto is an automation library that includes a set of Python modules to automate Windows GUIs. It’s open-source and has straightforward scripting capabilities. It lets you send mouse and keyboard actions to dialogues and controls on Windows apps.

Features

• Create test scripts in multiple programming languages like Python, IronPython, and Jython to ensure flexibility across different development environments
• Emulate user inputs on both Windows and Linux systems
• Record and replay test scripts, generate test reports, and integrate with frameworks like Pytest or Unittest

Pros

• Supports both MS UI automation and Win32API
• Offers a comprehensive documentation, including how-to guides and examples, ensuring a smooth learning curve

Cons

• Doesn’t support Linux and macOS automation
• Requires libraries like pywin32 to access Windows automation features

Pricing

• Open-source

9. Macro Recorder by Jitbit

Macro Recorder by Jitbit is a Windows automation tool that records mouse activity and keystrokes and saves it to a disk as a macro script, which can be used later to repeat the actions and automate tasks like filling up web forms, launching URLs, and opening/copying/deleting a file. The recordings can be triggered with hotkeys, and you can even insert code snippets in C#.

Features

• Insert custom commands like “launch a website”, “goto”, or “wait for a window”, and add logic to them using the “if-then” statement
• Convert your macro into a compressed EXE file and run it on any Windows-compatible desktop
• Debug your macros by inserting breakpoints, playing them partially to test a specific part, or looping your playback

Pros

• Offers a built-in, flexible Visual Macro Maker to help edit the macros
• Supports plain text script that’s easy to edit in external editors

Cons

• Doesn’t run on a remote desktop once the user is disconnected from it
• Playback settings only work within Macro Recorder, not in the compiled EXE files

Pricing

• Basic: $38
• Pro: $69
• Premium: $99

10. Nut.js

Nut.js is one of the automation tools for desktop applications that allows you to simulate mouse and keyboard interactions using JavaScript or Typescript and supports GUI testing on desktop apps. It comes with image-finder plugins to locate UI elements on screen and Window element inspection plugins to interact with UI elements.

Features

• Use the clipboard module to automatically read and write text to the system clipboard for faster data transfers between applications
• Set your cursor position, move it along a definite path, and click/scroll/drag using the ‘mouse’ object
• Use screen dimensions like ‘screen.capture’ to save screenshots for documentation and ‘screen.highlight’ to highlight areas and visually debug results

Pros

• Is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS (both Apple Silicon and Intel)
• Supports Jest integration for writing UI tests

Cons

• Requires an active subscription to the private Nut.js registry to access prebuilt packages
• It doesn’t support Linux Wayland

Pricing

• Open-source

Pick the Right Desktop Automation Tool: Things to Consider

1. Identify automation requirements

Analyze your existing workflows and identify the tasks within desktop apps that are recurring, time-consuming, and prone to errors. These tasks might include data entry, navigation, login/authentication, and UI testing. This is where desktop application testing tools add the highest ROI.

2. Select tools that align with testing goals

Research the various desktop automation tools available in the market and check if they’re compatible with the different operating systems: Windows, macOS, Linux, and Unix. Also, check the version of the operating systems the tools support.

Evaluate different desktop automation tools. If your environment is Windows-only, a dedicated Windows automation tool might be ideal.

For seamless integration with programming languages and development environments, look for tools with SDKs or APIs. Before finalizing an automation tool, check for features like exception management and error handling.

3. Define budget

Consider the price structures and licensing of the automation tools. Mull over variables like recurring subscription fees, expenses for maintenance and upgrades, up-front costs, and scalability of the tool before you narrow down your options. Compare pricing models of automation testing tools for desktop applications to estimate long-term costs.

4. Consider the learning curve

Some tools require extensive knowledge of coding, while others can automate tasks via image recognition. The tool you select might align with the skill set of your team. For tools that require training, look for official documentation, community support, learning resources, and tutorials.

5. Support and maintenance

Consider picking a tool that offers prompt customer service, regular updates, and addresses bugs and security vulnerabilities frequently to avoid increased downtime and higher operational costs.

Tools like Microsoft Power Automate and Nut.js continuously introduce new features and updates to ensure compatibility with evolving operating systems.

Automate Desktop Workflows with TestGrid

TestGrid is an AI-powered end-to-end testing platform that enables automated cross-platform testing across multiple OS platforms in parallel to help speed up test cycles. It offers both cloud-based and on-premises testing infrastructure, so you can scale tests without worrying about setup complexities.

Testgrid can be integrated into CI/CD tools like Jenkins, CircleCI, and Azure DevOps to allow continuous testing and deploy a more robust app.

Its codeless automation lets you write complex test cases in minutes, helping build logical workflows, and visual test reports help you analyze test results through unified dashboards to highlight issues and track performance trends.

This blog is originally published at Testgrid