But is it really that good? Well, that depends on the context and your purpose.
In this review, we’ll fill you in on Katalon – the good, the bad, and the “why didn’t anyone warn me about this” parts. Let’s begin.
What is Katalon Studio?
Katalon Studio is a cross-platform test automation tool that was released in 2015. It was developed by Katalon LLC (previously a subsidiary of KMS Technology before the spin-off as an independent entity in 2019). Briefly, it’s an all-in-one testing platform that tries to solve the problems of test automation.
So what does Katalon solve? In a nutshell, it tries to bridge the middle ground between script-based testing for techies and codeless testing for newbies. It tests web, API, mobile, and desktop applications all in one environment.
The platform has expanded beyond just Katalon Studio to include Katalon TestOps (for orchestration and analysis of tests) and Katalon Runtime Engine (for CI/CD integration and command-line execution). In addition, it includes Visual Testing, and recently, AI-powered capabilities for test generation and maintenance.
How Does Katalon Work?
Katalon offers both record-and-playback as well as script editing capabilities. This is what it generally does:
- Test Creation: You can record your actions within a browser/app to create tests. Or you can manually create test steps with built-in keywords and your own custom scripts.
- Object Repository: Katalon keeps the UI elements (buttons, fields, etc.) that your tests interact with in a central repository. It makes it easier to maintain if the application changes.
- Test Organisation: Tests are organised into test suites and test suite collections to organise structured execution.
- Execution: Tests can be executed locally or remotely, on various browsers and devices, either through the GUI or command line.
- Reporting: After execution, Katalon offers reports showing passed/failed tests, screenshots, and execution logs.
The tool is built on top of open-source tools like Selenium and Appium. It tries to wrap them in a more user-friendly interface and offers additional features. However, we see comments like this about Katalon Studio from time to time:
"I personally really dislike Katalon. It's a decent tool if you have no coding experience, but it scales horribly and is incredibly hand-holdy. You'll find yourself frustrated more often than not, and end up having to code anyway."
So it seems there are two sides of the coin. Letās decipher each one for you.
Who Uses Katalon?
Katalon has carved out a unique position in the market. It’s not just for the coding wizards or exclusively for those allergic to code. Its user base spans across:
- QA teams transitioning from manual to automated testing: These teams appreciate the low entry barrier and record-playback features.
- Organisations with mixed technical expertise: Teams where some members can code while others can’t find Katalon’s dual interface useful.
- Small to mid-sized companies: Organisations that can’t afford enterprise-level tools but need more than basic open-source solutions.
According to Katalon’s website, they serve over 65,000 enterprises and teams, including some big names like FPT Software, Sony, Panasonic, and BBVA. The platform claims to have more than 1 million users worldwide.
Katalon features
Letās break down Katalonās features one by one.
Test Case Creation
Test creation technique is probably Katalon’s strongest selling point. It is easier for people in your team with almost no technical expertise, and this is all you need to do:
- Click on the record button
- Trail your test activity against the app
- Save and voila, you have an auto-test
Technical individuals have access to a script mode wherein they can test in Groovy or Java with all Selenium WebDriver functions available.
A shout-out to the object repository. It holds all of the things that your tests are dealing with in one location. So maintenance isn’t as painful when your developers decide to swap that button ID at 4:59 PM on a Friday.
Later in 2023, Katalon started deploying AI capabilities for test automation and auto-healing tests. While promising, these are currently in their infancy and community feedback is mixed.
There are solutions that push your efficiency even further with AI-driven automation. Katalon helps you in structuring test cases, but the solution we give you will also generate them intelligently. You will need no manual effort in the process.
That solution is aqua cloud. Aquaās AI-powered test case generation takes your efficiency to the next level. All you need to create a complete test case is a requirement (which can also be generated in 2 seconds with aqua). With 2 clicks, you create test cases automatically. Compared to manual test case creation, it means 98% more efficiency. You can take it one step further with aqua – one more click and you have thousands of rows of synthetic test data ready too. So, requirements, test cases, and test data – all within 3 clicks. Furthermore, you get customisable reports, one-click bug tracking, seamless integrations (Jira, Azure DevOps, much more) within a centralised management.
Donāt experiment; go with a proven, 100% AI-powered solution
Test Execution & Cross-Platform Testing
Katalon lets you run tests across multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) and mobile platforms (Android, iOS). You can execute tests:
- Locally on your machine
- Remotely on other machines using the Katalon Runtime Engine
- In parallel to save time
- On cloud testing platforms like SauceLabs or BrowserStack
The execution profiles feature is particularly useful, allowing you to maintain different configuration sets for various environments (dev, staging, production).
However, there are complaints regarding the test execution too:
"It's one step forward, two steps back with these apps - I'll record a test for one of our sites (i.e., user registration), and it'll run well, but then fail on a random element the next time."
āThe smoke test suite of one of our applications is taking hours to run for all the markets. It is implemented using Katalon. This frustrates me a lot because often it is faster to just do manual testing."
Mobile testing in Katalon has also received criticism for being less robust than web testing. Setting up mobile test environments is particularly challenging for beginners.
Integration Capabilities
On paper, Katalon’s integration list is impressive:
- JIRA, Azure DevOps, and other ALM tools for issue tracking
- Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps for CI/CD
- Git for version control
- Slack, Microsoft Teams for notifications
- TestRail for test management
In practice, these integrations often require significant configuration and don’t always work seamlessly. The Jira integration, while functional, is also complex and has occasional sync issues.
Dashboards and Reporting
Katalon TestOps offers analytics and reporting features, including:
- Test execution history and trends
- Failure analysis and flaky test detection
- Test coverage metrics
- Team performance dashboards
The reports are visually appealing and can be exported in various formats (HTML, PDF, Excel). However, the more advanced analytics require a higher-tier subscription, and some users feel the basic reporting could be more comprehensive.
A review on TrustRadius mentioned:
“The reporting is good but not great. We often need to export data and create our custom reports for management presentations.”
Katalon Customer Support
This is where things get interesting. Katalon’s support structure varies dramatically depending on your subscription tier:
- Free tier: Limited to community forums and documentation
- Premium/Enterprise: Email support, with response times varying by tier
- Enterprise: Dedicated success manager and priority support
The community forums are active, but the community is small. Documentation is comprehensive but sometimes lags behind new features.
Katalon Pricing
Katalon’s pricing model has evolved significantly over the years. It has transitioned from a completely free tool to a tiered subscription model. As of 2025, Katalon offers:
- Free tier: Limited features, suitable for individuals or small projects
- Premium: Starting at $175/month per license (billed annually)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing, with more advanced features and support
This pricing is controversial in the testing community. Many managers question whether this cost is worth it. Not specifically about Katalon Studio, low-code test automation tools have a reputation for being a waste of money, and we can see it from Reddit:
"Katalon I have heard of but avoided because they had their own way of working that really tied you to the product and I had enough of that when I worked with QTP/UFT from HP/MicroFocus."
"Because they lure in the gullible (i.e. managers) with their promises of easy automation but spectacularly fail to deliver. The poor testers then have to pick up the pieces and try and make it work."
Katalon pros and cons
After sifting through countless reviews, forum posts, and our testing experience, here’s a balanced view of Katalon’s strengths and limitations:
Pros:
- Low entry barrier for automation beginners
- Unified platform for web, API, mobile, and desktop testing
- Dual interface supporting both codeless and code-based approaches
- Strong object repository management
- Decent integration with common development tools
- Regular updates and new features
Cons:
- Performance issues with large test suites
- Steeper learning curve than advertised for non-technical users
- Mobile testing setup is problematic
- Pricing model makes it expensive for larger teams
- Inconsistent support quality across tiers
- Record-and-playback generates inefficient code
- Some instability issues and random test failures
- Occasional update problems breaking existing tests
Of course, it’s not up to us to make a decision, and ultimately, it’s your choice. However, it seems that some of the users have already made their decisions and stated them publicly. Like this one, on Reddit put it:
“The best practice with Katalon is to uninstall it and use another tool.”
So even as a dedicated no-code automation solution, people suggest using Playright, Selenium, and other solutions instead of Katalon.
Katalon alternatives
If Katalon doesn’t seem like the perfect fit, here are some alternatives worth considering:
- Aqua cloud: Combines test management and automation with AI-powered features. You can generate requirements, test cases and test data in 3 clicks with AI. Central repository lets you combine all manual and automated tests and manage them effortlessly. You can achieve 100% traceability and test coverage with aqua cloud, and effortless bug-tracking with native Capture integration is the cherry on top. Apart from that, aqua integrates perfectly with your automation frameworks, including Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright, making your CI/CD pipeline effortless.
Automate 200% of your test management efforts with AI
- Selenium WebDriver + TestNG/JUnit: The open-source combination that Katalon is built upon. More flexibility but requires programming skills and framework setup.
- Cypress: Gaining massive popularity for modern web testing, with excellent developer experience and debugging capabilities. Limited to web testing and primarily works with JavaScript.
- Playwright: Microsoft’s answer to modern test automation, supporting multiple languages and browsers. Strong on web testing but newer than other options.
- TestComplete: Commercial tool with strong desktop testing capabilities alongside web and mobile testing. More expensive than Katalon but offers more robust Windows application testing.
- Appium: Open-source solution focused specifically on mobile app testing. Requires more setup but offers great flexibility for mobile automation.
The right choice depends on several factors. You need to consider your team’s technical skills, budget, and specific testing needs. You can use multiple tools and integrate them too, for example, aqua cloud + Selenium might work best for you.
Conclusion
After spending many hours researching Katalon and gathering real user experiences, here’s our take: Katalon occupies an interesting middle ground in the test automation. It’s neither the simplest tool for complete beginners nor the most powerful for automation experts.
Katalon shines brightest when:
- You’re transitioning from manual to automated testing
- Your team has mixed technical abilities
- You need to test across web, API, and mobile without multiple tools
- You value an all-in-one approach over best-of-breed solutions
However, it will disappoint if:
- You’re working with very large test suites where performance is critical
- Your budget is tight and you have many testers needing licenses
- You require extensive customization beyond what Katalon offers
- You’re heavily focused on mobile testing
The truth is, there’s no perfect testing tool – just the right tool for your specific context. So if you are in search of a test management solution that is not solely tied to automation (flawed automation by the way), then your selection should be aqua cloud instead of Katalon.
