What is the difference between functional and performance testing services?

Testing is one of the most critical parts of any type of software development project. After planning and coding, testing ensures that all project requirements are met and that each feature functions as designed.

One of the first things you should know about testing is that there are different types that examine different aspects of the software. Functional testing ensures that each feature works for users as it was designed, while performance testing measures back-end characteristics to ensure the software will perform well over time.

Here we delve deeper into what is involved in these types of tests.

#1 What is the purpose of software testing?

Software testing checks all types of applications and programs to identify flaws that could cause problems later on, such as usability, data entry and processing issues, as well as anything else that could frustrate users or, worse, compromise their data.

These types of complications can be catastrophic for companies that earn revenue from selling software. When a company loses the trust of its customers, it also loses revenue and loyalty.

These issues can also be highly problematic for companies that use custom-built applications for their employees or internal operations. When a company loses the trust of its employees, it loses commitment to the company's mission. And when you lose critical data, you lose productivity, efficiency and the ability to respond well to customer needs.

Any of these failures can be difficult to recover from.

#2 What is functional testing?

Functional testing ensures that a software application meets functional specifications based on project requirements. It is driven by testers who perform each function of the software, including the following items:

• Login: Observes the login process to see if users are able to log into the app without any problems
• Primary functions: Ensures the application does what it is supposed to do
• User interface: Ensures that screens are easy and intuitive to navigate and that each button or link takes the user to the expected location
• Errors: Determines which conditions must occur to produce an error and whether the appropriate error messages appear
• Payment: Examines the stability of the payment system, to ensure that users can make smooth payments

Functional testing can be done manually or automatically and incorporates several different types, including:

• Unit testing: Ensures that each component (or “unit”) of the application works as expected
• Smoke Test: Determines whether each function works as it should
• Sanity Test: Verifies that small changes fixed the problems they were supposed to solve
• Regression Testing: Make sure certain updates don't cause additional problems
• System testing: A high-level test that shows whether the system meets technical, functional, and business requirements
• User Acceptance Testing: Typically performed last in a series of tests, ensures the application can handle “real world” scenarios

#3 What is performance testing?

The purpose of performance testing is to eliminate any impediments to good performance. While functional testing analyzes application capabilities, performance testing checks the software as a system to ensure it can handle the expected amount of traffic, respond quickly to user requests, and operate at appropriate speeds. The system is tested under various conditions to ensure it can handle different scenarios.

This type of testing is just as important as functional testing because it can have an equally big impact on companies and their customers. For example, a web app that doesn't load quickly is one that customers will abandon quickly. A customer relationship management (CRM) program that crashes when too many people use it is something employees will avoid.

Companies that offer performance testing services provide several specific types of tests:

• Load Testing: Checks how much traffic load the system can handle
• Endurance Test: Examines load over a period of time to ensure continued stability
• Volume Test: Determines the efficiency of the application when loaded with a large volume of data
• Scalability testing: Ensures that the software can handle an increasing number of users or data
• Stress Test: Determines how well hardware resources such as CPU, memory, and disk space can support the software

#4 What are the service options for software testing?

Just as you may choose to do software development in-house, you can have professionals on your team who can conduct software testing. However, the key to successful software testing is that it is done by a different team than the one creating the software. Removed once – i.e. two different teams working for the same company – is fine, but removed twice – both teams working for two different companies – is ideal.

This is why, if you want to hire professionals to perform performance testing services or functional testing services, you should consider software testing outsourcing. An outsourced testing team can offer many benefits:

1. Expertise: Third-party testers do nothing but testing, so they are highly adept at where your software can be improved.
2. Understanding: As a third party, a third-party tester will view your project from a purely functional perspective and therefore offer the most objective feedback possible.
3. Cost: When hiring software testers as employees, you must pay for talent sourcing, onboarding, training, and benefits in addition to salary – even when work slows down. With outsourced performance testing services and functional testing services, you only pay for the actual services provided and as often as necessary.
4. Convenience: If you happen to be looking for a specific type of tester, a testing company can find it for you, eliminating the need to conduct an exhaustive search.
5. Security: Third-party testers are always up to date with the latest methods and technologies, including the extremely important issue of security.