Manual Testing or Test Automation: Which One is Better?

After software development, a product has to undergo verification, which consists of manual testing and test automation. Many software engineers are asking why they have to undertake both. Either could supplant the other, couldn’t it? But the answer is not so simple. Embedded developers should pay attention to this question because it affects them too.

Automated software testing uses scripts and tools. It comes with many benefits such as reusability, reliability and cost reduction. It can remove unnecessary effort and allows the test to be completed more quickly. However, manual testing is also important in its way and there is no reason to replace it by automated testing.

The fact is both are important and they actually complement each other. Note that no testing technique is without flaws. Even after running a series of tests, some bugs may still be left in the system. When you undertake both manual testing and test automation, you can find errors that you might miss if you use just one technique.

For example, automated testing is recommended for UI testing, while manual testing is well suited to it. But automated testing is better when it comes to regression testing, where the code changes frequently. It is also very useful for Build Verification Testing. It shows that both automated testing and manual testing are necessary.