The transformation from the Center of Excellence to open-source load testing is encouraging more and more developers to choose software testing tools like JMeter over LoadRunner. A sensible way to choose the right testing tool for your business is to compare the solutions against each other. This comparison article on JMeter vs LoadRunner will help you find out which one fits your goal better in the following sequence:
Let’s begin our JMeter vs LoadRunner article with an introduction to both the software testing tools.
Introduction to JMeter
Performance has become an inevitable factor nowadays, especially for web and mobile applications as the user strength is very huge for each application. JMeter is one of the most preferred tool for Performance Testing.
What is JMeter?
Apache JMeter is a testing tool used for analyzing and measuring the performance of different software services and products. It is a pure Java open source software used for testing Web Application or FTP application.
It is used to execute performance testing, load testing and functional testing of web applications. JMeter can also simulate a heavy load on a server by creating tons of virtual concurrent users to web server.
Introduction to LoadRunner
LoadRunner is a software testing tool from Micro Focus. It is used to test applications, measuring system behavior, and performance under load. It can simulate thousands of users concurrently using application software. It helps in analyzing and preventing application performance problems.
Some of the features of LoadRunner are:
- Lower hardware and software costs by accurately predicting system capacity
- It Pinpoints the root cause of application performance problems quickly and accurately
- It has effective tool utilization tracking
- Browser-based access to global test resources and optimal usage of load generator farm
Now that I have discussed about both the performance testing tools, let’s move ahead with our JMeter vs LoadRunner article and have a look at the different comparison parameters.
JMeter vs LoadRunner: Parameters of Comparison
LoadRunner holds a strong position in the market and Apache JMeter is quickly taking up, quicker than any other performance tools today. Now, I will help you choose between these two testing tools by comparing them on the following parameters:
- Availability
- Load Generation Capacity
- Execution
- Analysis Report
- Open-source & Community support
- Scripting
- Building test-scenarios
- Elements
Availability
Apache JMeter is an open source, free software testing tool that can be easily downloaded for performing any test. |  LoadRunner is an expensive software testing tool. It has recently released free trial versions but it cannot be simply downloaded for use. |
Load Generation Capacity
JMeter has an unlimited load generation capacity. |  LoadRunner has a limited load generation capacity. |
Execution
Execution is easier in JMeter. You just need to install Java, download JMeter and upload the JMeter script file. |  Execution is complex as compared to JMeter. It creates one thread for each user. |
Analysis Report
 Results are easy to understand for less experienced engineers, and also allow in-depth analysis for testers with more know-how. | 
The information is in a raw format which is parsed by HP Analysis to generate various graphs. |
Open-Source & Community Support
 It has vibrant community and supports users who run into issues and problems. |  It is owned by a large corporate, limiting the number of users. |
Scripting
 You can run a complete load test without knowing a bit of code in JMeter. |  LoadRunner, on the other hand, requires scripting knowledge. |
Building Test Scenarios
 JMeter doesn’t require adding beginning or ending transaction elements. |  LoadRunner is more complex because it requires managing different agents. |
Elements
 Adding elements is easy on JMeter as compared to LoadRunner. |  Configuring each element is more complex in LoadRunner. |
These were some of the comparison parameters for JMeter vs LoadRunner. Now with this, we come to an end of this comparison on JMeter vs LoadRunner. I hope you guys enjoyed this article and understood why JMeter is one of the most preferred tools for performance testing. So, if you have read this, you might have a clear idea about which testing tool would be apt for you.
Now that you know about the differences between JMeter and LoadRunner, check out the Performance testing course by Edureka, a trusted online learning company with a network of more than 250,000 satisfied learners spread across the globe.
This course provides you insights into software behavior during workload. In this course, you will learn how to check the response time and latency of software and test if a software package is efficient for scaling. The course will help you check the strength and analyze the overall performance of an application under different load types. Got a question for us? Please mention it in the comments section of “JMeter vs LoadRunner” and we will get back to you.