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Performance Testing vs. Load Testing vs. Stress Testing
There are multiple types of tests that fall under the performance testing umbrella. For instance, load testing and stress testing are both types of performance testing that check how your application performs when many people use it at once.
While there are those who compare all three types of testing, the more popular comparisons that testers make include:
Let us take a closer look at the above comparisons.
Performance Testing vs. Load Testing
Performance testing generally checks a system’s behavior at any given time, focusing on factors like speed and reliability.
Load testing pays particular attention to how the system behaves when multiple users are trying to engage with it at the same time.
Load Testing vs. Stress Testing
While load testing simulates real-life application load, stress testing tests application performance at peak times.
Therefore, the main way to differentiate between these two types of testing is by focusing on their end goal.
To summarize, load testing and stress testing are two popular types of performance testing that each focus on different application behaviors, such as a system’s general behavior under load or the upper limits of a system’s load capacity.
With the comparisons out of the way, let us explore each type of testing on its own.
What is Performance Testing?
Performance testing is the general name for tests that check how the system behaves and performs. Software performance testing examines responsiveness, stability, scalability, reliability, speed, and resource usage of your software and infrastructure.
Different types of performance tests provide you with different data, as we will further detail.