Manual vs Automation Testing - Comparison with Examples

The basic difference between manual and automation testing is that manual testing is done by a human, whereas automation testing is done with the help of tools and scripts.

Difference between Manual and Automation Testing

We will understand the difference between manual and automation testing based on major factors like:

Human Intervention
Execution Speed
Reusability
Cost
Test Coverage
Test Execution
Test Case Creation
Test Result Analysis

Here is the table that shows the difference between manual and automation testing:

Factor	Manual Testing	Automation Testing
Human Intervention	Manual testing is done by a human tester.	Automation testing is done with the help of tools and scripts.
Execution Speed	Manual testing is slower than automation testing.	Automation testing is faster than manual testing.
Reusability	Manual testing is not reusable.	Automation testing is reusable.
Cost	Manual testing is cost-effective.	Automation testing is expensive.
Test Coverage	Manual testing has limited test coverage.	Automation testing has extensive test coverage.
Test Execution	Manual testing is error-prone.	Automation testing is error-free.
Test Case Creation	Manual test cases are created manually.	Automation test cases are created using tools and scripts.
Test Result Analysis	Manual test results are analyzed manually.	Automation test results are analyzed using tools and scripts.

When to use Manual Testing?

We use manual testing in the following scenarios:

When the application is in the initial development phase. Because in the initial phase, the application is changing frequently.
When the application is frequently changing. As the manual testing is flexible and can be easily adapted to the changes.
When the application has a short development cycle. As the manual testing is quick to start and we do not need to wait for the automation scripts to be ready.
When the application has a limited budget. As manual testing does not require any tools or scripts to setup that require infrastructure and resources.
When the application has a small team. As manual testing does not require any technical skills to perform the testing.

When to use Automation Testing?

We use automation testing in the following scenarios:

When the application is in the stable phase. Because in the stable phase, the application is less changing.
When the application is less changing. As the automation testing is rigid and requires maintenance to adapt to the changes.
When the application has a long development cycle. As the automation testing requires automation scripts to be ready before we can start the testing.
When the application has a high budget. As automation testing requires tools and scripts to setup that require infrastructure and resources.
When the application has a large team. As automation testing requires technical skills to perform the testing.