December 21, 2022

Why Enterprises Choose BlazeMeter as a LoadRunner Alternative

Continuous Testing

Performance Testing

In light of the recent OpenText acquisition of Micro Focus, many LoadRunner customers are taking the news as a sign that now is the time to explore LoadRunner alternatives.

Even before the acquisition announcement, LoadRunner customers have criticized many aspects of the platform, from difficult setup and complex cost models to limited open-source compatibility. As the world of testing becomes increasingly agile, LoadRunner has morphed into a legacy solution that is not up to the task.

This blog will explore why now enterprises are considering BlazeMeter as a more modern, agile-focused LoadRunner alternative. These reasons come from real customer feedback from a recent TechValidate survey run in conjunction with BlazeMeter.

Table of Contents:

LoadRunner Challenges, According to Customers
Why Teams Looking for a LoadRunner Alternative Choose BlazeMeter

LoadRunner Challenges, According to Customers

Some of the top challenges that have encouraged enterprises to explore LoadRunner alternatives include:

Difficult setup and lack of ease of use.
Inability to scale.
Complex test creation and maintenance.
Unsuitability for Agile teams.

Let us take a closer look at these challenges.

Hard to set up & use

91% of IT organizations agree testing tools need to be easy to use for all teams. At the same time, 88% of customers complain of the difficulty of setting up and using LoadRunner.

Difficult to scale

78% of IT organizations say that the lack of integration in testing tools is creating longer test cycles. Yet 87% of LoadRunner customers cite the tool’s complex cost models as detrimental to growth and scale.

Complex test creation & maintenance

70% of IT organizations acknowledge test creation and maintenance take too much time. Simultaneously, 85% of users have expressed frustration in having to manually create and maintain scripts with LoadRunner.

Unsuitable for Agile teams

90% of IT organizations say it’s important for teams to be able to test in their IDEs, while 92% of customers say there is limited open-source compatibility with LoadRunner.

Why Teams Looking for a LoadRunner Alternative Choose BlazeMeter

Enterprises are exploring modern LoadRunner alternatives

LoadRunner customers unanimously agree they are held back because LoadRunner is:

Not keeping pace with software releases.
Creating long delays or restrictions when wanting to test.
Unable to run performance tests across multiple geo-locations today.

For customers that have moved off LoadRunner (or are considering doing so) they all say it was because LoadRunner is:

Unable to shift quality left.
Missing open-source compatibility
Lacking in terms of their usability.

Why BlazeMeter stands out as the top LoadRunner alternative

Alternatively, 81% of those surveyed by TechValidate said that they would recommend BlazeMeter to a friend or colleague. In addition, 76% of surveyed IT organizations rated BlazeMeter as 4 stars or higher.

Standout features noted by enterprise customers include:

Ease of use

By shifting their testing left, BlazeMeter users can achieve continuous quality.

“It is interactive and user-friendly.” - DevOps Architect, Computer Software Company
It’s one of the best tools for performance testing from the cloud.” - Performance Engineer, Enterprise Computer Services Company
“We use it for performance testing for many customers.” - Performance Engineer
“It’s a great performance test tool. I have used it for 2 years. I really like what it offers.” - Test Automation Architect

Test efficiencies

BlazeMeter offers modern, fully integrated continuous testing out of the box that’s suited for all teams.

“BlazeMeter gives access to many tools useful for testing and allows to expand knowledge.” - QA and Testing Team
“We use this for the API test cases for all the application.” - Performance Engineer
“It has many ways that it can be used. Also, the support team has been very kind and helpful in the few times we have required help.” - Application Analyst, Software Company

Quick time to value

Customers surveyed who have moved away from LoadRunner say that it takes less than 1 hour to start testing with BlazeMeter! With BlazeMeter, teams can leverage massive scalability across different geolocations.

“It’s a solid testing tool with a reliable company behind it.” - Robert Rovinsky, Load and Performance Engineer, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated

Test as-code

BlazeMeter is a 100% open-source compatible, developer-friendly platform.

“Easy to use and is used with an open-source tool like JMeter.” - Software Test Engineer, Professional Services Company
“Our customers require load testing and stress testing. We help them via BlazeMeter. Also, when needed we use it for our own applications.” - Application Analyst
“[BlazeMeter] has been really useful for the performance team. It lets us deliver results for our customers.” - Performance Engineer

BlazeMeter vs. LoadRunner comparison chart

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Bottom Line

While the OpenText acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023, many LoadRunner customers are watching closely to see what the news means for the testing solution they have relied on until now. And for many, the acquisition news means that now is the time to explore LoadRunner alternatives.

Enterprises across industry verticals, from healthcare to finance to energy & utilities, have all turned to BlazeMeter as an ideal LoadRunner alternative as they look to shift left with a more modern solution.

But don’t just take it from these customers (or us). Try out BlazeMeter for yourself, and see how quickly you can shift your quality left.

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