Top 5 regression testing services & key factors to consider

Outsourcing is an affordable way to scale regression testing, freeing up developers to focus on shipping code.

However, we’ve surveyed engineering leaders and developers and found that outsourcing regression testing to the wrong service provider can lead to several issues:

1. Communication problems: The number one challenge respondents highlighted was waiting overnight for a response because outsourced contributors worked in a different time zone, bottlenecking development. Some respondents also mentioned language barriers, leading to communication breakdowns.

2. Poor quality of work: Respondents complained that the work quality of many outsourced services was poor. They would overlook bugs, report on new changes that weren’t real problems, and struggle to meet deadlines. Engineering leaders had little confidence in their application’s user experience.

3. Excessive oversight: Many respondents said that outsourced contributors didn’t understand the application and team’s testing priorities. This meant engineering leaders had to spend more time than expected overseeing and correcting their work.

As a result, we recommend evaluating how a regression testing service provider addresses these three issues before partnering with them.

In this guide, we cover how Rainforest QA’s regression testing approach solves each of the three issues mentioned above.

We’ll also highlight how Rainforest helped companies like Push Security and Flux complete more testing at an affordable price while ensuring confidence in their application’s user experience.

Finally, we’ll review additional software testing services like QA Wolf, MuukTest, ScienceSoft, and Aspire Systems, to help you compare options.

Rainforest helps teams scale automated regression testing, reduce development times, and confidently ship bug-free code. Schedule a short demo to learn more about our services.

1. Rainforest QA

Fast & reliable test coverage that you can trust

Rainforest QA is an end-to-end regression testing service using proprietary, no-code software to help teams quickly ship bug-free code.

Here’s how Rainforest addresses the three problems listed above:

1. Rainforest test managers work in your time zone and are fluent English speakers. This means you get faster responses to your questions and fewer communication breakdowns.

2. Rainforest’s no-code QA testing tool is more accurate and resilient than open-source frameworks such as Selenium and Playwright and won’t break due to minor code changes that don’t show up on the UI. This lessens the burden of test maintenance and enables development teams to push bug-free code faster than with testing services that use open-source. (More on this below.)

3. Rainforest assigns two dedicated test managers who integrate into your team’s workflows and communication tools like Slack, Jira, and Microsoft Teams. They learn and understand the intricacies of your application, how it works, and your testing priorities, like a QA engineer would.

Additionally, because Rainforest test managers write tests inside our no-code platform, anyone within your company can view the tests being run, see when a test broke, why it broke, and even write their own tests in plain English. Unlike code-based regression testing services, there’s no black box.

How Rainforest’s proprietary, no-code framework is more reliable than open-source tests

Rainforest tests what users actually see, instead of behind-the-scenes code

The main problem with regression testing services using open-source frameworks is that they evaluate your application’s underlying code (the DOM), not the front-end user experience.

The DOM is merely a proxy for the user experience and doesn’t always reflect what users see. This can cause open-source test scripts to miss obvious visual bugs.

For instance, if a popup prevents a user from selecting the checkout button on an e-commerce website, open-source test scripts wouldn’t detect the problem. They only interact with the DOM, which sees the button element and assumes it’s clickable, overlooking the visual obstruction.

Rainforest’s test automation software assesses the visual layer of your application as a user would. It generates a virtual machine (VM) to simulate a user’s behaviour, enabling Rainforest to test your application’s appearance, not just its functionality, ensuring no visual bugs slip into production.

Sticking with the example above, if a popup blocked a user from clicking the checkout button, Rainforest wouldn’t be able to find the button, thus alerting the development team of the bug.

Rainforest tests don’t need to be updated every time the DOM changes

Another limitation of open-source frameworks interacting with the DOM is that if the DOM changes, the corresponding test script won’t be able to find the element it’s looking for, causing it to break. This occurs even if the visual layer remains the same or barely changes.

For example, let’s say a developer changes a button’s ID from “submit-btn” to “submit-button.” When the test runs, it looks for the “submit-btn” ID, which no longer exists. The test breaks even though the button is still there and works fine for users.

As a result, outsourced testers need to update their test scripts whenever developers make changes to the DOM.

This has three consequences for developers’ ability to quickly ship bug-free code:

• Outsourced testers block the release pipeline until test scripts are updated and all tests pass. As more changes are made to your application, testers will need more time to update tests and maintain coverage, causing more frequent bottlenecks.

• Outsourced testers may be tempted to unblock the release pipeline and ignore failing tests. While this may expedite deployment, it risks introducing bugs into production.

• Outsourced testers may report failures caused by outdated tests, not actual bugs. This wastes development hours as teams search for bugs that don’t exist.

With Rainforest’s no-code testing tool, however, our test managers use a fallback matching feature to reduce the test maintenance burden and avoid false failures:

• Rainforest first looks at the visual layer to find the element. When creating test cases, our QA team will take a screenshot of the element (button, form field, etc.) that needs to be tested, and Rainforest will look for that element. This means that our tests won’t break if there’s a change to the DOM that doesn’t affect the UI.

• Rainforest uses the DOM as a fallback. However, say you make an intentional UI update. The test will fail in that case, but Rainforest will fall back to the DOM to find the element. If the DOM is still the same, the test moves forward. If the DOM also changes, Rainforest falls back to its AI-powered visual validation algorithm.

• Rainforest uses AI trained on data that simulates a user’s judgment. If both the UI and DOM fail, Rainforest uses its patent-pending AI technology to identify whether the change is significant and something users will notice. For example, say the sign in button has been changed to log in. The AI will understand that “Sign in” is clearly the same as “Log in” and pass the test. This significantly reduces noise from inconsequential or intentional visual changes.

This fallback matching feature means our tests require less maintenance and are less prone to false failures than open-source. Companies experience the benefits of regression testing with none of the headaches.

However, you can choose not to use all three matching methods. For example, if you want the test to fail when the UI changes, your test manager can turn off the DOM and AI matching methods. Or, if you’re doing design enhancements and know the UI will change, but the DOM will remain the same, your test manager can match against the DOM and the AI.

Rainforest informs you about every time it uses the AI to self-heal. You can see what the test initially looked like, why it failed, and what the AI updated it to.

Rainforest can test everything on the screen

Unlike open-source frameworks, which only automate web browser testing, Rainforest runs tests inside full VMs that simulate real Windows and Mac environments. This allows our QA experts to create tests that interact with anything visible on the screen, whether inside the browser or a separate desktop application.

By interacting with the entire screen, Rainforest can detect new bugs outside the browser window. For example, a test inside Rainforest can select the download button in the browser, confirm that the file appears in the system’s downloads folder, and open the file in a PDF reader to check its contents.

Test managers can create tests in Rainforest 3x faster than in open source

As mentioned above, a significant challenge companies encounter when outsourcing software regression testing is services failing to meet deadlines, creating a bottleneck in the release pipeline.

A reason why outsourced testers struggle to meet deadlines (in addition to the maintenance burden of open source) is the amount of time required to hard code test scripts. The more changes you make to your application, the more test scripts testers would need to hard code.

Rainforest’s no-code platform boosts shipping velocity by making test creation faster and easier. Creating a test in Rainforest is 3 times faster than in open-source environments since everything is written in plain English.

Here’s a brief overview of the regression testing process within Rainforest:

1. On the right side of your screen, you’ll see a VM where your test will run. On the left, you’ll find the Rainforest editor, where you can define the browser interactions you want to test.

2. Start by selecting the type of interaction you wish to test, such as clicking, double-clicking, dragging and dropping, filling out a field, etc. In this example, we’ll use a click action. Then, capture the element you want to interact with by taking a screenshot of it.

3. Repeat this testing process for each step until your test is fully set up.

Read this guide to learn more about how QA experts create tests and how they test more advanced interactions.

Rainforest test managers are dedicated to your account and learn about your application & priorities like an internal QA hire would

You are assigned dedicated test managers who integrate into your team’s workflow by joining Jira, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. Unlike many regression testing services, we don’t rotate personnel.

The more time our test managers spend running tests and managing your account, the more they learn about your product and which workflows to prioritize.

Communication between our test managers and clients typically occurs in Slack. Clients will also add test managers to their Jira boards so they can easily notify them of a user flow that needs to be tested.

If a new bug is discovered, our test managers can create a Jira ticket with a detailed bug report and a video recording of the issue. The developer can watch the recording, understand exactly where the UI or functional failure occurred, take the appropriate steps to rectify it, and run a quick retest.

We are flexible in how we accept test requirements; many customers create a Loom video of what needs to be tested and send it over Slack.

Rainforest doesn’t operate inside a black box: Anyone can log in, view test results and create their own tests

With most regression testing services using open-source software, test cases are code-based, meaning only technical employees can understand what each test is doing, the results, and where and why it broke. These services don’t send video recordings of failures attached to the Jira ticket — developers must dig into the new code to identify the error before implementing bug fixes.

With Rainforest, however, tests are written inside our no-code automation tool, so anyone within your company can view all the tests being run in plain English, see when they last failed, understand why they failed, and watch a recording of the failure.

There’s no limit to the number of seats or licenses, so anyone — including non-technical employees — can create tests in no-code, if they prefer not to message their test manager.

Rainforest QA case studies

Rainforest helped Push Security relieve the burden of test maintenance & free up developer hours

Push Security relied on manually testing after each update, but it was time-consuming and resulted in frequent bugs. They switched to a no-code testing tool to automate testing, yet their developers still spent too much time maintaining tests.

To completely offload automated regression testing from their developers, Push Security reached out to Rainforest. Our test managers took over test creation and maintenance.

This allowed Push Security’s agile teams to focus on releasing new features and building high-quality software, rather than creating and updating tests. They could also request testing at any stage of the software development lifecycle.

With Rainforest, Push Security scaled to 221 tests in just four weeks.

Rainforest enabled Flux to ship up to 15x per day with 70% fewer bugs

Before using Rainforest, Flux tested their application with Cypress. However, hard coding Cypress tests was painfully slow, and test scripts had to be updated with even the slightest changes to the DOM. Agile teams were resistant to using Cypress, which led to bugs in production.

With Rainforest, Flux reduced the time spent managing test scripts by 50% and shipped with 70% fewer bugs.

Get started

Learn more about Rainforest services by booking a quick demo with our team.

2. QA Wolf

QA Wolf is an end-to-end testing service provider that enables companies to outsource automated regression testing. Prospects frequently ask us how our regression testing services compare to QA Wolf, so we want to touch on that here.

Pricing

QA Wolf’s entry-level plan starts at $72K annually. This makes it quite expensive for startups and is more tailored for enterprises.

Additionally, QA Wolf limits the number of tests in the suite. As your company grows, you’ll either need to spend more money on QA or reduce coverage, potentially compromising confidence in your application’s quality.

Rainforest’s entry-level test plan starts at just $25K, with no integration fee. We also don’t limit test scenarios, test cycles, or the number of test cases you can have in your test suite.

Plus, we offer a 60-day money-back guarantee. Before the engagement, we agree on 60-day benchmarks for success. If we don’t hit those benchmarks after the 60-day period, we’ll refund your money — no questions asked.

Accuracy

QA Wolf writes test cases in Playwright, making them vulnerable to the limitations of open-source tools.

First, Playwright tests focus on the behind-the-scenes code, meaning QA Wolf can overlook visual bugs.

Second, QA Wolf must update test scripts whenever any underlying code changes, even if the visual layer remains unaffected.

This often blocks the release pipeline, slowing down your ability to ship quickly. If test managers bypass failing tests to unblock the pipeline, it may compromise the quality of your application.

In contrast, Rainforest prioritizes testing the visual layer of your application and can fall back on the DOM or AI, making our tests more resilient.

Black boxes

Because QA Wolf writes code-based test scripts in Playwright, non-technical employees cannot easily understand what is being tested or assess the application’s quality without proficiency in JavaScript or Python.

On the other hand, Rainforest tests are written in plain English. Non-technical employees can see all the tests being run and even create tests of their own.

If there’s a bug, Rainforest sends a video reply of the break to all relevant users so they can see exactly where the break happened and fix it.

Read more: The best QA Wolf alternatives in 2025

3. MuukTest

MuukTest is an AI-powered continuous testing automation service designed to help engineering teams achieve comprehensive test coverage efficiently.

It integrates seamlessly into existing CI/CD workflows, enabling rapid test execution and detailed bug reporting.

Key features

• QA & regression testing in open-source frameworks: MuukTest ensures software quality by conducting thorough quality assurance and regression testing, identifying defects before deployment.

• Automated and manual testing: Utilizes a mix of automation for efficiency and manual testing for precision to cover all edge cases.

• Cross-platform coverage: Clients can test applications across web, mobile, and desktop environments.

• Scalable solutions: Adapts to project size and complexity, offering flexible testing strategies for startups and enterprises.

• Reporting: Provides detailed reports with insights and recommendations to improve software quality and performance.

4. ScienceSoft

ScienceSoft provides end-to-end software testing services, including regression testing, to help businesses maintain software quality.

Their regression testing solutions verify that new changes don’t introduce defects into existing functionality by combining automated and manual testing. Leveraging open-source frameworks, ScienceSoft helps companies scale test coverage.

Key features

• Dedicated regression testing services: ScienceSoft helps ease the test maintenance burden on their developers. However, since they rely on open-source tools, they may not catch all visual bugs like Rainforest can.

• API testing: Prioritizes critical areas of the API to optimize testing efforts and reduce time-to-market.

• Version compatibility testing: Ensures that recent changes work seamlessly with previous software versions and dependencies.

• Continuous regression testing: Integrates regression tests into CI/CD pipelines for early defect detection.

• Regression test suite optimization: Since ScienceSoft uses open-source tools, they regularly update tests to maintain and expand coverage.

5. Aspire Systems

Aspire Systems is a global technology services firm specializing in software testing and quality assurance.

They provide a comprehensive suite of testing services, including regression testing, to ensure software applications function flawlessly after updates. Their expertise extends to performance and security testing, helping companies maintain the quality of their applications.

Key features

• Hyper-testing methodology: Aspire integrates end-to-end testing across all application layers for improved test coverage.

• Managed testing services: They claim to reduce testing costs by up to 35% and improve time-to-market by 20%.

• Domain-specific testing solutions: They offer specialized testing services tailored to industries like insurance and healthcare, with frameworks such as iAFTA for Guidewire applications.

• Cloud-based testing infrastructure: Aspire leverages cloud platforms to enable scalable and flexible testing environments, facilitating multi-platform and cross-browser testing.

• Performance testing services: In addition to functional testing, Aspire focuses on performance testing to ensure web and mobile apps can handle expected workloads.

Get test coverage fast with Rainforest

Book a call with our team to learn how Rainforest can help you affordably scale testing.