Kobiton vs pCloudy – Differences You Must Know

Kobiton and pCloudy are mobile testing tools that allow us to run tests on real devices, help with test automation, and debug how your app runs. Kobiton is great because it uses AI to make testing easy and quick, it’s good for teams who want quicker results. pCloudy on the other hand, also has lots of devices you can test on, it integrates well with CI/CD and helps teams work together on bigger projects.

But they both have their downsides. Kobiton can cost a lot for bigger projects and sometimes you need complex automation workflows to achieve quicker testing. pCloudy is packed with features but it can be slow at times and not as easy to use as some might like. Here’s where Testsigma steps in, it’s a platform that makes testing easier with less coding, it’s good for both mobile and web testing making everything smoother and more scalable.

In this article, we will compare Kobiton and pCloudy, looking at their features, limitations, and alternatives. By the end, you’ll know which one fits your needs better or if Testsigma might be the answer for you.

What is Kobiton?

Kobiton is a cloud-based mobile testing platform. It helps developers and testers do real device testing for manual and automated test cases. It offers a variety of devices across both Android and iOS. Users get access to real devices in real-time hosted on the Cloud. This helps test apps on real devices, not just simulators or emulators. Kobiton also integrates well with a lot of popular CI/CD tools. This makes automation and continuous testing much easier during development.

Apart from manual testing, Kobiton has AI-driven scriptless automation. This makes creating tests easier. It also has features like visual testing, video recordings of test sessions, and detailed reports. These help testers find and fix problems quickly. The platform works with automation frameworks like Appium and Selenium. This is good for teams who already use these tools. Kobiton also has device farms with many real devices, so we can do thorough compatibility testing for mobile apps.

You can check out for better Kobiton alternatives here.

What is pCloudy?

pCloudy is a cloud mobile app testing platform, built to make testing easy for developers and QA teams. It also has a variety of real Android and iOS phones. These devices are hosted in the cloud so you don’t need a device lab. pCloudy supports AI-powered testing and it can also run many tests parallely at the same time. It also integrates well with CI/CD helping teams test faster.

pCloudy works with popular test automation frameworks like Appium, Espresso, XCUITest, and Selenium. It offers real-time debugging as well. It also gives detailed reports and runs automation on cloud devices. pCloudy also has other useful features like geolocation testing, AI-powered features for testing, and IoT device testing. This makes it a good choice for today’s development teams. It’s also scalable and saves cost. It works well with Agile and DevOps.

What is Testsigma? – Best Alternative of Kobiton and pCloudy

Testsigma is an AI-powered, cloud-based platform for testing. We can use it to test web, mobile, and API apps. Unlike Kobiton and pCloudy which focus only on mobile, Testsigma lets us test everything in one place. It helps you write test cases in a scriptless manner, enhanced by AI. You can write tests in simple English language. But if you do know coding, you can use Java or JavaScript too. Testsigma also has tools for managing tests, works with CI/CD, and can scale as big as we need it to.

A big plus with Testsigma is that it supports test automation for web, desktop, mobile applications, and APIs from the same place. We don’t need different tools for different tests. 

With pCloudy and Kobiton, setting up tests can be complex but Testsigma makes it easy and has self-healing capabilities. Plus, it’s easy to integrate with other tools, gives us reports as tests happen, and doesn’t cost too much. This makes Testsigma the best choice if we want one place for all our testing.

Check out how Testsigma compares with other popular tools like Selenium.

What Does Kobiton Offer?

As discussed, Kobiton is a cloud-based mobile testing platform where we can test apps on real Android and iOS devices without needing physical hardware. It supports both manual and automated testing. We can do functional, performance, and UX/UI tests on many devices. Kobiton uses AI for test automation, session recording, and visual testing which helps us find defects fast and improve app quality.

Key Features of Kobiton:

• Real Device Cloud – It offers a variety of Android and iOS devices for testing.
• AI-Powered Test Automation – It intelligently reads manual test scripts and allows us to create automated testing workflows.
• Scriptless Test Automation – It can record user actions and replay them for faster debugging.
• Parallel Testing – We can run many tests parallelly at once on different devices.
• Seamless CI/CD Integration – We can integrate it with other CI/CD tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and Bitrise.
• Comprehensive Test Logs and Reports – It provides screenshots, videos, and logs for fixing issues.
• Geolocation Testing – We can test apps with different GPS and network settings.
• On-Premise & Private Cloud Deployment – It can scale well, thus providing secure testing for big companies.

Kobiton is good for teams focusing on mobile testing but it doesn’t support web and API testing well. For those needs, Testsigma might be a better choice.

What are the Limitations of Kobiton?

Kobiton is a powerful mobile testing platform, but it has some limits. These may affect teams that need a complete test automation solution. It mainly focuses on mobile testing, so it may not work well for teams that need testing across web, mobile, and APIs.

Even though it has scriptless test automation, it is not fully codeless. Some advanced automation still needs scripting knowledge. This can be a challenge for teams that want a completely no-code solution.

Key Limitations of Kobiton:

• Limited Web and API Testing – Built mainly for mobile apps, so it may not be the best choice for teams needing web and API testing together.
• Learning Curve for Advanced Automation – While scriptless testing is there, complex automation needs Appium or custom scripts.
• Device Availability Issues – Some devices may not be available when demand is high, causing delays in testing.
• High Cost for Enterprise Features – Features like private device clouds and parallel execution cost more.
• Basic Test Management – Does not have a strong built-in test management system, so teams must use other tools.
• Infrastructure Needs – Setting up on-premise needs more resources and effort for maintenance.

Because of these limits, teams looking for a more flexible and budget-friendly cross-platform testing tool may find Testsigma a better option. It offers web, mobile, and API test automation in one place.

What Does pCloudy Offer?

pCloudy is a cloud-based platform for testing mobile apps. We can test our apps on different device types, OS versions, and network settings to make sure they work well in every environment. pCloudy helps with functional, performance, and security testing. It uses AI to make testing faster. It works well with DevOps tools, good for CI/CD and Agile teams. Also, pCloudy lets us access devices from anywhere, saving money on our labs.

Key Features of pCloudy:

• Real Device Cloud – It has a variety of Android and iOS devices hosted on the Cloud.
• Automated Testing Support – It works well with Appium, Espresso, XCUITest, and Selenium
• Manual Testing – It lets us test directly on real devices for UI and exploratory testing
• Parallel Execution – It supports parallel execution of tests thus saving time and cost.
• Network Virtualization – We can simulate different networks like 3G, 4G, WiFi, or slow connections.
• Performance Testing – Allows load testing to check how the app behaves in different traffic conditions.
• Security Testing – It allows us to find security vulnerabilities in the apps.
• Seamless CI/CD Integration – Integrates with tools like Jenkins, Bamboo, and CircleCI.
• Remote Access & Debugging – It has the provision for remote debugging and fixing issues.
• On-Premise Deployment – We can set up our private cloud for testing if needed.

What are the Limitations of pCloudy?

While pCloudy is a robust platform for testing mobile apps, it does have some limits. One big issue is its support for certain app types and functions. For example, apps built with React Native or those that use a lot of device pop-ups may not work well.

Also, even though pCloudy provides many devices, it does not cover every device or OS version available. This can create gaps in testing.

Some Limitations of pCloudy:

• Limited support for certain app types – It does not support XAPK, AAB files, or React Native apps.
• Landscape mode issues – Apps in landscape mode do not display correctly yet.
• Device pop-ups – Testing of device pop-ups is not supported.
• Android version support – It only supports Android 6.0 and above.
• Limited OEM support – Supports only limited brands like Samsung, Google, Motorola, OnePlus, LG, Sony, Nokia, etc.
• Free trial restrictions – Signup is required to access the free trial.

When choosing pCloudy, we should keep these points in mind to see if it fits our testing needs.

What Sets Testsigma Apart?

Testsigma makes testing easy with its cloud-based platform. We can test web, mobile, and APIs all in one place. Many traditional tools need complex setup, coding skills, and multiple integrations. But with Testsigma, we get a scriptless system that uses simple natural English language for test creation. At the same time, advanced users can write tests using Java and JavaScript.

One of the biggest advantages is AI-powered test creation and maintenance. It helps reduce flaky tests and lowers the cost of maintaining scripts. Testsigma also helps with managing tests, testing on real devices, running tests parallelly, and integrating with CI/CD. It’s a good choice for big businesses because it scales up well. We can test on many browsers, systems, and devices all hosted on the cloud.

Key Features of Testsigma:

• Unified Test Automation – Supports web, mobile, and API testing all in one platform.
• No-Code Automation – Write test cases using simple language. Even non-technical users can do it.
• AI-Powered Maintenance – Finds UI changes and fixes test scripts automatically. This reduces failures.
• Real Device Testing – Test on a cloud-based device lab without needing real phones or tablets.
• Parallel Test Execution – Run multiple tests at the same time. This makes test execution faster.
• Cross-Browser and Cross-Platform Testing – Works on many browsers and devices parallelly.
• Seamless CI/CD Integration – Integrates well with existing CI/CD tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and CircleCI.
• Built-in Test Management – We can manage tests using test suites without having to rely on separate tools.
• Cloud-Based & Scalable – No need for in-house testing setups. Scale tests as needed.
• Detailed Reports & Logs – Get real-time reports, logs, and screenshots for easy debugging.

Comparison Between Testsigma, pCloudy, and Kobiton

Feature	Testsigma	pCloudy	Kobiton
Unified Testing (Web, Mobile, API)	✅ Supports web, mobile, and API automation in a single platform	❌ Primarily focused on mobile testing, limited web support	❌ Primarily focused on mobile testing, no API testing support
Test Creation Approach	✅ Scriptless automation with NLP and custom scripting (Java, JavaScript)	❌ Requires scripting knowledge (Appium, Espresso, XCUITest)	❌ Requires scripting knowledge (Appium, Espresso, XCUITest)
AI-Powered Test Maintenance	✅ AI-driven self-healing tests to reduce maintenance efforts	❌ No AI-based test healing, manual maintenance is required	❌ No AI-based test healing, manual maintenance is required
Real Device Testing	✅ Cloud-based real device lab with extensive browser and OS combinations	✅ Provides access to real mobile devices, but limited web browser options	✅ Provides real mobile devices, but lacks robust browser coverage
Parallel Test Execution	✅ Supports parallel execution for faster testing	✅ Supports parallel execution, but performance depends on device availability	✅ Supports parallel execution, but scalability is limited
Cross-Browser and Cross-Platform Testing	✅ Supports all major browsers and platforms for automated testing	❌ Limited browser coverage, primarily mobile-focused	❌ No dedicated cross-browser testing support
CI/CD Integration	✅ Supports Jenkins, GitHub Actions, CircleCI, Azure DevOps, and more	❌ Limited CI/CD support, requiring manual configurations	❌ Limited CI/CD support, requiring custom setup
Built-in Test Management	✅ Integrated test case management within the platform	❌ No built-in test management, requires external tools	❌ No built-in test management, requires third-party tools
Cloud Infrastructure	✅ Fully cloud-based, scalable infrastructure for web and mobile testing	✅ Cloud-based for mobile testing, but lacks extensive web infrastructure	✅ Cloud-based for mobile testing, no dedicated infrastructure for web testing
Local and On-Premise Execution	✅ Supports local, cloud, and on-premise testing	✅ Supports on-premise deployment, but requires infrastructure setup	✅ Supports on-premise deployment, but requires manual maintenance
Test Execution Speed	✅ Optimized for fast test execution with parallel runs	❌ Execution speed depends on device availability and queuing	❌ Performance can be affected due to device sharing
Test Reporting & Debugging	✅ Provides detailed reports, logs, and screenshots for debugging	❌ Provides basic reports but lacks advanced analytics	❌ Provides execution reports, but debugging features are limited
Ease of Use	✅ No-code, low-code, and script-based options for flexibility	❌ Requires scripting expertise for automation setup	❌ Requires scripting expertise, making it difficult for non-technical users
Pricing Model	✅ Cost-effective with a pay-as-you-go model, no hidden costs	❌ Pricing varies based on device usage, and can be costly for extended usage	❌ Premium features require higher subscription plans, increasing costs

Conclusion

To sum up, both Kobiton and pCloudy are good options for mobile app testing. Each has its own strong and weak points. Kobiton is great for AI-driven automation and fast testing. On the other hand, pCloudy offers more device options and strong CI/CD integration. But both have some drawbacks. They can be expensive. Some advanced features take time to learn. Also, they mainly focus on mobile testing.

Testsigma stands out as a better option. It removes these limits by providing a single, no-code testing platform for web, mobile, and API applications. Its AI-powered features, easy-to-use design, and complete testing tools make it a great choice.