Performance Testing vs. Load Testing | G C Reddy |

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Performance testing is a broader scope of software testing. It encompasses load testing as well as other forms of software testing and ensures applications keep performing under different scenarios. Therefore, performance testing is not just limited to testing the effects of user load on a given system.

There are six different types of performance testing:

Load Testing
As we discussed above, it evaluates a system’s ability to perform under real-world user loads. The objective of this test is to identify performance bottlenecks in the application before deployment.

Endurance Testing
Since it is a subset of load testing, it is also considered a part of performance testing. Here we measure the application’s performance against anticipated user loads over an extended period. The performance is measured against benchmarks set during initial performance testing.

Volume Testing
In volume testing, a massive amount of data is injected in a database suddenly, and testers evaluate its effect on the collective behavior of the software system. Therefore, testers can check how the system behaves under changing database volumes.

Stress Testing
Stress testing is used to measure an application’s performance against extreme workloads, such as high data processing or traffic. The primary objective of this test is to identify the breaking point of the application.

Capacity Testing
Capacity testing helps software testers identify how many users a software system can handle before the performance of the application goes below expectations.

Scalability Testing
Software testers use scalability testing to determine an application’s ability to scale up, depending on the increase in user load. It helps to identify the system’s ability to adapt to increasing user loads.

Spike Testing
Spike testing refers to the process where testers evaluate how a system responds to large spikes in user load.