Sauce Labs is great!
Updated November 17, 2017
Sauce Labs is great!
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Sauce Labs
The QA team uses Sauce Labs mostly for automation executions on many different OS/Device combinations. We run tests on a daily basis. We have been using Sauce Labs for two years now and do not plan to stop using them. Very happy with service provided by Sauce Labs. Sometimes QA and dev use sauce labs to reproduce issues manually on specific OS or devices, but we rarely use it for manual testing. Mostly automation.
- Huge selection of OS/Browser/Device combinations
- Video recordings and screenshots of all executions
- Easy to set up test execution
- Helpful support
- Use to be able to interact with a browser while executing tests, but now this feature is off. Can only watch a test execution, but not interact with browser.
- Sauce Labs is less expensive than setting up the same amount of OS/browser combinations locally
- But real mobile devices are too expensive, so it's cheaper to buy and set it up locally
- But overall it's still a good investment
The only other company I know of that provides similar service is BrowserStack, I spent some time a few years ago while comparing the two of them to decide which one to buy for our needs, and we decided to go with sauce labs. The main reason at the time was the video recordings of test execution that sauce labs provided, but BrowserStack didn't. Not sure if they do it now, but since we are already using sauce labs and it's part of our framework, we don't plan to change it.
Evaluating Sauce Labs and Competitors
Yes - We didn't use any third party product before Sauce Labs, but we had our own set up to run all tests.
There were many reasons to buy Sauce Labs service.
Probably the main reason is ease of use. We didn't need to set up and maintain our own servers with virtual machines. Support is always available and can quickly fix any issues we have.
Also, amount of available browser/os combinations is like hundred times bigger than we had with our own setup.
There were many reasons to buy Sauce Labs service.
Probably the main reason is ease of use. We didn't need to set up and maintain our own servers with virtual machines. Support is always available and can quickly fix any issues we have.
Also, amount of available browser/os combinations is like hundred times bigger than we had with our own setup.
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Product Reputation
- Vendor Reputation
- Third-party Reviews
Before choosing Sauce labs, we used their free trial and free trials of other competitors.
Also, I compared online reviews of Sauce Labs and other competitors.
Even though service provided was great for all the vendors, and they all were in about the same price range, we decided to go with Sauce Labs.
The main reason was a small additional feature, that was available on Sauce Labs, but not in other vendors - video recordings of every executed test.
Also, I compared online reviews of Sauce Labs and other competitors.
Even though service provided was great for all the vendors, and they all were in about the same price range, we decided to go with Sauce Labs.
The main reason was a small additional feature, that was available on Sauce Labs, but not in other vendors - video recordings of every executed test.
I don't think I would change anything.
I would do it exactly the same as I did before.
Read online reviews, read side to side comparisons, and most importantly, try it out if the free trial period is available.
The one new thing the Sauce Labs started to do, is the annual Sauce Labs conference in San Francisco.
I don't think I would attend it before using the product, but I would watch some reviews and video highlights from the conference.
I would do it exactly the same as I did before.
Read online reviews, read side to side comparisons, and most importantly, try it out if the free trial period is available.
The one new thing the Sauce Labs started to do, is the annual Sauce Labs conference in San Francisco.
I don't think I would attend it before using the product, but I would watch some reviews and video highlights from the conference.
Using Sauce Labs
2 - We use Sauce labs mostly for automated tests.
I am the one who writes all the tests and reviews most of them, but we have other manual QA people who also reviews automated tests, that are executed on Sauce Labs virtual machines.
Sometimes, we use Sauce Labs for manual tests, mostly when we need to verify something on very specific browser/os combination that we don't have.
So in general, we have about 5-6 people in the company who have access to sauce labs, but only 2 people use it at least once a week.
I am the one who writes all the tests and reviews most of them, but we have other manual QA people who also reviews automated tests, that are executed on Sauce Labs virtual machines.
Sometimes, we use Sauce Labs for manual tests, mostly when we need to verify something on very specific browser/os combination that we don't have.
So in general, we have about 5-6 people in the company who have access to sauce labs, but only 2 people use it at least once a week.
1 - Well, Sauce Labs doesn't need internal support. They support us.
But I'm the only one person in our company that uses their VMs every day.
And I'm the only one who talks to them when we have any issues or questions.
The only time when other people in our company need to talk to Sauce Labs is when we extending our contract with them once a year.
But I'm the only one person in our company that uses their VMs every day.
And I'm the only one who talks to them when we have any issues or questions.
The only time when other people in our company need to talk to Sauce Labs is when we extending our contract with them once a year.
- Run automated tests on desktop browsers
- Run automated tests on mobile simulators
- Execute manual tests on specific browser/os combination
- Debug failed tests
- Run tests on real mobile device
- Customer support not just helping with their issues, but helping resolve third-party problems.
- Will say it one more time, the video recordings of tests are very cool and helpful
- They will be providing proxy server features, that we would love to use
- More available browser/os and mobile device combinations
Sauce Labs Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response | None |
Not Sure - I'm not sure if that counts as premium support, but we have a custom plan with them.
The Sauce Labs support helped us pick the best plan that would work for us, so we can run exactly the amount of tests in a specific time that we want.
The Sauce Labs support helped us pick the best plan that would work for us, so we can run exactly the amount of tests in a specific time that we want.
Yes - I reported bug one time.
At the time of reporting, I didn't know that it was a bug with Sauce Labs system.
I reported the issue I had, after upgrading browser version.
Support got back to me very quickly explaining that they already know about this bug and are working on fixing it.
With all the description of the issue provided by support, I was able to build workaround in my tests and still use latest browser version.
At the time of reporting, I didn't know that it was a bug with Sauce Labs system.
I reported the issue I had, after upgrading browser version.
Support got back to me very quickly explaining that they already know about this bug and are working on fixing it.
With all the description of the issue provided by support, I was able to build workaround in my tests and still use latest browser version.
I don't know about one exceptional time.
I guess the issue I described before was exceptional.
When I contacted support about the problem I had, they explained that it wasn't their issue, but the problem with third-party software I used and they supported.
But instead of just stop on this, they took care of debugging the problem and reporting it to developers of that software.
All I had to do is to provide all the information I knew about the problem. And Sauce Labs support took care of the rest.
I guess the issue I described before was exceptional.
When I contacted support about the problem I had, they explained that it wasn't their issue, but the problem with third-party software I used and they supported.
But instead of just stop on this, they took care of debugging the problem and reporting it to developers of that software.
All I had to do is to provide all the information I knew about the problem. And Sauce Labs support took care of the rest.
Using Sauce Labs
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Feel confident using Familiar | None |
- Selection of available browser/os and mobile device/os combinations
- Video recordings of tests
- Quick manual tests on any browser/os and mobile device/os combinations
- Unavailability of proxy servers (which should be available soon in future)
- Testing on iPads are really slow
- It's more difficult to use sauce labs, if vpn/proxy is required to access test environment (compared to ease of use if its not required)
Yes, but I don't use it