15 Tools For Android App Performance Testing in 2025

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Tomasz Kmieciak

Updated Jan 27, 2025 • 22 min read
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In today's fast-paced tech world, user experience is essential, and app performance is a crucial factor of that experience.

This blog post provides an overview of the best performance testing tools in 2025 to ensure your app runs smoothly.

Performance of your application matters

With the rapid advancements in technology, user experience has become a top priority for Android app developers and business owners alike. With the average user's attention span shrinking and the value of completing tasks quickly rising, delivering fast and seamless experiences has never been more important. As a result, app performance has become an essential factor in meeting user expectations and delivering a high-quality user experience.

Importance of app performance testing

Failing to properly test your app's performance can result in a range of issues, such as decreased user satisfaction and lower conversion rates. When users experience issues with an app, they are likely to become frustrated, and may abandon the app altogether. This can lead to lost revenue and negatively impact brand reputation. Moreover, if an app experiences downtime due to performance issues, it can result in significant costs to the business. Not only can downtime lead to lost revenue, but it can also result in lost productivity and additional expenses associated with repairing the app. Therefore, conducting performance testing is a crucial step in ensuring that your app functions as intended, and delivers a seamless user experience that positively impacts your business's bottom line.

Performance testing should be considered at various stages of the app development lifecycle. Ideally, performance testing should be conducted during the development phase, and then again after the app has been released to production. Additionally, if updates or changes are made to the app, performance testing should also be conducted to ensure that the changes do not negatively impact the app's performance. By regularly testing your app's performance, you can ensure that your app runs smoothly and delivers a positive user experience that helps drive business success.

Different types of performance testing

Mobile app performance testing consists of several key pillars that are critical to ensuring your app is functioning optimally. These pillars include device performance, networking performance, and backend performance. Device performance refers to how well your app runs on different devices and operating systems. Networking performance refers to how well your app operates on various network conditions, while backend performance refers to how well the server-side code supporting your app is working.

  • Device performance is crucial since users access apps on various devices, and each device may have different technical specifications. Device performance testing involves checking whether the app is running smoothly on different devices without any lag or glitches. Additionally, testing how well the app adapts to different screen sizes, resolutions, and orientations is also important.

  • Networking performance testing checks how well an app functions under different network conditions, such as 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi. Since users access apps using various network connections, it is essential to test the app's performance under different network conditions. Networking performance testing helps identify issues such as slow data transmission, connectivity issues, or excessive data usage that can lead to user dissatisfaction.

  • Backend performance testing evaluates the app's server-side code performance that supports user interaction with the app. Backend performance testing aims to ensure the server can handle the app's load and user requests without causing delays or crashes. Backend performance testing is important since backend issues can cause slow response times, poor user experience, and, in the worst case, app crashes. When thinking of specific strategies, consider load tests, stress tests, soak tests and spike tests.

What changed in 2024?

In today’s digital landscape, the realm of performance testing tools is experiencing an extraordinary surge in growth and innovation. With the global market size hitting an impressive USD 1028.29 million in 2022 and projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 23.33%, it's clear that the demand for sophisticated testing solutions is on the rise. This growth is driven by several key trends that are reshaping the way developers and quality assurance professionals approach software testing.

Moreover, the gap between testing on real devices and using emulators or simulators is narrowing, thanks to enhancements in technology that improve the fidelity of simulators and the accessibility of real device farms.. This trend reduces costs and increases testing efficiency and scalability.

Moreover, the gap between testing on real devices and using emulators or simulators is narrowing, thanks to enhancements in technology that improve the fidelity of simulators and the accessibility of real device farms. This progress is crucial for testers aiming to replicate user environments with greater accuracy, ensuring that applications perform well across a wide range of devices and scenarios.

Adding another layer of sophistication, integrated performance monitoring is becoming a standard feature within testing tools. This functionality allows for the real-time monitoring of app performance during the testing phases, enabling the early identification and mitigation of potential performance issues. The integration of Continuous Integration (CI) and comprehensive reporting solutions further enriches this feature by making insights accessible to a broader audience, including non-technical stakeholders.

The advent of AI in automated test case generation marks a pivotal advancement in the field. AI algorithms now have the capability to analyze vast datasets, user behaviors, and application workflows to intelligently generate test cases. This innovation not only speeds up the testing process but also ensures a more thorough coverage of usage scenarios, enhancing the overall quality and reliability of software products.

The incorporation of AI and machine learning into leading tools is reducing the complexity of understanding performance test results. Helper AI assistants and integrations of ChatGPT are making load testing more comprehensible and accessible, providing valuable insights that facilitate faster and more contextual analysis. This integration represents a significant leap forward in making performance testing more user-friendly and effective for a broader audience.

Top Performance Testing Tools for Android Apps

This section will list some of the tools that are notably influential in the area of performance testing. They are separated by the types of tests, though some of the tools offer functionality belonging to more than one type.

Backend performance tools

These tools offer a range of options for backend performance testing, from open-source solutions to enterprise-grade platforms. The choice depends on factors such as budget, team expertise, specific testing requirements, and the scale of testing needed. It's important to evaluate each tool based on your specific needs and infrastructure requirements.

For 2024 and beyond, the trend in load testing tools seems to be moving towards more user-friendly, cloud-based solutions that offer advanced features like real browser testing, easier scalability, and more sophisticated analysis tools.

Apache JMeter

Apache JMeter is a widely-used, open-source performance testing tool known for its versatility and robust capabilities. It is great for businesses looking to leverage community-driven innovation on a budget. JMeter's latest update, version 5.6, brings about several enhancements, including an improved API that simplifies the process of creating test plans through programming. The update also involves internal changes, such as transitioning Groovy tests to Kotlin and updating JUnit tests to the more recent JUnit 5. After observing these advancements, some experts believe that JMeter might not be keeping pace with newer load testing tools in terms of features and user-friendliness. Nonetheless, for those with a strong technical background, JMeter remains a favored choice, underscoring that its value is still recognized among its dedicated user base.

Key Features:

  • Supports various protocols including web, databases, and APIs

  • User-friendly GUI for test plan creation

  • Extensive plugin ecosystem

Pros:

  • Free and open-source

  • Highly customizable

  • Largest community support

Cons:

  • Requires scripting knowledge for complex tests

  • Can be resource-intensive for large-scale tests

  • If you are starting, you might want to select more modern tool

K6

K6 is an open-source load testing tool that has gained popularity for its developer-centric approach. K6 offers easy integration into Continuous Integration (CI) systems, along with robust monitoring and reporting capabilities. It has recently introduced a browser module integration, making browser automation and frontend performance testing more straightforward than ever. Additionally, K6 launched a new web dashboard that offers real-time insights into load testing, enhancing the ability to track and analyze performance as it happens. Furthermore, the introduction of Cloud Output v2 brings notable improvements, including a more efficient binary format for data, better aggregation of test samples, and advanced HDR Histogram support for in-depth trend analysis.

Key Features:

  • JavaScript-based scripting

  • Cloud and on-premises options

  • Integration with CI/CD pipelines

Pros:

  • Developer-friendly

  • Lightweight and efficient

  • Good documentation

Cons:

  • Limited GUI options

  • May require coding skills

BlazeMeter

BlazeMeter is a cloud-based performance testing platform that offers scalability and ease of use. It has recently made significant advancements in its API Monitoring features, simplifying the test creation process by supporting Swagger and OpenAPI specifications. It has also upgraded its monitoring technology, enabling precise measurements of CPU and memory usage for private locations using Kubernetes and Docker.

Furthermore, the introduction of a new Executive Summary format allows for more effective communication of test results, tailoring reports to showcase essential data and insights. Additionally, BlazeMeter has improved how users can compare request statistics, offering three distinct comparison options to provide more comprehensive performance insights.

These updates underscore BlazeMeter's dedication to improving user experience, offering detailed performance analysis, and ensuring compatibility with contemporary development methodologies. As a tool, it is suited for teams that need to move fast and scale quickly without getting slowed down by tool complexity.

Key Features:

  • Test scenario creation supports various open-source tools like JMeter, Postman, OpenAPI

  • Cloud-based testing with global load generation

  • Collaborative features for teams

Pros:

  • Easy to scale tests

  • Integrates well with CI/CD pipelines

  • User-friendly interface

Cons:

  • Can be expensive for large-scale testing

  • Some advanced features may require additional expertise

LoadRunner (HP Performance Tester)

LoadRunner is a commercial performance testing tool known for its comprehensive features and enterprise-grade capabilities. Ideal for tech teams who love digging deep into data. Recently, LoadRunner has introduced a feature enabling a bi-directional data feed monitor that seamlessly integrates with observability platforms, starting with DataDog APM. This feature allows for the direct transfer of comprehensive load test data, including workload specifics, transaction timings, and logs, thereby facilitating quicker identification of issues and enhancing the visibility of performance tests within organizations.

Additionally, LoadRunner's scripting component, VuGen, has been updated to support a wider range of protocols and browsers, and now includes a new tool for generating scripts with no code/low code, specifically for AWS scripts. Moreover, a new Chrome recording extension has been launched, making it easier for users to record web activities directly from Chrome, convert these records into HAR files, and subsequently generate scripts, streamlining the scripting process.

Key Features:

  • Supports a wide range of protocols and technologies

  • Advanced analytics and reporting

  • Integrates with other HP tools

Pros:

  • Robust and scalable

  • Excellent support for enterprise applications

  • Comprehensive reporting features

Cons:

  • Expensive licensing costs

  • Steep learning curve

WebLOAD

WebLOAD is an enterprise-grade load testing tool that offers both on-premises and cloud options. WebLOAD has significantly enhanced its analytics features, offering a more in-depth perspective on system performance which allows teams to track and understand performance trends effectively over time.

The tool has also upgraded its compatibility with CI/CD processes, ensuring smoother integration into development workflows. The updated dashboard provides improved visualization, making it easier to observe and analyze load testing trends.

Moreover, with the introduction of WebLOAD.AI , WebLOAD integrates artificial intelligence to refine and streamline the load testing process, aiming for more intelligent and efficient testing strategies. AI features combined with great recording options allows for easy learning of the tool, though some coding knowledge is useful to fully utilize WebLOAD’s feature set.

Key Features:

  • JavaScript-based scripting

  • Supports a wide range of technologies and protocols

  • Advanced analytics and reporting

Pros:

  • Flexible deployment options

  • Comprehensive technology support

  • Good for complex testing scenarios

Cons:

  • Can be expensive for smaller teams

  • May require significant resources for large-scale tests

Networking performance tools

Network performance testing tools haven’t seen many groundbreaking features. AI and ML are being incorporated into network performance testing tools to provide more intelligent analysis and predictive capabilities, however evaluation of such features is still ongoing. With the increasing adoption of cloud services, network performance testing tools are shifting towards cloud-based solutions for scalability and flexibility, though most of such features are considered for more complex performance testing tools, rather than just networking-related ones.

The already listed backend performance tools offer features related to networking performance tools so it is good to research such options in order to limit the amount of tools and reports. All of them support some way of using cloud-based capabilities for distributed testing. They also offer integration with CI/CD. WebLOAD, LoadRunner and BlazeMeter allow for simulating different network conditions.

Tools listed below are more suited towards quality assurance experts wanting to get a detailed insight into how the app performs. Manual tests supported by tools enable more subjective tests that evaluate overall UI/UX, all whilst being able to see specific performance data and details from the tools.

Charles Proxy

Charles Proxy is a tool to intercept network traffic. In the context of performance, what we find useful is its ability to adjust the bandwidth and latency of the internet connection. Past two years, there have been several releases of public beta versions for new Charles 5. New version has brought following improvements:

  • Significant user interface (UI) enhancements, particularly on Windows including dark mode support

  • Performance improvements

  • Technology upgrades

Charles Proxy is a paid tool, though it has quite a competitive pricing, making it suitable for smaller teams.

Network Inspector (previously Network Profiler)

Knowing when and how your Android app receives and sends data will show you if the underlying code is due for some optimization. This tool is used by our teams to analyze application transfer data. You can see data sent and received by the application in real-time in the form of a timeline. Recently, the tool has been moved from Android Profiler to the App Inspection tool. The look and feel have been preserved while giving a lighter-weight experience.

AppSpector

AppSpector is an inspection platform that allows users to debug mobile applications. The tool is particularly useful for debugging rather than optimization. However, users can still see real-time database content, network requests/traffic, logs, and performance metrics. Additional benefits it offers:

  • Easy debugging for both Android and iOS operating systems

  • User-friendly interface

  • The possibility to debug mobile apps remotely

Device performance tools

Arriving at the devices themselves, there are multiple performance areas that can be tested. Most common areas are: reaction speed, application not responding and slow rendering / frozen frames. However, there are more specific things to check such as start-up time, memory leaks, crashes and battery consumption. It’s worth it to measure those areas and compare results with the industry standards.

Taking proper measurements can be made easy with appropriate tools. Some of them are even available out of the box for free, like the Android Studio Profiler. Others may require a paid license, but provide an experience tailored to a testing process or higher level of observability which can be somehow automated. 2024 offers more advancements in utilizing AI for root cause analysis, though for now a feature only available in paid tools.

Android Studio Profiler

Android Studio Profiler is an integrated performance profiling tool within Android Studio, designed to help developers optimize their Android applications. There are several profiling tools to help find and visualize potential problems. CPU profiler helps track down runtime performance issues. Memory profiler helps track memory allocations. Energy profiler tracks energy usage, which can contribute to battery drain.

However, the tool can be resource-intensive, potentially slowing down the development environment, and may present a steep learning curve for beginners unfamiliar with performance profiling techniques. Additionally, some developers reported hangs, crashes and incorrect data. Despite these cons, Android Studio Profiler remains an indispensable tool for developers committed to delivering high-quality Android applications.

LeakCanary

LeakCanary is an open-source memory leak detection library for Android applications. It automatically detects memory leaks in real-time, providing detailed leak trace information to help developers identify and fix issues promptly. Key features include automatic leak detection, a clear and concise leak trace, and integration with Android Studio for seamless debugging.

However, the tool can sometimes generate false positives and may slightly increase the app's memory footprint during its operation. Despite these minor drawbacks, LeakCanary is a highly valuable tool for developers aiming to maintain optimal memory management in their Android applications.

Perfetto

Perfetto is a sophisticated system profiling tool developed by Google, designed to provide detailed tracing and performance analysis across various metrics on Android devices. It offers comprehensive features including CPU, GPU, and memory tracking, as well as custom event tracing and integration with other profiling tools like Android Studio. The benefits of using Perfetto include in-depth insights into system resource usage, high granularity of performance data, and the ability to diagnose complex performance bottlenecks. It also works quite stably and accurately with large projects.

However, its advanced capabilities can make it challenging for beginners to use and interpret, and it may require significant setup and configuration. It is only available with Android 9 so the tool cannot be used with older systems. Unlike Android Studio Profiler, which is integrated directly into the Android development environment, Perfetto is a standalone tool that provides more detailed and granular data, making it suitable for more advanced performance analysis.

New Relic Mobile Monitoring

New Relic Mobile is a premium performance monitoring tool designed to provide comprehensive insights into the performance of mobile applications, including those on the Android platform. It features detailed analytics such as crash reporting, user interaction tracking, and real-time performance metrics, offering a holistic view of app health. The benefits of using New Relic Mobile include improved app stability, enhanced user experience, and the ability to quickly identify and resolve performance issues.

However, the tool comes with a paid license, which can be a significant investment for smaller teams or independent developers, and its extensive feature set may require a learning curve to fully utilize. Compared to Android Studio Profiler, New Relic Mobile offers more robust analytics and user-centric data, making it especially useful for teams focused on both performance and user experience.

HeadSpin

HeadSpin is a comprehensive, paid performance testing platform designed to provide real-time insights and diagnostics for mobile applications, including those on Android devices. It features an array of advanced capabilities beyond device testing, such as network performance analysis, user experience analytics, and extensive test automation, all accessible through a user-friendly interface.

However, its premium pricing can be a barrier for smaller teams or startups, and the extensive feature set may require time and expertise to master fully. Compared to other paid tools, HeadSpin's strengths lie in its network performance analysis and global test automation, making it ideal for businesses needing detailed insights into network interactions and user experience. There are also some new features utilizing AI capabilities to provide intelligent root cause analysis.

Best Practices for Using Performance Testing Tools

Considerations for choosing a performance testing tool

When choosing performance testing tools, always consider the scope of features such a tool has. You may select a tool that can handle various areas which may be better suited for a complete performance check without the need to use multiple tools. On the other hand, more specific tools offer more precise measurements and can help track issues faster.

Support for real device testing and CI/CD pipelines may be useful for long-term projects where regular checks are needed whilst limiting manual and repeatable tests. It is not recommended to start with automated complex tools though as sometimes even manual checks can quickly identify the status of an application.

Consider the ease of setup and the learning curve associated with the tool. A user-friendly interface and comprehensive documentation can significantly reduce onboarding time. Additionally, evaluate the cost and licensing model to ensure it fits within your budget. Consider both upfront costs and ongoing expenses like subscription fees.

Tips for using performance testing tools effectively

Besides having proper tools, there may be some tips that could be useful when trying to advance your performance testing skills. Please be mindful of the performance testing pillars as described in this article. Some other tips which may be useful:

  • Don’t forget about manual tests focused on the general UX and feeling. Even though there is no metric, it can help prioritize the areas that need to be investigated

  • Check how much of the battery level is reduced after running the whole regression tests

  • Always include the release version of the app in your performance report

  • Test on different systems (MiUI, OneUI), not just versions

  • When checking UI performance, focus on animations, lists, scrolling and screen transitions. Don’t forget about screen orientation changes

Conclusion

Ensuring your application performs optimally is crucial in today's fast-paced digital world, where user experience can make or break an app's success. As technology advances rapidly, users expect quick and seamless interactions with applications. A lagging or poorly performing app can lead to decreased user satisfaction, lower conversion rates, and ultimately, can harm your business's revenue and reputation.

Performance testing emerges as a vital practice to avoid such pitfalls. It helps in identifying potential issues that could disrupt the user experience, ensuring that your app meets the high expectations of today's users. Conducting thorough performance testing at various stages of the app development lifecycle—not just post-release but also during development and after any updates—ensures your app functions flawlessly. This proactive approach not only enhances user satisfaction but also supports your business's objectives by delivering a smooth, efficient user experience that drives success.

As we look to the future, the trajectory of performance testing tools is clear—towards greater efficiency, accessibility, and insight. These trends not only promise to enhance the quality and reliability of software products but also to redefine the standards of software testing, making it a more integrated and user-centric process. In embracing these innovations, the future of performance testing looks bright, heralding a new era of efficiency and innovation for developers and quality assurance professionals alike.

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Tomasz Kmieciak

QA Team Leader at Netguru
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