Here in WCB we optimistically believe that there will be a shiny day when all browsers will display our websites identically. But by the moment this article is being written that day is still pretty far away and we are still faced a necessity to test the websites we build on different platforms, devices and browsers to make sure our customer will be happy in the end.
If you build websites you might be using old good testing techniques like running virtual machines with many browsers and OS installed, buying a few laptops or bothering your friends and neighbours asking them to test your creature on their iPad. Well these ways quite have a right to still exist.
But you would kick yourself if you knew how many services offer you to test your website with no hassle just on a click nowadays.
Browsershots
Free to use web-service allows you to test the website on more than 50 browsers and operating systems combining them in a massive number of variations. The only confusing moment is you will get only screenshots so your scripts and blinking CSS backgrounds won’t be displayed.
What you need to do is just to give your URL click the button and wait – your website will get in the queue and in some time (from 5 minutes to 2hours depending on how busy the servers are) you will get your screenshots just one by one.
Actually there paid account can be bought which gets you a high priority performing for 29.95$/mo so you will get your screenshot in 5 minutes.
CrossBrowserTesting
Extremely functional paid service which lets you test your website on real computers via VNC connection on any browser and operating system – over 1000 combinations available from 29.95$/mo.
I can’t not to mention testing on mobile platforms and devices like Android and iOS is available – all real-time performing, so now your CSS backgrounds are blinking as a Christmas tree!
Litmus
Besides a cross-browser compatibility testing this useful online service validates HTML and CSS code.
But a splendent feature of Litmus is that the service’s focused mainly on email testing – over 30 mailing clients available as well as a plenty of analytic tools – your emails hit straight in the heart and also look pretty on Grandma’s Nokia!
The prices start from 49$/mo after 7 days of trial.
Net Renderer
Fast and free online tool by which you can test how the website is rendered in older versions of IE (may be useful if you often deal with government authorities – IE is still a standard there). The feature is it can merge screenshots from different versions in one image so the rendering difference is very well shown.
Chrome Developer Tool: Emulation Mode
To my thinking it is the greatest tool for a quick testing as available for free and comes with amazing Chrome browser. Just right click, press Inspect element and go to emulation-voila you are in Heaven.
A bunch of pre-set mobile devices, flexible customization of resolutions, pixel ratio etc. – all these features just a click away. Moreover it can emulate touch screen devices which is massively useful for testing and researches of user experience patterns. You don’t pay a penny and in combination with localhost server you have a powerful and flexible testing factory you can work anywhere even without internet connection – absolutely lovely!
These options surely are only a small bit of a huge variety of services and programmes you can easily find by yourself in Internet. Here I listed just what I find worth checking out.
The bright day of universal rendering is on the long way but with these easy tools you are fully equipped for making every client with any exotically configured device happy with what you build.
