Grafana Labs
Grafana Labs' k6 is an open-source load testing tool designed for developers, supporting hybrid performance testing and extensive integrations, with both open-source and cloud-based versions available.
k6 Hybrid Performance Testing
k6 supports hybrid performance testing, allowing users to combine end-to-end browser testing and load testing within the same script. This capability makes k6 a versatile tool for comprehensive performance assessments, ensuring applications can handle both real user interactions and stress conditions simultaneously.
k6 Open-Source Load Testing Tool
k6 is an open-source load testing tool tailored for developers. It offers a developer-centric experience, integrating seamlessly into DevOps workflows. k6 supports various testing scenarios, including load testing, synthetic monitoring, fault injection testing, infrastructure testing, and regression testing. It allows scripting in JavaScript and integrates with numerous tools like Postman, New Relic, Visual Studio, and Grafana, among others.
k6 Cloud-Based Load Testing
k6 Cloud, the cloud-based version of k6, enables distributed and scalable load testing from 21 load zones worldwide to simulate real global traffic patterns. Features include automated performance analysis, collaborative workspaces, dashboards with rich UI for result analysis, and integrations with CI/CD tools for automation. It also offers a free tier with 500 virtual user hours each month along with premium support and enterprise-grade security.
k6 Integrations and Extensions
k6 integrates with various third-party tools like Datadog, Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Amazon SQS to enhance its functionality. It also boasts a community-driven extensions ecosystem, allowing for additional capabilities such as SQL, Browser, Kafka, Chaos, and MQTT. This flexibility makes k6 adaptable to a wide range of testing needs and scenarios.
k6 Acquisition and Community Impact
Grafana Labs acquired k6 in June 2021. Since then, k6 has continued to grow, with over 200,000 users from more than 190 countries, conducting 6.5 million load tests each month. The open-source product has garnered significant attention on GitHub, achieving 15.8k stars and 660 forks. k6's community-driven development and strong open-source presence underline its importance in the software testing landscape.