Alternatives to Grafana k6
An open-source command-line load testing tool that runs test scripts written in JavaScript. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Grafana k6
An open-source command-line load testing tool that runs test scripts written in JavaScript.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Grafana k6.
Apache JMeter
An open-source Java application for load testing and measuring the performance of web applications and servers.
Apache JMeter is a Java desktop application that can record tests instead of scripting them and covers protocols such as SOAP, FTP and databases, but requires a Java runtime.
Locust
An open-source load testing tool where user behaviour is defined in plain Python code.
Locust defines load tests in plain Python instead of JavaScript and supports distributed runs across multiple machines, with documentation focused mainly on HTTP testing.
Gatling
A load testing tool for web applications and APIs, with an open-source edition and hosted enterprise platform.
Gatling also keeps load tests as code, with an open-source Community Edition, while CI/CD automation and deeper analysis are in the paid Enterprise Edition.
Artillery
Load testing and Playwright end-to-end testing toolkit with an open-source CLI and an optional cloud dashboard.
Artillery is an MPL-2.0 CLI that pairs load testing with Playwright end-to-end tests and can run on your own AWS or Azure, with dashboards in its hosted cloud.
Vegeta
Command-line HTTP load testing tool that sends requests at a constant rate.
Vegeta is an MIT-licensed Go command-line tool that sends requests at a constant rate, but has no built-in scripting for complex user flows.
Siege
Command-line HTTP load tester that stress-tests web servers with simulated concurrent users.
Siege is a GPL-3.0 command-line stress tester for macOS and Linux with simpler scripting options than k6 and no graphical reports.
Loader.io
Cloud load testing service that simulates many concurrent connections against web apps and APIs.
Loader.io is a closed-source hosted service, so no load generators to run yourself, but it requires an account and registering the target host.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Checkly
A code-first monitoring platform that runs Playwright browser checks and API tests from global locations.
sitespeed.io
An open-source tool for measuring, analysing and monitoring the performance of web pages.
Lighthouse CI
A set of tools that runs Lighthouse audits on every commit and tracks results over time.
Selenium IDE
A browser extension that records and replays interactions to build end-to-end tests for websites.
WebPageTest
An online website performance tester with waterfall charts, filmstrips, multiple locations and throttled connections.
TestMu AI
A cloud testing platform, formerly LambdaTest, for cross-browser, automated and AI-assisted testing of web apps.
