Free Load Testing Tools
Which load testing tools a startup can stress-test its API and site with before a launch for free today, how many virtual users or test minutes the free plan allows, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Load testing tools change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
Load testing tools a startup can use for free today include Grafana Cloud k6 (Always free, 500 virtual user hours a month), k6 open source (Free to run on your infrastructure), Loader.io (Free plan forever, $0 a month), Locust (Free and open source), and BlazeMeter (Free Starter: 50 virtual users). Each of the 10 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, its virtual user or test caps, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
A launch, a press mention or a big customer can multiply your traffic overnight, and a load test tells you beforehand where your API or site slows down or breaks. Hosted load testing services run tests from the cloud with a free plan or trial, and open-source tools run free on your own machines.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Free plans cap virtual users, test length or tests a month, keep results only a short time, and leave cloud locations to paid plans. Each tool below shows what is free, its main limit, its virtual user and test caps, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which tools we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which tools are listed or where.
Load testing services with a free plan
Run load tests from the cloud against your API or site, free to start.
- 1
Grafana Cloud k6
k6 scripts run in the cloud at no cost
Grafana Cloud k6's free tier is limited to 500 virtual user hours per month and needs no credit card. The first paid plan is a $19 a month platform fee.
- Virtual users and minutes
- 500 virtual user hours a month (source: grafana.com)
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: grafana.com)
Start free at Grafana LabsTerms read on grafana.com on Grafana Cloud k6: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Loader.io
Quick browser-run load checks on one host
Loader.io's Free plan is free forever, with tests of up to 10,000 clients per test on one target host, 1 minute each. The Pro plan is $99.95 a month.
- Virtual users and minutes
- 10,000 clients per test (source: loader.io)
- First paid plan
- Pro: $99.95 a month, 100,000 clients (source: loader.io)
- 3
BlazeMeter
Small cloud load tests, up to 50 virtual users
BlazeMeter's Free Starter plan allows up to 50 virtual users and 10 tests a month. The first paid plan, Basic, is $149 a month billed monthly.
- Virtual users and minutes
- Up to 50 virtual users (source: blazemeter.com)
- First paid plan
- Basic: $149 a month, billed monthly (source: blazemeter.com)
Start free at BlazeMeterTerms read on blazemeter.com on BlazeMeter: the free allowance and how to start - 4
Artillery Cloud
Hobby and proof-of-concept load tests
Artillery Cloud's free tier suits proof-of-concept projects, with 30 test reports a month and tests of up to 30 minutes. The Team plan is $199 a month.
- Virtual users and minutes
- Tests up to 30 minutes each (source: artillery.io)
- First paid plan
- Team: $199 a month (source: artillery.io)
Start free at ArtilleryTerms read on artillery.io on Artillery Cloud: the free allowance and how to start - 5
LoadView
Checking a site with a few tests before paying
LoadView gives up to 5 free tests on signup, with no credit card and no contract. The first paid plan, Starter, is $129 a month billed annually.
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: loadview-testing.com)
Start free at LoadViewTerms read on loadview-testing.com on LoadView: the free allowance and how to start - 6
Gatling
Trying the hosted Gatling platform for two weeks
Gatling's sign-up gives a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required.
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: gatling.io)
Open-source load testing tools
Write and run load tests on your own machines, free.
- 1
k6 open source
JavaScript load tests run on your own machines
The k6 open source page states that it is free to run on your own infrastructure.
Start free at Grafana LabsTerms read on k6.io on k6 open source: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Locust
Load tests defined in code, run on your machines
Locust's own page describes it as an open source load testing tool.
- What's free
- Free and open source (source: locust.io)
- 3
Apache JMeter
The established open source load testing tool
The Apache JMeter application is open source software, according to the project's own page.
Start free at Apache JMeterTerms read on jmeter.apache.org on Apache JMeter: the free allowance and how to start - 4
Gatling Community Edition
Small-scale tests you run on your own machine
Gatling Community Edition is free and ideal for small-scale testing. Distributed load generation is part of the Enterprise Edition, which builds on it.
- What's free
- Community Edition, free (source: gatling.io)
Start free at GatlingTerms read on gatling.io on Gatling Community Edition: the free allowance and how to start
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How this comparison is built
The list covers load testing tools a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each tool's terms. Every term comes from the tool's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on virtual users or test minutes a month, cloud test locations kept for paid plans, results kept only a short time can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these tools pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a tool appears, and no tool pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free load testing tool?
By the terms each provider states, Grafana Cloud k6 is always free for 500 virtual user hours a month, Loader.io has a $0 plan for tests of up to 10,000 clients, BlazeMeter's Free Starter runs up to 50 virtual users, and k6, Locust, Apache JMeter and Gatling Community Edition are free open-source tools.
Is k6 free?
Yes. k6 open source is free to run on your own infrastructure, and Grafana Cloud k6 is always free for 500 virtual user hours a month with 14 days of retention and no card needed.
How many virtual users can I load test for free?
Loader.io allows 10,000 clients per test on 1-minute tests against 1 target host, BlazeMeter's Free Starter up to 50 virtual users and 10 tests a month, and Grafana Cloud k6 500 virtual user hours a month.
Is there a free trial of a hosted load testing service?
LoadView gives 5 free tests on signup and Gatling a 14-day free trial of its platform, and neither needs a card.
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