Smoke Testing vs Regression Testing

Smoke testing and regression testing are both important types of software testing, but they serve different purposes and are executed at different stages of the development process. Here’s a comparison of smoke testing vs regression testing:

Smoke Testing:

It occurs at the beginning of testing, typically right after a new build is created.
It focuses on verifying the most essential functions of a program to ensure basic stability.
It is a quick and focused test to check if the build is stable enough to proceed with further testing.
Usually, it covers only the core functionalities of the software.

Regression Testing:

Takes place after every significant change or update to the software.
Aims to verify that recent changes haven’t negatively impacted existing functionality.
It is more comprehensive and time-consuming compared to smoke testing.
Covers a broader range of functionalities, including both new and existing features.

Key Differences:

Smoke testing is always followed by regression testing, not vice versa.
Smoke testing is a shallow, quick check, while regression testing is a deeper, more thorough examination.
Both developers and testers typically execute smoke tests, whereas regression tests are usually conducted only by the QA team.

A tabular comparison between Smoke Testing and Regression Testing

Here’s a tabular comparison between both of them.

Aspect	Smoke Testing	Regression Testing
Purpose	To check if the build is stable enough to proceed with further testing	To verify if any recent changes have affected existing functionalities
Scope	Limited to critical functionalities	Comprehensive, covering both new and existing features
Timing	Performed immediately after a new build	Performed after every significant change or update
Depth	Shallow, quick check	A large number of test cases
Duration	Quick and brief	Time-consuming and extensive
Performed by	A deep, thorough examination	Typically done by the QA team
Test Cases	Often manual, it can be automated	A few critical test cases
Automation	Often manual, can be automated	Frequently automated
Frequency	Every build	After each significant change
Goal	Identify major issues quickly	Ensure new changes don’t break existing features

You can also check out What is smoke testing in Software engineering

In summary, smoke testing is a quick initial check to ensure basic functionality, while regression testing is a more comprehensive process to ensure that new changes don’t break existing features.