What’s the Difference Between Smoke and Sanity Testing?

Smoke testing and sanity testing are both types of software testing, but they serve different purposes and are conducted at different stages of the testing process.

Smoke Testing:

• Purpose: Smoke testing, also known as build verification testing, is conducted to ensure that the critical functionalities of the software are working fine and the application is stable enough for further testing.
• Scope: It focuses on testing the basic functionality of the software without going into too much detail.
• Timing: It is performed after each new build of the software is received.
• Depth: It does not involve exhaustive testing but rather aims to identify major flaws that would prevent further testing.
• Automation: Smoke tests are often automated to save time and effort.
• Examples: Verifying if the software can launch, if basic features are accessible, and if the critical functionalities are working as expected.

Sanity Testing:

• Purpose: Sanity testing, also known as narrow regression testing, is conducted to ensure that specific areas of the software functionality are working after changes are made.
• Scope: It focuses on a specific set of functionalities or areas of the software to ensure that they are still operational after changes are made.
• Timing: It is performed after the software has undergone significant changes or updates.
• Depth: Unlike smoke testing, sanity testing can be more detailed and specific, focusing on particular areas of concern.
• Automation: While automation can be used for sanity testing, it often involves manual testing to ensure that the specific functionalities are working as expected after changes.
• Examples: Testing specific modules, components, or features of the software to ensure they haven’t been adversely affected by recent changes.

In summary, smoke testing ensures the basic stability of the software after each build, while sanity testing ensures that specific functionalities or areas of the software are still operational after changes are made. Both are important in ensuring the quality and stability of software products.