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Useful Resources for Testing Cross Browser Compatibility

Posted on 24. Feb, 2011 by bmackler in Resources

Making sure your site works across the board on multiple browsers (and versions), at multiple resolutions can be very difficult and time consuming.    Ever since the beginning of web development this has been a major struggle because if a user cannot view your website properly, it is automatically assumed there is a problem with the design and you are to blame.

As designers and developers it is our job to insure that does not happen.  While yes, you may always have a problem in 1 or 2 older or off market browsers, it is essential that sites look and work properly across current version of major browsers like Firefox, IE, Chrome and Safari, unless .

While this is perhaps one of the most frustrating aspects of designing for the web, thankfully there are tools out there that can help us test and make sure our site.  Today lets take a look at some useful resources for testing cross browser compatibility

BrowserShots

BrowserShots is a free cross-browser tool that captures screenshots of the website in different browsers. This is the best known and the oldest cross-browser tool used by developers.  The tool has come under criticism lately for being too slow and too hard to use compared to the other tools available

Cross Browser Compatability

IETester

Just download and install their free browser, and you can easily select which IE rendering version you want to browse in. The program even allows comparing two different versions side-by-side.

Cross Browser Compatability

Multiple IEs

Test your website in multiple IE browsers from the same computer

IE netrenderer

Netrenderer allows you to check how your web site rendered by internet explorer.  It allows you to verify web design in all popular internet explorers.

Cross Browser Compatability

Spoon Browser Sandbox

Test pages live in Safari, Chrome, IE, Firefox. One click opens a new window with your preferred browser. The next best thing to native environment test.

This tool requires a plug-in download.

Cross Browser Compatibility

Viewlike.Us!

Viewlike is a brand new site that allows you to check your website in multiple resolutions. It is powered by Ajax and PHP

Cross Browser Compatibility

BrowserSeal

Not a web service but an application with very good capture speeds.    Browser support is quite broad. With multiple versions of IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Chrome, it pretty much covers every browser anyone would want to test. Two major features that set it apart are standalone browser support and a command-line interface for automation scripting.

Cross Browser Compatibility

Browsera

Browsera is a tool that tests the cross-browser layout of your website. You will see the differences and errors on your site.

Cross Browser Compatibility

WebDevLab

While everyone is usually concerned with how their site will be screwed up in IE, this site asks the question – How does your website look on Apple Safari?

Cross Browser Compatibility

Litmus

This tool lets you check your site in multiple browsers, track bugs, and create reports to dazzle friends and family.

Free for 50 tests per month, limited to Explorer 7 and Firefox 2. Access all 24 browsers for a $39 project pass.

Cross Browser Compatibility

Superpreview

Simplify the process of testing and debugging layout issues across different web browsers and platforms. You can view your pages in multiple browsers simultaneously or view how a page renders in a browser and compare it to a comp or mock-up image of a page.

Browsercam

Provides a bank of cross browser testing tools. It allows you to check javascript and DHTML. It provides different testing machines like browser capture, device capture, email capture, remote access.  Free trial available

Cross Browser Compatibility

Tags: development, Resources, web design