AI test automation industry report: the key numbers for September 2026
Four numbers for September 2026. Visits mean visits from Google search to the 44 tracked sites. Tap one for the detail below.
1Every figure in one table
| Measure | Value | Period and basis |
|---|---|---|
| Search visits a month, all tracked sites, worldwide | 1,162,884 | September 2026; -41.2% year on year, +1.5% month on month |
| Search visits a month, United States | 234,815 | September 2026; -33.6% year on year |
| US share of worldwide search visits | 20.2% | September 2026 |
| Brand-name searches a month, US, all counted brands | 74,470 | September 2026; +8.0% against October 2025 |
| Brand-name searches a month, worldwide | 410,020 | September 2026; -4.3% against October 2025 |
| Searches a month for “ai test automation tools”, US | 70 | Google Ads, 12-month average |
| Searches a month for “ai test automation tools”, worldwide | 260 | Google Ads, 12-month average |
| Referring domains, all tracked sites | 168,320 | September 2026; first reading, no year-on-year figure yet |
| Share of worldwide visits held by the five most-visited sites | 71.4% | September 2026 |
| Share held by the ten most-visited sites | 84% | September 2026 |
| Tracked sites on Google's first page for “ai test automation tools”, US | 5 | September 2026; positions 1 to 10 |
| Tracked sites ranking anywhere for “ai test automation tools”, US | 13 | September 2026; any position checked |
Measure
- Search visits a month, all tracked sites, worldwide
- Value
- 1,162,884
- Period and basis
- September 2026; -41.2% year on year, +1.5% month on month
- Search visits a month, United States
- Value
- 234,815
- Period and basis
- September 2026; -33.6% year on year
- US share of worldwide search visits
- Value
- 20.2%
- Period and basis
- September 2026
- Brand-name searches a month, US, all counted brands
- Value
- 74,470
- Period and basis
- September 2026; +8.0% against October 2025
- Brand-name searches a month, worldwide
- Value
- 410,020
- Period and basis
- September 2026; -4.3% against October 2025
- Searches a month for “ai test automation tools”, US
- Value
- 70
- Period and basis
- Google Ads, 12-month average
- Searches a month for “ai test automation tools”, worldwide
- Value
- 260
- Period and basis
- Google Ads, 12-month average
- Referring domains, all tracked sites
- Value
- 168,320
- Period and basis
- September 2026; first reading, no year-on-year figure yet
- Share of worldwide visits held by the five most-visited sites
- Value
- 71.4%
- Period and basis
- September 2026
- Share held by the ten most-visited sites
- Value
- 84%
- Period and basis
- September 2026
- Tracked sites on Google's first page for “ai test automation tools”, US
- Value
- 5
- Period and basis
- September 2026; positions 1 to 10
- Tracked sites ranking anywhere for “ai test automation tools”, US
- Value
- 13
- Period and basis
- September 2026; any position checked
Brand-name searches leave out Cypress, Maestro, Percy, Perfecto, Playwright and Stably: the name is shared with an ordinary word or another product.
2How many people visited
In plain words: These sites got fewer visits from Google than a year ago (-41%), and September 2026 was about the same as August 2026 (+2%).
WorldVisits a month to AI test automation sites, worldwide
Source: DataForSEO, Google search visits, all tracked sites.
Miles explains
Judge this line on the year, not the last dot: visits are 41% below a year ago, and 56% below the October 2024 high. One site winning or losing a ranking can swing a single month a lot.
3How many people went looking
People typed a site’s name into Google 8% more often than in October 2025 (+8%). That is the loyalty number: nobody types a name by accident.
USSearches a month for the site names, United States
US searches a month for the counted brand names, summed. Google Ads data via DataForSEO, to September 2026.
Miles explains
Name searches are the number I trust most. They are up 8%, and nobody types a site’s name by accident, so this shows more people coming back on purpose.
4Where the visitors live
About 20 of every 100 visits come from the United States. Outside the US I measure 7 countries one by one; the largest is India.
USShare of visits that come from the US (%)
US share of worldwide search visits, month by month.
| Country | Search visits a month | Share of the measured countries |
|---|---|---|
| India | 402,631 | 70.8% |
| United Kingdom | 54,799 | 9.6% |
| Canada | 44,142 | 7.8% |
| Germany | 23,653 | 4.2% |
| Brazil | 16,215 | 2.8% |
| France | 14,014 | 2.5% |
| Australia | 13,586 | 2.4% |
Country
- India
- Search visits a month
- 402,631
- Share of the measured countries
- 70.8%
- United Kingdom
- Search visits a month
- 54,799
- Share of the measured countries
- 9.6%
- Canada
- Search visits a month
- 44,142
- Share of the measured countries
- 7.8%
- Germany
- Search visits a month
- 23,653
- Share of the measured countries
- 4.2%
- Brazil
- Search visits a month
- 16,215
- Share of the measured countries
- 2.8%
- France
- Search visits a month
- 14,014
- Share of the measured countries
- 2.5%
- Australia
- Search visits a month
- 13,586
- Share of the measured countries
- 2.4%
Source: DataForSEO, September 2026.
Miles explains
The US is the biggest single market, but only about 20 in every 100 visits. India alone is 70.8% of the countries measured outside it.
5The most-visited sites
TestMu AI gets the most visits, BrowserStack is the name people search for most, and Momentic is the highest-placed tracked site on Google for “ai test automation tools”, at position 3. The five most-visited sites take 71.4% of all visits.
| By worldwide search visits | Visits a month |
|---|---|
 TestMu AI | 324,996 |
 BrowserStack | 192,865 |
 Playwright | 125,468 |
 Testsigma | 117,217 |
 Tricentis | 70,184 |
 Bugster | 36,933 |
 Cypress | 35,686 |
 TestGrid | 27,010 |
 testRigor | 24,514 |
 Virtuoso QA | 21,668 |
By worldwide search visits
- TestMu AI
- Visits a month
- 324,996
- BrowserStack
- Visits a month
- 192,865
- Playwright
- Visits a month
- 125,468
- Testsigma
- Visits a month
- 117,217
- Tricentis
- Visits a month
- 70,184
- Bugster
- Visits a month
- 36,933
- Cypress
- Visits a month
- 35,686
- TestGrid
- Visits a month
- 27,010
- testRigor
- Visits a month
- 24,514
- Virtuoso QA
- Visits a month
- 21,668
| By US brand-name searches | Searches a month |
|---|---|
| BrowserStack | 33,100 |
 Sauce Labs | 14,800 |
| TestMu AI | 4,400 |
| Tricentis | 4,400 |
 Testim | 1,900 |
 Momentic | 1,600 |
 Provar | 1,600 |
 Applitools | 1,300 |
 mabl | 1,300 |
 ACCELQ | 1,000 |
By US brand-name searches
- BrowserStack
- Searches a month
- 33,100
- Sauce Labs
- Searches a month
- 14,800
- TestMu AI
- Searches a month
- 4,400
- Tricentis
- Searches a month
- 4,400
- Testim
- Searches a month
- 1,900
- Momentic
- Searches a month
- 1,600
- Provar
- Searches a month
- 1,600
- Applitools
- Searches a month
- 1,300
- mabl
- Searches a month
- 1,300
- ACCELQ
- Searches a month
- 1,000
Miles explains
The five most-visited sites take 71.4% of all visits. When one of them gains or loses a big ranking, the whole market total moves with it.
6Who grew and who shrank
The fastest grower in a year was Opkey (+108%); the steepest fall was at Meticulous (-95%). Big swings are usually one site winning or losing one Google ranking.
| Growing | A year ago | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 Opkey | 7,553 | 15,743 | +108% |
| Tricentis | 45,331 | 70,184 | +55% |
 Parasoft | 8,916 | 12,937 | +45% |
 QA Wolf | 5,701 | 6,983 | +23% |
| testRigor | 23,270 | 24,514 | +5% |
Growing
- Opkey
- A year ago
- 7,553
- Now
- 15,743
- Change
- +108%
- Tricentis
- A year ago
- 45,331
- Now
- 70,184
- Change
- +55%
- Parasoft
- A year ago
- 8,916
- Now
- 12,937
- Change
- +45%
- QA Wolf
- A year ago
- 5,701
- Now
- 6,983
- Change
- +23%
- testRigor
- A year ago
- 23,270
- Now
- 24,514
- Change
- +5%
| Declining | A year ago | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 Meticulous | 7,008 | 341 | -95% |
 Leapwork | 29,875 | 5,808 | -81% |
| BrowserStack | 952,159 | 192,865 | -80% |
 Katalon | 58,101 | 13,022 | -78% |
 Kobiton | 5,382 | 1,414 | -74% |
| ACCELQ | 18,741 | 5,577 | -70% |
| mabl | 18,177 | 5,520 | -70% |
| Playwright | 333,138 | 125,468 | -62% |
Declining
- Meticulous
- A year ago
- 7,008
- Now
- 341
- Change
- -95%
- Leapwork
- A year ago
- 29,875
- Now
- 5,808
- Change
- -81%
- BrowserStack
- A year ago
- 952,159
- Now
- 192,865
- Change
- -80%
- Katalon
- A year ago
- 58,101
- Now
- 13,022
- Change
- -78%
- Kobiton
- A year ago
- 5,382
- Now
- 1,414
- Change
- -74%
- ACCELQ
- A year ago
- 18,741
- Now
- 5,577
- Change
- -70%
- mabl
- A year ago
- 18,177
- Now
- 5,520
- Change
- -70%
- Playwright
- A year ago
- 333,138
- Now
- 125,468
- Change
- -62%
Worldwide search visits, September 2026 against a year earlier; sites with at least 5,000 visits a year ago.