Company

LOGOBest Tools for Cross Browser Compatibility

The look and feel of any website is judged upon quite a few

parameters and one of the most important one is cross browser

compatibility. The techniques of web development have undergone a

massive change in recent years. Leading website design companies

truly understand that with more and more people using a variety of

browsers to view websites, it is essential that any website they develop

needs to look essential the same on any browser. From a technical

viewpoint this is what is referred to as cross browser compatibility.

In conjunction to cross browser compatibility there is also another

popular term used by many and that is multi-browser however there is

a difference between both these terminologies. While cross browser

refers to the ability of any website to look the same on any browser

and any version, multi-browser refers to a website working in a variety

of web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE etc.

While developing any website, one strong challenge faced by any web

development company is the ability to create a website that can run

seamless and look consistent across any web browser. If the visitor

cannot view the website properly then the person would most likely blame

it on the website and as a result you may lose on a potential customer.

This is why there are quite a number of tools that can help you check

cross browser compatibility and identify elements that need to be rectified

to make the site work across any browser. Here are a set of 10 useful and

some of the best tools that can assist you in many ways:

1. Cross Browser Testing Tool

This specific tool works on multiple OS as well as browser

configurations thus meeting a variety of requirements when it comes to

cross browser compatibility. This tool is considered to be a great tool for

cross browser testing and supports JS, Flash and Ajax. A free trial of

this testing tool is usually available for a limited period of time.

Browsers it supports: IE (Internet Explorer), Safari, Google Chrome,

Opera, Mozilla FF, Netscape and more…

Operating System it supports: Windows 98, 2000, Professional, XP,

Vista, Fedora Core6, Apple iOS, Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.5, BlackBerry

O5 and OS6.

2. IE Tab

The IE Tab is an add-on that can be used in Firefox as well as in the

Chrome browser. You can see any web page in the internet browser within

the tab. This tool for many is an all time favorite and is available at no cost.

The best thing about IE tab is that it very simple and extremely light. It

comes in handy for most testers and developers to be able to see a web

page in internet browser on a single click from either Chrome or FF

browsers.

Prime features of IE tab:

- Permits users to see web pages that need ActiveX controls

- Any specific URL can be browsed through using IE tab

- All IE configs are accessible

- Flexibility to see Windows Explorer to browse through local files

3. SPOON BROWSER SANDBOX

The spoon.net browser Sandbox has been used for quite some time now

and is considered to be a powerful testing tool for cross browser

compatibility. It supports all kinds of web and mobile browsers as well as

backward compatibility. The Spoon Browser does not need to be installed

on any machine. This tool also supports a wide range of plug-ins like

Firebug, ActiveX, applets, CSS and JS and more.

The tool can test web browsers like Firefox 11, 12, 13 and 14+, IE6 and

above, Chrome 17+, Opera 9+ and mobile browsers.

4. Microsoft SuperPreview

This cross browser tool is considered to be a wonderful tool and seems to

make things simpler. It is compatible on a variety of versions like IE,

Mozilla FF as well as Apple Safari.

The best thing about SuperPreview is that you have the option to view

multiple pages with multiple browsers at one point of time which helps

save time. Plus you also get to see rendering of pages both vertically and

horizontally.

Browsers it supports: IE 6+, Firefox 3.6+, Safari 4+ and Mac

The browser tool can be downloaded from Microsoft free of cost.

5. Browserseal

This cross browser tool works on the basis of webpage snapshots that can

be taken on a single click of a mouse button. You are able to identify and

report any UI issues by just browsing through the captured images. The

tool is compatible on a variety of web browsers both on a free or paid

basis. While the free version supports not more than two browsers with

limited screenshot the paid one supports a variety of browsers with multiple

screenshots. Browsers it supports: IE, FF, Opera, Safari, and Google

Chrome

6. Browsershots

This is a free open source cross browser tester and is perfect for online

web applications. Just like Browserseal, it also allows you to take

screenshots of any web page on various browsers however it also factors

in the OS. It assists by showcasing how an app may look in a specific

browser and this is only possible if you select the browser and OS

combination. The only drawback of this tool is that the analysis may

consume considerable time while analyzing.

The IE tester tool allows you to test any web page on different Internet

Explorer versions at the same time. It is a free web application tool and is

basically used for checking compatibility on the IE web browser. The tool

supports browser versions of IE on Windows 7, Vista and XP.

Browsers it supports: IE 6, 7, 8 and 9 and IE10 preview

Supported Operating System: Windows 7, Vista and XP

8. Cloud Testing

This tool is used to test and verify the GUI of various websites and the

functionality on operating systems that use cloud. It is a perfect user

friendly tool and can run on browsers like Chrome, Opera, IE and many

more.

Browsers it supports: Mozilla Firefox 3, 3.5, 3.6, IE 6 and above, Apple

Safari 3.2+, Chrome latest version and Opera 9.6

7. IE Tester

Browsers it supports: Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari,

SeaMonkey, Navigator, Netscape, and Avant etc.

9. BrowserCam

This is a purely paid service and offers testers and developers to view web

pages on a variety of browsers and operating systems. It works on

combination of any browser with an OS. You can enjoy code testing,

testing of any dynamic functionality on all kinds of platforms. The tool also

has the capability to capturing screenshots. A free demo version is also

available for maximum 24 hours.

Browsers it supports: IE, Safari, Chrome, Opera, Firefox and more…

10. Adobe BrowserLab

This specific tool is considered to be one of the best online services that

can test cross browser compatibility. It works on the concept of Preview,

Compare and Display of the web content. You can compare screenshots

on multiple browsers simultaneously and also optimize your website

effectively. The only drawback found in the tool is that it does not work on

Linux and supporting browsers.

Browsers it supports: IE, Safari, Mozilla FF and Chrome