Difference Between Smoke Testing and Sanity Testing in Software Testing

Smoke testing and sanity testing are two common types of software testing carried out during the software development life cycle. While both are conducted to ensure the stability and readiness of the software for further testing and deployment, they have distinct differences:

Smoke Testing

Smoke testing, also known as build verification testing, is performed to check if the essential functionalities of the software are working fine. It is a preliminary test done before detailed testing to determine whether the build is stable enough for further testing. Smoke tests are high-level tests focusing on the critical features of the software.

Sanity Testing

Sanity testing, on the other hand, is a more targeted and focused testing approach. It is performed after the software has undergone changes or fixes to ensure that the specific functionality or bug fixes are working as expected. Unlike smoke testing, sanity testing is more in-depth and specific to certain areas of the software.

In summary, smoke testing verifies the basic functionalities whereas sanity testing validates specific areas or functionalities of the software after changes have been made. Both smoke and sanity testing help in ensuring the stability and quality of the software being developed.