API testing has many benefits over UI testing:
- First, API testing is much faster than UI testing. This is because API tests do not have to wait for a page to load, as they interact directly with the application’s backend.
- Second, API tests are more reliable than UI tests. This is because UI tests are subject to the vagaries of the user interface, such as changes in the layout or position of elements. API tests, on the other hand, are not affected by such changes.
- Third, API tests are easier to create and maintain than UI tests. This is because UI tests often require a lot of code to simulate user interactions, whereas API tests only need to make calls to the application’s API.
- Fourth, with API testing, one can find bugs related to functionality, reliability, performance, and security early in the SDLC and hence those are cheaper to fix.
In conclusion, API testing has many advantages over UI testing, and should be used whenever possible.