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Mobot vs Waldo (now part of Tricentis): Which Mobile Testing Approach Fits Your Team?
Waldo, a no-code mobile test automation platform for iOS simulators and Android emulators, was acquired by Tricentis in July 2023, and Tricentis used its technology to build the Virtual Mobile Grid in Testim Mobile. Mobot is a managed service: Mobot testing robots run your Mobot test cases on real iOS and Android devices, and QA analysts verify every defect.
Test your app on real devices. 1,000 free Mobot credits.
What happened to Waldo?
- July 7, 2023: Tricentis announced it had acquired Waldo, which it described as "a SaaS-based, no-code, zero-footprint mobile test automation platform" using "virtual devices supporting iOS simulators and Android emulators."[S1]
- October 4, 2023: Tricentis said its Virtual Mobile Grid "was developed using technology acquired from Waldo and is now available in Testim Mobile with plans to add to Tosca Mobile in a future release."[S2]
- Today: Tricentis's Testim Mobile page describes test execution "on our Virtual Mobile Grid, providing a wide range of virtual iOS simulators and Android emulators."[S7]
- Oct 13, 2026: waldo.com redirects to tricentis.com.
For current product names, plans and support, check with Tricentis.
How are Mobot and Waldo different?
Mobot is a managed mobile QA service: Mobot testing robots run your Mobot test cases on real iOS and Android devices, and a Mobot QA analyst verifies every defect before it reaches your team, while Waldo's technology, now part of Tricentis Testim Mobile, runs your team's no-code tests on iOS simulators and Android emulators.
Where tests run. Waldo's technology, now the Virtual Mobile Grid, runs tests on iOS simulators and Android emulators[S1][S4]. Testim can also send mobile tests to third-party grids, including Sauce Labs, BrowserStack and HeadSpin[S6]. Mobot runs every test on real iOS and Android devices from its device fleet of 300+, physically operated by Mobot testing robots. (Why real devices)
Who writes and maintains tests. Waldo was built for your team to author no-code tests directly from a web browser[S1][S3], and Testim Mobile adds AI-powered test authoring[S7]. With Mobot, Mobot’s team and Mobot AI build the test cases, Mobot testing robots run them, and tests update as your app changes, with no scripts for your team to maintain. (Managed mobile QA)
Who decides a failure is a bug. The Tricentis sources describe a self-serve tool: your team runs the tests and reviews the results. With Mobot, a QA analyst verifies every defect before it reaches you, with screenshots from the device, device and network logs, and reproduction steps. (Analyst-verified defects)
Mobot vs Waldo at a glance
| Row | Waldo / Tricentis (Testim Mobile) | Mobot |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | No-code, SaaS mobile test automation; now part of Tricentis | Managed mobile QA: Mobot testing robots, QA analysts and Mobot AI |
| Where tests run | iOS simulators and Android emulators on the Virtual Mobile Grid; Testim also supports third-party mobile grids (Sauce Labs, BrowserStack, HeadSpin) | Real iOS and Android devices, physically tapped by Mobot testing robots |
| Build requirements | iOS apps compiled to work with virtual devices; x86_64 Android builds only on the Virtual Mobile Grid | The build you are about to ship, unmodified |
| Who authors tests | Your team, with no code, in a web browser; AI-powered test authoring in Testim Mobile | Mobot's team and Mobot AI build the test cases; Mobot testing robots run them |
| Test maintenance | Tricentis says codeless tests eliminate "the need for mobile test scripting, avoiding scalability issues and mitigating long-term maintenance costs" | Tests that update as your app changes, maintained by Mobot |
| Defect review | The sources describe a self-serve tool; your team reviews results | Every defect verified by a Mobot QA analyst, with screenshots from the device, device and network logs, and reproduction steps |
| Free start | 14-day Virtual Mobile Grid trial for Testim Community license holders (Company or Project Owner), one execution at a time | Free trial with 1,000 free Mobot credits |
| Fits | Teams that want to author no-code tests themselves and run them on virtual devices on every commit | Teams that want tests built, run on real devices and verified for them |
When is Waldo (Tricentis) the better choice?
- You want fast, low-cost runs on every commit. Tricentis positions Waldo's approach as a way to "cost-effectively test every commit through emulation using virtual mobile devices."[S1]
- You already use Tricentis Tosca or Testim and want mobile tests from the same vendor.[S2]
- You want your own team to author tests without code.[S1][S3]
- You build with cross-platform frameworks. Tricentis says Waldo supports Flutter, Ionic and React Native.[S3]
- You want web and mobile testing from one vendor. Testim covers custom web, mobile and Salesforce apps.[S7]
When is Mobot the better choice?
- Your tests depend on real hardware and physical input: push delivered through APNs or FCM, deep links opened from other apps, pairing with real Bluetooth peripherals, Face ID and Touch ID on the real secure enclave, or a real lens scanning a QR code or barcode. (What physical robots catch that emulators miss)
- You don't have QA headcount to write and triage tests. Mobot's team and Mobot AI build the test cases, and there are no scripts for your engineers to maintain.
- You want verified defects, not red builds. A QA analyst verifies every failure before it reaches you.
- You ship weekly or faster. Submit a build and get verified results back, with no repair cycle on your side.
Can you use both?
Yes. The two cover different stages. The Virtual Mobile Grid in Testim Mobile, built on Waldo's technology, can run quick checks on iOS simulators and Android emulators on every commit. Mobot can run full regression and hardware-dependent tests on real iOS and Android devices before each release, with every defect verified by a QA analyst.
How do you switch from Waldo to Mobot?
- Share your build and your tests. Send the build, your existing test plan or a short video of each flow. Pick the iOS and Android devices and versions that match your users.
- Mobot builds the test cases. Mobot’s team and Mobot AI build the test cases from your flows, and your Mobot contact validates them with you.
- Robots run the tests. Mobot testing robots execute real taps, swipes and gestures on real devices. Every step is captured: screenshots, device and network logs.
- Analysts verify every result. Verified defects land in Slack, Jira or TestRail with everything an engineer needs to reproduce and fix.
Test your app on real devices. To see Mobot test your own app on real devices, start a free trial.
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FAQ
Is Waldo still available?
Tricentis acquired Waldo in July 2023, and waldo.com now redirects to tricentis.com (checked Oct 13, 2026). Tricentis says it used Waldo's technology to build the Virtual Mobile Grid, which is available in Testim Mobile. For current product names, plans and support, check with Tricentis directly.
Does Waldo test on real devices?
The Virtual Mobile Grid built from Waldo's technology runs tests on iOS simulators and Android emulators. Testim can also send mobile tests to third-party grids, including Sauce Labs, BrowserStack and HeadSpin. Tricentis says its own real-device service, Tricentis Device Cloud, was discontinued on June 10, 2025.
What is the best Waldo alternative for real-device testing?
It depends on who you want to write and run the tests. If your team wants to keep authoring its own tests, a device cloud such as BrowserStack or Sauce Labs offers real devices. If you want tests built, run on real devices and verified for you, Mobot testing robots run them and a QA analyst confirms every defect.
Does Mobot need my team to write scripts?
No. Mobot's team and Mobot AI build the test cases from your build, your test plans or a recorded walkthrough, and your Mobot contact validates them with you. Mobot testing robots read the screen with computer vision, so most UI changes don't break tests, and when a flow changes, Mobot updates the test plan.
How does Mobot verify defects?
Computer vision compares each step against a baseline set with you during onboarding. When a step fails, a QA analyst reviews the forensic data, reproduces the defect in more than one environment and confirms it with screenshots from the device before it is reported, with device and network logs and reproduction steps.
Compare other tools
How Mobot compares · Mobot vs. QA Wolf · Mobot vs. Appium · Mobot vs. Maestro
Test your app on real devices.
To see Mobot test your own app on real devices, start a free trial.
1,000 free Mobot credits.
Based on public Tricentis sources read on Oct 13, 2026. Capabilities change; verify with Tricentis.
- [S1] Tricentis, "Tricentis Acquires Codeless Mobile Test Automation Platform Waldo," July 7, 2023
- [S2] Tricentis, "Tricentis Delivers Unified, End-to-End Mobile Testing Solution–Tricentis Mobile," Oct 4, 2023
- [S3] Tricentis blog, Waldo acquisition
- [S3b] Tricentis blog, "Tricentis Mobile: An all-in-one solution…"
- [S4] Testim docs, Virtual Mobile Grid
- [S6] Testim docs, Grid management
- [S7] Tricentis, Testim Mobile