Side by side
k6 vs Locust
Both stand on load testing software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan
Visit k6 Free plan APILinuxMac+3
Locust combines Python-authored tests with live reporting, adjustable load, and distributed execution. Its automatic OpenTelemetry instrumentation is currently limited to the requests library.
Visit LocustThe facts
| k6 | Locust | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Not published | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Maker | Grafana Labs | Not published |
| Website | k6.io | locust.io |
| On load testing software | #11 of 16 | #7 of 16 |
k6: what it does well
Locust: what it does well
- Free software under the MIT license
- Write scenarios using Python libraries
- View throughput, response times, and errors live
- Adjust load while a test runs
- Distributed tests across multiple machines
What to know first
- Automatic instrumentation covers only the requests library
- Remote hosted testing is described through Azure Load Testing