Test at the optimal time to avoid the collapse of your project

At what point in the development cycle should we begin testing the software?

Some say right at the beginning, some start when the project is already in production environments, and a few, smug and optimistic, leave it to the clients to discover and report.

One of the most compelling QA subjects in 2025 is the apparent dichotomy between two approaches for software testing, Shift-Left Testing and Shift-Left Testing.

It's time to test

Shift-Left Testing enthusiasts start probing the software as soon as possible, preferably before anything else, trying to build a robust system that prevents problems before they can cause harm.

• Great for:
  • catching logical and structural incongruities
  • keeping a project neat
  • building a strong coding structure
  • building documentation
  • mentoring and learning 
    
• Low point:
  • Shift-Left Testing counts on the developers and managers to actively collaborate with the QA team, probably while also doing their own testing.

Shift-Right Testing prioritizes testing after development when the project is already in production. Closer to the end users and ready for contextualized action, Shift-Right Testing is all about improvement.

• Great for:
  • real-time user feedback
  • real-life scenarios
  • chaotic projects where the scope changes all the time
  • delivered projects or projects near their delivery
  • crazily intransigent (yet talented) developers
    
• Low points:
  • brings a lot of new procedures to an already established workflow;
  • it can get complicated and expensive if it finds a structural fault, and it can get even worse if the budget is already running out.

Of course, the best course of action is to find some equilibrium between the two methods, according to the needs of each project. Both ways will benefit from essential tools, like automation testing. Better yet if it's an accessible, no-code tool for test automation.

And you, where do you prefer to begin your software testing? Should testing prioritize prevention or improvement? Is it possible to balance both?

Get the free version of suittest, the No-Code Test Automation Tool.