A/B Testing tools guide: choose the right one for your business

When it comes to boosting conversions and making smarter data-driven decisions, A/B testing platforms are your secret weapon. As I've been spending a lot of time understanding the differences between A/B Testing platforms recently, I thought it would be useful to highlight the key factors that I've seen that differentiate tools in the hope that this will help anyone trying to select their first A/B testing platform. I’ll explain how they work, explore leading A/B testing platforms, and help you choose the right solution for your business goals. If you are new to experimentation and this is your first time choosing an A/B testing platform I will discuss 7 important factors that you should consider while making this decision.

How do A/B Testing Platforms Work?

A/B testing compares two or more versions of content to determine which performs better.. While it's commonly used on websites, it can also be applied to emails, newsletters, and other digital marketing assets.

Web & App A/B testing platforms streamline this process by offering intuitive interfaces for designing, executing, and analysing tests. They enable teams to experiment with elements like headlines, CTAs, layouts, forms, and images, often with minimal developer support.

Modern platforms go beyond basic A/B testing and will include:

• Multivariate testing
• Multi-page testing 
• Personalisation

These tools typically combine visual editors, real-time previews, detailed analytics, and third-party integrations to enable fast deployments and in-depth insights.

Key Features to Look For in A/B Testing Tools

With a lot of testing platforms on the market, there are many factors to consider to make sure that you make the right choice for your business. If you are new to experimentation and this is your first time choosing an A/B testing platform here are 7 factors that you should consider while making this decision.

Implementation Type

Implementation types for A/B testing vary based on where and how experiments are run. Client-side methods operate in the browser, making them easy to implement for visual changes but sometimes less performant. Server-side approaches (via APIs or SDKs) run on your backend, offering more control and security, ideal for deeper logic changes but requiring more development effort. Choosing the right type depends on your technical resources, testing goals, and whether you want changes to happen frontend or backend.

Editor Type

If you have limited developer resources, prioritise tools with visual editors that include pre-built widgets, responsive editing, and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. These WYSIWYG editors help non-technical users to create and launch tests independently, making experimentation faster and more accessible.

For more advanced needs or for those with access to developers, a code-based editor should also be available, giving full control through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This enables precise customization, dynamic content changes, and advanced testing logic, all injected via the A/B testing platform.

Experimentation Types

The tool should ideally support a range of experiment types beyond basic A/B tests, including:

• Multivariate testing
• Redirect tests
• Multi-page tests
• Personalisation tests (Rule based vs AI driven)

These will give you the flexibility to optimise entire user journeys and tailor experiences to different audience segments.

Targeting Capabilities

Your tool should allow tests on specific user segments. For example, new vs. returning users or mobile versus desktop, based on location, behaviour, or custom attributes.

Look for a tool that has OOTB targeting options including:

• Behaviour - Pages viewed, number of sessions, time on site, landing page
• Campaign info - referrer, URL parameters, UTM parameters
• Technology - Device info, cookie based, browser based
• Purchase history - items purchase, last purchase, purchase frequency
• Geo location - Country, City, State

As well as this list, make sure that it is possible to configure custom criteria through CSS selectors, custom JS, or utilising the dataLayer.

Integrations

It's important to make sure that your A/B Testing platform integrates with other 3rd Party tools. By connecting these tools it means that you can exchange data between both tools for a more holistic view on performance and activation.

At a very minimum, ensure your chosen platform works with your analytics stack (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Contentsquare, HotJar etc) and other marketing or data tools for richer insights. We recommend making a list of relevant platforms to integrate and compare this with the list of OOTB integrations available.

Be sure to check if it is possible to configure custom integrations if there are any key connectors missing.

Support Resources

Opt for platforms with reliable customer service, offering live chat, email, or phone support and thorough documentation for troubleshooting or advanced configurations. Bonus - they have a university and certification available.

No A/B testing tool is entirely foolproof, so having direct access to support staff and a comprehensive knowledge base is essential for resolving issues quickly and independently when needed.

Budget

Last but not least - choose a tool that aligns with your budget while offering the core features you need. Many enterprise level platforms offer very powerful features but they can come with high costs, so it’s important to balance functionality with affordability.

Look for tools that offer transparent pricing, scalable plans, and free trials or freemium options to get started. 

Leading A/B Testing Tools 

Not sure which platforms to start with? Popular tools (& our wonderful partners) like AB Tasty, VWO, and Webtrends Optimize provide intuitive visual editors, strong targeting options, and seamless integrations with other analytics tools so these are a great place to get started.

Need help selecting your first platform or not happy with your exiting platform? Get in touch!