What is SmartBear LoadComplete?
SmartBear LoadComplete is a Windows-based load testing tool from SmartBear Software, used widely in enterprise QA organizations from roughly 2010-2020. It uses a record-and-playback model: testers record HTTP traffic via a desktop client, replay it from on-prem agents, and analyze results in a Windows GUI. LoadComplete integrates with SmartBear's TestComplete.
SmartBear has shifted its focus to cloud-based testing tools such as LoadNinja and ReadyAPI. As of October 2026 it no longer lists LoadComplete in its product catalog, its LoadComplete product page redirected to LoadNinja from at least December 2021 to March 2025, and the last documented release is LoadComplete 4.97 (documentation last updated May 2019). SmartBear's TestComplete documentation now files LoadComplete under Legacy.
When LoadComplete is the right tool
LoadComplete fits these scenarios:
- Established enterprise QA shops. Teams already invested in TestComplete, ReadyAPI, and the SmartBear ecosystem may find LoadComplete's integration with their existing tooling worth the on-prem complexity.
- Windows-locked environments. If your testing infrastructure must be Windows-only (regulated industries, air-gapped networks), LoadComplete's Windows-native execution model fits.
- Visual scenario design. The drag-and-drop scenario designer is approachable for testers without scripting experience.
- Record-and-playback for SOAP/HTTP traffic. Capturing a complex multi-step user journey via a recording session and replaying it is well-supported.
Where LoadComplete stops being enough
LoadComplete reflects assumptions from the early-2010s enterprise QA era, those assumptions look heavy-handed compared to modern cloud-based tools:
- Windows-only. The desktop client and on-prem agents require Windows infrastructure. Linux/macOS-based engineering teams need separate VMs.
- No public pricing. SmartBear no longer lists LoadComplete, so licences and renewals go through SmartBear directly.
- Self-managed load generation. LoadComplete generates load from agents you set up, including Amazon EC2 cloud machines, so scaling to thousands of virtual users means adding and paying for more machines. LoadFocus and other cloud-native tools handle this transparently.
- No native page speed monitoring. LoadComplete focuses on protocol-level load testing. CWV-style page speed measurement requires separate tooling.
- No native API monitoring. SmartBear sells ReadyAPI separately for API monitoring; LoadComplete itself doesn't include scheduled API check workflows.
- Modern script formats not first-class. JavaScript-based k6 scripts and JMX (JMeter) scripts are widely used by modern engineering teams; LoadComplete's scenario format is proprietary to SmartBear.
LoadFocus vs SmartBear LoadComplete: feature comparison
The table below compares LoadFocus against SmartBear LoadComplete's standard configuration. Checked in October 2026.
| Feature | LoadFocus | SmartBear LoadComplete |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free tier; load testing from $29/mo ($19/mo billed yearly) | No public price (not listed by SmartBear) |
| Deployment model | Cloud SaaS | On-prem (Windows agents) |
| OS requirement | Browser (any OS) | Windows |
| Load testing | Yes (up to 20,000 VUs on Enterprise) | Yes |
| JMeter (.jmx) script support | Yes (native) | Limited (via integration) |
| k6 (.js) script support | Yes (native) | No |
| Geographic test coverage | 25+ cloud regions | Self-managed agents, including Amazon EC2 machines |
| Page speed monitoring | Yes | No |
| API monitoring | Yes | No (sold as ReadyAPI) |
| Real-time test execution view | Yes | Yes |
| CI/CD integration | Yes (CLI, GitHub Action, Jenkins plugins) | Jenkins plugin |
| AI-generated analysis | Yes (all plans) | No |
| Combined platform (load + speed + API) | Yes | Load only |
| Free tier | Yes | No (trial page no longer available) |
When LoadFocus is the right replacement for LoadComplete
The decision usually comes down to total cost, OS flexibility, and modern script-format support.
Your team is moving off Windows-only QA
If your engineering org has shifted toward cloud-based, OS-agnostic infrastructure, LoadFocus eliminates the Windows-agent footprint LoadComplete requires.
You need k6 or JMeter scripts as first-class formats
Modern engineering teams usually settle on k6 (JavaScript) or JMeter (XML-based JMX) as their load test scripting languages. LoadFocus runs both natively. LoadComplete's proprietary scenario format limits portability.
You want consolidated load + page speed + API testing
SmartBear sells API testing and synthetic monitoring as separate products (ReadyAPI, AlertSite). LoadFocus consolidates them on one platform with one bill.
You want cloud-scaled VU counts without provisioning agents
LoadComplete requires provisioning Windows agents to scale. LoadFocus runs on managed cloud infrastructure, with up to 12,500 virtual users on Pro and 20,000 on Enterprise and no load generators to set up.
You want a free tier for evaluation
LoadComplete's trial page has been removed, so evaluating it means contacting SmartBear. LoadFocus offers a no-credit-card free tier so engineering teams can evaluate independently.
LoadComplete alternatives at a glance
Since LoadComplete left SmartBear's catalog, these are the tools teams most often move to:
- LoadNinja. SmartBear's own cloud load tester, which records and replays scripts in real browsers. See LoadNinja alternatives.
- Apache JMeter. Free and open source, with a recorder and a GUI test builder that feels familiar to LoadComplete users. See JMeter alternatives.
- k6. Free and open source, tests written in JavaScript, a good fit for CI. See k6 alternatives.
- OpenText LoadRunner. The enterprise option, with SAP, Citrix and Oracle protocols and quoted licences. See LoadRunner alternatives.
- NeoLoad. Enterprise load testing from Tricentis. See NeoLoad alternatives.
- LoadFocus. Runs JMeter and k6 scripts, or a list of URLs, from 25+ cloud regions with nothing to install. Load testing starts at $29/month ($19/month billed yearly), with a free plan for small tests.
Looking for a TestComplete alternative instead? TestComplete is SmartBear's UI functional testing tool, not a load tester, so its alternatives are Selenium, Playwright, Cypress or Ranorex rather than the tools above.
Migration from LoadComplete
- Sign up at loadfocus.com/signup.
- LoadComplete scenarios do not convert automatically. Record the same flow in your browser as a HAR file and turn it into a script with the free HAR to JMeter or HAR to k6 converter, then re-add correlation and parameters.
- Upload the .jmx or .js script to LoadFocus.
- Configure VU count, duration, and ramp-up to match your LoadComplete scenarios.
- Run from a LoadFocus region (Pro and Enterprise can split the load across several), start with the location closest to your existing test agents to compare results directly.
Run both tools in parallel for a sprint to validate result agreement before retiring LoadComplete agents.
FAQ: LoadFocus vs SmartBear LoadComplete
Can LoadFocus import LoadComplete scenarios directly?
No. LoadComplete's scenario format is proprietary. The recommended path is to capture HAR files from your application or convert existing recordings to JMeter (.jmx) or k6 (.js) format. Both are open standards and widely supported.
Does LoadFocus require infrastructure provisioning?
No. LoadFocus runs tests from managed cloud infrastructure. You select a region and a VU count; the platform provisions and tears down test capacity for you.
How does pricing compare?
SmartBear does not publish a LoadComplete price and no longer lists the product. LoadFocus starts at $29/month ($19/month billed yearly) with a free tier, total-cost comparison varies widely based on your test volume.
Will my CI/CD setup still work?
LoadFocus provides a CLI, a GitHub Action and Jenkins plugins. The LoadComplete step in a Jenkins job is replaced by a LoadFocus plugin step or CLI call that starts the test and fails the build when a threshold is missed.
Can I keep LoadComplete and use LoadFocus alongside?
Yes. Many teams use LoadFocus for cloud-scaled tests (where on-prem agents would be expensive) and keep LoadComplete for specific Windows-locked workflows. Check support terms with SmartBear first, since LoadComplete is no longer in its product catalog.
Is LoadComplete being discontinued?
As of October 2026, LoadComplete no longer appears in SmartBear's product catalog, its product and trial pages have been removed, and the latest documented version is 4.97 (documentation last updated May 2019). SmartBear pointed LoadComplete visitors to LoadNinja from at least December 2021 to March 2025. Existing customers should confirm support terms with SmartBear. If you're starting from scratch, LoadFocus or LoadNinja are typically the better-fit modern options.
Try LoadFocus free
If you're maintaining a SmartBear LoadComplete deployment today and the on-prem agent footprint or per-seat licensing is becoming a drag, LoadFocus gives you a cloud-scaled, browser-based alternative with native JMeter and k6 support. Sign up for a free tier at loadfocus.com/signup, no credit card, and run your first cloud load test in under 5 minutes.
