Comparison · Hosted Locust SaaS

WPLoadTester vs LoadForge

LoadForge's hosted convenience, without hand-coding every complex test

LoadForge is a hosted Locust platform with a recorder and AI that reads your results. But complex, stateful flows still come down to a browser simulator that tops out around ten users, or hand-written Python correlation for anything at real scale. WPLoadTester records the flow once, the AI configures and correlates it, and it runs at up to a million users inside your own AWS or Azure account.

Download WPLoadTester free See the cost breakdown

At a glance

How they compare

	WPLoadTester	LoadForge
Entry price	Free, permanent on one machine	No free plan, from ~$49/mo
Pricing model	Flat annual license	Monthly SaaS, metered by test-minutes
Where load generators run	Your own AWS or Azure account	LoadForge cloud; own-cloud is DigitalOcean only
AI configures the test	Yes, from a URL	No, hand-coded (or prompt ChatGPT yourself)
Correlation of tokens and sessions	Automatic	Hand-written Python
Complex flow at real scale	Recorded once, replayed to 1M users	Browser sim (~10 users) or hand-coded HTTP
AI result analysis	Yes, expert-system root cause	Yes, heuristic bottleneck hints
Max scale, one test	Up to 1,000,000 virtual users	Up to ~400,000 virtual users *

* LoadForge is a monthly SaaS subscription (Basic about $49/month, or $34/month billed annually, with higher Essential and Premium tiers) metered by test-minutes per month, plus about $1 per load server per hour for managed cloud; verify at loadforge.com/pricing. LoadForge advertises "4M virtual users," but its own documentation describes that figure as transactions per second; a single distributed test runs roughly 400,000 concurrent virtual users. Pricing and features verified June 2026.

The bottom line

Choose WPLoadTester when your tests are complex, stateful flows you want configured by AI and run at real scale in your own cloud, without hand-coding correlation or paying a per-minute SaaS meter.

When WPLoadTester wins

Your tests are complex, stateful flows, multi-step forms, authentication, online banking, and you do not want to hand-code correlation.
You need real scale, tens of thousands to a million users, not a ten-user browser simulation.
Compliance or data sovereignty requires the load to run in your own AWS or Azure account.
You want a flat annual cost instead of a per-minute meter, and a free way to start.

When LoadForge is the right call

You want a low-cost hosted runner for simpler HTTP tests and you are comfortable in Python and Locust.
Your team already writes Locust scripts and just wants the infrastructure managed.
Your tests are small to mid scale and per-minute billing fits your usage.

FAQ

WPLoadTester vs LoadForge, answered

Does LoadForge have a free plan?

No. LoadForge starts at about $49/month, or $34/month billed annually, and a paid plan is required to record or run a test. WPLoadTester is free and permanent on one machine, with no signup or credit card, so you can build and run a real test at no cost.

Can LoadForge handle complex, stateful workflows?

Yes, but with a trade-off. Its browser simulator can drive a complex flow, but only for roughly five to ten users, which is not real load. To scale, you switch to HTTP scripts and hand-write the Python that extracts and re-injects CSRF tokens and session values. WPLoadTester records the flow once, the AI configures and correlates it automatically, and it replays at up to a million users.

Does LoadForge use AI to build tests like WPLoadTester?

Not to build them. LoadForge's AI interprets results after a run, and its docs show how to prompt ChatGPT to help write a Locust script, but it does not configure a test from a URL. WPLoadTester's AI builds and correlates the test itself, before the run.

Can I run LoadForge in my own AWS or Azure account?

Not directly. LoadForge runs load from its own cloud, and its only bring-your-own-cloud option is DigitalOcean, where LoadForge still launches and controls the test servers. WPLoadTester runs load generators inside your own AWS or Azure account, so test traffic and data never leave your boundary.

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See it on your own application

Free and permanent on one machine, with no signup and no credit card. Paste a URL and let the AI configure the test.

Download WPLoadTester 7.0

Software

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