loadtest

HTTP and WebSocket load testing tool for Node.js

TLDR

Run load test with 10 concurrent clients and 1000 requests

$ loadtest -c [10] -n [1000] [http://example.com/api]

Run for a fixed duration in seconds

$ loadtest -c [10] -t [60] [http://example.com/api]

Send a constant rate of requests per second

$ loadtest --rps [100] -t [30] [http://example.com/api]

Use keep-alive connections

$ loadtest -k -n [5000] [http://example.com/api]

POST request with JSON body

$ loadtest -n [500] -m POST -P '[{"key":"value"}]' -T 'application/json' [http://example.com/api]

Send the body from a file

$ loadtest -n [500] -p [body.json] -T 'application/json' [http://example.com/api]

Add a custom header and cookie

$ loadtest -n [1000] -H "[Authorization: Bearer token]" -C [session=abc123] [http://example.com/api]

Run the bundled test server on port 7357

$ testserver-loadtest

loadtest runs load tests against HTTP, HTTPS or WebSocket (ws://) URLs. The single-dash options are compatible with Apache ab, but options may also follow the URL. Unlike ab, --rps keeps a constant request rate regardless of how fast the server answers, which gives more realistic results for sustained load.At the end of the run it reports total requests, errors, requests per second, mean latency and latency percentiles (50%, 90%, 95%, 99%). It can also be used as a library from Node.js code and ships a testserver-loadtest command for measuring the tool's own limits.

PARAMETERS

-n, --maxRequests num

Number of requests to send. Default: no limit (runs until the time limit).

-c, --concurrency num

Number of concurrent clients. Default: 10. Ignored when --rps is set.

-t, --maxSeconds seconds

Maximum time to send requests. Default: 10, applies only if -n is not given.

--rps, --requestsPerSecond num

Send a constant number of requests per second (integer). Not supported for WebSockets.

-k, --keepalive

Use keep-alive connections.

-m, --method method

HTTP method: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE or PATCH. Default: GET.

-P, --postBody body

Send the string as the POST body.

-A, --patchBody body

Send the string as the PATCH body.

--data body

Body data for the method set with -m (not for GET).

-p, --postFile file

POST the contents of a file; a .js file is imported and its default export generates each body.

-u, --putFile file

PUT the contents of a file.

-a, --patchFile file

PATCH the contents of a file.

-T, --contentType type

Content-Type for the body. Default: text/plain.

-H, --header header:value

Custom header; can be repeated.

-C, --cookie name=value

Send a cookie; can be repeated.

--cores num

Number of processes to run in parallel. Default: half the available CPUs.

--timeout ms

Timeout for each request in milliseconds. Default: 0 (none).

-R module.js

Use a custom request generator module.

-s, --secureProtocol method

TLS method to use (e.g. TLSv12method).

--insecure

Accept invalid and self-signed certificates.

--cert file, --key file

Client certificate and key (used together).

--tcp

Experimental: use raw TCP sockets for higher performance.

--quiet

Do not show any messages.

-V, --version

Show version and exit.

CAVEATS

Requires Node.js 16 or later for version 6+. Each process saturates a CPU at a few thousand requests per second; use --cores or a faster tool such as wrk or autocannon for higher loads. Since version 8 the defaults are -c 10 and -t 10; older versions defaulted to concurrency 1 and no time limit.

HISTORY

loadtest was created by Alex Fernández in 2013 and is distributed through npm.

RESOURCES

Source code