Katalon Runtime Engine | Run Headless Tests with CI/CD & CLI Support

Headless Test Execution

Automate Studio test execution with Katalon Runtime Engine

Run Katalon Studio tests anywhere — local, CI/CD, or cloud — with headless, unattended execution at scale.

Why test automation breaks down without the right execution layer

Stuck in the UI loop

Clicking “Run” in Studio doesn't scale. You need tests that trigger automatically across machines, builds, and environments.

No CI/CD, no continuity

Without automation in your pipeline, test execution lags behind your dev cycles, causing misalignment and last-minute surprises.

Environments cause chaos

Tests pass locally, then fail in staging or prod. Why? You’re missing a consistent execution layer that runs the same way everywhere.

Here’s what you can do with Katalon Runtime Engine

Free your tests from the UI

Trigger Studio tests automatically, on demand, on a schedule, or in parallel, without ever opening the IDE.

Integrate seamlessly with CI/CD

Run tests with every commit or build inside Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or any pipeline to catch bugs early and stay in sync with dev.

Execute with confidence across all environments

Run Studio tests the same way locally, in containers, or in the cloud to eliminate environment drift and false positives.

Your path to faster, headless test execution

Install

Install Katalon Runtime Engine on your local, remote, or CI/CD environments. No complicated setup required.

Automate

Trigger Studio tests in your pipeline to get fast feedback with every commit or build.

Expand

Run tests in parallel, on schedule, or on demand, wherever your software lives.

Run Studio tests in any pipeline with integrations that just work

Katalon Runtime Engine connects natively to your CI/CD pipelines, version control systems, and testing frameworks.

If testing is a bottleneck, your whole pipeline pays the price.

See how the best QA teams fixed that.

Liberty Latin America unified its automation framework and saved more than 2,400 work hours

Katalon’s consistent framework has reduced the effort required for building automated tests and increased our regression test coverage by around 60%. Since adopting Katalon, we have reduced costs and cut regression testing timelines by 50%.

Loganathan D.
QA DevOps, Liberty Latin America

Auchan optimized their testing processes and boosted team efficiency

Katalon's integration has positively impacted our team's effectiveness and the quality of our products. The improved reliability, on-time delivery, and reduced errors underscore Katalon's contribution to Auchan's mission.

GE Digital centralized their quality assurance process and scaled up at speed

There aren’t many tools out there that can offer support for so many application types. Katalon offers everything we ever needed, and more.

Diana Cazacu
Quality Manager, GE Digital

Saga eased into Agile software testing and increased capacity threefold

With Katalon, we can run a huge number of tests in a relatively short space of time. At the moment we’re running at least 100 scenarios per product, per development release.

Steve Johnson
Lead QA Engineer, Saga

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Katalon Studio to use Runtime Engine?

Yes, Katalon Runtime Engine is the execution engine for tests created in Katalon Studio. It runs these tests in headless mode via command-line interface (CLI) without requiring Studio’s GUI.

How does Katalon Runtime Engine accelerate test execution?

Runtime Engine enables parallel, automated test execution across multiple environments. By running tests simultaneously and on-demand, it reduces execution time and speeds up feedback cycles.

Can Katalon Runtime Engine integrate with existing CI/CD pipelines?

Yes, Katalon Runtime Engine integrates with popular CI/CD tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, and GitLab CI/CD, allowing you to trigger automated tests as part of your deployment workflow.

What types of tests can Katalon Runtime Engine run?

Katalon Runtime Engine executes web, API, mobile, and desktop tests authored in Katalon Studio. It supports functional, regression, and performance testing across local, remote, and cloud environments.

Can Katalon Runtime Engine execute tests on cloud platforms?

Yes, Katalon Runtime Engine supports test execution on cloud services, virtual machines, Docker containers, and on-prem environments, making it flexible for both cloud-native and hybrid workflows.