Performance checked once a year
A big load test before launch, then nothing, while every release changes how the system behaves.
[ What k6 is, and why it matters ]
Load testing built for developers and pipelines
k6 is an open-source load testing tool from Grafana Labs. Tests are written in JavaScript or TypeScript, live in your repository and run from the command line, your CI pipeline or the cloud. Its engine uses little memory per virtual user, and built-in checks and thresholds turn performance goals into pass or fail results.
That makes performance part of everyday delivery, rather than a one-off project before launch.
Looking for load testing in general? See our load testing services or compare all our testing tools →
The problems it solves
Load tests outside the codebase
Tests in a separate tool drift from the code and nobody on the dev team maintains them.
Microservice blind spots
One slow service can drag down the rest, and it’s hard to see which one.
Heavy, costly load generation
Tools that use a lot of memory per user make large tests expensive to run.
[ How it gives you an advantage ]
k6, JMeter, Gatling and Locust, side by side
k6 wins on developer experience and CI. JMeter wins on protocol coverage. We’ll tell you honestly which fits.
| k6 | JMeter | Gatling | Locust | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How tests are built | JavaScript or TypeScript code | Visual builder, with Groovy scripting | Scala, Java or Kotlin code | Python code |
| Where tests live | In your repository, reviewed like code | XML test plans | In your repository | In your repository |
| Resource use per user | Low | Higher | Low | Moderate |
| CI pass/fail | Built-in thresholds | Through Taurus or plugins | Built-in assertions | Custom code |
| Protocols | HTTP, WebSockets, gRPC, browser; more via xk6 | Widest: HTTP, SOAP, JDBC, JMS, FTP, SMTP | HTTP, WebSockets and more | HTTP by default |
| Best for | Developer-led teams, load as code | Broad protocols, visual tool | High-scale tests from code | Python teams |
Load tests as code
Reviewed, versioned and reused like the rest of your codebase.
Thresholds that gate builds
Performance budgets that pass or fail your pipeline automatically.
Light on resources
More virtual users per machine, so large tests cost less.
Built for modern stacks
APIs, gRPC, WebSockets, browsers and Kubernetes.
Honest note: browser-level testing in k6 is newer, and most k6 tests work at the API level. For SOAP, databases, JMS or FTP, JMeter is usually the better fit.
[ Where it can be used ]
Where k6 fits best
Modern, API-driven systems built by teams who ship often. These are the cases where it pays off most.
APIs and microservices
REST, GraphQL and gRPC services tested alone and together.
SaaS platforms
Concurrent users, busy dashboards and multi-tenant traffic.
Real-time products
Chat, live updates and event streams over WebSockets or Kafka.
Teams with CI/CD
Performance budgets checked on every pull request or release.
Kubernetes and cloud-native systems
Load generated inside your cluster or from Grafana Cloud k6.
Launches and traffic peaks
Sales, campaigns and announcements tested at full scale.
Performance tests we run with k6
Load testing →Expected peak trafficStress testing →Beyond the limitSpike testing →Sudden surgesEndurance testing →Hours of steady loadScalability testing →Growth and scaling
Smoke & breakpointQuick baselines and the exact limit
[ How we use k6 ]
Eight k6 solutions we deliver
Start with your busiest APIs and journeys, then add CI gates and full-scale runs. Each card lists what we deliver, when you need it and the problem it prevents.
API & microservice load testing
REST, GraphQL, gRPCYour APIs and services put under realistic traffic, with response times, error rates and throughput measured per endpoint and per service.
What we deliver
- REST and GraphQL APIs
- gRPC services
- Microservices tested alone and together
- Checks on every response, not just status codes
When you need it
Before launches, scaling events and major API changes.
The problem it preventsOne slow service dragging every other service down with it
Real-time & event load
WebSockets, KafkaWe load WebSocket connections and, through xk6 extensions, message systems such as Kafka, so real-time features hold up under pressure.
What we deliver
- Many concurrent WebSocket connections
- Message bursts and long-lived sessions
- Kafka and other systems via xk6 extensions
- Latency and dropped messages measured
When you need it
When chat, live updates or event streams are core to your product.
The problem it preventsLive features freezing when everyone connects at once
Browser-level performance checks
k6 browser moduleA small number of real browser sessions run alongside API load, so you see what users actually experience while the backend is under pressure.
What we deliver
- Page load and interaction timings
- Key journeys under backend load
- Combined browser and API scenarios
- Front-end slowdowns spotted early
When you need it
When API numbers look fine but users still say it’s slow.
The problem it preventsFast APIs behind a page that still feels slow
Realistic scenarios & test types
Executors and thresholdsTraffic modelled with k6 scenarios and executors, such as arrival-rate and ramping users, for every test type you need, from a quick smoke test to a breakpoint run.
What we deliver
- Smoke, load, stress, spike, soak, scalability and breakpoint tests
- Arrival-rate and ramping-VU executors
- Checks and thresholds as pass/fail gates
- Test data from CSV or JSON with SharedArray
When you need it
Whenever results need to reflect how traffic really arrives.
The problem it preventsTests that pass because they don’t behave like real traffic
k6 in your CI/CD pipeline
Performance on every buildSmaller k6 tests run on every build in your pipeline, with thresholds that fail the build when performance drops below your agreed budget.
What we deliver
- GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, CircleCI or Bitbucket
- Thresholds on latency and errors
- Trend comparison with previous builds
- Results where your team already looks
When you need it
When performance needs checking on every release, not once a year.
The problem it preventsA release that quietly makes key endpoints slower
Distributed & cloud-scale runs
Grafana Cloud, KubernetesWhen you need serious load, we run k6 in Grafana Cloud k6, across Kubernetes with the k6 Operator, in Docker, or on AWS and Azure load generators.
What we deliver
- Grafana Cloud k6
- k6 Operator on Kubernetes
- Docker-based runs
- AWS, Azure or self-hosted distributed runs
When you need it
When you need thousands of virtual users or traffic from several regions.
The problem it preventsA load test that tests the load generator instead of your system
Monitoring & bottleneck analysis
Find the causeResults stream to live dashboards linked to your servers and APM, so each slowdown is traced to its cause: code, database, configuration or infrastructure.
What we deliver
- Grafana with InfluxDB or Prometheus
- Datadog, New Relic or AWS CloudWatch
- k6 HTML and summary reports
- Bottlenecks explained in plain language
When you need it
On every run, so results lead to fixes rather than just charts.
The problem it preventsKnowing it’s slow, but not why
JMeter & Postman to k6 conversion
Load tests as codeWe convert JMeter plans or Postman collections into modular k6 scripts with shared libraries, and run old and new side by side until results match.
What we deliver
- Audit of existing JMeter plans or Postman collections
- Modular k6 scripts with shared libraries
- Recording with the k6 browser recorder or HAR import
- Side-by-side runs to compare results
When you need it
When you want load tests in code, reviewed like the rest of your repo.
The problem it preventsLoad tests nobody on the dev team can read or change
[ Our approach ]
How we analyse your project and design the solution
A load test is only as good as its model of real traffic. We get that right first, then turn your goals into thresholds your pipeline can enforce.
Understand your traffic
Real traffic, peak patterns and the APIs and journeys that matter most, from analytics, logs or your team.
You get: Workload modelSet performance budgets
Latency, error and throughput targets agreed with you, written as k6 thresholds.
You get: Agreed thresholdsMap your services
Services, databases, queues and third parties, so we know what to monitor and where limits may be.
You get: Monitoring planDesign the scripts
Modular scripts, shared libraries, scenarios and executors, and the right place to run them.
You get: Script blueprint[ Structure & tool setup ]
The setup we use, layer by layer
Each layer is chosen for your system and team. On the right is a typical project layout, so scripts stay easy to review and reuse.
LanguageJavaScript · TypeScript
ProtocolsHTTP / REST · GraphQL · gRPC · WebSockets · k6 browser module · xk6 extensions (e.g. Kafka)
Test typesSmoke · load · stress · spike · soak · scalability · breakpoint
ScenariosArrival-rate and ramping-VU executors · checks and thresholds
StructureModular scripts · shared libraries · recordings and HAR import
Test dataCSV and JSON with SharedArray
ExecutionGrafana Cloud k6 · k6 Operator on Kubernetes · Docker · AWS, Azure or self-hosted
CI/CDGitHub Actions · GitLab CI · Jenkins · Azure DevOps · CircleCI · Bitbucket Pipelines
MonitoringGrafana with InfluxDB or Prometheus · Datadog · New Relic · AWS CloudWatch
Reportingk6 HTML and summary reports · bottleneck report with causes and fixes
Sample project layoutk6 · JavaScript
perf/
scenarios/
checkout-peak.js
api-smoke.js
soak-overnight.js
lib/ auth.js checks.js config.js
data/ users.csv products.json
thresholds/ budgets.js
k8s/ k6-testrun.yaml
.github/workflows/
k6-smoke.yml
dashboards/ grafana-k6.json
Example only. Your layout follows your system and team.
[ How we work ]
Six steps from workload model to performance gates
You agree the budgets and test windows before any load is applied, and see results after every run.
-
Step 1 of 6
Model the workload
Real traffic, peaks and key APIs turned into a workload model and budgets.
You getWorkload modelThresholds -
Step 2 of 6
Write the scripts
Modular k6 scripts with shared libraries, realistic data and scenarios.
You getReviewed scripts in your repo -
Step 3 of 6
Set up runs and monitoring
Execution sized for your scale, dashboards linked to your systems.
You getLive dashboards -
Step 4 of 6
Run the tests
Smoke and baseline first, then the agreed load, stress, spike or soak runs.
You getResults per run -
Step 5 of 6
Find and explain bottlenecks
Each slowdown traced to its cause, with clear fix suggestions.
You getBottleneck report -
Step 6 of 6
Gate the pipeline
Smaller k6 checks added to CI, fixes retested, everything handed over.
You getCI checksRetest report
[ Benefits you’ll see ]
What changes once k6 is in place
Performance stops being a once-a-year project and becomes a check that runs with every release.
Performance on every build
Thresholds in CI catch slower releases before they reach customers.
Bottlenecks explained
Each slowdown traced to code, database, configuration or infrastructure.
Tests your developers own
Scripts in your repository, in the language your team already writes.
Cheaper large tests
Low resource use per virtual user means fewer load generators.
Confidence before peaks
You know how much traffic your system handles, and what breaks first.
No lock-in
Open source, documented, and yours to keep.
[ Case Studies ]
Load testing we’ve delivered
These load testing projects were run with JMeter, not k6; they show our approach to workload modelling and bottleneck analysis. Each links to the full write-up.
[ Ways to work ]
Six ways to work with our k6 engineers
A one-off test before a big date, a k6 engineer in your team, or performance gates on every release.
01Managed testingChoose it when you want performance checked on every release, run for you.02Fixed-price projectChoose it for a load test before a big date, with a clear scope.03On-demand testingChoose it for a one-off test before a launch or campaign.04QA consultingChoose it for a review of your current performance approach.05Staff augmentationChoose it when your team needs a k6 specialist for a while.06Dedicated QA teamChoose it when performance is part of every sprint.
Not sure which fits? Find your model in four questions, compare all six or estimate your cost.
[ FAQ ]
k6 performance testing questions, answered
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[ Contact us ]
Get a k6 test plan for your product
✓ Free one-week POC✓ NDA before access✓ A QA lead replies the same day