Apache JMeter is a free and open-source load-testing tool that enables you to test the functional behavior and measure the performance of your applications. Originally developed for web application testing, JMeter has expanded its capabilities to include various tests.
JMeter enables you to simulate heavy loads on different aspects of your system, such as servers, networks, or objects. This allows you to test the performance and reliability of your system under different conditions, ensuring that it can handle heavy traffic and usage.
This article will guide you through the step-by-step process of installing JMeter on Windows and macOS operating systems. Keep in mind that JMeter is a Java-based application, so you will need to have Java 8 or a higher version installed to work with it.
Table of contents
Installing JMeter on Windows
Here is how to install JMeter on Windows:
Step 1: Check Java Installation
- Before you can use Apache JMeter, you need to ensure that Java is installed on your PC.
- Open a Command Prompt window by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard, typing cmd in the search bar that appears after pressing the Windows key, and pressing Enter or clicking on the Command Prompt application to open it.
Alternatively, you can use the Run dialog box to open the command window:
1. Press Windows key + R: This keyboard shortcut opens the Run dialog box.
2. Type cmd and press Enter: In the Run dialog box, type cmd and press Enter or click on the OK button.
- Type the following in the Command Prompt window and press the Enter key.
java -version- You will see the version number if you have Java already in your system. Otherwise, you will see an error message indicating that Java is not recognized.
- Don’t worry if you don’t have Java installed. In our article titled How to install Java on Windows and macOS, you will find step-by-step instructions for installing Java.
Step 2: Download Apache JMeter
- Visit the Apache JMeter website and navigate to the Binaries section. Download the latest stable version of JMeter by clicking on the Binaries link (.zip file is recommended) of the most recent release.
Step 3: Install and Run JMeter
- After downloading the zip file, extract the elements of the zip file to the folder of your choice.
- Open the apache-jmeter-{version} folder and look for the bin folder.
- Open the bin folder, search for a file called jmeter.bat (the file type is Windows Batch File), and double-click it to open JMeter.
- You can see a new window of JMeter is opened as follows.
- Reopen JMeter in the future by following the steps above or by placing a shortcut to the jmeter.bat file in a convenient place and double-clicking on it.
ProTip:
You can customize the look and feel of JMeter by editing the jmeter.properties file in the bin folder.
Please comment below if you encounter any issues during installation, and we will do our best to help.
Congratulations, you can now begin working with JMeter!
Installing JMeter on Mac
Here are the steps to install JMeter on macOS:
Step 1: Check Java Installation
- Before you can use Apache JMeter, you need to ensure that Java is installed on your Mac.
- Open a Terminal window by pressing command + space, typing terminal, and pressing the return key on your keyboard.
- Type the following command in the terminal window and press the return key.
java -version- You will see the version number if you have Java already in your system. Otherwise, you will see an error message indicating that Java is not recognized.
- Don’t worry if you don’t have Java installed. In our article titled How to install Java on Windows and macOS, you will find step-by-step instructions for installing Java.
Step 2: Download Apache JMeter
- Visit the Apache JMeter website and navigate to the Binaries section. Download the latest stable version of JMeter by clicking on the Binaries link (.tgz or .zip file) of the most recent release.
Step 3: Install and Run Apache JMeter
- Once the JMeter archive is downloaded, locate it in the Downloads folder or the folder where your browser saves files. Double-click on the archive to extract its contents.
- Drag the extracted apache-jmeter-{version} folder to your desired location (e.g., /Applications).
- Once the folder has finished copying, open a Terminal window by pressing command + spacebar, then type terminal and press the return key.
- If you moved JMeter to the Applications folder, use the following command in the terminal:
cd /Applications/apache-jmeter-{version}
Replace {version} with the version number of JMeter that you have.
- To start using JMeter, execute the command
./jmeterin the Terminal window. You can also launch JMeter by double-clicking on the jmeter script inside the bin folder.
ProTip:
You can customize the look and feel of JMeter by editing the jmeter.properties file in the bin folder.
Please comment below if you encounter any issues during installation, and we will do our best to help.
Congratulations, you can now begin working with JMeter!
Final thoughts on installing JMeter on Windows and Mac
Installing JMeter is a simple and straightforward process that involves checking your Java version, downloading the latest version of JMeter, extracting the files, and opening JMeter in GUI mode.
With JMeter installed, you can start testing your applications’ functional behavior and performance.
This post is part of our comprehensive JMeter Mini-Course.
