# Artillery vs k6

> Artillery is a developer-first Node ecosystem load toolkit for HTTP, WebSocket, and more. k6 is a purpose-built load tool with JS scripting and strong cloud options. Both suit API-heavy teams; choose based on Node familiarity, protocol needs, and cloud preference.

- Canonical: https://perf.jmeter.ai/vs/artillery-vs-grafana-k6/
- Compared: [Artillery](https://perf.jmeter.ai/tools/artillery/) · [Grafana k6](https://perf.jmeter.ai/tools/grafana-k6/)

## Verdict
Artillery appeals to Node-centric teams that want flexible scenarios and Artillery Cloud when ready. k6 has broader mindshare in performance engineering and a clear Grafana path. Feature parity depends on your protocols and reporting expectations.

## Specs
| Field | Artillery | k6 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vendor | Artillery Software | Grafana Labs |
| Category | Protocol/API Load | Load Testing |
| License | Open Source | Open Source |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
| Status | Active | Active |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Pricing | Free open-source core; commercial cloud features available. | Free; AGPL-3.0 license. |
| Scripting | JavaScript, TypeScript | JavaScript, TypeScript |
| Protocols | HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, Socket.IO, MQTT | HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, gRPC |
| OS support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |

## How to choose
- Prefer Artillery if your stack and plugins already revolve around Node.
- Prefer k6 for mainstream performance-engineering patterns and Grafana Cloud.
- Confirm WebSocket/messaging needs against each tool’s current support.
- POC both with the same SLA thresholds before standardizing.

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Curated by NaveenKumar Namachivayam (QAInsights) · methodology: https://perf.jmeter.ai/about/#methodology · corrections: https://github.com/QAInsights/Performance-Testing-Tools/issues/new?title=Tool%20submission%3A%20&body=Tool%20name%3A%20%0AOfficial%20URL%3A%20%0AWhat%20should%20be%20added%20or%20corrected%3F%20%0A