Siege
Siege is an open-source command-line HTTP/HTTPS load testing and benchmarking tool used to measure the performance of web servers under simulated user traffic. It allows developers to test how many concurrent users a web application can handle by sending configurable requests and analyzing response times, throughput, and error rates. It is commonly used for stress testing, capacity planning, and identifying performance bottlenecks in web infrastructure.
Developers should use Siege when they need to evaluate the scalability and reliability of web applications, APIs, or servers before deployment or during development cycles. It is particularly useful for simulating real-world traffic patterns to ensure that systems can handle peak loads without downtime, such as during product launches or marketing campaigns. Siege's simplicity and scriptability make it ideal for quick performance checks and integration into CI/CD pipelines for automated testing.