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Reqnroll .NET BDD Framework

Overview

Reqnroll is a .NET BDD (Behaviour-Driven Development) framework, very similar to SpecFlow, used for writing automated acceptance tests in a natural, human-readable format.

Think of it as:

Cucumber/Gherkin for .NET applications.

It allows you to write tests in plain English using the Gherkin syntax, and then bind those steps to C# code that executes the test logic.

Reqnroll is fully open-source and community-driven. It was created as a drop-in replacement for SpecFlow after licensing concerns made some teams want a fully open, non-commercial alternative.

What Problem Does Reqnroll Solve?

Reqnroll is used to:

  • Bridge the gap between business language and technical test automation
  • Allow analysts, testers, and non-developers to write scenarios
  • Provide living documentation of business requirements
  • Automate acceptance tests that match real-world behaviour
  • Ensure the system behaves as expected from the user’s perspective

It is particularly useful in Agile teams practicing BDD, ATDD, or using user stories.

How Reqnroll Works (High-Level)

1 Write scenarios in Gherkin (.feature files)

Feature: Login

Scenario: User logs in with valid credentials
    Given the user is on the login page
    When the user enters valid credentials
    Then they should be redirected to the dashboard

2 Bind the Gherkin steps to C# step definitions

[Given("the user is on the login page")]
public void GivenTheUserIsOnLoginPage()
{
    _browser.NavigateTo("/login");
}

[When("the user enters valid credentials")]
public void WhenUserLogsIn()
{
    _browser.Fill("username", "stuart");
    _browser.Fill("password", "password123");
    _browser.Click("Login");
}

[Then("they should be redirected to the dashboard")]
public void ThenRedirectToDashboard()
{
    _browser.Url.Should().EndWith("/dashboard");
}

3️ Execute the tests via:

  • Visual Studio test runner
  • dotnet test
  • CI/CD pipeline (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, etc.)

Reqnroll parses the Gherkin, matches each step to a C# method, and runs the test.

Why Do Teams Choose Reqnroll?

  • Fully Open-Source - No commercial licensing, no paid plugins.
  • Drop-in replacement for SpecFlow - Many teams migrated seamlessly.
  • Works with modern .NET - Supports .NET 6/7/8 and Visual Studio integration.
  • Easy for non-engineers to read - Stakeholders can read tests in English.
  • Encourages collaboration - Promotes the “three amigos” approach: Dev, QA, BA writing scenarios together.

Disadvantages of Reqnroll

  • Slower test execution - BDD-style tests are heavier than plain unit tests.
  • Requires discipline - Teams must write good scenarios, not overly granular ones.
  • Not ideal for low-level testing - Unit & integration tests are still needed.
  • Smaller ecosystem than SpecFlow - Still growing, fewer plugins/tools.

Reqnroll vs SpecFlow

Feature Reqnroll SpecFlow
Licensing Fully open-source OSS but commercial plugins + enterprise edition
API Compatibility High (often drop-in) Original
IDE Integration Good Very good
Community Growing Large, established
Corporate Backing Community-led Commercial backing (Tricentis)

For most teams, Reqnroll is a modern, open, simpler alternative to SpecFlow.

Summary

Reqnroll is a .NET BDD framework that lets you write acceptance tests using human-readable Gherkin syntax. It links those steps to C# methods and automates behaviour-driven scenarios.

Reqnroll is essentially an open-source alternative to SpecFlow, ideal for bridging business requirements with automated test execution in an Agile workflow.