Selenium Vs Cypress Vs Playwright: Key Differences at a Glance | LambdaTest
In this video, explore the key differences between popular web automation frameworks —Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright. Discover why Selenium remains a classic, why Cypress has gained popularity among front-end developers, and how Playwright offers a faster, developer-friendly alternative.
𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐦’𝐬 core strength lies in its extensive support for multiple browsers and programming languages, making it a versatile choice for large-scale projects with diverse requirements.
𝐂𝐲𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 excels in its simplicity and developer-friendly features, providing a seamless testing experience with automatic waiting and real-time reloading.
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 combines the best by offering robust multi-browser support, faster execution using browser debug protocols and features like multi-tab testing and cross-browser automation, making it ideal for more complex scenarios.
00:00 Introduction
00:04 Difference between Selenium Cypress and Playwright
02:05 Closing
Overview and High-Level Comparison:
The video starts by presenting a high-level comparison of Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright using a summarized chart. It encourages viewers to take a screenshot for reference.
Selenium's Strengths and Challenges:
Versatility and Longevity: Selenium is described as a long-standing, versatile browser automation tool, with extensive support for multiple browsers and programming languages.
Framework Flexibility: While powerful, Selenium requires testers to build their framework around it.
Historical Issues: The video touches on why Selenium has been criticized for flaky tests, attributing this to its lack of inbuilt handling for issues like waiting, which puts the responsibility on the testers.
Cypress's Focus on User Experience:
Developer-Focused: Cypress is highlighted as a simpler and more developer-friendly tool that focuses on user experience, automatic waiting, and real-time reloading.
Limitations: Cypress has restrictions like being JavaScript-only and limited to a single browser process, which means it cannot open multiple tabs simultaneously.
Playwright’s Balance of Speed and Versatility:
Robust Capabilities: Playwright offers a faster, cross-browser solution with support for multiple languages, leveraging browser debug protocols for better speed and automation features like multi-tab support.
Blending the Best Features: It is depicted as a combination of the extensive capabilities of Selenium and the developer-friendly nature of Cypress, making it a growing favorite in the market.