playwright vs puppeteer vs selenium-webdriver vs robot3
Web Automation Libraries Comparison
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What's Web Automation Libraries?

Web automation libraries are tools designed to automate browser interactions, enabling developers to perform tasks such as testing, scraping, and simulating user actions. These libraries provide APIs to control web browsers programmatically, allowing for the automation of repetitive tasks and the testing of web applications across different environments. The choice of library can significantly affect the ease of use, performance, and capabilities of the automation process, making it essential to understand their unique features and strengths.

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playwright13,425,89271,4033.21 MB79222 days agoApache-2.0
puppeteer4,943,72390,287361 kB2745 days agoApache-2.0
selenium-webdriver1,611,21032,02818 MB2623 days agoApache-2.0
robot368,6962,02227.6 kB152 months agoBSD-2-Clause
Feature Comparison: playwright vs puppeteer vs selenium-webdriver vs robot3

Browser Support

  • playwright:

    Playwright supports multiple browsers including Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, allowing for comprehensive cross-browser testing with a single API. This makes it an excellent choice for applications that need to ensure compatibility across different browser environments.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer is primarily designed for Chrome and Chromium, which means it excels in automating tasks specific to these browsers. While it can be used with Firefox, its primary strength lies in its deep integration with the Chrome DevTools.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver is the most widely used tool for cross-browser testing, supporting all major browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It is highly versatile and suitable for testing applications across different platforms.

  • robot3:

    Robot Framework is agnostic to the browser and can work with various web drivers, including Selenium, making it flexible for different testing scenarios. However, it relies on external libraries for browser support, which can add complexity.

Ease of Use

  • playwright:

    Playwright offers a modern API that is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, with built-in features like auto-waiting for elements to be ready before actions are performed. This reduces the complexity often associated with browser automation.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer has a straightforward API that is easy to learn, especially for developers familiar with JavaScript. It provides a rich set of features for common tasks like taking screenshots and generating PDFs, making it user-friendly for quick automation tasks.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive API and the need for additional setup. However, its long-standing presence in the industry means there are abundant resources and community support available.

  • robot3:

    Robot Framework uses a keyword-driven approach, which can be easier for non-programmers to understand and use. However, it may require more setup and configuration compared to other libraries, which could be a barrier for some users.

Performance

  • playwright:

    Playwright is optimized for performance, with features like parallel execution and efficient handling of network requests. It can handle multiple browser contexts simultaneously, making it suitable for large-scale testing scenarios.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer is generally fast for tasks involving Chrome, but performance can vary depending on the complexity of the automation tasks. It is efficient for simple tasks but may require optimization for more extensive testing scenarios.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver can be slower compared to other tools due to its architecture and the overhead of communicating with the browser. However, it remains a reliable choice for comprehensive testing across different environments.

  • robot3:

    Robot Framework's performance can be impacted by the choice of libraries and the complexity of the test cases. It is best suited for high-level testing rather than low-level browser interactions, which can affect execution speed.

Community and Support

  • playwright:

    Playwright has a growing community and is backed by Microsoft, which provides strong documentation and support. Its active development ensures that it stays up-to-date with the latest web technologies.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer has a robust community and is widely used in the industry, leading to a wealth of tutorials, examples, and third-party integrations. Its close relationship with Chrome ensures good support and updates.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver has one of the largest communities in the automation space, with extensive documentation, tutorials, and third-party tools available. Its long history means that many developers are familiar with it, providing a wealth of shared knowledge.

  • robot3:

    Robot Framework has a strong community with extensive documentation and a variety of plugins available. Its keyword-driven approach encourages collaboration and sharing of test cases among users.

Extensibility

  • playwright:

    Playwright is designed to be extensible, allowing developers to create custom scripts and integrate with other tools easily. Its architecture supports plugins and additional functionalities, making it adaptable to various testing needs.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer can be extended through custom scripts and libraries, but it is primarily focused on Chrome automation. Its simplicity can limit extensibility compared to more comprehensive frameworks.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver is also extensible, with support for various programming languages and the ability to integrate with other testing frameworks. Its modular architecture allows for customization and enhancement of testing capabilities.

  • robot3:

    Robot Framework is highly extensible, allowing users to create custom keywords and libraries. This flexibility makes it suitable for a wide range of testing scenarios and integration with other tools.

How to Choose: playwright vs puppeteer vs selenium-webdriver vs robot3
  • playwright:

    Choose Playwright if you need to support multiple browsers (Chromium, Firefox, WebKit) with a single API and require advanced features like auto-waiting, network interception, and mobile device emulation. It is ideal for modern web applications that demand high performance and reliability in testing.

  • puppeteer:

    Choose Puppeteer if you are primarily focused on automating Chrome or Chromium-based browsers. It offers a simple API for generating screenshots, PDFs, and scraping content, making it a great choice for projects that require straightforward browser automation without the need for cross-browser support.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Choose Selenium WebDriver if you need a well-established tool for cross-browser testing and support for multiple programming languages. It is best suited for large-scale testing environments where compatibility across different browsers and platforms is critical.

  • robot3:

    Choose Robot Framework if you prefer a keyword-driven approach to automation that is highly extensible and supports various libraries and tools. It is particularly useful for acceptance testing and robotic process automation (RPA), allowing for easy integration with other testing tools and frameworks.

Similar Npm Packages to playwright

playwright is a powerful automation library for browser testing and web scraping. Developed by Microsoft, it allows developers to write scripts for automating web applications across different browsers, including Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit. Playwright provides a high-level API that simplifies the process of browser automation, making it easier to perform tasks such as end-to-end testing, UI testing, and web scraping. Its ability to handle multiple browser contexts and its support for modern web features make it a popular choice among developers looking for a robust testing solution.

However, there are several alternatives to Playwright that also offer browser automation capabilities. Here are a few notable ones:

  • puppeteer is a well-known library developed by Google that provides a high-level API to control headless Chrome or Chromium. Puppeteer is widely used for web scraping, automated testing, and generating screenshots or PDFs of web pages. While Puppeteer is primarily focused on Chrome, it has a rich set of features and a strong community, making it a solid choice for developers who need a reliable tool for browser automation. However, its limitation to Chrome can be a drawback for those looking for cross-browser testing capabilities.

  • selenium-webdriver is a long-established framework for browser automation that supports multiple browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. Selenium WebDriver is widely used for automated testing of web applications and is compatible with various programming languages, including Java, Python, and JavaScript. Its extensive ecosystem and support for different browsers make it a versatile choice for developers who require cross-browser testing. However, Selenium can be more complex to set up and use compared to newer libraries like Playwright and Puppeteer.

To see how Playwright compares with Puppeteer and Selenium WebDriver, check out the comparison: Comparing playwright vs puppeteer vs selenium-webdriver.

Similar Npm Packages to puppeteer

puppeteer is a popular Node.js library that provides a high-level API for controlling headless Chrome or Chromium browsers. It is widely used for web scraping, automated testing, and generating screenshots or PDFs of web pages. Puppeteer allows developers to interact with web pages programmatically, making it an essential tool for tasks that require browser automation. While Puppeteer is a powerful solution, there are several alternatives that also offer browser automation capabilities. Here are a few notable options:

  • nightmare is a high-level browser automation library for Node.js that is designed for simplicity and ease of use. It provides a straightforward API for performing tasks such as clicking buttons, filling out forms, and navigating web pages. Nightmare is particularly well-suited for developers who need a quick and easy way to automate browser interactions without the complexity of more extensive frameworks. However, it may not be as feature-rich or performant as Puppeteer for more demanding tasks.
  • playwright is a newer library developed by Microsoft that offers a powerful and flexible API for browser automation. It supports multiple browsers, including Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, allowing developers to write cross-browser tests and automation scripts. Playwright provides advanced features such as auto-waiting, intercepting network requests, and handling multiple pages or contexts, making it a robust choice for complex automation scenarios. If you require cross-browser support and advanced capabilities, Playwright is an excellent alternative to Puppeteer.
  • selenium-webdriver is part of the Selenium project, which has been a long-standing solution for browser automation. It provides a comprehensive API for controlling various browsers and is widely used for automated testing of web applications. Selenium supports multiple programming languages and browser drivers, making it a versatile choice for teams working in diverse environments. However, it may have a steeper learning curve compared to Puppeteer and other modern libraries, and its setup can be more complex.

To see how Puppeteer compares with Nightmare, Playwright, and Selenium WebDriver, check out the comparison: Comparing nightmare vs playwright vs puppeteer vs selenium-webdriver.

Similar Npm Packages to selenium-webdriver

selenium-webdriver is a popular library for automating web browsers. It provides a robust framework for writing tests and automating user interactions with web applications. Selenium WebDriver supports multiple programming languages and allows developers to control browsers programmatically, making it an essential tool for end-to-end testing. While Selenium WebDriver is widely used, there are several alternatives that offer different features and capabilities. Here are a few notable options:

  • nightwatch is an end-to-end testing framework that uses the Selenium WebDriver API. It is designed for easy setup and execution of tests, providing a simple syntax for writing tests in JavaScript. Nightwatch comes with built-in support for running tests in various browsers and can be easily integrated with CI/CD pipelines. If you are looking for a straightforward testing framework that leverages Selenium while providing additional features like automatic waiting and easy configuration, Nightwatch is a great choice.

  • puppeteer is a Node.js library that provides a high-level API for controlling headless Chrome or Chromium browsers. Unlike Selenium, which supports multiple browsers, Puppeteer is specifically designed for Chrome and offers powerful features such as taking screenshots, generating PDFs, and scraping web pages. If your primary focus is on testing or automating tasks in Chrome, Puppeteer is an excellent option due to its speed and ease of use.

  • webdriverio is a custom implementation of Selenium's WebDriver API that is designed to be simple and easy to use. It supports both WebDriver and DevTools protocols, allowing for flexible testing across different browsers. WebdriverIO offers a rich set of features, including built-in support for various testing frameworks, plugins, and a powerful assertion library. If you want a versatile testing framework that can work with both Selenium and modern browser automation protocols, WebdriverIO is a strong candidate.

To see how selenium-webdriver compares with nightwatch, puppeteer, and webdriverio, check out the comparison: Comparing nightwatch vs puppeteer vs selenium-webdriver vs webdriverio.

Similar Npm Packages to robot3

robot3 is a powerful automation library for web applications, primarily designed for browser automation and testing. It allows developers to interact with web pages programmatically, making it easier to perform tasks such as scraping, testing, and automating repetitive actions. While robot3 provides a robust solution for browser automation, there are several alternatives in the ecosystem that also cater to similar needs. Here are a few notable alternatives:

  • playwright is a modern automation library developed by Microsoft that supports multiple browsers, including Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit. Playwright is designed for end-to-end testing and provides a rich set of features, including auto-waiting, capturing screenshots, and handling multiple contexts. Its ability to run tests across different browsers and devices makes it a strong choice for developers looking for a comprehensive testing solution that can handle complex scenarios.
  • puppeteer is a Node.js library that provides a high-level API to control Chrome or Chromium over the DevTools Protocol. Puppeteer is widely used for tasks such as web scraping, generating PDFs, and automating form submissions. Its simplicity and ease of use make it a popular choice for developers who need to automate tasks in a headless browser environment. While Puppeteer primarily focuses on Chrome, it offers a straightforward approach to browser automation.
  • selenium-webdriver is a well-established automation framework that supports a wide range of browsers and programming languages. Selenium WebDriver allows for comprehensive browser automation and is widely used for testing web applications. It provides a robust set of features for interacting with web elements, handling alerts, and managing browser sessions. If you are looking for a mature and widely adopted solution for browser automation and testing, Selenium WebDriver is a solid choice.

To see how robot3 compares with playwright, puppeteer, and selenium-webdriver, check out the comparison: Comparing playwright vs puppeteer vs robot3 vs selenium-webdriver.

README for playwright

🎭 Playwright

npm version Chromium version Firefox version WebKit version Join Discord

Documentation | API reference

Playwright is a framework for Web Testing and Automation. It allows testing Chromium, Firefox and WebKit with a single API. Playwright is built to enable cross-browser web automation that is ever-green, capable, reliable and fast.

| | Linux | macOS | Windows | | :--- | :---: | :---: | :---: | | Chromium 134.0.6998.35 | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | | WebKit 18.4 | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | | Firefox 135.0 | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: |

Headless execution is supported for all browsers on all platforms. Check out system requirements for details.

Looking for Playwright for Python, .NET, or Java?

Installation

Playwright has its own test runner for end-to-end tests, we call it Playwright Test.

Using init command

The easiest way to get started with Playwright Test is to run the init command.

# Run from your project's root directory
npm init playwright@latest
# Or create a new project
npm init playwright@latest new-project

This will create a configuration file, optionally add examples, a GitHub Action workflow and a first test example.spec.ts. You can now jump directly to writing assertions section.

Manually

Add dependency and install browsers.

npm i -D @playwright/test
# install supported browsers
npx playwright install

You can optionally install only selected browsers, see install browsers for more details. Or you can install no browsers at all and use existing browser channels.

Capabilities

Resilient • No flaky tests

Auto-wait. Playwright waits for elements to be actionable prior to performing actions. It also has a rich set of introspection events. The combination of the two eliminates the need for artificial timeouts - a primary cause of flaky tests.

Web-first assertions. Playwright assertions are created specifically for the dynamic web. Checks are automatically retried until the necessary conditions are met.

Tracing. Configure test retry strategy, capture execution trace, videos and screenshots to eliminate flakes.

No trade-offs • No limits

Browsers run web content belonging to different origins in different processes. Playwright is aligned with the architecture of the modern browsers and runs tests out-of-process. This makes Playwright free of the typical in-process test runner limitations.

Multiple everything. Test scenarios that span multiple tabs, multiple origins and multiple users. Create scenarios with different contexts for different users and run them against your server, all in one test.

Trusted events. Hover elements, interact with dynamic controls and produce trusted events. Playwright uses real browser input pipeline indistinguishable from the real user.

Test frames, pierce Shadow DOM. Playwright selectors pierce shadow DOM and allow entering frames seamlessly.

Full isolation • Fast execution

Browser contexts. Playwright creates a browser context for each test. Browser context is equivalent to a brand new browser profile. This delivers full test isolation with zero overhead. Creating a new browser context only takes a handful of milliseconds.

Log in once. Save the authentication state of the context and reuse it in all the tests. This bypasses repetitive log-in operations in each test, yet delivers full isolation of independent tests.

Powerful Tooling

Codegen. Generate tests by recording your actions. Save them into any language.

Playwright inspector. Inspect page, generate selectors, step through the test execution, see click points and explore execution logs.

Trace Viewer. Capture all the information to investigate the test failure. Playwright trace contains test execution screencast, live DOM snapshots, action explorer, test source and many more.

Looking for Playwright for TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, .NET, or Java?

Examples

To learn how to run these Playwright Test examples, check out our getting started docs.

Page screenshot

This code snippet navigates to Playwright homepage and saves a screenshot.

import { test } from '@playwright/test';

test('Page Screenshot', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://playwright.dev/');
  await page.screenshot({ path: `example.png` });
});

Mobile and geolocation

This snippet emulates Mobile Safari on a device at given geolocation, navigates to maps.google.com, performs the action and takes a screenshot.

import { test, devices } from '@playwright/test';

test.use({
  ...devices['iPhone 13 Pro'],
  locale: 'en-US',
  geolocation: { longitude: 12.492507, latitude: 41.889938 },
  permissions: ['geolocation'],
})

test('Mobile and geolocation', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://maps.google.com');
  await page.getByText('Your location').click();
  await page.waitForRequest(/.*preview\/pwa/);
  await page.screenshot({ path: 'colosseum-iphone.png' });
});

Evaluate in browser context

This code snippet navigates to example.com, and executes a script in the page context.

import { test } from '@playwright/test';

test('Evaluate in browser context', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://www.example.com/');
  const dimensions = await page.evaluate(() => {
    return {
      width: document.documentElement.clientWidth,
      height: document.documentElement.clientHeight,
      deviceScaleFactor: window.devicePixelRatio
    }
  });
  console.log(dimensions);
});

Intercept network requests

This code snippet sets up request routing for a page to log all network requests.

import { test } from '@playwright/test';

test('Intercept network requests', async ({ page }) => {
  // Log and continue all network requests
  await page.route('**', route => {
    console.log(route.request().url());
    route.continue();
  });
  await page.goto('http://todomvc.com');
});

Resources

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