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

Web automation libraries are tools designed to facilitate the automation of web browsers for testing, scraping, and other web-related tasks. They allow developers to programmatically control web browsers, simulate user interactions, and perform actions like clicking buttons, filling forms, and navigating pages. These libraries are essential for ensuring the functionality and performance of web applications through automated testing, as well as for gathering data from websites in a structured manner. Each library has its own strengths and weaknesses, making them suitable for different use cases and development environments.

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playwright7,900,81568,2673.15 MB710a month agoApache-2.0
puppeteer2,753,34889,320359 kB26419 days agoApache-2.0
selenium-webdriver1,090,21431,17318.4 MB212a month agoApache-2.0
Feature Comparison: playwright vs puppeteer vs selenium-webdriver

Browser Support

  • playwright:

    Playwright supports multiple browsers including Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, allowing for comprehensive cross-browser testing. This makes it ideal for applications that need to function consistently across different environments.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer is primarily designed for Google Chrome and Chromium, offering deep integration with these browsers. While it can be used with Firefox in a limited capacity, its primary strength lies in Chrome automation.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver supports a wide range of browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. This makes it a versatile choice for projects that require extensive browser compatibility.

Ease of Use

  • playwright:

    Playwright offers a modern API that simplifies the process of writing tests and automating tasks. Its auto-waiting feature reduces the need for manual waits, making scripts more reliable and easier to read.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer provides a straightforward API that is easy to learn, especially for developers familiar with JavaScript. Its documentation is comprehensive, making it accessible for newcomers to browser automation.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive capabilities and configuration options. However, it is well-documented and has a large community, which can help mitigate the learning challenges.

Performance

  • playwright:

    Playwright is designed for speed and efficiency, capable of running tests in parallel across multiple browsers. This significantly reduces the overall test execution time, making it suitable for large test suites.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer is optimized for performance when working with Chrome, allowing for fast execution of tasks like page navigation and DOM manipulation. However, it may not perform as well with Firefox due to its limited support.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver can be slower than Playwright and Puppeteer, especially when running tests across multiple browsers. Its performance can be improved with proper configuration and parallel test execution.

Community and Ecosystem

  • playwright:

    Playwright is relatively new but has quickly gained traction and support from the developer community. It is actively maintained by Microsoft and has a growing ecosystem of plugins and integrations.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer has a strong community and is widely used in the industry, particularly for tasks related to Chrome automation. Its ecosystem includes various tools and libraries that extend its functionality.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver has been around for a long time and has a vast community and ecosystem. It integrates well with many testing frameworks and tools, making it a reliable choice for enterprise-level applications.

Cross-Platform Capabilities

  • playwright:

    Playwright is built with cross-platform capabilities in mind, allowing tests to run on Windows, macOS, and Linux seamlessly. This flexibility is beneficial for teams working in diverse environments.

  • puppeteer:

    Puppeteer is primarily focused on Chrome and may have limitations when it comes to cross-platform testing with other browsers. It is best suited for projects that can standardize on Chrome.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Selenium WebDriver excels in cross-platform testing, supporting a wide range of operating systems and browsers. This makes it ideal for teams that require extensive compatibility across different environments.

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

    Choose Playwright if you need to automate testing across multiple browsers (Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit) with a single API. It is particularly beneficial for modern web applications that require cross-browser support and has features like auto-waiting for elements, which simplifies test writing.

  • puppeteer:

    Choose Puppeteer if you are primarily working with Google Chrome or Chromium and need a lightweight solution for web scraping or testing. Puppeteer provides a rich API for controlling Chrome and is well-suited for tasks that require a headless browser, such as generating PDFs or screenshots.

  • selenium-webdriver:

    Choose Selenium WebDriver if you require a robust, widely-adopted solution for browser automation that supports multiple programming languages and browsers. Selenium is ideal for large-scale testing frameworks and projects that need to integrate with various tools and services.

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.

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 131.0.6778.33 | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | | WebKit 18.2 | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | :white_check_mark: | | Firefox 132.0 | :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');
});

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