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Head-to-head · End-to-End Testing Software

Playwright vs Cypress

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Playwright #1 in End-to-End Testing Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Playwright
Cypress #4 in End-to-End Testing Software 9.0/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Cypress

Playwright leads on 0 checks, Cypress on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePlaywright · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Cypress

Playwright scores higher on our rubric for end-to-end testing software: 9.4 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #4.

Playwright is the better fit for teams building modern web E2E suites. Cypress is the better fit for javaScript teams needing web E2E and CI.

  • Playwright fits best

    Teams building modern web E2E suites

  • Cypress fits best

    JavaScript teams needing web E2E and CI

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Side by side

Feature Playwright 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Cypress 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.0
Ranking #1 in End-to-End Testing Software #4 in End-to-End Testing Software
Best for Teams building modern web E2E suites JavaScript teams needing web E2E and CI
Pricing model Free Free plan + paid
Starting price Free plan $799/yr
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 30 days
Deployment Self-hosted, Desktop Cloud, Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community, Docs Email, Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Playwright 3/3 · Cypress 3/3
Self-hosted runner ✓ ✓
Mobile web testing ✓ ✓
Visual testing ✓ ✓
Specs
Test authoring Code Code
Browser support Multi_engine Multi_engine
Parallel runs Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Covers Chromium, Firefox, WebKit, Chrome, and Edge
  • Supports parallel execution, worker processes, and test sharding
  • Rich traces combine DOM snapshots, network requests, logs, and screenshots
  • Open-source end-to-end and component testing for web applications
  • Runs across Chromium browsers, Firefox, and WebKit
  • Supports CI parallelization, API testing, and visual integrations
Cons
  • Code-based authoring requires programming knowledge
  • It is a framework rather than a hosted testing service
  • AI features are available, but their specific capabilities are not detailed
  • Cloud recording and collaboration features require a paid plan
  • Visual comparison requires plugins or integrations
  • The lowest paid tier has no stated parallel-run maximum
Our verdict

Playwright is an open-source framework for web automation and end-to-end testing. It is designed for teams building modern web E2E suites across TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Java, and .NET. A single API drives Chromium, Firefox, and…

Read the review →

Cypress is an open-source JavaScript and TypeScript testing framework for developers and QA teams building web applications. Its Cypress App runs end-to-end and component tests on Windows, macOS, Linux, and self-hosted infrastructure.…

Read the review →
  1. PlaywrightEnd-to-End Testing Software 9.4Free plan
  2. CypressEnd-to-End Testing Software 9.0Free plan · 30-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Playwright — where it wins

    • Covers Chromium, Firefox, WebKit, Chrome, and Edge
    • Supports parallel execution, worker processes, and test sharding
    • Rich traces combine DOM snapshots, network requests, logs, and screenshots

    Where it doesn't

    • Code-based authoring requires programming knowledge
    • It is a framework rather than a hosted testing service
    • AI features are available, but their specific capabilities are not detailed

  • Cypress — where it wins

    • Open-source end-to-end and component testing for web applications
    • Runs across Chromium browsers, Firefox, and WebKit
    • Supports CI parallelization, API testing, and visual integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Cloud recording and collaboration features require a paid plan
    • Visual comparison requires plugins or integrations
    • The lowest paid tier has no stated parallel-run maximum
  • Playwright9.4/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source framework for broad browser coverage and scalable web E2E suites.

    Visit PlaywrightFull verdict →
  • Cypress9.0/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

    A flexible JavaScript testing framework with free local execution and paid CI collaboration features.

    Visit CypressFull verdict →

More comparisons

All End-to-End testing software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update