Automated testing has become an essential part of the software development process. It allows developers to test their applications in a quick and efficient manner, saving them time and ensuring the quality of their code. Two popular automation libraries for testing web applications are Playwright and Selenium. In this blog post, we'll compare Playwright vs Selenium, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Overview

Selenium has been the go-to automation library for web testing for many years. It supports multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, and JavaScript, and works across all major browsers. Selenium also has a vast community, making it easy to find documentation, tutorials, and help when needed.

Playwright, on the other hand, is a relatively new automation library developed by Microsoft. It supports modern web features, such as shadow DOM and web components, and works across all major browsers. Playwright is also faster and more reliable than Selenium, making it a better option for continuous integration and deployment.

Browser Support

Both Playwright and Selenium support all major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. However, Playwright supports Microsoft Edge and Safari out of the box, while Selenium requires additional configuration to support these browsers. 👉👉Learn Cross Browser Test Automation with Docker & Selenium Grid

Programming Language Support

Selenium supports multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, and JavaScript. Playwright also supports these languages, as well as TypeScript and C#. However, Playwright's TypeScript support is particularly noteworthy, as it provides type definitions for all of its APIs, making it easier for developers to write code and catch errors before runtime.

Modern Web Feature Support

One area where Playwright shines is in its support for modern web features. It supports shadow DOM, service workers, and web components out of the box, while Selenium requires additional configuration to support these features. Playwright also has built-in support for capturing video recordings of tests, making it easier to diagnose issues during testing.

Speed and Reliability

Playwright is faster and more reliable than Selenium, making it a better option for continuous integration and deployment. Playwright uses a new approach to automation, which allows it to bypass the limitations of Selenium's architecture. Playwright can run multiple instances of a browser in parallel, enabling faster test execution times. Additionally, Playwright's automation approach is more robust, resulting in fewer flaky tests.

Community Support

Selenium has a vast and active community, making it easy to find documentation, tutorials, and help when needed. Playwright's community is growing quickly but is not as large as Selenium's yet. However, Playwright is an open-source project developed by Microsoft, which provides some reassurance regarding its longevity and future support.

Conclusion

Both Playwright and Selenium are excellent automation libraries for web testing. Selenium is a mature and established option with a vast community and supports multiple programming languages. Playwright is a newer option with modern web feature support, faster and more reliable execution, and built-in video recording.

In summary, if you're looking for a mature and established option with a large community, Selenium is the way to go. However, if you want a more modern and faster option with built-in support for modern web features, Playwright is the better choice.

Let's first learn to install Playwright

Here are the steps to install Playwright along with the relevant links:

Install Node.js on your system, if it is not already installed. You can download it from the official website: https://nodejs.org/en/
Open a command prompt (or terminal) and install Playwright by running the following command: npm i playwright

This will install Playwright and its dependencies.
Once the installation is complete, you can start using Playwright in your Node.js projects.

Here are some useful links that you may find helpful: