Overview

Selenium

Stacks16.2K

Followers12.6K

Votes527

GitHub Stars33.6K

Forks8.6K

Panther

Stacks6

Followers12

Votes0

GitHub Stars3.0K

Forks233

Panther vs Selenium: What are the differences?

Introduction:

In the realm of automated testing, Panther and Selenium are two popular tools used for web testing. Although both tools aim to achieve the same goal, there are several key differences that set them apart. This article will delve into these differences and provide a comprehensive comparison between Panther and Selenium.

Supported Languages: One of the primary distinctions between Panther and Selenium lies in the supported languages. Panther is predominantly used with Python and supports other languages like Ruby, PHP, and Java. On the other hand, Selenium is more versatile and supports a wide range of programming languages, including Python, Java, C#, Ruby, and JavaScript.
Selector Strategies: The selector strategies employed by Panther and Selenium also differ. Panther predominantly uses CSS selectors, which are concise and efficient in identifying elements on a web page. In contrast, Selenium offers various locator strategies, including CSS selectors, XPath, ID, class name, and more. This versatility in Selenium allows testers to choose the best strategy for specific scenarios.
Ease of Use: When it comes to ease of use, Panther is considered to have a steeper learning curve compared to Selenium. Panther requires an understanding of Python programming, making it a more suitable choice for testers with programming experience. Selenium, on the other hand, offers a simpler, intuitive user interface that can be easily mastered by testers with minimal programming knowledge.
Native Browser Vs. WebDriver: Panther primarily utilizes the native browser of the machine being used for testing. This approach eliminates the need for a WebDriver and allows direct interaction with the browser. In contrast, Selenium extensively utilizes WebDriver, which acts as an intermediary between the browser and the testing framework. WebDriver's ability to simulate user interactions across different browsers and platforms makes Selenium a preferred choice for cross-browser testing.
Object Recognition: Another significant difference lies in how object recognition is handled. Panther utilizes image-based recognition, where objects are identified based on pixel patterns and color variations. This approach allows precise recognition of graphical and dynamic elements. In contrast, Selenium relies on DOM-based recognition, where objects are identified using HTML elements and their attributes. This makes Selenium more effective in handling dynamic web pages, where objects change their properties dynamically.
Parallel Execution: Selenium outshines Panther when it comes to parallel execution. With Selenium, testers can run tests in parallel across multiple browsers and operating systems simultaneously. This capability significantly reduces testing time and increases efficiency, making Selenium an excellent choice for large-scale test automation projects. On the other hand, Panther does not natively support parallel execution, which limits its scalability for larger test suites.

In Summary, Panther and Selenium differ in terms of supported languages, selector strategies, ease of use, utilization of native browser vs. WebDriver, object recognition approach, and parallel execution capabilities. These differences make each tool suitable for specific testing scenarios, depending on the project requirements and tester's skills.

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Advice on Selenium, Panther

Shivam

Mar 5, 2020

Needs advice

we are having one web application developed in Reacts.js. in the application, we have only 4 to 5 pages that we need to test. I am having experience in selenium with java. Please suggets which tool I should use. and why ............................ ............................ .............................

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Comments

Detailed Comparison

Selenium	Panther
Selenium automates browsers. That's it! What you do with that power is entirely up to you. Primarily, it is for automating web applications for testing purposes, but is certainly not limited to just that. Boring web-based administration tasks can (and should!) also be automated as well.	It is a convenient standalone library to scrape websites and to run end-to-end tests using real browsers.
-	Executes the JavaScript code contained in webpages; Supports everything that Chrome (or Firefox) implements; Allows screenshots taking; Can wait for asynchronously loaded elements to show up; Lets you run your own JS code or XPath queries in the context of the loaded page; Supports custom Selenium server installations; Supports remote browser testing services including SauceLabs and BrowserStack
Statistics
GitHub Stars 33.6K	GitHub Stars 3.0K
GitHub Forks 8.6K	GitHub Forks 233
Stacks 16.2K	Stacks 6
Followers 12.6K	Followers 12
Votes 527	Votes 0
Pros & Cons
Pros 177 Automates browsers 154 Testing 101 Essential tool for running test automation 24 Record-Playback 24 Remote Control Cons 8 Flaky tests 4 Slow as needs to make browser (even with no gui) 2 Update browser drivers	No community feedback yet
Integrations
No integrations available	PHP Symfony JavaScript Firefox Google Chrome

What are some alternatives to Selenium, Panther?

BrowserStack

BrowserStack is the leading test platform built for developers & QAs to expand test coverage, scale & optimize testing with cross-browser, real device cloud, accessibility, visual testing, test management, and test observability.

Sauce Labs

Cloud-based automated testing platform enables developers and QEs to perform functional, JavaScript unit, and manual tests with Selenium or Appium on web and mobile apps. Videos and screenshots for easy debugging. Secure and CI-ready.

LambdaTest

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Karma

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Playwright

It is a Node library to automate the Chromium, WebKit and Firefox browsers with a single API. It enables cross-browser web automation that is ever-green, capable, reliable and fast.

Rainforest QA

Rainforest gives you the reliability of a QA team and the speed of automation, without the hassle of managing a team or the pain of writing automated tests.

WebdriverIO

WebdriverIO lets you control a browser or a mobile application with just a few lines of code. Your test code will look simple, concise and easy to read.

import.io

import.io is a free web-based platform that puts the power of the machine readable web in your hands. Using our tools you can create an API or crawl an entire website in a fraction of the time of traditional methods, no coding required.

TestingBot

TestingBot provides automated and Manual cross browser testing in the cloud. Make sure your website looks ok in all browsers.

Ghost Inspector

It lets you create and manage UI tests that check specific functionality in your website or application. We execute these automated browser tests continuously from the cloud and alert you if anything breaks.