Playwright vs TestComplete: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Playwright and TestComplete

Introduction:

Both Playwright and TestComplete are popular automation testing tools used for web and mobile application testing. However, there are several key differences between them.

1. Supported Platforms: Playwright supports multiple platforms like Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, allowing developers to run tests on different web browsers. On the other hand, TestComplete is primarily used for Windows-based applications and supports various platforms like .NET, Java, and web applications.

2. Programming Languages: Playwright supports multiple programming languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and C#, providing developers with flexibility in choosing their preferred language. In contrast, TestComplete uses its own script language called 'TestComplete Script,' which is similar to JavaScript but has its own syntax and features.

3. Cross-Browser Testing: Playwright is designed to support cross-browser testing out of the box, providing features like parallel test execution, network interception, and consistent APIs across different browsers. TestComplete also supports cross-browser testing but with limited capabilities compared to Playwright, making it more suitable for testing desktop applications.

4. Open-Source vs Commercial: Playwright is an open-source automation tool backed by Microsoft, which means it is freely available for usage and contributes to a vast community-driven ecosystem. On the other hand, TestComplete is a commercial tool provided by SmartBear, which comes with licensing and subscription fees.

5. Headless Testing: Playwright supports headless testing, allowing tests to run in the background without a visible browser interface. This is particularly useful for running tests in environments like Continuous Integration (CI) servers or running tests in parallel. TestComplete also supports headless testing, but it requires additional configuration and setup.

6. Ecosystem and Community: Playwright is relatively new compared to TestComplete, but it already has a growing community and ecosystem of plugins, integrations, and frameworks built around it. TestComplete, on the other hand, has been in the market for a long time and has a well-established community and ecosystem.

In summary, Playwright and TestComplete differ in terms of supported platforms, programming languages, cross-browser testing capabilities, open-source vs commercial licensing, headless testing support, and community ecosystem.