Cypress vs TestCafe: What are the differences?

Introduction

Cypress and TestCafe are two commonly used frameworks for web application testing. While they both serve the purpose of testing web applications, there are key differences between the two. In this article, we will explore and highlight six of these differences.

1. Architecture: Cypress runs directly in the browser and runs inside the application’s context, allowing direct access to the Document Object Model (DOM). On the other hand, TestCafe uses iframes to execute tests and communicates with the browser using built-in transport mechanisms. This difference in architecture affects how tests are written and executed.

2. Programming Language: Cypress is mainly written in JavaScript and enables test authors to write tests using JavaScript. TestCafe, on the other hand, supports a wider range of programming languages such as JavaScript, TypeScript, and CoffeeScript. This allows teams to choose the language they are most comfortable with for writing their tests.

3. Assertions and Selectors: Cypress makes use of a jQuery-like API for making assertions and selecting elements on the page. In contrast, TestCafe uses a built-in mechanism for assertions and provides a powerful selector system that doesn't require any libraries or additional dependencies.

4. Cross-browser Testing: TestCafe provides built-in cross-browser support, allowing tests to be run on multiple browsers without the need for additional configuration. Cypress, on the other hand, requires additional setup and configuration to run tests on different browsers.

5. Waiting for Element Availability: Cypress automatically waits for elements to become available before performing assertions or interactions. This eliminates the need for explicit waits and makes tests more reliable and deterministic. In TestCafe, explicit waits are required to ensure elements are available before interacting with them.

6. Debugging and Testing Tools: Cypress provides a rich set of built-in tools for debugging tests, including real-time reloading, automatic screenshots, and video recordings of test runs. TestCafe, on the other hand, provides a simpler debugging experience and does not offer the same level of visual tools for debugging and testing.

In Summary, Cypress and TestCafe differ in architecture, programming language support, assertions and selectors, cross-browser testing, element availability handling, and debugging/testing tools. These differences make each framework suitable for different use cases and user preferences.