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PhantomJS vs Playwright: What are the differences?
Introduction
In this article, we will explore the key differences between PhantomJS and Playwright. Both PhantomJS and Playwright are tools used for web automation and testing. However, there are several distinct differences between them that set them apart.
Execution Speed: One of the significant differences between PhantomJS and Playwright is their execution speed. PhantomJS is based on an older technology, and its execution speed can be slower compared to Playwright. Playwright, on the other hand, is built using more modern and efficient technologies, resulting in faster execution times.
Cross-Browser Support: Playwright provides cross-browser support, allowing developers to perform automated tests on different browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. In contrast, PhantomJS is primarily focused on headless browsing and lacks comprehensive support for multiple browsers.
API Documentation: Playwright offers extensive and well-documented APIs, making it easier for developers to understand and utilize its capabilities. PhantomJS, while being a powerful tool, has slightly less comprehensive and organized documentation, which can make it more challenging for developers, especially those new to the tool.
Maintenance and Support: Playwright is an actively maintained and supported project, with regular updates and bug fixes. It has a vibrant community and strong backing from Microsoft. On the other hand, PhantomJS has been discontinued and is no longer actively maintained. This lack of ongoing support can lead to compatibility issues with newer browser versions and potential security vulnerabilities.
WebSocket Support: Playwright has built-in support for WebSocket communication, making it easier to automate scenarios involving real-time communication protocols. PhantomJS, while capable of handling WebSocket communication, may require additional workarounds or custom implementations.
Programming Language Support: Playwright supports a wide range of programming languages, including JavaScript, Python, and C#. This flexibility allows developers to choose the language they are most comfortable with. In contrast, PhantomJS primarily focuses on JavaScript and may not have the same level of support for other languages.
In summary, Playwright offers faster execution, cross-browser support, comprehensive documentation, ongoing maintenance, WebSocket support, and broader language support compared to PhantomJS.
I am using Node 12 for server scripting and have a function to generate PDF and send it to a browser. Currently, we are using PhantomJS to generate a PDF. Some web post shows that we can achieve PDF generation using Puppeteer. I was a bit confused. Should we move to puppeteerJS? Which one is better with NodeJS for generating PDF?
You better go with puppeteer. It is basically chrome automation tool, written in nodejs. So what you get is PDF, generated by chrome itself. I guess there is hardly better PDF generation tool for the web. Phantomjs is already more or less outdated as technology. It uses some old webkit port that's quite behind in terms of standards and features. It can be replaced with puppeteer for every single task.
I suggest puppeteer to go for. It is simple and easy to set up. Only limitaiton is it can be used only for chrome browser and currently they are looking into expanding into FF. The next thing is Playwright which is just a scale up of Puppeteer. It supports cross browsers.
Pros of PhantomJS
- Scriptable web browser13
- Depends on QT3
- No ECMAScript 62
Pros of Playwright
- Cross browser13
- Open source10
- Test Runner with Playwright/test9
- Promise based7
- Well documented7
- Integrate your POMs as extensible fixtures5
- Execute tests in parallel5
- API Testing5
- Python Support4
- Capture videos, screenshots and other artifacts on fail4
- Inbuild reporters html,line,dot,json3
- Context isolation3
- Fastest1
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Cons of PhantomJS
Cons of Playwright
- Less help12
- Node based3
- Does not execute outside of browser2