Playwright vs Selenide: What are the differences?

Introduction

Playwright and Selenide are both powerful automation tools for web testing. However, there are key differences between them that set them apart. In this article, we will explore these differences in detail.

1. Programming Language Support: Playwright is a tool that supports multiple programming languages, including JavaScript, Python, and C#. On the other hand, Selenide is primarily focused on supporting Java.

2. Browser Support: Playwright provides robust cross-browser support, allowing you to automate tests on Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit browsers. Selenide, on the other hand, is mainly focused on Selenium WebDriver, which supports a wide range of browsers but may not provide the same level of support for newer or less popular browsers.

3. Wait Mechanism: Playwright offers powerful built-in waiting mechanisms that can automatically wait for specific conditions before proceeding with the test execution. Selenide also provides similar wait mechanisms but requires additional configurations and settings to achieve the same level of functionality.

4. Speed and Performance: Playwright is known for its speed and performance, as it utilizes browser-native automation features and has a more lightweight architecture. Selenide, on the other hand, relies on Selenium WebDriver, which can sometimes introduce additional overhead and impact the performance of test execution.

5. Ease of Use and Documentation: Playwright is designed to have an intuitive and user-friendly API, which makes it easier to write and maintain tests. It also has extensive documentation and a vibrant community that actively contributes to its improvement. Selenide also aims for simplicity and ease of use, but its documentation and community support may not be as comprehensive as Playwright.

6. Cross-platform Support: Playwright provides excellent cross-platform support, allowing you to write and execute tests on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. Selenide is primarily developed for Java, which means it may have limitations when it comes to cross-platform compatibility.

In Summary, Playwright offers broader programming language support, better cross-browser compatibility, more robust waiting mechanisms, improved speed and performance, better ease of use and documentation, and excellent cross-platform support compared to Selenide.