Softwr

Testing · head to head

Applitools vs CircleCI

Applitools logo

Applitools

Testing

AI-based visual regression testing, priced on component and page checkpoint volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CircleCI logo

CircleCI

Testing

The leading CI/CD platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CircleCI has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Applitools the entry tier alone costs 667 US dollars a month on annual billing, a genuinely high floor compared to Percy's tiers or a plain screenshot-diffing open source approach.; CircleCI the free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Applitools and CircleCI actually diverge.

Attributes where Applitools and CircleCI differ
AttributeApplitoolsCircleCI
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer month by checkpoint volumesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Testing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Applitools

  • Visual AI comparison
  • Storybook component testing
  • Figma design comparison
  • Cross-browser and device visual testing
  • Accessibility testing
  • NLP-based test authoring

Only in CircleCI

Nothing recorded that Applitools does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Applitools

  • A team that abandoned pixel-diffing visual regression testing because of false-positive fatigue and wants a lower-noise alternativenot CircleCI
  • A design system team wanting component-level visual testing against Storybook rather than only full-page checksnot CircleCI
  • An organisation wanting automated verification that shipped UI matches its Figma source designnot CircleCI
  • A team wanting NLP-based visual test authoring to reduce the coding overhead of writing visual test scripts, available at Professional tiernot CircleCI

CircleCI

  • Continuous integration pipelines for application codenot Applitools
  • Parallel test execution across containersnot Applitools
  • Docker-based builds with layer cachingnot Applitools
  • Deployment pipelines with approval gatesnot Applitools
  • Self-hosted runners for private infrastructurenot Applitools

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Applitools

  • The entry tier alone costs 667 US dollars a month on annual billing, a genuinely high floor compared to Percy's tiers or a plain screenshot-diffing open source approach.
  • Professional and Enterprise tiers, which hold the more advanced authoring and unlimited execution features, are quote-only, removing pricing transparency exactly where a large buyer most needs it.
  • Visual AI still occasionally flags false positives on genuinely novel layouts or animation-heavy interfaces, so a baseline review process is still needed, not eliminated.
  • Checkpoint-based pricing means cost is directly tied to test suite size and coverage breadth, so expanding visual test coverage has a direct, compounding cost impact unlike time-based or seat-based pricing models.
  • Teams migrating from a simpler pixel-diffing tool face real setup and baseline migration work to establish Applitools baselines correctly across a large existing UI.

CircleCI

  • The free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month
  • Active users are billed at $15 each beyond the included five, and an active user is anyone who commits to a project
  • Everything runs on credits, so compute, Docker layer caching at 200 credits a job and IP ranges at 450 credits per GB all draw from the same pool
  • Network and storage overage costs 420 credits per GB
  • Free credits expire monthly with no rollover, and paid credits expire after a year
  • Scale is annual billing only

Pricing, plan by plan

Applitools

On request
  • Starter$667/month
    • Billed annually
    • 100,000 component checkpoints or 1,000 page checkpoints
    • Visual AI, Storybook and Figma integration, accessibility testing
  • Professional$undefined/month
    • Custom quote, starting around 150 active pages or 1,500 components
    • Unlimited executions, NLP-based test authoring
    • Priority support with a dedicated Slack channel
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom quote, starting around 350 active pages or 1,500 components
    • SSO and dedicated or private cloud
    • Custom SLAs and a weekly account manager

CircleCI

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 6,000 build minutes (small Docker resource class)
    • Up to 5 active users per month
    • 30,000 free credits per month
  • Performance$15/month
    • 30,000 credits included monthly
    • 5 active users included (additional users $15/month each)
    • 80x concurrency
  • Scale$null/year
    • Custom number of credits
    • Customizable user limits
    • Unlimited concurrency

Which should you pick?

Choose Applitools if

  • You need visual ai comparison.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want storybook component testing.
Applitools review

Choose CircleCI if

  • You want to start without paying.
CircleCI review

Questions people ask

Is Applitools or CircleCI better?
Neither clearly leads. Applitools starts at On request and CircleCI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Applitools or CircleCI?
CircleCI has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Applitools and Free for CircleCI.
Does Applitools or CircleCI run on more platforms?
Applitools runs on Web, iOS, Android. CircleCI runs on Web.
Can I use CircleCI for free?
Yes. CircleCI has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Applitools starts at On request.
What is Applitools best used for?
Applitools is most often used for a team that abandoned pixel-diffing visual regression testing because of false-positive fatigue and wants a lower-noise alternative, a design system team wanting component-level visual testing against storybook rather than only full-page checks, an organisation wanting automated verification that shipped ui matches its figma source design, a team wanting nlp-based visual test authoring to reduce the coding overhead of writing visual test scripts, available at professional tier. Of those, a team that abandoned pixel-diffing visual regression testing because of false-positive fatigue and wants a lower-noise alternative and a design system team wanting component-level visual testing against storybook rather than only full-page checks are not what CircleCI is typically brought in for.
What can Applitools do that CircleCI cannot?
Applitools covers Visual AI comparison, Storybook component testing, Figma design comparison, Cross-browser and device visual testing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Applitools: How is Applitools priced?

By checkpoint volume, component or page-level screenshot comparisons, with the entry Starter tier at 667 US dollars a month for 100,000 component or 1,000 page checkpoints.

CircleCI: How much does CircleCI Performance plan cost?

CircleCI Performance plan costs $15 USD per month and includes 30,000 credits, 5 active users, 80x concurrency, 5 GB network, and 2 GB storage. Additional users beyond 5 cost $15 each per month.

Source
Applitools: How is it different from Percy?

Applitools uses an AI-based perceptual comparison model designed to reduce false positives from rendering noise; Percy is generally pixel-diffing based and lower cost per screenshot.

CircleCI: Can I purchase additional credits on CircleCI Performance plan?

Yes, additional credits are available at $15 for every 25,000 credits purchased. Paid credits roll over month to month and expire after one year; free plan credits expire monthly without rollover.

Source
Applitools: Does it test individual components or only full pages?

Both; Storybook integration allows component-level visual testing in addition to full-page checks.

CircleCI: What is included in the CircleCI free plan?

The free plan includes up to 6,000 build minutes per month (small Docker resource class), 5 active users, 30,000 free credits monthly, 30x concurrency, 1 GB network, 2 GB storage, and community support. No credit card required.

Source
CircleCI: What are the Scale plan limits and pricing?

CircleCI Scale plan offers custom pricing billed annually with unlimited concurrency, 50 GB network, 200 GB storage, customizable credits and users, enterprise controls, and GPU environment access. Requires contacting sales for a quote.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Applitools

More on CircleCI

Keep looking

Other head to heads