Testing · head to head
Applitools vs Cypress
Applitools
Testing
AI-based visual regression testing, priced on component and page checkpoint volume
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Cypress
Testing
JavaScript end-to-end testing framework with browser-based runner and cloud service
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Cypress 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.; Cypress limited to web applications; mobile and desktop app testing not supported
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Applitools and Cypress actually diverge.
| Attribute | Applitools | Cypress |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | Per month by checkpoint volume | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | macOS, Windows, Linux |
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 Cypress
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 Cypress
- A design system team wanting component-level visual testing against Storybook rather than only full-page checksnot Cypress
- An organisation wanting automated verification that shipped UI matches its Figma source designnot Cypress
- A team wanting NLP-based visual test authoring to reduce the coding overhead of writing visual test scripts, available at Professional tiernot Cypress
Cypress
- End-to-end testing for modern JavaScript web applicationsnot Applitools
- Continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test executionnot Applitools
- Visual regression testing and accessibility verificationnot Applitools
- Flaky test detection and eliminationnot Applitools
- Team collaboration on test maintenance and debuggingnot 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.
Cypress
- Limited to web applications; mobile and desktop app testing not supported
- Free tier capped at 500 test results/month; insufficient for most development teams
- Paid features (flake detection, analytics) not included in free tier
- JavaScript/TypeScript focused; less suitable for polyglot organisations
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
Cypress
Free- Starter (Free)Free
- 500 test results/month
- 100 prompt executions/month
- Parallelisation
- Team$67/month
- 120k test results/year
- 9k prompt executions/year
- Flake detection
- Business$267/month
- 120k test results/year
- 24k prompt executions/year
- Spec prioritisation
- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- 1.8M test results/year
- 60k prompt executions/year
- Unlimited users
Which should you pick?
Choose Applitools if
- You need visual ai comparison.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want storybook component testing.
Questions people ask
- Is Applitools or Cypress better?
- Neither clearly leads. Applitools starts at On request and Cypress at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Applitools or Cypress?
- Cypress has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Applitools and Free for Cypress.
- Does Applitools or Cypress run on more platforms?
- Applitools runs on Web, iOS, Android. Cypress runs on macOS, Windows, Linux.
- Can I use Cypress for free?
- Yes. Cypress 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 Cypress is typically brought in for.
- What can Applitools do that Cypress 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.
Cypress: Is Cypress free?
Yes, Cypress offers a free Starter plan with 500 test results per month, 100 prompt executions monthly, 50 users, and 30-day data retention. No credit card is required.
SourceApplitools: 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.
Cypress: How much does Cypress Team cost?
Cypress Team costs $67 per month when billed monthly or $799 per year for annual billing (11% savings). It includes 120,000 annual test results, 9,000 yearly prompt executions, 50 users, 90-day data retention, flake detection, Jira integration, and email support.
SourceApplitools: Does it test individual components or only full pages?
Both; Storybook integration allows component-level visual testing in addition to full-page checks.
Cypress: What is the difference between Cypress Team and Business?
Cypress Business costs $267 per month (or $3,199 annually) compared to Team's $67/month ($799/year). Business provides twice the prompt executions (24,000 vs. 9,000 yearly), spec prioritization, auto-cancellation, and enterprise GitHub/GitLab support.
SourceCypress: Can I purchase additional test results on Cypress?
Yes, Cypress allows purchasing bundled on-demand test results. Team costs $6 per 1,000 results, Business costs $5 per 1,000, and Enterprise pricing is custom. Open-source projects qualify for complimentary cloud services.
SourceRelated pages
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