Testing · head to head
Applitools vs TestNG
Applitools
Testing
AI-based visual regression testing, priced on component and page checkpoint volume
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
TestNG
Testing
Java testing framework created by Cedric Beust, still actively maintained but effectively a single-lead project
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only TestNG 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.; TestNG maintainership is concentrated around creator Cedric Beust rather than a broad team or foundation, which is a real continuity risk compared to JUnit's independent team or Jest's foundation backing.
- They diverge on capability: Applitools covers Visual AI comparison, TestNG covers Test dependencies.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Applitools and TestNG actually diverge.
| Attribute | Applitools | TestNG |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | Per month by checkpoint volume | Open source, no licence fee |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Linux, macOS, Windows |
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 TestNG
- Test dependencies
- XML suite configuration
- Native parallel execution
- Data providers
- Grouping
- Flexible reporting
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 TestNG
- A design system team wanting component-level visual testing against Storybook rather than only full-page checksnot TestNG
- An organisation wanting automated verification that shipped UI matches its Figma source designnot TestNG
- A team wanting NLP-based visual test authoring to reduce the coding overhead of writing visual test scripts, available at Professional tiernot TestNG
TestNG
- A Java integration test suite that needs to skip dependent tests automatically when a prerequisite test failsnot Applitools
- A team wanting XML-based suite configuration to manage large, grouped test suites without touching code for each runnot Applitools
- A project needing native parallel test execution at the class or method level without adding a separate pluginnot Applitools
- A Selenium-based UI test suite that uses TestNG as the underlying runner for grouping and parallelisationnot 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.
TestNG
- Maintainership is concentrated around creator Cedric Beust rather than a broad team or foundation, which is a real continuity risk compared to JUnit's independent team or Jest's foundation backing.
- It is a smaller ecosystem than JUnit, so fewer third-party integrations, tutorials and Stack Overflow answers exist for edge cases.
- XML-based suite configuration, while powerful, is an extra file and syntax to maintain alongside the codebase, which some teams find adds friction JUnit's more code-centric model avoids.
- There is no commercial support tier or vendor relationship of any kind, unlike JUnit's OpenElements arrangement, so an enterprise wanting a support contract has no route to buy one.
- Release cadence, while active, is slower and less frequent than JUnit 5's, since it depends on a much smaller pool of active maintainers.
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
TestNG
Free- TestNGFree
- Full functionality, no usage limits
- Community support via GitHub
- No commercial support tier exists
Which should you pick?
Choose Applitools if
- You need visual ai comparison.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want storybook component testing.
Choose TestNG if
- You need test dependencies.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
- You also want xml suite configuration.
Questions people ask
- Is Applitools or TestNG better?
- Neither clearly leads. Applitools starts at On request and TestNG at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Applitools or TestNG?
- TestNG has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Applitools and Free for TestNG.
- Does Applitools or TestNG run on more platforms?
- Applitools runs on Web, iOS, Android. TestNG runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use TestNG for free?
- Yes. TestNG 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 TestNG is typically brought in for.
- What can Applitools do that TestNG cannot?
- Applitools covers Visual AI comparison, Storybook component testing, Figma design comparison, Cross-browser and device visual testing. TestNG covers Test dependencies, XML suite configuration, Native parallel execution, Data providers.
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.
TestNG: Is TestNG still actively maintained in 2026?
Yes, it continues to receive releases in its 7.x line with support for current Java versions, though maintenance is concentrated around a small team led by its creator.
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.
TestNG: What does TestNG offer that JUnit does not?
Native test dependencies, XML-based suite configuration and built-in parallel execution without needing external plugins, all of which JUnit users typically add via separate libraries.
Applitools: Does it test individual components or only full pages?
Both; Storybook integration allows component-level visual testing in addition to full-page checks.
TestNG: Is there a commercial support option for TestNG?
No, unlike JUnit there is no commercial support arrangement; support is purely community-based through GitHub.
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