Software · head to head
Cypress vs Playwright
Cypress
Software
JavaScript end-to-end testing framework with browser-based runner and cloud service
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Playwright
Software
Open-source web automation framework for testing and scripting across browsers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Cypress limited to web applications; mobile and desktop app testing not supported; Playwright requires programming language knowledge; not suitable for non-technical QA staff
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cypress and Playwright actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cypress | Playwright |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cypress
- End-to-end testing for modern JavaScript web applicationsnot Playwright
- Continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test executionnot Playwright
- Visual regression testing and accessibility verificationnot Playwright
- Flaky test detection and eliminationnot Playwright
- Team collaboration on test maintenance and debuggingnot Playwright
Playwright
- End-to-end testing for web applicationsnot Cypress
- Cross-browser compatibility testingnot Cypress
- Accessibility testing and automated screen reader validationnot Cypress
- Web scraping and data extraction automationnot Cypress
- AI agent web automation via MCP integrationnot Cypress
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Playwright
- Requires programming language knowledge; not suitable for non-technical QA staff
- WebKit implementation less mature than Chromium; occasional webkit-specific issues
- Mobile browser testing relies on emulation, not real devices
- No managed cloud infrastructure; users must host CI/CD runners or pay for third-party services
Pricing, plan by plan
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$267/month
- 120k test results/year
- 24k prompt executions/year
- Spec prioritisation
- Enterprise$null/custom
- 1.8M test results/year
- 60k prompt executions/year
- Unlimited users
Playwright
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Playwright review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Playwright if
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Questions people ask
- Is Cypress or Playwright better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cypress starts at Free and Playwright at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cypress or Playwright?
- Cypress starts at Free and Playwright at Free.
- Does Cypress or Playwright run on more platforms?
- Cypress runs on macOS, Windows, Linux. Playwright runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
- Can I use Cypress for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Cypress best used for?
- Cypress is most often used for end-to-end testing for modern javascript web applications, continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test execution, visual regression testing and accessibility verification, flaky test detection and elimination. Of those, end-to-end testing for modern javascript web applications and continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test execution are not what Playwright is typically brought in for.