Softwr

Testing · head to head

Katalon vs Percy

Katalon logo

Katalon

Testing

Commercial low-code test automation platform built on Appium and Selenium, priced per seat plus separate cloud session add-ons

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Percy logo

Percy

Testing

Visual regression testing owned by BrowserStack, with a permanent free tier for low screenshot volume

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Percy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Katalon real cost stacks three separate charges, per-seat authoring licence, the True Platform add-on for test management, and per-session cloud execution, so the advertised seat price significantly understates total spend for a team running cloud tests regularly.; Percy pixel-based diffing generates more false positives from font rendering and anti-aliasing noise than Applitools' AI-based comparison, which trains some teams to start ignoring diff alerts over time.
  • They diverge on capability: Katalon covers Low-code test recording, Percy covers Screenshot diffing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Katalon and Percy actually diverge.

Attributes where Katalon and Percy differ
AttributeKatalonPercy
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer seat per month, plus separate per-session cloud execution chargesFreemium, paid tiers by screenshot volume
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOSWeb

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 Katalon

  • Low-code test recording
  • Built on Selenium and Appium
  • Object repository
  • AI-assisted test generation
  • TestCloud execution
  • TestOps management

Only in Percy

  • Screenshot diffing
  • Framework integrations
  • Responsive and cross-browser snapshots
  • Review workflow
  • Build history
  • BrowserStack platform integration

What people use each for

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

Katalon

  • A QA team wanting a lower-code authoring layer over Selenium and Appium for testers without deep coding backgroundsnot Percy
  • An organisation wanting test management and AI-assisted test maintenance bundled with automation authoring in one commercial productnot Percy
  • A team needing occasional cross-browser or device cloud sessions without maintaining its own device lab or Selenium Gridnot Percy
  • An enterprise wanting a single vendor and support contract for test authoring, management and cloud execution togethernot Percy

Percy

  • A team already on BrowserStack for device testing that wants to add visual regression without a separate vendor relationshipnot Katalon
  • A low-traffic project that can run indefinitely on the 5,000-screenshot free tier without paying anythingnot Katalon
  • A team wanting a lower cost per screenshot than Applitools and willing to tolerate more manual false-positive triagenot Katalon
  • A Cypress or Playwright test suite adding visual checks without changing its existing test runnernot Katalon

Where each one falls short

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

Katalon

  • Real cost stacks three separate charges, per-seat authoring licence, the True Platform add-on for test management, and per-session cloud execution, so the advertised seat price significantly understates total spend for a team running cloud tests regularly.
  • Since it is built on Selenium and Appium underneath, a team with strong automation engineers can replicate most of the core capability for free, paying only for optional cloud execution elsewhere, making Katalon's value proposition mainly about authoring speed rather than unique capability.
  • The steep first-three-seats discount versus the fourth-seat-and-beyond price means cost per seat rises sharply as a team scales past three testers on Katalon Studio alone.
  • Low-code recorded tests can become brittle and hard to maintain at scale in the same way any record-and-playback approach does, requiring the team to still write real code for complex scenarios.
  • Enterprise pricing is quote-only, so the largest deployments lose the pricing transparency the published seat tiers otherwise offer.

Percy

  • Pixel-based diffing generates more false positives from font rendering and anti-aliasing noise than Applitools' AI-based comparison, which trains some teams to start ignoring diff alerts over time.
  • It is billed separately from core BrowserStack device testing, and stacking Percy with other BrowserStack modules such as Accessibility Testing materially increases total contract value beyond the headline device testing price.
  • Paid tier pricing above the free tier is not transparently published as a fixed number, requiring a quote to know actual cost at scale.
  • The free tier's 5,000-screenshot cap is easy to exceed for any team running visual tests across multiple browsers and viewports on every commit, pushing many active projects into a paid tier faster than the free number suggests.
  • As part of a larger acquired portfolio, Percy's roadmap priority within BrowserStack's broader product strategy is less certain than it would be as a standalone company's sole focus.

Pricing, plan by plan

Katalon

On request
  • Katalon Studio$84/month
    • Annual billing, first three seats at 84 US dollars a seat a month
    • Fourth seat and beyond at 150 US dollars a seat a month
    • Low-code recording, object repository, Selenium and Appium engine underneath
  • True Automation$167/month
    • Annual billing, per seat
    • Includes Studio features plus test management and AI agents
    • True Platform TestOps and TestCloud sold as a further add-on at 700 US dollars a seat a year
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom quote for private SaaS and hybrid licensing
    • Dedicated support
    • Negotiated cloud session volume

Percy

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5,000 screenshots a month
    • Unlimited users and projects
    • 30-day build history
  • Percy$undefined/month
    • Priced by screenshot volume above the free tier
    • Sold separately from core BrowserStack device testing plans
    • Get a current quote before assuming bundled pricing with other BrowserStack products

Which should you pick?

Choose Katalon if

  • You need low-code test recording.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want built on selenium and appium.
Katalon review

Choose Percy if

  • You need screenshot diffing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want framework integrations.
Percy review

Questions people ask

Is Katalon or Percy better?
Neither clearly leads. Katalon starts at On request and Percy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Katalon or Percy?
Percy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Katalon and Free for Percy.
Does Katalon or Percy run on more platforms?
Katalon runs on Web, Windows, macOS. Percy runs on Web.
Can I use Percy for free?
Yes. Percy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Katalon starts at On request.
What is Katalon best used for?
Katalon is most often used for a qa team wanting a lower-code authoring layer over selenium and appium for testers without deep coding backgrounds, an organisation wanting test management and ai-assisted test maintenance bundled with automation authoring in one commercial product, a team needing occasional cross-browser or device cloud sessions without maintaining its own device lab or selenium grid, an enterprise wanting a single vendor and support contract for test authoring, management and cloud execution together. Of those, a qa team wanting a lower-code authoring layer over selenium and appium for testers without deep coding backgrounds and an organisation wanting test management and ai-assisted test maintenance bundled with automation authoring in one commercial product are not what Percy is typically brought in for.
What can Katalon do that Percy cannot?
Katalon covers Low-code test recording, Built on Selenium and Appium, Object repository, AI-assisted test generation. Percy covers Screenshot diffing, Framework integrations, Responsive and cross-browser snapshots, Review workflow.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Katalon: Is Katalon free?

No, though a 30-day free trial with no credit card is offered; the product is commercial with per-seat licensing.

Percy: Is Percy free?

Yes for up to 5,000 screenshots a month with unlimited users and projects; beyond that it is a paid, quote-priced module.

Katalon: Does Katalon replace Selenium and Appium?

No, it is built on top of them; Katalon adds a low-code authoring layer, test management and cloud execution rather than a different automation engine.

Percy: Is Percy included if I already pay for BrowserStack device testing?

No, it is billed separately by screenshot volume, not bundled into core device testing plans.

Katalon: Is cloud execution included in the seat price?

No, TestCloud cross-browser and mobile sessions are billed separately, at 197 US dollars a session monthly or 1,899 annually per session.

Percy: How does it compare to Applitools?

Percy uses pixel-based diffing, which is generally cheaper per screenshot but produces more false positives than Applitools' AI-based perceptual comparison.

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