Testing & QA · head to head
Playwright vs Cypress
Playwright
Testing & QA
Open-source web automation framework for testing and scripting across browsers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Cypress
Testing & QA
JavaScript end-to-end testing framework with browser-based runner and cloud service
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Playwright requires programming language knowledge; not suitable for non-technical QA staff; Cypress limited to web applications; mobile and desktop app testing not supported
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Playwright and Cypress actually diverge.
| Attribute | Playwright | Cypress |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | freemium |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Testing & QA).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
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
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
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Playwright
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Playwright review.
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
Which should you pick?
Choose Playwright if
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Questions people ask
- Is Playwright or Cypress better?
- Neither clearly leads. Playwright starts at Free and Cypress at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Playwright or Cypress?
- Playwright starts at Free and Cypress at Free.
- Does Playwright or Cypress run on more platforms?
- Playwright runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Cypress runs on macOS, Windows, Linux.
- Can I use Playwright for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Playwright best used for?
- Playwright is most often used for end-to-end testing for web applications, cross-browser compatibility testing, accessibility testing and automated screen reader validation, web scraping and data extraction automation. Of those, end-to-end testing for web applications and cross-browser compatibility testing are not what Cypress is typically brought in for.