Testing & QA · head to head
Zephyr Scale vs Cypress
Cypress
Testing & QA
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: Zephyr Scale split across separate Essential and Advanced editions plus a distinct Zephyr Enterprise on-premises product, so buyers must pick the right SKU before pricing applies; Cypress limited to web applications; mobile and desktop app testing not supported
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Zephyr Scale and Cypress actually diverge.
| Attribute | Zephyr Scale | Cypress |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | macOS, Windows, Linux |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Testing & QA).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Zephyr Scale
No use cases recorded yet. See the Zephyr Scale review.
Cypress
- End-to-end testing for modern JavaScript web applicationsnot Zephyr Scale
- Continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test executionnot Zephyr Scale
- Visual regression testing and accessibility verificationnot Zephyr Scale
- Flaky test detection and eliminationnot Zephyr Scale
- Team collaboration on test maintenance and debuggingnot Zephyr Scale
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Zephyr Scale
- Split across separate Essential and Advanced editions plus a distinct Zephyr Enterprise on-premises product, so buyers must pick the right SKU before pricing applies
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
Zephyr Scale
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Zephyr Scale 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 Zephyr Scale if
Nothing in the data separates Zephyr Scale from Cypress on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Zephyr Scale or Cypress better?
- Neither clearly leads. Zephyr Scale 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, Zephyr Scale or Cypress?
- Cypress has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Zephyr Scale and Free for Cypress.
- Does Zephyr Scale or Cypress run on more platforms?
- Zephyr Scale runs on Web. 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. Zephyr Scale starts at On request.