A detailed comparison of Selenium and Playwright to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Cross-browser automation library for testing web applications across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
| Plan | Selenium | Playwright |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ Fully open source | ✓ Open source |
| Lowest Paid | Free | Free |
| Enterprise | Free | Free |
| Feature | Selenium | Playwright |
|---|---|---|
| WebDriver Protocol | ✓ | — |
| Multi-Browser Support | ✓ | — |
| Multi-Language SDKs | ✓ | — |
| Grid (Parallel) | ✓ | — |
| IDE (Record/Play) | ✓ | — |
| Selenium Manager | ✓ | — |
| Cross-browser testing | — | ✓ |
| Mobile testing | — | ✓ |
| API testing | — | ✓ |
| Visual comparisons | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4 | ⭐ 4.7 |
Choose Selenium if: You need enterprise teams with multi-language testing needs. Selenium excels with its industry standard and multi-language support.
Choose Playwright if: You need cross-browser testing and automation with modern features. Playwright stands out with its multi-browser support and fast and reliable.
Best free option: Both Selenium and Playwright offer free tiers. Selenium offers "Fully open source" while Playwright offers "Open source".
It depends on your needs. Selenium is better for enterprise teams with multi-language testing needs, while Playwright is better for cross-browser testing and automation with modern features. Both are excellent tools rated 4 and 4.7 respectively.
Selenium starts at Free while Playwright starts at Free. Both offer free tiers.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying Playwright's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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