Each has their own strengths, but how do you know what tool is the best option for you? Our guide will explain some background about web app testing and go over more details about Cypress and Playwright to help you decide.
What is web app testing used for?
Web app testing is used to test a range of critical systems for organizations with an online presence, including how users interact with automated systems that are supposed to trigger events to create accounts, handle password resets, and many other pieces that make up a web application. Each automated system piece benefits from testing to make sure they are working how they are supposed to.
The importance and complexity of testing depends on the system’s purpose. Simple pieces meant to automate a few user inputs will not need as rigorous testing as a system meant to handle a key security function like password resets. The scale of the system can also complicate testing. Large-scale organizations might want to prioritize stress-testing their systems while a smaller organization may focus their resources primarily on functionality testing.
No matter the type and complexity of testing, when it comes to web apps, the right software tools can make a big difference in ease and repeatability of testing. In the next section, we’ll go over some of the basics about what options there are.
Tools for web app testing
There are a few different categories for web app testing tools. Some testing tools have low or no coding knowledge required but are often limited in ability and require paid subscriptions. On the other end of the spectrum are open source, free tools that require coding to set up tests, but come with a lot more flexibility. Both Cypress and Playwright fall into this second category.
When looking for software to help you conduct web app testing, you may want to consider the types of tests you plan to run and how often you may need to run them. Cypress and Playwright are both well-suited for unit testing and end-to-end testing, thanks to the flexibility of their platforms. They also can have additional functionalities added to their frameworks through plugins and other integrations.
What testing needs you anticipate having in the future. Setting up and learning a testing framework requires a bit of investment in time and resources, so if your needs are likely to change, choosing the tool that will give you the ability to meet those needs ahead of time can save you some headaches down the road.
One major thing to keep in mind when researching testing tools is how much you plan to automate your testing. Setting up automated tests can save a lot of time, make tests more repeatable, and make it easier to test if changes have fixed a particular issue. Tests can be automated in pieces over time, and once you have the code written for a test, it’s possible to build off that existing code to create new tests or variations.
Is Cypress the right tool?
Cypress is an open-source software testing platform that is run directly in your browser and is great for automating tests that require some kind of user input, like testing automated email systems. While the software is open-source, Cypress also offers tiered subscriptions for additional functionality including running tests in parallel and analytics.
The next few sections will go into some more details about installation, the testing process, and the available documentation and support.
How easy is Cypress to install?
Setting up Cypress is straightforward with two installation options to choose from, either using npm or with a direct download of the software. Once installed, Cypress has detailed guides in their documentation on how to get started with the software, including information on initial setup and creating your first test.
What is testing with Cypress like?
Cypress does a lot to make testing as quick and easy as possible, including incorporating color coding with responsive code to indicate if something has succeeded or failed. They also have detailed error messages that will show up when an error is encountered, and there’s enough information in them to help you determine what went wrong and where to go next.
The process of setting up tests will be quick for anyone familiar with JavaScript, and there’s sample tutorials for people to experiment with to learn how the testing tool works. The tests themselves run fairly quickly, and once run, you can use Cypress’s test replay functionality to walk through what happened at each step.
What documentation and support does Cypress offer?
Cypress has a lot of good documentation on their website for installation, getting started, setting up different kinds of tests, troubleshooting, and more. There’s also a lot of support to be found from other Cypress users, both in fixing bugs and in expanding the software’s functionality. In addition to all of that, the lowest tier subscription Cypress has offers direct email support from their team in case you have a problem.
Is Playwright the right tool?
Playwright, like Cypress, is a flexible open-source software testing tool that was released in 2020. It supports a few different programming languages, including Python and Java, and can be executed in browsers including Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge.
How easy is Playwright to install?
Installation for Playwright is about the same as Cypress. It offers multiple options for installation, and if you choose to use npm, it’s the same as Cypress. You can also choose to install and run Playwright using the VS Code Extension.
What is testing with Playwright like?
Playwright is a versatile testing tool with a lot of great features built in like tracing to walk through failed tests, test retrying, auto-wait to help keep tests from flaking, and others. Like Cypress, testing with Playwright uses real browser input to better simulate how the system being tested will react under real conditions, and it’s designed to be modular and automated.
One advantage Playwright offers over Cypress is the ability to run tests in parallel without a paid subscription. It also supports more browsers and programming languages, and has the ability to create a test by recording your interactions and converting them into code in multiple languages.
Playwright is developed and maintained by Microsoft, which has contributed to the amount of training and documentation available to support it.
What documentation and support does Playwright offer?
The documentation Playwright provides is fairly extensive and covers installation, tips for getting started, and detailed notes on writing and running more complicated tests. They also include detailed guides on different topics that can help you with testing, and Microsoft offers a one hour long free course in setting up an end-to-end test.
In terms of support, Playwright also has a decent community of users supporting each other, and a dedicated section on their website with videos from conferences and live streams. They also have a Discord community that can provide support when figuring out how to use Playwright or working through a bug.
Expanding framework functionality
Both Cypress and Playwright have their strengths and weaknesses, but one major thing they have in common is the ability to have other software tools integrated into their frameworks. This makes both tools powerful, customizable options for software testing.
An example of a common integration is adding the ability to generate and check email addresses for use in testing. Automated email systems like those used for password resets, account verification, and more require a lot of testing to ensure they are working as intended and won’t compromise account security. They are also well-suited to automated testing, but Cypress and Playwright don’t come with a way to create accessible email addresses to test with. Software tools like those offered by Mailosaur can be integrated to bridge that gap and make the testing process more efficient.
Learn more about testing tools
Mailosaur develops testing tools to create an unlimited number of email addresses that can be used for automated testing, phone numbers for testing systems that rely on SMS, and more. We specialize in end-to-end testing that needs emails or SMS communications to function. If you have questions about setting up tests with Cypress or Playwright, or questions about how our software can help you automate tests, please reach out to us!