Head-to-Head Comparison
Playwright vs Cypress: E2E Testing Tools
Playwright supports all browsers with parallel execution. Cypress offers excellent developer experience with real-time reloading. Playwright for coverage, Cypress for experience.
playwright
cypress
Last updated: 2025-01
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | playwright | cypress |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Cross-browser | Developer experience |
| Learning Curve | Medium | Easy |
| Browsers | All major | Chromium-based |
| Parallel | Native | Paid feature |
| Speed | Excellent | Good |
| Debugging | Good | Excellent |
| Mobile | Native | Limited |
playwright
- Best For
- Cross-browser
- Learning Curve
- Medium
- Browsers
- All major
- Parallel
- Native
- Speed
- Excellent
- Debugging
- Good
- Mobile
- Native
cypress
- Best For
- Developer experience
- Learning Curve
- Easy
- Browsers
- Chromium-based
- Parallel
- Paid feature
- Speed
- Good
- Debugging
- Excellent
- Mobile
- Limited
Winner by Category
Best for Beginners
cypressBetter visual debugging
Best for Customisation
playwrightMore browser options
Best for Speed
playwrightFaster parallel execution
Best for Learning
cypressInteractive test runner
Best Value
playwrightParallel is free
Our Recommendation
Use Playwright for cross-browser testing and CI pipelines. Choose Cypress for the best local development experience.
When to Choose Each Tool
1
Choose Playwright
Cross-browser testing and CI
2
Choose Cypress
Local development and debugging
Master Both Tools at buildDay Melbourne
Join our hands-on workshop and learn to build with the modern AI development stack. Go from idea to deployed app in a single day.