2024

Playwright vs
Selenium
Which to choose
 Table of contents

Intro Playwright
01 A brief description of the 03 What is and characteristics
content of this presentation of Playwright

Selenium Comparison
02 What is and characteristics 04 Comparison and
of Selenium conclusions.

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

 Introduction
In this presentation, we will do a high level
comparative analysis of Playwright and Selenium. We'll
explore their respective features, capabilities, and
performance, shedding light on how each tool
approaches the intricacies of dynamic web
environments. By the end, we aim to provide insights
into which tool might better suit your automation
needs and tackle the complexities of modern web
scraping more effectively.
Playwright vs Selenium 2024
Playwright vs Selenium 2024

01
Selenium
What is and characteristics of
Selenium
 What is Selenium
Selenium is an open-source framework primarily used for automating
web browsers. It provides a suite of tools for automating web
applications across different browsers and platforms. Selenium
WebDriver is particularly popular for writing browser automation
scripts using various programming languages like Java, Python, C#,
Ruby, Perl, PHP, JavaScript and Kotlin.

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

 Advantages

● It's easy to use.

● It can automate a wide number of browsers, including IE, mobile
browsers and even mobile apps by using Appium.
● It supports a wide range of programming languages, like Java,
C#, Python, Perl, JavaScript, and Ruby.
● It can operate on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

Disadvantages

● Compared to Playwright, Selenium requires a third-party tool to

implement parallel execution.
● There's no built-in reporting support, e.g., you need to use an
external solution if you need to record a video.
● It's stressful to scrape data from multiple tabs in Selenium.
● It doesn't generate an execution report for debugging.

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

02
Playwright
What is and characteristics of
Playwright
What is Playwright
Playwright is a newer open-source automation framework developed
by Microsoft. Similar to Selenium, it allows testers to automate web
browsers for testing web applications. However, Playwright offers
additional features and improved performance compared to
Selenium. It supports automation for multiple browsers (including
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge) and provides a more modern and
concise API for writing browser automation scripts.

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

 Advantages
● It supports all modern rendering engines, including Chromium, WebKit,
and Firefox.
● Playwright can be used on Windows, Linux, macOS, or CI.
● It supports TypeScript, JavaScript (Node.js), Python, .NET, and Java.
● Playwright's execution speed is faster than Selenium's.
● The framework also supports auto-wait and performs relevant checks for
elements.
● Playwright supports simultaneous execution and can also block
unnecessary resource requests.

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

Disadvantages

● It can handle only emulators and not real devices.

● Compared to Selenium, Playwright doesn't have a big
community.
● It doesn't work on legacy browsers and devices.

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

03
Comparison
Comparison, table and conclusions
Playwright vs Selenium
Both are great automation tools capable of seamlessly scraping a
web page when done right. However, selecting the most suitable
option can sometimes present challenges. The optimal choice
depends on factors such as your specific requirements, browser
compatibility, device compatibility and other relevant considerations.

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

Considerations
● Selenium can be used in real devices and remote servers, while Playwright
doesn't offer this option.
● Playwright has built-in parallelization support, whereas Selenium requires a
third-party tool.
● Playwright executes faster than Selenium.
● Selenium doesn't support features like detailed reporting and video recording,
while Playwright provides built-in support.
● Selenium supports more browsers and programming languages than its opponent.

Note: Emulators and simulators simply do not offer the real user conditions for testing
software.
Playwright vs Selenium 2024
Playwright vs Selenium 2024

The result from a

speed test
comparison. For more
information about how
was performed, please
click on the link below.

https://medium.com/@knoldus/the-battle-of-playwright-vs-selenium-in-2023-whos-better-bced4a053c2a
 Comparison table 1/3
Criteria Playwright Selenium

Language Supports multiple languages such Supports multiple languages such as

as JavaScript, Java, Python, and Java, Python, C#, Ruby, Perl, PHP,
.NET C# and JavaScript

Ease of Installation Easy to Install Easy to Install

Test Runner Frameworks Mocha, Jest, Jasmine Mocha, Jest, Jasmine, Protractor,
Supported and WebDriverIO

Prerequisites NodeJS should be installed Selenium Standalone Server,

Browser Drivers should be installed

Operating Systems Supported Windows, Linux, and Mac OS Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Mac
OS

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

 Comparison table 2/3
Criteria Playwright Selenium

Open Source Open Source and Free Open Source and Free

Architecture Headless Browser with event-driven Layered Architecture based on JSON Wire
architecture Protocol

Browsers Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge, Opera, Safari,
Supported and more

Browsers Drivers Provides Built-in drivers Requires separate WebDriver for each
browser

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

Comparison table 3/3
Criteria Playwright Selenium

Real Devices Native mobile emulation and Real device cloud and remote servers
Support experimental real Android support

Documentation Comprehensive and modern Extensive documentation

documentation

Performance & Faster than Selenium, Firefox, and May be slower than Playwright
Speed WebKit

Support Since Playwright is fairly new, the Provides commercial support for its users
support from the community is limited via its sponsors in Selenium Ecosystem and
as compared to Selenium self-support documents. Strong community
support from professionals across the world

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

 Conclusions
In conclusion, when deciding between Playwright and Selenium for web automation, it's
essential to consider the specific requirements of your project and weigh the advantages and
limitations of each tool.

Playwright offers fast testing in complex web applications with headless architecture, but it is
relatively new and lacks support in areas such as community, browser options, real device
testing, and language support compared to Selenium. Selenium, on the other hand, provides
broader language support, extensive browser compatibility (although with more setup
complexity), and a larger, more mature community.

Ultimately, the optimal choice depends on factors such as your team's preferences, project
needs, and the considerations outlined above, including language support, browser
compatibility, device compatibility, performance, reliability, and community support. By carefully
evaluating these factors, you can make an informed decision to select the most suitable
automation tool for your project.
Playwright vs Selenium 2024
 Resources
Links

● Playwright Docs
● Selenium Docs
● The Battle of Playwright vs Selenium in 2023: Who’s Better?
● Playwright vs Selenium: A Detailed Comparison in 2024
● Playwright vs. Selenium in 2024: Which Is Better?
● Playwright vs Selenium: Which to choose?

Playwright vs Selenium 2024

Presentation Topic 2023

Thanks!
Do you have any questions?
diego.delgado@avenga.com

avenga.com