Playwright is a UI test automation software by Microsoft for web applications that has been in development since 2020.
Playwright is very developer-friendly and shines through its seamless integration with the Microsoft software ecosystem. Despite its code-first approach, Playwright also offers tight integration with Chromium browsers including interactive test recording.
QF-Test is superior if a combined web and desktop testing strategy is required or if non-developers are to actively create and maintain tests.
| Playwright | QF-Test | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup and configuration | ||
| Easy setup for non-developers | ❌ | ✅ |
| License | ||
| Open source | ✅ | ❌ |
| Free | ✅ | ❌ |
| Supported Technologies | ||
| Web applications | ✅ | ✅ |
| Java applications | ❌ | ✅ |
| Windows applications | ❌ | ✅ |
| Android applications | ❌ | ✅ |
| iOS applications | ❌ | ✅ |
| Hybrid applications | ❌ | ✅ |
| Web APIs | ✅ | ✅ |
| PDF documents | ❌ | ✅ |
| Scripting languages | ||
| JavaScript | ✅ | ✅ |
| Java | ✅ | ✅ |
| Python | ✅ | ✅ |
| TypeScript | ✅ | ❌ |
| .Net C# | ✅ | ❌ |
| Target Group | ||
| Testers | ❌ | ✅ |
| Developers | ✅ | ✅ |
| Platform support | ||
| Cross-platform | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cross-browser | ✅ | ✅ |
| Supported browser drivers | ✅ CDP | ✅ CDP ✅ Webdriver ✅ Chrome native embedding (CEF) |
| Mobile browsers | ✅ (experimental) | ✅ |
| Test Development | ||
| Structuring test suites, sets, and cases | ❌ Flat code hierarchy | ✅ Nested tree structure |
| Component identification | ✅ “Locators” | ✅ Component nodes ✅ SmartID ✅ CSS Selectors |
| Easy component maintenance | ❌ | ✅ Central maintenance |
| Integrated debugger | ✅ | ✅ |
| Test run log | ✅ | ✅ QF-Test run log, HTML Report, XML Report, JUnit Report |
| Multi-tab interface | ✅ | ✅ |
| Comprehensive Documentation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Advanced Features | ||
| Parallelisation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Headless testing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Accessibility testing | ✅ | ✅ |
| On-device testing | ✅ (experimental) | ✅ Android & iOS |
| Support and consulting | ||
| Professional support | ❌ | ✅ |
| Training and consulting | ❌ | ✅ |
| Free webinars | ❌ | ✅ |
Which one fits to my team and our requirements best?
- Instead of an either-or-question we recommend using the benefits of both tools.
Why should I pay for a commercial tool instead of using a freeware tool?
The tool price is only a small part of the test project costs. The main part is the personnel costs, i.e. the effectiveness with which tests can be implemented and maintained is the most decisive factor. This is not taken into account in the pure tool price consideration. In addition, the test tool pays for itself after approximately 3 test cycles.
QF-Test in comparison
Compared to this competing products, QF-Test offers various advantages as a mature tool for test automation.
