Cypress vs Playwright

Side-by-side open-source comparison for 2026. Playwright currently leads on GitHub stars (86.1k) over Cypress (49.6k). Both tools list each other as alternatives in this directory.

Quick comparison

Cypress vs Playwright, ranked by GitHub stars
#ToolStarsLanguageLicense
1Playwright

A comprehensive framework for Web Testing and Automation, enabling robust testing of Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit through a unified API.

86.1kTypeScriptApache License 2.0
2Cypress

Cypress is a fast, easy, and reliable testing tool for anything that runs in a browser, built to make end-to-end testing enjoyable and efficient.

49.6kTypeScriptMIT License

Overview

Cypress

Cypress is a fast, easy, and reliable testing tool for anything that runs in a browser, built to make end-to-end testing enjoyable and efficient.

TypeScript ยท MIT License ยท 49.6k GitHub stars

Playwright

A comprehensive framework for Web Testing and Automation, enabling robust testing of Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit through a unified API.

TypeScript ยท Apache License 2.0 ยท 86.1k GitHub stars

Explore both tools

Frequently asked questions

Which is more popular, Cypress or Playwright?

Playwright currently has more GitHub stars (86.1k) than Cypress (49.6k). Star counts are a proxy for community adoption.

Are Cypress and Playwright free?

Yes. Both are open source and free to use in your own projects.

How does this comparison work?

Pages only exist for mutual alternatives โ€” each tool lists the other in its alternatives metadata. Stats come from the canonical tool records in this directory.

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