Cypress vs Selenium: Evaluating Two Popular Testing Frameworks
July 27, 2023
Testing plays a pivotal role in any software development lifecycle and the world of software testing and QA services is witnessing a bright future right now. Hence, the selection of the perfect test automation tool is vital in terms of bringing in effective testing results. Two popular names in the world of software testing tools – Cypress vs Selenium, are often compared to ascertain which one is better to suit organizational needs.
As software testers and developers, if compare Selenium vs Cypress, it is inferred that both have their own set of characteristics because of which they enjoy a strong fan base. Selenium has been in the industry for years and has been a preferred choice for web developers for a long time.
Cypress is relatively new, but it is catching up in terms of popularity and has been well-known for its comprehensive competencies and modernized architecture.
It is important to analyze both tools in detail, with their pros and cons and other parameters. This article details the characteristics of each, along with their features, organizations using them, differences between both, and when to use what.
Also Read: QA Tester: Job Overview, Skills, Responsibilities, Salary, And More
What is Cypress?
With Cypress, you can easily create tests for your modern web applications, debug them visually, and automatically run them in your continuous integration builds.
Cypress is a popular JavaScript-based, web testing tool that is created for the modernized web world. With it, testers can perform a range of unit testing, integration testing, component testing, and end-to-end testing. It is open-source, accurate, fast, independent, and simple to operate. It specializes in application testing created on Angular, Vue, and React.
It makes good use of JavaScript for the creation of tests, but testers need not be experts in it. Just basic knowledge of JavaScript is good enough. It is developer-friendly and makes use of a unique DOM manipulation method. There is an interactive test runner through which all commands are executed, and it operates directly in the browser. It does not pass commands to the browsers for testing, it is a browser that executes tests itself.
Cypress focuses on having the development and front-end integration and unit testing processes in parallel with competence to perform test-driven development (TDD). Following an agile methodology, it attempts to lessen the problem areas that the QA teams face while testing web applications.
What is Selenium?
Selenium is for automating web applications for testing purposes but is certainly not limited to just that. Boring web-based administration tasks can also be automated as well.
Selenium is a leading, open source, testing automation framework that offers a wide variety of features for web application testing. It automates web browsers and interacts seamlessly with web elements. It can simulate user actions and hence is fit for testing applications with complicated user interfaces. It binds well with different languages like Ruby, Java, Python, etc.
Selenium offers effective support for parallel testing with fast execution of large test suites. It can also be leveraged for administrative activities owing to its widespread capabilities. It empowers testing on different browsers like Safari, Firefox, Chrome, IE etc. It includes a range of testing types such as black box testing, unit testing, performance testing, regression testing, integration testing, and end-to-end testing.
It consists of four major components – Selenium IDE for recording and replaying test cases, Selenium Grid for distributing test workloads amidst various environments for concurrent test execution, Remote Control as an automated web testing tool, and Selenium WebDriver for executing cross-browser testing.
Also Read: Top 11 Selenium Alternatives for Optimal Testing Output
Selenium vs Cypress: Pros and Cons
Pros of Selenium
- Compatibility with multiple operating systems and browsers
- Facilitates choice of programming languages like Python, Java, Ruby, etc
- Offers concise APIs and a suite of tools
- Huge community support
- Seamless integration with frameworks like Maven, Junit, Docker, etc.
- Parallel execution of automation scripts and multiple tests on different machines
- Direct interaction with supported browsers through WebDriver
- Supports cross-browser testing for a reliable performance
- Record and Play feature for easy automation
- Supports headless browser testing
- Customizable and well-documented
Cons of Selenium:
- Demanding installation setup
- Limited support for image testing
- Relatively slow since it doesn’t run directly on the browser
Pros of Cypress:
- Automatic scrolling feature
- Easy to download and install
- Snapshot capture while executing tests
- Automated wait time for assertions and commands
- Strong and detailed documentation
- Support for multiple browsers
- Real-time execution of commands with visual feedback
- Faster in execution since it itself is a browser
- Easily understandable error messages in English
- Can be easily used with CI tools like Jenkins
- Detailed logging of errors with probable reasons
Cons of Cypress:
- No support for multi-tabs and browsers like Safari, IE, etc.
- Unable to drive two browsers simultaneously
- No native support for parallel testing
Cypress vs Selenium: Organizations Using Them
Companies Using Cypress:
Bitpanda, Primer, Hepsiburada, Intuit, kevin, CircleCI, Revoult, Alibaba Travel, Graphy, Cisco, Workday, CoStar Group, JPMorgan Chase, Eversource Energy, Fidelity Investments etc.
Companies Using Selenium
Google, Microsoft, Razorpay, CRED, Accenture, Alibaba Travels, Bitpanda, Delivery Hero, trivago, CVS Health, Capital One, iCIMS, CoX Automotive, Enexus Global, Guidehouse etc.
Cypress vs Selenium: Key Alternatives
Cypress Alternatives
Appium, TestComplete, Postman, Cucumber, Tricentis Tentis, Apache JMeter, LambdaTest, Testim.io, Rainforest QA, Katalon, Selenium etc.
Alternatives to Selenium
Katalon Studio, Cypress, Cucumber, Watir, Robot Framework, Appium, Ranorex Studio, TestNG, Screenster, WebdriverIO, Protractor etc.
Cypress vs Selenium: Key Differences
| Parameters | Cypress | Selenium |
| Speed | No need to utilize a web driver and hence faster speed | Complex architecture but faster platform and hence speedy execution |
| Installation and Set Up | Easy and simple installation process with no dependencies | A little difficult setup process with the download of browser-specific drivers |
| Community Support | Fast-growing community support around the globe | Strong community support for years from the world over |
| Documentation | Intuitive documentation with a rapidly growing user base | Enriched documentation with vast experience |
| Supporting Languages | JavaScript, TypeScript | Java, Perl, Ruby, PHP, Python, C# etc. |
| Supporting Frameworks | Supports Mocha JS, Cucumber BDD etc. | Multiple frameworks based on languages like JUnit, Cucumber, etc. |
| Supported Browsers | Supports Edge, Chrome, Electron, and Firefox browsers | Supports Firefox, Safari, Chrome, IE, Opera and Edge browsers |
| Testing Types | Front-end testing and API testing | End-to-end testing, no support for API testing |
| Target Groups | Developers, testers | Automation engineers, testers |
| Simplicity to Use | Developer-friendly, easier to use if JavaScript is known | Easy to start writing tests since it supports many languages |
| Third-Party Integrations | Limited integrations available, inbuilt support for plug-ins, GitHub, and Slack integrations | Integrates extensively well with CI/CD, cloud-based tools, reporting tools |
| Mobile Testing | Cannot perform mobile app testing | Can do mobile app testing with Appium WebDriver API |
| Dependency on Drivers | No dependency on any drivers | Dependent on specified browser drivers |
| Support for Multi Browser/Tab Instances | No support | Yes, it does |
| Test Runner | Includes an inbuilt test runner | Needs a separate test runner |
| Debugging | Easy to debug with a user-friendly interface | Complex debugging and hence needs additional tools |
| DOM Manipulation | Makes use of its own inbuilt DOM manipulation functions | Depends on JavaScript for DOM manipulation |
| Inbuilt Server Mocking | Yes | No |
Cypress vs Selenium: When to Use What?
Selenium is preferred when:
- You need a traditional framework with years of experience
- There is a need for cross-browser testing or mobile device testing
- You need flexibility in choosing multiple programming languages
- You have skilled resources for managing complex testing tools
- There is a need to drive two browsers simultaneously
- Testing apps are written in other languages apart from JavaScript
Cypress is preferred when:
- Your application is a Single Page Application
- You need a tool which is simple to set up and implement
- There is a need for real-time reloading and debugging
- You need automatic waiting and reliable testing
- There is a need for the capability to stub/mock request and response
- There is a need to write tests in a fast manner
On a Concluding Note
Whenever developers and testers set out to search for the best testing tools, there are certain parameters that must be kept in mind, while finalizing the framework:
- Types of testing to be performed
- Support for programming languages
- Ease of use and flexibility
- Online community support
- Budget estimates and project delivery
Now that you know the comparison between Cypress vs Selenium, it is easy to choose either based on the above-mentioned conditions. Selenium has been a traditional system for years with a huge customer base. Cypress is a newer system with modern-day features. Choose either and you are sure to gain benefits!
As a foremost software testing company in India, with a commitment to serve the best of quality, our testing teams @ SPEC INDIA aim to augment cost-effectiveness and lessen rework time by recognizing possible issues at the early stages of the project life cycle with a balanced assessment of the quality of the applications, through a perfect blend of manual and automated testing.
Hire a software tester from us to enjoy an unparalleled experience with total professionalism, quality, and performance integrity. Reach out to us for any kind of testing aid and our testing crew will be delighted to serve your requirements.
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