Puppeteer is among the top Node.js libraries widely used for headless Chrome testing. It allows testers to do web scraping, taking screenshots, filling out forms, and many more automated testing activities. However, there comes a time when these capabilities are not enough, and testers need to find a Puppeteer alternative.
Puppeteer is actually quite a good library considering the rich array of functions it can perform! Testers chose it for good reasons:
However, at the end of the day, Puppeteer is still only a library. When it comes to automation, there are inherent disadvantages to using a library compared to other approaches such as a full-suite automation platform. Here are the top reasons why testers consider a Puppeteer alternative:
With that in mind, we have listed down the top alternatives for Puppeteer for your team to consider. They are all good tools and frameworks that do exactly what Puppeteer can do, sometimes even compensating for what Puppeteer lacks in its feature suite. Make sure to align your team’s testing needs with what the tool can provide.
Katalon is a great Puppeteer alternative considering the rich array of features your QA team can immediately receive as you download.
You get the best of both worlds with Katalon: either going No-code and leveraging the Record-and Playback features to effortless record your screen and turn it into a test case in minutes or doing it Low-code with the Built-in Keywords where you simply choose the keywords for specific action and only modify the parameters to tell it how to perform that action.
You can totally switch to the Scripting mode to enjoy the full flexibility of editing your script in Groovy.
Once you have your test scripts ready, Katalon requires little-to-no setup for execution. Simply choose the environments on which you want it to run and click the Run button. There is also no additional setup needed for parallel execution. You can export your test results to share with the team, or share via Jira and other test management tools to sync results and make informed decisions.
In Katalon, popular test patterns are already implemented, including Object Repositories, BDD, DDT, etc. so you don’t have to redesign them from scratch. Say goodbye to lengthy learning processes and centralize all automation activities in one place.
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Cypress is a helpful tool for testing websites written in JavaScript. As a Puppeteer alternative, Cypress makes it easy to set up, write, run, and debug web tests with its simple syntax and core features. It's especially useful for testing while developing your application, following a Test-Driven Development (TDD) approach.
Read More: Katalon vs Cypress: A Detailed Comparison
Some features of Cypress that stand out:
Website: Cypress
GitHub: cypress-io
Read More: A Definitive Guide To Cypress Testing
Selenium is globally favored by developers for its versatility in web testing. It is compatible with all major browsers, including Chrome, Safari and Firefox, and can be operated on any of the three major operating systems, namely Macintosh, Windows or Linux, so it can be a good Puppeteer alternative if you’re looking for a more comprehensive solution.
Read More: Katalon vs Selenium Comparison
Some key features of Selenium:
Website: Selenium
GitHub: SeleniumHQ
Appium differs slightly from Puppeteer in its scope, being an open-source automation framework designed for mobile applications, supporting both Android and iOS platforms. You can write a single test script for both platforms, allowing for efficient development and maintenance.
Read More: Top 10 Appium Alternatives For Mobile Testing
Several strong points of Appium include:
Website: Appium Documentation
GitHub: appium
WebdriverIO is a next-gen browser and mobile automation test framework for Node.js. It is designed to be extendable, compatible, feature-rich, and based on web standards. WebdriverIO allows for automation of modern web applications, mobile applications, native desktop applications, and unit/component testing of web components in the browser. The framework leverages the WebDriver and WebDriver-BiDi protocols, ensuring true cross-browser testing and compatibility with browser vendors.
Read More: Top Cross-browser Testing Tools For Your QA Team
Some key features of WebDriverIO to consider:
Website: WebDriver IO
GitHub: webdriverio
Mocha is a popular, feature-rich JavaScript testing framework used for both Node.js and browser-based applications,making asynchronous testing simple and fun. Mocha tests run serially, allowing for flexible and accurate reporting, while mapping uncaught exceptions to the correct test cases. Its syntax is easy to understand, making it accessible for developers of all skill levels.
Key features include:
Website: MochaJS
GitHub: Mocha
Nightmare, developed by Segment, is a high-level browser automation library. Its aim is to provide straightforward methods that emulate user actions, such as 'goto,' 'type,' and 'click.' The API is structured to give a synchronous feel for each scripting block, avoiding deeply nested callbacks. Initially designed for automating tasks on sites lacking APIs, Nightmare is now frequently utilized for UI testing and web crawling.
Note: Nightmare is intended to be run on NodeJS 4.x or higher.
Highlights:
GitHub: Nightmare
There are many more Puppeteer alternatives on the market, and the final decision comes down to whether the solution provides enough features for your team current and future needs. When exploring these options, make sure to weigh their pros and cons to find the best fit for your team and improve your web testing and development workflow.