Comparing Cypress and Selenium:

A Comprehensive Analysis

Explore the exceptional strengths and capabilities of Cypress as opposed to Selenium. Delve
into crucial features, performance benchmarks, and development efficiencies that make
Cypress the leading testing framework, and a true out-of-the-box solution for organizations.

Architecture

Cypress Selenium

Test Execution Cypress operates within the web browser, Selenium uses an interface to interact with web
Speed enhancing test speed by providing clear visibility browsers, and this delay in communication can
into the application under test. Developers significantly slow down actions and
utilize Spies, Stubs, and Clocks to verify and validations.



control server responses, functions, or timers.

Cypress has built-in waiting and retry Selenium relies on explicit waits, potentially
mechanisms for faster test execution.


 causing delays and impacting test execution
speed.



Cypress offers parallelization with automatic Selenium Grid supports parallel executions, but
load balancing for all Cypress Cloud plans. manual user configuration is necessary for
load balancing.

 Cypress Selenium

Reliability & Cypress smartly waits for elements, Selenium often requires the use of explicit waits
Determinism automatically retrying commands until the to handle synchronization issues. The reliance
element is ready. This minimizes the need for on explicit waits can make tests more
explicit waits and mitigates timing-related susceptible to timing-related issues, and it may
flakiness issues in tests.

lead to flakiness if not implemented carefully.

Cypress executes within the same run loop as Selenium necessitates setting up a separate
your application for maximum reliability. WebDriver for browser automation. Variations in
WebDriver versions, browser configurations, and
network conditions can affect test reliability.

Maintenance Cypress tests boast automatic page reloading Selenium tests are often unstable, brittle, and
and test reruns, streamlining debugging and prone to breakage due to application or test
ensuring stability. The integrated test runner environment changes. This can make
and direct browser interaction further enhance maintaining the test suite more difficult and
test stability, and therefore maintenance. time-consuming.

Language JavaScript-based, which is widely used for web Supports multiple languages (Java, C#, Python,
Support development. etc.).

Developer Experience

Cypress Selenium

Set Up and Quick setup, minimal configuration, and no need Requires complex configuration and setup
Installation for browser-specific drivers. steps.

Video Cypress features automatic video recording of Selenium lacks built-in video recording, and
Recordings entire test executions, capturing interactions, external tools or third-party libraries must be
assertions, and all activities by default. employed for screen recordings during test
execution.
 Cypress Selenium

Time-travel Developers can visually step through each Selenium does not provide a built-in time-travel
Debugging command in a test and observe the state of the debugging feature. Developers typically rely on
application at each step.

logging, breakpoints, and step-by-step execution

to identify and troubleshoot issues during test
With Test Replay in Cypress Cloud, you have execution.
the added functionality of scrubbing, so you
can move back and forth through the recorded
test run in CI and interact with your application
under test.

Efficiency in Cypress has native assertion support with Selenium relies on external assertion libraries
Writing Tests automatic retries and a dedicated debugging and often requires manual handling of retries.

experience.

Cypress automates waiting for elements during Selenium relies on explicit waits and has limited
page loads and provides control over network built-in features for controlling network
requests.

conditions.

Cypress Studio provides a visual way to Selenium provides Selenium IDE, a test recorder
generate tests within Cypress, by recording with code export capabilities.

interactions against the application under test.

Documentation Structured for developers, Cypress Extensive documentation may be complex for
documentation prioritizes a smooth learning beginners. It often refers users to various tools
curve for JavaScript users. It promotes a and extensions, potentially overwhelming
hands-on, code-centric approach with rich those who prefer a more streamlined and
examples, tutorials, and best practices. integrated approach.

Cross-team Cypress has broader applicability, allowing your Selenium is more specialized, and its intricacy
Adoption entire team to adopt a unified testing may limit familiarity to a select few members
framework. on your team.

Paid Support White-glove support and strategic guidance Unavailable.

available through a dedicated Technical

Account Management team. Available via

Cyress Cloud.
Comprehensive Coverage

Cypress Selenium

Component Benefit from built-in support, live reloading, and Lacks built-in support, necessitating manual
Testing browser devtools for easy data mocking and configuration and script structuring to target
component state manipulation, eliminating individual components. Additionally,
complex data management and app setup component tests are not executed in a real
challenges. browser environment.

Multi-Browser Seamlessly test communication between Multi-browser and multi-tab testing available via
Testing & multiple tabs or windows with Cypress, using Selenium Grid.
Multi-tab Puppeteer's browser API.

Support
Test a single browser at a time locally, and
multiple browsers in CI by running in parallel
within Cypress Cloud.

Browser Supports all major browsers. Supports all major browsers but requires more
Support configurations.

Test Coverage Cypress UI Coverage, a no-configuration tool, Out-of-the-box solution is unavailable. You
dynamically maps test coverage across every would need to instrument your source code
page. It vividly highlights tested interactive with the chosen code coverage tool, and
elements, offering a clear overview of your configure it in your build system.
testing progress. Available via Cypress Cloud.

Accessibility Cypress Accessibility aggregates your Cypress Out-of-the-box solution is unavailable. Must
Reporting test data and automates accessibility checks manually integrate open-source tools such as
without any additional configuration. Detected axe Accessibility Checker to Selenium, and
issues are visually highlighted on your page would require running and repeating
and application for easy identification. accessibility commands for every test case.