# Locust vs Playwright

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Playwright

| Attribute | Locust | Playwright |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 57 (49% (low)) | 77.5 (76% (high)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 53 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 1,883 | 12,585 |
| adoption.github_stars | 28,210 | 97,789 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | - | 27,066,229 |
| adoption.stackoverflow_questions | - | 9,000 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A Python-based tool for performance testing that simulates thousands of concurrent users to stress-test web applications. Tests are written as plain Python code and can run distributed across multiple machines. It is indexed under Testing Tools.","source":"https://locust.io","question":"What is Locust?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Locust is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://locust.io","question":"Is Locust free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Locust supports a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://locust.io","question":"What platforms does Locust support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Locust can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://locust.io","question":"Can Locust be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Locust is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/locustio/locust","question":"Is Locust open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"Playwright is an open-source browser automation framework maintained by Microsoft that enables developers to control and test web applications programmatically. It provides a unified API for automating Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit browsers across Windows, macOS, and Linux. The framework serves multiple purposes: end-to-end testing, web scraping, performance testing, and visual regression testing. It can be used both as a complete testing framework (Playwright Test) or as a standalone library for custom automation workflows.","source":"https://playwright.dev","question":"What is Playwright and what does it do?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Playwright supports four main programming languages: TypeScript, Python, .NET, and Java. This allows developers to choose the language that best fits their existing tech stack and team preferences. Each language implementation uses the same underlying browser automation engine, ensuring consistent behavior and API design across all supported languages.","source":"https://playwright.dev","question":"What programming languages does Playwright support?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Playwright can automate three browser engines: Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. Browsers can run in headless mode for CI/CD pipelines or headed mode for interactive debugging and visual testing. The framework also includes built-in mobile emulation for Chrome (Android) and Mobile Safari, allowing developers to test responsive web designs without physical mobile devices.","source":"https://playwright.dev/docs/intro","question":"What browsers can Playwright automate, and on which operating systems?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Playwright is an open-source project distributed under the Apache 2.0 license and is completely free to use with no licensing fees or commercial restrictions. The project is actively maintained and developed by Microsoft engineers and the open-source community. Users can freely modify, distribute, and use Playwright in commercial and personal projects without any cost.","source":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright","question":"Is Playwright open-source, and what does it cost?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Playwright can be used in two distinct ways: as a standalone library for custom automation scripts, or as the Playwright Test framework for comprehensive end-to-end testing. When using Playwright as a library, developers manually manage browser lifecycle and initialization, providing maximum flexibility. The Playwright Test framework automates resource management and includes built-in features like web-first assertions, test parallelization, HTML reporting, and automatic retries, making it more suitable for traditional test suites.","source":"https://playwright.dev/docs/library","question":"Can Playwright be used both as a testing framework and as a library?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"Playwright is primarily designed for end-to-end testing of modern web applications, providing test runners, assertions, and parallelization capabilities. Beyond testing, it supports web automation tasks such as scripting, performance benchmarking, and visual regression analysis. It is also used for AI agent workflows where automated browser interaction is required for data collection, task automation, or process orchestration.","source":"https://playwright.dev","question":"What are the primary use cases for Playwright?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"Playwright includes comprehensive debugging tools such as UI Mode with time-travel debugging, live step view, and watch mode for interactive test development. The framework generates detailed HTML test reports that allow filtering by browser type, test status, and include test inspection features for examining errors and attachments. Developers can also use the Codegen feature to automatically generate test scripts by recording browser interactions.","source":"https://playwright.dev/docs/intro","question":"What debugging and reporting features does Playwright provide?","confidence":0.9}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | An open-source framework for writing performance tests as regular Python code, supporting distributed testing across multiple machines with real-time progress monitoring and the ability to test HTTP and other protocols. | A testing framework that enables automated testing across multiple web browsers using a single API. Supports end-to-end and API testing with automatic waiting, assertion retries, parallel execution, test recording, and visual regression testing. |
| features.capabilities | `{"languages":"Python","ci_integration":true,"browser_automation":true,"parallel_execution":true}` | `{"mocking":true,"languages":"TypeScript, Python, .NET, Java","assertions":true,"test_types":"e2e","open_source":true,"headless_mode":true,"ci_integration":true,"auto_wait_retry":true,"no_code_recorder":true,"snapshot_testing":true,"visual_regression":"pixel-diff","browser_automation":true,"parallel_execution":true,"network_interception":true,"ci_cd_integration_breadth":"extensive"}` |
| integrations.count | 4 | 6 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Azure Load Testing","native":true,"category":"testing"},{"name":"Azure DevOps","native":true,"category":"ci"},{"name":"GitHub","native":true,"category":"ci"},{"name":"VS Code","native":true}]` | `[{"name":"VS Code"},{"name":"Cursor"},{"name":"Claude Desktop"},{"name":"Windsurf"},{"name":"GitHub Copilot","native":true,"category":"ai"},{"name":"Claude Code","native":true,"category":"ai"}]` |
| language.primary | Python | TypeScript |
| license.spdx | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://locust.io","retrievedAt":"2026-08-16T21:32:24.662Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://playwright.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T11:06:36.749Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | - |
| pricing.model | commercial | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | - |
| release.cadence_days | 13 | 20 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.46.7","date":"2026-10-04T20:14:09Z","type":"stable","version":"2.46.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.46.6","date":"2026-09-17T17:37:05Z","type":"stable","version":"2.46.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.46.5","date":"2026-09-07T06:44:43Z","type":"stable","version":"2.46.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.46.4","date":"2026-08-23T11:40:06Z","type":"stable","version":"2.46.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.46.3","date":"2026-08-01T10:10:38Z","type":"stable","version":"2.46.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.46.2","date":"2026-07-24T19:57:38Z","type":"stable","version":"2.46.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.46.1","date":"2026-07-21T18:53:03Z","type":"stable","version":"2.46.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.46.0","date":"2026-07-19T14:29:10Z","type":"stable","version":"2.46.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.45.0","date":"2026-07-09T08:10:23Z","type":"stable","version":"2.45.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.44.4","date":"2026-06-18T12:24:58Z","type":"stable","version":"2.44.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.44.3","date":"2026-06-12T10:57:24Z","type":"stable","version":"2.44.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.44.2","date":"2026-06-12T10:39:49Z","type":"stable","version":"2.44.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.44.1","date":"2026-06-01T22:32:28Z","type":"stable","version":"2.44.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.44.0","date":"2026-05-11T20:31:38Z","type":"stable","version":"2.44.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.43.4","date":"2026-04-01T20:32:51Z","type":"stable","version":"2.43.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.43.3","date":"2026-02-12T09:46:25Z","type":"stable","version":"2.43.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.43.2","date":"2026-02-01T10:45:39Z","type":"stable","version":"2.43.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.43.1","date":"2026-01-12T19:21:45Z","type":"stable","version":"2.43.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.43.0","date":"2025-12-30T08:49:59Z","type":"stable","version":"2.43.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/locustio/locust/releases/tag/2.42.6","date":"2025-11-29T17:31:00Z","type":"stable","version":"2.42.6"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.64.1","date":"2026-10-14T11:51:33Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.64.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.64.0","date":"2026-10-07T20:40:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.64.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.63.0","date":"2026-09-04T22:40:31Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.63.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.62.1","date":"2026-07-30T16:35:55Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.62.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.62.0","date":"2026-07-24T21:55:03Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.62.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.61.1","date":"2026-06-23T19:47:55Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.61.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.61.0","date":"2026-06-15T10:05:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.61.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.60.0","date":"2026-05-11T19:08:18Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.60.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.59.1","date":"2026-04-01T17:55:35Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.59.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.59.0","date":"2026-04-01T00:27:06Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.59.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.58.2","date":"2026-02-06T16:41:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.58.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.58.1","date":"2026-01-30T18:23:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.58.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.58.0","date":"2026-01-23T11:53:47Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.58.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.57.0","date":"2025-11-25T11:16:13Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.57.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.56.1","date":"2025-10-17T00:50:36Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.56.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.56.0","date":"2025-10-06T14:53:30Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.56.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.55.1","date":"2025-09-23T09:56:01Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.55.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.55.0","date":"2025-08-20T10:26:40Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.55.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.54.2","date":"2025-08-01T07:01:13Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.54.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.54.1","date":"2025-07-11T14:06:28Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.54.1"}]` |
| security.scorecard | 6.3 | 6.5 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":1,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=locust&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"MODERATE"}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=%40playwright%2Ftest&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Testing Tools)

| Capability | Locust | Playwright |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Test types | - | Unit + integration + E2E |
| Browser automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in assertion library | - | ✓ |
| Languages | Python | TypeScript, Python, .NET, Java |
| **Isolation** |  |  |
| Mocking / stubbing | - | ✓ |
| **Techniques** |  |  |
| Snapshot testing | - | ✓ |
| **Performance** |  |  |
| Parallel execution | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Insight** |  |  |
| Code coverage | - | - |
| **DX** |  |  |
| Watch mode | - | - |
| **Ops** |  |  |
| CI integration | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:00:05.448Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*