Cypress made E2E fun; Playwright made it fast. The right choice depends on browser coverage, language flexibility, and how much you'll pay Cypress Cloud.
Isolation
Browser context per test
vs browser instance per spec
Parallel runs (free)
Workers built-in
vs Cypress Cloud usage
Pricing
100% free
Apache-2.0
Where Cypress shines
The time-travel debugger and developer UX are still best in class for component testing inside a React or Vue codebase. If your team is JS-only and you're already paying for Cypress Cloud, switching costs are real.
Where Playwright pulls ahead
Cross-browser parity (real Safari/WebKit), multi-tab flows like OAuth + Stripe Checkout, and zero-license parallel runs in CI. Trace viewer is a fair replacement for Cypress's time-travel UI.
Migration in a weekend
Playwright's codemod handles cy.get → page.locator, cy.visit → page.goto, and cy.intercept → page.route. A 300-test Cypress suite usually migrates in a long weekend.
Frequently asked questions
1.Should I switch from Cypress to Playwright?
Switch if you need real Safari, multi-tab/multi-origin flows, or want to cut Cypress Cloud bills. Stay if your team is happy and component testing dominates.