From Cypress to Playwright

When a testing framework reaches its limits, no plugin can help - a real migration is needed. Switching from Cypress to Playwright doesn’t just mean rewriting code, but rethinking architectures, taking teams with you and setting new priorities. A structured hackathon with seven candidates, clear evaluation criteria and real test cases creates clarity - even if the tool that was favored from the start wins in the end. The real challenge begins afterwards: When old tests meet new logic and productive operations must continue.

Podcast Episode: From Cypress to Playwright

In this episode, I talk with Maciej Wyrodek about migrating from Cypress to Playwright. Maciej shares insights into his team’s decision to switch, the challenges they encountered, and how a hackathon helped structure the selection process. We also discuss the limitations of Cypress, particularly regarding plugins, parallelization, and framework choices, as well as strategies for a step-by-step migration. Additionally, we explore the role of AI in test conversion and the challenges of test maintenance.

“The transition wasn’t as easy as we thought. Even after all the research, surprises kept coming-like differences in how session management works between Cypress and Playwright.” - Maciej Wyrodek

Maciej Wyrodek is a knowledge seeker, Quality Consultant, Mentor and Trainer - specialised in process improvement, and Test automation. Maciej is always  looking for a new opportunity to challenge and hone his skills.  He has gathered experience working for different companies with different working models, From small to big corporations, From Product via In-house development to software house. Thanks to that he has a wide perspective on testing quality and delivering value. During his stay in Dublin he realised his passion: Knowledge sharing. His strong belief is that what makes us human is the ability to learn and share knowledge. That is why for the almost decade he has been doing his best to give back to the  IT community, by writing articles, recording videos on his channel Itea Morning and speaking on conferences.

Highlights der Episode

• First decide before the migration: How do you want to test - then choose the tool.
• Cypress parallelization costs money, Playwright is open. This has a massive impact on long-term strategy.
• Hackathon with real testing beats feature comparisons. Only real work shows what really works.
• Do not port tests 1:1 - Cypress logic in Playwright leads to poor maintainability.
• AI can translate tests, but maintainability remains to be checked and improved manually.

From Cypress to Playwright

Introduction

Test automation frameworks are an important tool for testers, as they greatly influence efficiency and effectiveness in quality assurance (QA). This article deals with the migration of the Cypress testing framework to Playwright and highlights important aspects of test automation:

• The challenges of Cypress
• The advantages and disadvantages of Cypress and Playwright in comparison
• The migration process and its challenges
• Strategies for improving test automation through AI integration
• Improvements within the team structure

Reasons for switching from Cypress to Playwright

Choosing the right test framework affects efficiency and scalability in quality assurance. While Cypress is a solid choice for many projects, teams are increasingly reaching their limits—whether in terms of flexibility, performance, or integration options. Playwright has established itself as a powerful alternative that not only better meets modern web automation requirements but also enables greater test coverage. Below, we look at some aspects that speak in favor of switching.

Cypress vs. Playwright: A Comparative Analysis

When comparing the features of Cypress and Playwright, there are several differences that impact test automation.

1. Learning curve

Cypress is known for its fast learning curve. It uses a dedicated language for writing tests, which can be appealing to new users. The idiosyncratic way of writing tests in Cypress allows developers to quickly understand the structure of the framework, making it user-friendly.

2. Handling complex scenarios

Playwright is excellent at managing complex applications that use iFrames and scrolling. Its robust architecture makes it a preferred choice for teams working with complicated web elements. This capability is especially important when testing applications that require seamless interaction with multiple layers of content.

3. Plugins and maintenance.

Cypress offers a variety of plugins that extend its functionality. However, maintaining these plugins can be challenging. Frequent updates and compatibility issues can lead to interruptions in the testing process. In comparison, Playwright has built-in solutions that reduce dependence on external plugins, simplify maintenance, and improve stability.

4. Cost-effective parallelization

The cost-intensive parallelization in Cypress can strain the QA budget, especially for teams that require extensive test runs. Playwright offers a more cost-effective solution by providing cost-efficient parallelization options. This feature allows tests to be scaled efficiently.

Both frameworks have different strengths and weaknesses that are tailored to different testing requirements. Teams considering migration or looking to optimize their test automation strategies should weigh these points carefully.

Migrating from Cypress to Playwright

The transition from Cypress to Playwright should always begin with a thorough investigation of the available migration tools. This allows for a comprehensive comparison of functionality and performance, tailored to the team’s testing requirements.

Challenges during initial setup

There are several challenges that may arise during initial setup:

1. Dealing with outdated documentation
2. Configuring tests with a coded tool
3. Managing sessions between Cypress and Playwright, especially when it comes to A/B testing and local storage requirements.

Transition strategy

To ensure a smooth transition and maintain test integrity, it makes sense to first transfer the critical test cases to Playwright and then gradually phase out the Cypress tests. Adapting the tests to the structure and functions of Playwright makes it possible to improve the overall quality of automated testing and create a solid foundation for the further development of automation procedures.

AI integration and test setup strategies

AI can make test creation more efficient. For example, AI agents such as ChatGPT can be used to create Puppeteer scripts more efficiently. This approach also enables more sophisticated test scenarios. QA teams that use AI can focus entirely on writing and optimizing their tests instead of writing manual scripts. In addition, AI can help reduce human error in test writing and ensure that scripts are consistent and reliable.

Transition from Cypress to Playwright in practice

In a practical example, various tests were prepared for the switch to Playwright to check the most important functions of the application. These tests included navigating through various pages such as homepages, product pages, menus, collections, brand pages, and other functions of the application, simulating user interactions.

Each test was designed to cover critical paths within the application to ensure comprehensive coverage during regression runs. Complete regression tests several times a day allowed the quality of the software to be continuously verified.

The integration of AI supported the switch from Cypress to Playwright and maintained the high standard of test automation.

Overcoming challenges in migration

During the “critical phase” of the transition from Cypress to Playwright, transitional difficulties can arise, especially when teams are under pressure to rewrite old tests. The following strategies help to manage the workload and maintain productivity:

• #Prioritization: First, all critical paths should be covered to ensure the most important functions of the application.
• #Collaboration: The QA team should also work with developers who are running their own tests in parallel.
• #Time management: It is important to schedule fixed time slots for test migration in order to make progress with rewriting tests.

Ongoing tasks are always a challenge due to competing priorities. A structured plan and fixed time slots for implementation are therefore particularly important.

Other helpful measures during the transition include:

• Involvement of front-end developers: Involving developers in the process helps to improve the quality of the tests and promote personal responsibility within the team.

Schedule for the transition: It is important to draw up a schedule for when the transition should be completed so that there is enough time for training and adjustments.

Use AI editors

AI editors, such as Cursor, help translate Cypress tests into Playwright. The advantages of this are:

• Faster test writing with AI support.
• Simplification of the migration process.
• Potential challenges to consider:
• Questions about the long-term maintainability of the tests created.
• Risk of code duplication and loss of logical flow during translation.

Conclusion

Choosing the right test framework has a major impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of quality assurance. Switching from Cypress to Playwright opens up new possibilities for test automation. AI-powered tools such as Cursor can accelerate this transition by simplifying migration and helping to automate tasks. Careful selection and adaptation of the test framework helps to ensure software quality in the long term.