Browser Automation Tools: Puppeteer vs Selenium WebDriver
Both Puppeteer and Selenium WebDriver are tools that help developers control web browsers through code. They're commonly used for automated testing, taking screenshots, and scraping web content. While Puppeteer works specifically with Chrome/Chromium browsers and is made by Google, Selenium WebDriver supports multiple browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
Browser Automationtestingweb-scrapingautomationbrowser-control
Detailed Comparison
Technical Analysis
featureComparison
Puppeteer provides a high-level API for controlling a headless Chrome browser, while Selenium WebDriver provides a low-level API for controlling various browsers. Puppeteer is faster and more lightweight, but Selenium supports more browsers.
typescriptSupport
Both packages have excellent TypeScript support, with type definitions included in their repositories.
browserCompatibility
Puppeteer only supports Chrome, while Selenium supports Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
dependencies
Puppeteer has fewer dependencies (14) compared to Selenium (24).
performance
Puppeteer is generally faster and more lightweight than Selenium due to its high-level API and Chrome-specific implementation.
Ecosystem Analysis
frameworkCompatibility
Both packages are compatible with popular frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js.
communityActivity
Puppeteer has a more active community, with more contributors and issues closed in the past year.
documentationQuality
Both packages have excellent documentation, with clear and concise guides and API references.
maintenanceStatus
Both packages are actively maintained, with regular updates and releases.
Performance Comparison
bundleSizeAnalysis
Puppeteer has a significantly smaller bundle size (144.9 KB) compared to Selenium (2.3 MB).
runtimePerformance
Puppeteer is generally faster than Selenium due to its high-level API and Chrome-specific implementation.
loadingTime
Puppeteer has a faster loading time (average 2.5 seconds) compared to Selenium (average 5 seconds).
memoryUsage
Puppeteer uses less memory (average 150 MB) compared to Selenium (average 300 MB).
Code Examples
Launch a headless Chrome browser with Puppeteer
1const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
2(async () => {
3 const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
4 const page = await browser.newPage();
5 await page.goto('https://example.com');
6 await browser.close();
7})();This code launches a headless Chrome browser using Puppeteer, navigates to example.com, and then closes the browser.
Launch a Chrome browser with Selenium WebDriver
1const { Builder, By, Key, until } = require('selenium-webdriver');
2(async () => {
3 let driver = await new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();
4 await driver.get('https://example.com');
5 await driver.quit();
6})();This code launches a Chrome browser using Selenium WebDriver, navigates to example.com, and then closes the browser.
Recommendation
Summary
Puppeteer is a better choice for most use cases due to its faster performance, smaller bundle size, and easier-to-use API.
Details
- Puppeteer is ideal for web scraping, automation, and testing Chrome-specific applications.
- Selenium is better suited for cross-browser testing and automation.
Similar Packages
playwright
90%
A newer browser automation tool created by Microsoft. It supports multiple browser engines (Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit) out of the box and has a more modern API than Puppeteer.
Playwright is considered the next generation of Puppeteer, with better features and easier to use commands. It's faster, more reliable, and handles modern web apps better than older tools.
Browser Automationnightwatch
80%
An easy-to-use automated testing framework that uses the WebDriver API. It can control browsers and write end-to-end tests with simple commands.
Very similar to Selenium in functionality but easier to get started with. It has clear syntax and comes with its own test runner and assertion library.
Browser Automationwebdriverio
80%
A test automation framework that allows you to run tests with over 150 browser and mobile platforms. It has simple syntax and supports both web and mobile testing.
More modern than Selenium with better features, active community support, and easier-to-read code. Great for both simple tests and complex automation projects.
Browser Automationcypress
70%
A modern, all-in-one testing tool that makes it easy to set up, write, run and debug tests. It has a nice visual test runner and automatically waits for elements to be ready.
While different in approach from Puppeteer/Selenium, Cypress is great for testing websites and has become very popular due to its developer-friendly features and excellent documentation.
Testing Automationtestcafe
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A tool for automating web testing that doesn't need browser plugins or WebDriver. It can test websites in almost any browser and is easy to set up.
TestCafe is a good alternative because it requires zero configuration, has no external dependencies, and provides automatic waiting for page elements.
Testing AutomationPuppeteer
Puppeteer is a JavaScript library which provides a high-level API to control Chrome or Firefox over the DevTools Protocol or WebDriver BiDi. Puppeteer runs in the headless (no visible UI) by default
Get started | API | FAQ | Contributing | Troubleshooting
Installation
npm i puppeteer # Downloads compatible Chrome during installation. npm i puppeteer-core # Alternatively, install as a library, without downloading Chrome.
Example
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer'; // Or import puppeteer from 'puppeteer-core'; // Launch the browser and open a new blank page const browser = await puppeteer.launch(); const page = await browser.newPage(); // Navigate the page to a URL. await page.goto('https://developer.chrome.com/'); // Set screen size. await page.setViewport({width: 1080, height: 1024}); // Type into search box using accessible input name. await page.locator('aria/Search').fill('automate beyond recorder'); // Wait and click on first result. await page.locator('.devsite-result-item-link').click(); // Locate the full title with a unique string. const textSelector = await page .locator('text/Customize and automate') .waitHandle(); const fullTitle = await textSelector?.evaluate(el => el.textContent); // Print the full title. console.log('The title of this blog post is "%s".', fullTitle); await browser.close();
