There was a time when we testers only had the option of using Selenium for initiating automation testing on web apps. However, with the advancement and evolution of technology, we have various other options like WebdriverIO.
WebdriverIO offers various advanced features and modern approaches for initiating web automation testing. It also helps resolve some of the major limitations that the developers and testers faced with the Selenium automation test suite.
So, with this article, we will perform a very detailed comparison between WebdriverIO and Selenium.
We will also guide the new testers through the strengths, weaknesses, and testing scenarios of both these tools and try to understand where they excel. Our goal is to create a clear understanding of which tool might be the best fit for your advanced automation needs by the end of this article.
Understanding Selenium and WebdriverIO
Before we proceed with our in-depth comparison, it is very important to create a basic idea about both these test automation tools.
Selenium
Selenium does not require any formal introduction as it has been the market leader in web automation testing for over a decade now. It is basically an open-source umbrella project which consists of various individual tools that assist the developers at different stages of the application testing cycle.
To further filter the knowledge, we have stated the most important tools present under the Selenium test suite:
- The Selenium WebDriver is often considered as the spinal cord of the entire test suite, as it is responsible for initiating and executing the test cases. The Selenium WebDriver can also run the test instances in the native environment of any preferred web browser without the addition of any dedicated test engine.
- The Selenium Grid is a tool that allows the developers to run the test instances on multiple operating systems, devices, and browsers simultaneously. Therefore, this tool is the best solution for initiating parallel testing on modern web applications.
- The Selenium client API acts as a compatibility layer allowing testers to create the automation test scripts in any of their preferred programming languages. After this, this tool can automatically import the test instance into the native environment of Selenium.
- Finally, the Selenium Integrated Development Environment helps simplify the test case creation process and initiates codeless automation testing. Codeless automation testing involves the system analyzing the user interactions and creating the automated test scripts in real time. This is the best solution for creating basic test instances and starting the automation testing process.
We would also like to mention that Selenium is popular due to its massive community of helpful developers and testers. So, whenever any new tester or developer transitions to this suite, they can always take reference from this community.
Read more about what is Selenium?
WebdriverIO
Compared to Selenium, WebdriverIO is a more recent addition to the world of web automation testing. Under its hood, it is a Node.JS-based automation framework which uses WebDriver for browser automation. However, other than this, it can also use WebDriver for other additional features that serve modern development practices.
While using WebdriverIO, the application testers and developers will have access to the following features:
- Since this tool is written using the JavaScript programming language, it can easily integrate with modern JavaScript frameworks and libraries to further improve its effectiveness and usability.
- WebdriverIO comes with a rich plugin system which helps serve multiple purposes that include test reporting, initiation of visual regression testing, and many others.
- Finally, this tool uses the latest JavaScript async and wait syntax. Due to this approach, it becomes very easy to manage and read the asynchronous code with this tool.
Due to all of the above features, WebdriverIO has quickly gained a lot of popularity especially within teams that work with the JavaScript ecosystem. This tool is also well-known in the app development industry due to its flexibility and ease of use.
Detailed Comparison of Selenium and WebdriverIO
Now that we have developed a basic understanding of both Selenium and WebdriverIO, let us comprehensively compare both these tools on the basis of some of the most important features, use cases, and testing requirements:
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Language and Ecosystem
While choosing a tool for executing automation testing, the first thing that you must consider is the support for your preferred programming language and the available ecosystem of plugins, libraries, and other dependencies.
Selenium
Selenium natively supports a massive range of well-known programming languages that make it versatile and adaptable to various development and testing scenarios. Some of the major options available with Selenium are Python, Ruby, Java, and JavaScript. This multi-language support is one of the most compelling features that inclines many developers toward Selenium.
WebdriverIO
As we already mentioned earlier, WebdriverIO is built with Node.JS and therefore, is basically tied up to the JavaScript ecosystem. This native integration provides a more modern and streamlined experience for all JavaScript developers. This also allows easy integration with popular JavaScript frameworks like Angular, React, and vue.js.
Moreover, the integration of WebdriverIO with various front-end systems makes it very easy to use on projects which heavily depend on JavaScript frameworks for every minor element execution.
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Installation and Setup
The next important thing that you must consider is the ease of installation and setup. This is because, as app developers and testers, you must avoid certain tools that come with a steady learning curve. This is because it will not only slow down your development cycle but will also put mental stress on you.
Selenium
To install Selenium, the application testers have to follow several steps especially when they are targeting different browsers and drivers. For example, you will need to download and configure every specific browser driver like ChromeDriver for Google Chrome and GeckoDriver for Mozilla Firefox.
You will also have to set up the programming language environment while managing dependencies through tools like Maven for Java or pip for Python.
- So, we can say that the installation complexity for Selenium is moderate to high, depending on the number of languages and browsers that you are targeting.
- Moreover, the dependencies management process also varies for Selenium based on your programming languages, and in most cases, it requires a manual configuration process.
WebdriverIO
On the other hand, WebdriverIO simplifies the setup process using the configuration wizard. This tool will guide the testers through setting up the test environment. Moreover, the testers can use a single command to scaffold a complete test project, including the necessary dependencies and configuration files.
- So, the installation complexity for WebDriver is low to moderate and is massively streamlined by the setup wizard.
- While using this tool, the developers can automate the dependency management system using the node package manager.
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Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Execution
Depending on your application development project or your personal preferences, you must ensure whether you have chosen a tool that supports synchronous or asynchronous execution of app testing.
Selenium
The execution model of Selenium is mainly synchronous, which can be simpler for developers who are unfamiliar with asynchronous programming. However, this also has a dark side, as it can lead to blocking calls or longer wait times if not managed properly.
- So synchronous execution is easier to understand but can lead to less efficient automation test scripts.
WebdriverIO
On the other hand, WebdriverIO gladly accepts JavaScript’s asynchronous nature using async wait for handling non-blocking operations. This integration creates a more efficient and faster test execution phase. This is especially useful for I/O tasks.
- So asynchronous execution is more efficient and modern, but it requires a pre-familiarity for efficiently using async programming.
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Integration and Plugins
While testing modern apps, it is a common idea that you must integrate various libraries, platforms, and plugins to further improve the quality and efficiency of the testing cycle.
Selenium
Selenium provides a huge ecosystem of tools and libraries that can massively expand its capabilities. However, to integrate these tools, the developers must go through additional configurations and set up processes. Some of the popular integrations for Selenium include Allure, Selenium Grid, and TestNG.
WebdriverIO
WebdriverIO also comes with a huge plugin architecture which makes it very easy to extend its functionality. The testers can also implement these plugins and integrations with minimal configuration. Some of the popular integrations for WebdriverIO include @wdio/allure-reporter, @wdio/screenshot, and @wdio/Selenium-standalone-service.
Besides the standard integrations, the testers can integrate cloud platforms like LambdaTest. With this platform, the testers can run the Selenium and WebdriverIO test suites on a remote test lab of 3000 different combinations of operating systems, browsers, and real devices.
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Community and Support
From a new tester’s perspective, it is very important to have an efficient community and support so that you can have help whenever you are stuck while implementing any of these tools.
Selenium
Selenium has one of the largest active communities that provides extensive documentation, tutorials, and creates forums. This community support is highly useful for finding best practices and implementing efficient troubleshooting.
The Selenium community is also responsible for frequently reviewing the available features and integrating new ones to ensure a consistently pleasant testing experience for all the developers and testers in the group.
- So, the community of Selenium is comparatively large. It supports channels like stack overflow, GitHub, official documentation, and other various forums.
WebdriverIO
WebdriverIO community can be smaller compared to Selenium, but it is rapidly growing. It is also particularly popular within the JavaScript developers group. The official support of WebdriverIO includes comprehensive documentation and an active community that contributes to integrations and plugins.
- So, the community size of WebdriverIO is small but growing. It also supports various popular channels like GitHub, Gitter, stack overflow, and other forms of official documentation.
The Final Verdict
So, based on all the points that we discussed in this article, we can easily conclude that both tools are capable of handling advanced automation tasks in an effective manner. By understanding the differences and strategies, the testers can make an informed decision which aligns with their project’s goals and the team’s expertise.
During this process, the testers must also remember that their chosen testing tool must support all the features which are required to serve their target audience. This is one of the most crucial parameters to create and maintain a positive brand reputation in this competitive segment of the industry.
