BackstopJS vs Screenster

BackstopJS is a free, MIT-licensed tool for visual regression testing of web applications. It captures screenshots and compares them with reference images over time. An in-browser report shows reference, test and visual-difference views, with additional CLI and JUnit reports. BackstopJS supports Puppeteer and Playwright; Playwright can use Chromium, Firefox or WebKit. Scenarios can script clicks, scrolling, hovering, key presses and cookie state. Captures can cover a full document, viewport or selected DOM elements at configured viewport sizes. The documented workflow uses `backstop init`, `backstop test` and `backstop approve` to configure tests, compare captures and update references. Installation works globally or locally through npm, as a standalone CLI or from a Node.js app. CI reporting and integrations include Jenkins, Travis and gulp. Docker can reduce rendering differences, though Chrome Headless in Docker needs substantial memory.

Screenster is a UI regression testing tool for automating tests of web interfaces. Its no-code recorder captures actions on web pages without requiring code, element IDs, checks, or assertions. Test runs can be compared with a baseline to identify new, deleted, or changed visual and page content. Smart selectors can find page elements after they move or change and adjust timeouts automatically. Users can also write JavaScript or Java tests against the Selenium API within Screenster. The locally installed server can run offline. Screenster says it stopped running its online servers after August 1, 2023, and made local use free without restrictions. The installation guide requires Windows and lists Windows 8, 8.1, 10, Server 2012, and Server 2016; local browser documentation lists Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. Plans include Free at free, Basic at $25 a month, Standard at $45 a month, and Premium at $75 a month, each billed per tester per month.