Cypress vs TestCafe
Cypress
cypress.ioTestCafe
testcafe.ioSide by side
| Figure | Cypress | TestCafe |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $67/mo | $20/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Browser Automation Tools | 9.2 (#1) | 8.8 (#6) |
| Spec score · Functional Testing Software | 9.4 (#1) | 8.8 (#5) |
| Spec score · Automated Testing | 9.4 (#1) | 8.8 (#8) |
| Spec score · End-to-End Testing Software | 9.4 (#1) | 8.8 (#4) |
| Spec score · Regression Testing Software | 9.4 (#1) | 8.8 (#8) |
| API testing | The cy.request() command sends HTTP requests and checks status, body, headers and response time without rendering a page. | TestCafe includes server-side API testing capabilities and added an API testing toolkit in version 1.20.0. |
| Automatic waiting | Cypress retries queries and assertions until conditions are met, reducing the need for manually timed waits. | TestCafe waits for page loads, network activity, elements and assertions instead of requiring most manual timeouts. |
| Browser automation | The Cypress App launches and controls real browsers, supporting Chrome-family browsers and Firefox, with WebKit listed as experimental. | The framework runs without WebDriver by using native Chromium automation and a reverse proxy for other browsers. |
| CI integrations | Official CI guidance covers GitHub Actions, CircleCI, GitLab CI, Jenkins and AWS CodeBuild. | Official guides cover AppVeyor, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket Pipelines, CircleCI, GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins, TeamCity, Travis and cloud-testing combinations. |
| Documentation depth | Documentation includes installation, system requirements, component and end-to-end testing, API concepts, CI setup, plugins, migration guides and troubleshooting FAQs. | The documentation includes guides, API reference, recipes, CI tutorials, best practices, examples, FAQ and troubleshooting support channels. |
| Founded | 2014 | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Glendale, California, United States |
| Integrations | Cypress Cloud integrates with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Jira. | The CI guide lists AppVeyor, Azure DevOps, Bitbucket Pipelines, CircleCI, GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins, TeamCity, Travis, BrowserStack, LambdaTest, and Sauce Labs. |
| Latest release | Cypress 16.2.0 was released October 13, 2026 with cy.getByRole() and a mutual-TLS client-certificate regression fix. | GitHub lists version 3.7.6 as the latest TestCafe release, published July 7, 2026. |
| License | The Cypress App source repository is released under the MIT License. | The TestCafe framework is distributed for free under the MIT license. |
| Public API | The Enterprise plan includes a Data Extract API, and Cypress documents experimental run-cancellation API functionality. | Its documented APIs include command-line, test runner, controller, fixture, test, selector, client-function, role, request-hook, plugin and version-logger APIs. |
| Rating on Capterra | 4.7 out of 5 from 67 reviews. | 4.5 out of 5 from 2 reviews |
| Rating on G2 | 4.7 out of 5 from 107 reviews. | 4.2 out of 5 from 29 reviews |
| Rating on TrustRadius | 7.6 out of 10; the page displays customer pricing feedback but does not state a review count there. | 6 out of 10 from 1 review |
Plans
TestCafe
- TestCafe frameworkFree
- Personal$20 a month
- Team$50 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Cypress
Cypress is a front-end testing tool for web applications, combining an open-source Cypress App with the cloud-based Cypress Cloud service. The App supports end-to-end and component testing, launching and controlling real browsers from Chrome-family browsers and Firefox; WebKit is experimental. For debugging, it offers time-travel snapshots, readable errors, stack traces, automatic waiting, and network stubbing. Cypress Cloud stores recorded CI test runs and adds debugging, analytics, and orchestration for teams. It connects with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Jira, and its MCP works with AI coding assistants including Claude, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot. The Starter plan costs nothing and includes 10 users, 500 test results per month, 100 prompt executions per month, and 30-day access to paid features. Team costs $67 a month, billed annually at $799. Cypress says Cloud test content is stored in the United States, and material in public projects is publicly accessible. It also says its AI models are not trained on customer data.
TestCafe
TestCafe is a free, open-source test runner and end-to-end framework for web testing. Tests can be written in JavaScript or TypeScript, or recorded in a browser with TestCafe Studio. The runner works in modern browsers locally or remotely and supports concurrent runs across browsers. It can also switch between iframes and multiple browser windows to cover interactions across those contexts.
The framework includes server-side API testing tools for standalone API tests or functional tests. Other capabilities include automated waiting, authentication roles, hooks, request mocking, and debugging mode. Its CI guide lists services including GitHub Actions, GitLab, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, and CircleCI, plus BrowserStack, LambdaTest, and Sauce Labs. Installation is available through npm, with a Docker image for CI/CD pipelines. After each run, TestCafe says it deletes browser cookies, clears storage, and reloads the page; parallel runs use separate sandboxed environments. The framework is MIT-licensed. Paid Dashboard plans have test-run quotas, but those do not limit the open-source runner.