Frontend Regression Validator vs Needle
Frontend Regression Validator
github.comNeedle
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Frontend Regression Validator | Needle |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Visual Regression Testing Software | 8.1 (#7) | 8.1 (#9) |
| Integrations | The README describes API calls and Docker deployment but does not name third-party integrations. | The README demonstrates a nose test case using Selenium to open a web page and check an element screenshot. |
| License | The repository includes an Apache License 2.0, which grants no-charge, royalty-free rights subject to its terms. | The package metadata classifies Needle under the OSI-approved BSD License. |
| Purpose | FRED is an open-source visual regression tool for automatically comparing baseline and updated website instances. | Needle tests CSS and other web visuals by comparing screenshots with known good screenshots. |
Plans
In their own words
Frontend Regression Validator
Frontend Regression Validator has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Needle
Needle is an open-source Python testing library for checking rendered website visuals and layout. It captures selected page areas and compares them with baseline screenshots, helping identify visual changes in CSS, fonts, images, and SVGs. It also tests calculated CSS values and HTML element positions. Needle works with Selenium and nose, and documentation describes installing it with pip after Selenium. Browser-driver options include remote, PhantomJS, Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari; NeedleFirefox is the default. PIL is the default screenshot engine, with PerceptualDiff and ImageMagick available as alternatives. PerceptualDiff and ImageMagick can create a diff PNG when comparisons fail. Tests can set viewport dimensions for responsive-site checks. Screenshot cleanup after successful tests is optional and disabled by default, while failed-comparison screenshots remain available. Package metadata describes the project as operating-system independent and for developers, while the listed platform is Linux. The repository uses a BSD license. PyPI lists version 0.5.0, released April 2, 2017, as the latest release. Needle is free and has no paid plan.