Needle vs Screenster
Needle
github.comScreenster
screenster.ioSide by side
| Figure | Needle | Screenster |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Spec score · Visual Regression Testing Software | 8.1 (#9) | 8.7 (#2) |
| Intended users | The package metadata classifies Needle for developers and as a Python testing library. | The company says Screenster is intended to make UI testing productive for non-technical testers as well as developers. |
| Security | GitHub reports that the project has no SECURITY.md policy and no published security advisories. | The privacy policy says Screenster uses encryption, firewalls, and SSL technology as security measures, while noting these do not guarantee against breaches. |
Plans
Screenster
- FreeFree
- FreeFree
- Local ScreensterFree
- Basic$25 a month
- Standard$45 a month
- Premium$75 a month
In their own words
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.
Screenster
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.