For engineers comparing test automation tools

You've compared the tools. Now learn Playwright properly.

Auto-waiting, Chromium, Firefox and WebKit from one API, and a test runner with parallel runs built in. This course teaches Playwright in JavaScript from your first test to CI, and shows you how to use Claude AI and the Playwright MCP Server alongside it.

Start the course on Udemy → Compare your current tool
4.5★ (130+ ratings) on Udemy 510+ students 103 lectures · JavaScript · English ✓ 30-day money-back guarantee
An honest comparison

3 signs your current tool is holding you back

Every one of these tools is good at something. These are the points where teams usually start looking at Playwright.

Selenium

Your tool

WebDriver, any language

  1. Waits are your jobWithout explicit WebDriverWait conditions, tests race the page. Each new flow needs its own set.
  2. You assemble the stackSelenium Manager now downloads drivers, but the test runner, assertions, reports, retries and parallel runs still come from separate libraries.
  3. Every command is a round tripEach WebDriver command is a separate HTTP request to the driver, which adds up on large suites.

In Playwright: auto-waiting, and a runner with assertions, reporters, retries and parallel workers in one install.

Cypress

Your tool

In-browser runner, JavaScript

  1. One tab at a timeCypress does not support multiple tabs, and flows that cross origins have to be wrapped in cy.origin().
  2. WebKit is experimentalChrome-family browsers, Firefox and Electron are supported. Safari's engine is only available behind an experimental flag.
  3. Parallel runs go through Cypress CloudBuilt-in parallelization and load balancing depend on Cypress Cloud, a hosted service with paid plans.

In Playwright: multiple pages and origins in one test, stable WebKit, and --shard in the open-source runner.

Puppeteer

Your tool

Browser control library, Node.js

  1. Chrome firstPuppeteer is built around Chrome. Firefox support is newer, and there is no WebKit.
  2. No test runnerIt is an automation library, so you pair it with Jest or Mocha for test structure, retries and reports.
  3. No web-first assertionsThere is no built-in expect that retries until the page reaches the right state. You write those waits yourself.

In Playwright: a similar API, plus Playwright Test with fixtures, retrying assertions and three browser engines.

Based on each project's public documentation as of 2026. Selenium still supports more languages and real-browser grids; Cypress's in-browser debugging is excellent. Pick the tool that fits your app.

The 2-step plan

Learn Playwright, then check what stuck

Start with the course. When you've finished, use the practice tests to find any gaps before you migrate a suite or sit an interview.

Step 1 · The course

Playwright + Claude AI & MCP Server: AI QA Automation 2026

Build a Playwright framework in JavaScript, from the first test to a CI pipeline.

  • Locators, auto-waiting and web-first assertions
  • Fixtures and the Page Object Model
  • API testing, debugging with the Trace Viewer, GitHub Actions
  • Claude AI + the Playwright MCP Server to write and fix tests
Enroll in the course →

4.5★ on Udemy · 510+ students · 103 lectures

Step 2 · The practice tests

Playwright Automation Practice Tests

Exam-style questions that show which topics you know and which need work.

  • Waits, timeouts, locators, fixtures and configuration
  • An explanation for every answer
  • Covers Playwright MCP and AI-assisted testing
  • Retake as often as you like
Get the practice tests →

Separate Udemy course · 30-day money-back guarantee

How it works

Port an old test with Claude. Understand every line it writes.

The course shows you how to use Claude AI with the Playwright MCP Server to open your app, write Playwright tests and run them, and how to review the result.

You → Claude + MCP Server

"Here's our Selenium login test. Open the app, rewrite it as a Playwright test with role-based locators and web-first assertions, remove the explicit waits, and run it to confirm it passes."

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test('user can log in', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/login');
  await page.getByLabel('Email').fill('qa@example.com');
  await page.getByLabel('Password').fill(process.env.PASSWORD);
  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Log in' }).click();
  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/dashboard/);
  await expect(page.getByRole('heading', { level: 1 }))
    .toHaveText('Welcome back');
});
✓ 1 passed · chromium, firefox, webkit
Learn this workflow on Udemy →
Asim Noaman, course instructor
Your instructor

Asim Noaman

Senior QA Automation Engineer & AI Testing Specialist

Asim builds Playwright frameworks for production applications and teaches the way he works: real flows, real failures and how to fix them. The course covers the parts that matter when you change tools, from locator strategy to CI.

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No risk

Try it for 30 days

If the course isn't what you need, Udemy's 30-day money-back guarantee applies, subject to its refund policy.

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FAQ

Questions from people switching tools

I already know Selenium. Is this course too basic?

The first sections cover setup and a first test, which you can move through quickly. Most of the course is Playwright-specific: locators, auto-waiting, web-first assertions, fixtures, API testing, debugging with the Trace Viewer, CI with GitHub Actions, and using Claude AI with the Playwright MCP Server. The Page Object Model and CI concepts you already know carry over.

Does the course use TypeScript?

No. The course teaches Playwright in JavaScript. The Playwright API is the same in TypeScript, so moving to TypeScript later mostly means adding types.

I use Cypress. How different is Playwright?

Both are JavaScript tools with automatic waiting, so much feels familiar. The main differences: Playwright uses async/await instead of command chains, can drive several tabs and origins in one test, runs Chromium, Firefox and WebKit, and shards tests across CI machines with a built-in --shard flag.

Can Playwright test Safari?

Playwright runs tests in WebKit, the browser engine behind Safari, on Windows, macOS and Linux. It is not the branded Safari app, but it catches most WebKit-specific rendering and behaviour issues.

Do I need a paid service to run tests in parallel?

No. Playwright Test runs test files in parallel workers by default and splits a suite across CI machines with the --shard option. Both are part of the open-source runner.

Why learn Playwright if AI agents can test a site?

AI browser agents are useful for exploring a site, but for checks that run on every commit you want deterministic tests that behave the same way each time. The course shows how to use Claude AI and the Playwright MCP Server to write and fix those tests faster, and how to review what the AI produces.

What are the practice tests for?

They are a separate Udemy course of exam-style Playwright questions, each with an explanation, covering waits, locators, fixtures, configuration and more. They show which topics you know and which need work, before an interview or a migration.

What if the course isn't right for me?

Udemy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, subject to its refund policy.

You've done the comparison. Spend the next hour writing Playwright.

Playwright, Claude AI and the MCP Server in one self-paced JavaScript course, with a working framework and CI pipeline by the end.

Enroll on Udemy →

30-day money-back guarantee · Lifetime access · Certificate of completion

Already using Playwright? Test yourself with the practice tests.

Enroll on Udemy →