Katalon vs Playwright: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Katalon and Playwright side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Katalon
AI-augmented test automation platform for web, mobile, desktop, and API testing.
Best for you if:
- • You want comprehensive testing across multiple platforms (web, mobile, desktop, API)
Playwright
Automate modern web testing across browsers with auto-waiting
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (Katalon requires payment)
| At a Glance | Katalon | Playwright |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $84/user/mo, billed yearly Create plan | Free 100% free |
Category | Testing & QA Automation | Testing & QA Automation |
Rating | 4.4/5 Capterra 4.4 · G2 4.4 934 reviews | 4.7/5 G2 4.7 14 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Katalon or Playwright?
Choose Katalon if
- You want comprehensive testing across multiple platforms (web, mobile, desktop, API)
- You want AI augmentation enhances test automation capabilities
Choose Playwright if
- You want a fully free tool (Katalon requires payment)
- You want true cross-browser coverage including WebKit (Safari) which Cypress and Selenium lack natively
- You want auto-waiting eliminates most flaky test failures without manual sleep or wait calls
In-Depth Analysis
Katalon
AI-augmented test automation platform for web, mobile, desktop, and API testing.
Katalon's pricing is on the higher side compared to some competitors, especially with the 'Create' tier at $84/user/month.
Strengths
- Pro: Comprehensive testing across multiple platforms (web, mobile, desktop, API)
- Pro: AI augmentation enhances test automation capabilities
- Pro: User-friendly with easy setup and integrations
Weaknesses
- Con: Test scripts are written only in Groovy, so teams already fluent in Python, C#, or JavaScript cannot use their preferred language the way Selenium, Playwright, or TestComplete allow.
- Con: The free Studio IDE only covers local, manual execution; running tests in CI/CD pipelines or headless via the command line requires the separately paid Katalon Runtime Engine, which is licensed per node and runs roughly 1,800 to 2,400 dollars per node per year, so parallel-execution costs scale steeply.
- Con: Reviewers repeatedly report the IDE becoming sluggish and prone to hangs on large test suites, with execution slower than leaner code-native frameworks.
- Con: It is oriented toward functional testing and has no built-in performance or load testing, so teams needing those must add a separate tool.
Key features
Playwright
Automate modern web testing across browsers with auto-waiting
Playwright's pricing is exceptionally generous, as it is entirely free and open-source.
Strengths
- Pro: True cross-browser coverage including WebKit (Safari) which Cypress and Selenium lack natively
- Pro: Auto-waiting eliminates most flaky test failures without manual sleep or wait calls
- Pro: Parallel execution and browser contexts make test suites significantly faster than Selenium
- Pro: Trace viewer with DOM snapshots and screencasts makes debugging failures straightforward
- Pro: Multi-language support lets teams use Python, .NET, or Java instead of only JavaScript
Weaknesses
- Con: Steeper learning curve than Cypress for teams new to end-to-end testing
- Con: No native component testing support, focused exclusively on end-to-end and integration tests
- Con: Community ecosystem and plugin library smaller than Selenium or Cypress
- Con: Requires Node.js 20+ even when writing tests in Python or .NET
- Con: No built-in cloud execution grid, requires third-party services for parallel CI at scale
Key features
Plans and prices: Katalon vs Playwright
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Katalon |
| katalon.com/pricing |
| Playwright |
| playwright.dev read Oct 8, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Katalon pricing and Playwright pricing.
Key Takeaways
Katalon
- Choose if you want AI-augmented test automation platform for web, mobile, desktop, and API testing
Playwright
- Choose if you want automate modern web testing across browsers with auto-waiting
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (4.4/5 from 934 reviews for Katalon, 4.7/5 from 14 reviews for Playwright; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides).
- Katalon starts at $84/user/mo, billed yearly; Playwright has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Katalon and Playwright compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (4.4/5 from 934 reviews for Katalon, 4.7/5 from 14 reviews for Playwright; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides). Katalon starts at $84/user/mo, billed yearly; Playwright has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are Katalon and Playwright used for?
Katalon: AI-augmented test automation platform for web, mobile, desktop, and API testing. Playwright: Automate modern web testing across browsers with auto-waiting.
What does Katalon cost vs Playwright?
Katalon's cheapest paid plan is Create at $84/user/mo, billed yearly; it also has a free plan. Playwright is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 8, 2026.
What's the main difference between Katalon and Playwright?
Katalon's main strength: comprehensive testing across multiple platforms (web, mobile, desktop, API). Playwright's main strength: true cross-browser coverage including WebKit (Safari) which Cypress and Selenium lack natively.