Playwright vs Cypress vs Selenium Comparison

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// DECISION GUIDE
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// Choose SELENIUM when:
// ✅ Java/.NET ecosystem (most enterprise automation teams)
// ✅ Cross-browser testing including legacy browsers (IE11, old Safari)
// ✅ Existing Selenium codebase to maintain
// ✅ Mobile testing with Appium (Selenium protocol)
// ✅ Government/enterprise with strict language requirements

// Choose PLAYWRIGHT when:
// ✅ New project (greenfield automation)
// ✅ Python/TypeScript team
// ✅ Cross-browser needed (must test Safari/WebKit)
// ✅ Complex scenarios (multiple pages, auth state reuse)
// ✅ CI/CD heavy with parallel execution need
// ✅ Best debugging tools (trace viewer)

// Choose CYPRESS when:
// ✅ React/Vue/Angular frontend team
// ✅ TDD workflow (dev and test in same loop)
// ✅ Component testing needed
// ✅ Network mocking is central to the test strategy
// ✅ JavaScript/TypeScript only acceptable
// ✅ Chrome-only acceptable (not Safari)

// HYBRID APPROACH (common in mature teams):
// Unit tests: Jest/Vitest (per component)
// Component tests: Cypress Component Testing
// E2E: Playwright (multi-browser, cross-team)
// API: Playwright's request API or Postman/Newman

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// INTERVIEW ANSWER FORMAT
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// "I'd choose Playwright for a new project because it has built-in
//  auto-wait that eliminates 80% of flaky tests, native cross-browser
//  support including WebKit, excellent TypeScript support, and the best
//  debugging tools in the industry through the trace viewer. For a team
//  already using Selenium with a large existing codebase, I'd keep Selenium
//  and improve it with explicit waits and the Page Object Model rather than
//  migrating, since migration cost rarely justifies the improvement for a
//  working suite."