Playwright vs Cypress in 2026
Playwright is the right default in 2026. Cypress is still excellent for established teams and certain workflows, but the momentum has clearly shifted.
Three years ago this was a closer call. In 2026 it isn't. Playwright is the right default for new projects, and most established teams I work with are migrating away from Cypress.
Why Playwright wins: parallel execution out of the box, multiple browser engines (including WebKit, which actually catches Safari bugs), a sane debugger, and a config story that doesn't require a third-party plugin for half the things you want.
Where Cypress is still good: developer ergonomics for component-level tests, better real-time debugging during test development, and a UI that's friendlier to non-engineers writing tests. If your team has a deep Cypress investment, the migration cost may not be justified. New project? Start with Playwright.