Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Protractor VS Selenium

Compare Protractor VS Selenium and see what are their differences

Protractor logo Protractor

Protractor is an end-to-end test framework for AngularJS applications.

Selenium logo Selenium

Selenium automates browsers. That's it! What you do with that power is entirely up to you. Primarily, it is for automating web applications for testing purposes, but is certainly not limited to just that.
  • Protractor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-22
  • Selenium Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-08-22

Protractor features and specs

  • Integration
    Protractor is designed specifically for Angular applications and offers tight integration, making it easy to work with Angular-specific elements like models, bindings, and states.
  • End-to-End Testing
    It provides a comprehensive solution for end-to-end testing by automating interactions with a user interface, simulating real user scenarios.
  • Automatic Waiting
    One of Protractor's key features is its ability to automatically wait for the web pages to complete their pending tasks, like HTTP responses and transitions, before starting a test.
  • Support for Multiple Browsers
    Protractor supports testing in multiple web browsers including Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer, thereby ensuring broader test coverage.
  • Selenium WebDriver
    Built on top of WebDriverJS, it benefits from the powerful capabilities of Selenium, a widely used framework for testing web applications.

Possible disadvantages of Protractor

  • Angular Focus
    While Protractor's Angular integration is a strength, it is not as tailored for non-Angular applications, potentially limiting its versatility.
  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up Protractor can be complex and time-consuming due to the need for configuration of WebDriver and additional dependencies.
  • Community and Updates
    Protractor’s usage is diminishing due to newer frameworks and a decrease in active community engagement compared to its peak, leading to fewer updates and support.
  • Performance
    Running tests with Protractor can be slower due to its reliance on Selenium WebDriver, which may not be the fastest option available for modern web applications.
  • Learning Curve
    For new users, the learning curve can be steep, especially for those who are not familiar with WebDriverJS or asynchronous programming in JavaScript.

Selenium features and specs

  • Open Source
    Selenium is an open-source tool, which means it is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This makes it a cost-effective choice for companies of all sizes.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    Selenium supports multiple browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. This allows testers to ensure that web applications work seamlessly across different browsers.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Selenium can run on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This provides flexibility to test on multiple platforms to ensure consistent user experience.
  • Supports Multiple Programming Languages
    Selenium supports multiple programming languages such as Java, C#, Python, and JavaScript. This allows testers to write their scripts in the language they are most comfortable with.
  • Rich Community and Documentation
    Being a widely-used tool, Selenium has extensive community support and a wealth of documentation and tutorials available. This makes it easier for new users to get started and find solutions to problems.
  • Integration with Other Tools
    Selenium integrates well with various testing frameworks and tools like TestNG, JUnit, and Maven, as well as CI/CD tools like Jenkins and Docker. This makes it a versatile and comprehensive automation solution.

Possible disadvantages of Selenium

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Selenium requires knowledge of programming to create and maintain test scripts. For those new to automation or coding, the learning curve can be quite steep.
  • No Built-in Reporting
    Selenium does not come with built-in reporting features. Testers must rely on third-party tools or build custom reporting solutions to generate test reports.
  • Limited Support for Desktop Applications
    Selenium is designed primarily for web application testing and offers limited support for desktop applications. This limits its use in scenarios where desktop application testing is needed.
  • Manual Effort for Maintenance
    Test scripts require regular maintenance to accommodate changes in the web application, such as updates to the UI or changes in element identifiers. This can lead to significant manual effort.
  • Performance Issues
    Selenium can be slower compared to other automation tools, especially when running extensive test suites. This can affect the speed of the overall testing process.
  • Browser Compatibility Issues
    Although Selenium supports multiple browsers, each browser's implementation of WebDriver may have unique quirks and bugs. This occasionally leads to test script compatibility issues across different browsers.

Protractor videos

Empire Angle Finder Review-A Protractor For Outside And Inside Angles

More videos:

  • Review - Incra Super Precision Straight and Protractor Marking Rules Review
  • Review - You Need This Tool - Episode 91 | Digital Angle Finder Protractor

Selenium videos

What is Selenium | Selenium Explained in 2-minutes | Introduction to Selenium | Intellipaat

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Protractor and Selenium)
Automated Testing
3 3%
97% 97
Auto Repair
100 100%
0% 0
Browser Testing
0 0%
100% 100
Testing
3 3%
97% 97

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Protractor and Selenium

Protractor Reviews

Top 10 Best Selenium Alternatives You Should Try
With the ‘Automatic Waiting’ feature of Protractor, the test automatically executes the next step without waiting for the webpage and test to sync.
Best Selenium Alternatives (Free and Paid) in 2021
Protractor is an end-to-end test framework for Angular and Angular JS applications. Protractor runs tests against your application running in a real browser, interacting with it as a user would. Protractor is a node.js port of the webdriver.io, which is the JavaScript implementation of the Selenium framework.
5 Selenium Alternatives to Fill in Your Top Testing Gaps
Aside from being simpler to use from a programming language perspective, Protractor is also considered easier to use than Selenium for Angular applications. It is also based on JavaScript Selenium WebDriver, so your team will get all the same capabilities of Selenium WebDriver in addition to Protractor’s other benefits.
Source: www.perfecto.io

Selenium Reviews

Top Selenium Alternatives
Nightwatch.js simplifies the setup and use of Selenium WebDriver, providing an abstraction layer that is easier to work with for JavaScript developers. While it offers the broad compatibility and standardization of Selenium WebDriver, it aims to improve the development experience with its simplified syntax and support for the Page Object pattern, making it a middle ground...
Source: bugbug.io
Top 5 Selenium Alternatives for Less Maintenance
And that’s why code-free test automation is important. Implementing codeless Selenium alternatives can address the challenges posed by traditional Selenium testing. They help testers with various skill sets to contribute to the testing process, enhancing collaboration and accelerating the testing lifecycle. For an in-depth discussion on the significance of codeless Selenium,...
Best Automation Testing Tools (Free and Paid) | July 2022
Automation testing is the process of testing the software using an automation tool to find the defects. In this process, executing the test scripts and generating the results are performed automatically by automation tools. Some most popular tools to do automation testing are HP QTP/UFT, Selenium WebDriver, etc.,
20 BEST Selenium Alternatives in 2021
Selenium is an open-source automated testing tool. It can perform functional, regression, load testing on web applications across different browsers and platforms. Selenium is one of the finest tools, but it does have some drawbacks.
Source: www.guru99.com
Top 10 Best Selenium Alternatives You Should Try
Selenium is a convenient and portable software testing tool specifically used for testing web applications. It acts as an API (Application Program Interface) for browser automation. Selenium is the widely used free and open-source tool used for automation testing of web applications through various browsers and platforms.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Selenium seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 8 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Protractor mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Protractor yet. Tracking of Protractor recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Selenium mentions (8)

  • How to write tests in Django for JavaScript fetch
    You won't be able to test the javascript function itself from within python, but you can exercise the front-end code using something like cypress (https://cypress.io) or the older but still respectable selenium (https://selenium.dev). Source: about 2 years ago
  • Having Issues with selenium
    In addition, .find_element_by_class_name is deprecated since selenium 4.3.0 and the replacement is .find_element(By.CLASS_NAME, "class"). Check selenium's site for more info. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Issues with Selenium 4.8.0
    This is the code again after checking selenium's official site :. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Having Issues with selenium
    I also tried the following code seen on the selenium.dev website. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Document Object Model Specification
    The following functions are defined within the Selenium project, at revision 1721e627e3b5ab90a06e82df1b088a33a8d11c20. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Protractor and Selenium, you can also consider the following products

Cypress.io - Slow, difficult and unreliable testing for anything that runs in a browser. Install Cypress in seconds and take the pain out of front-end testing.

Mocha - Sponsors. Use Mocha at Work? Ask your manager or marketing team if they'd help support our project. Your company's logo will also be displayed on npmjs. com and our GitHub repository.

Katalon - Built on the top of Selenium and Appium, Katalon Studio is a free and powerful automated testing tool for web testing, mobile testing, and API testing.

Shopware - Shopware is an open source e-commerce software.

BrowserStack - BrowserStack is a software testing platform for developers to comprehensively test websites and mobile applications for quality.

Fullbay - Fullbay is built for HD repair shops & fleet managers. It improves tech efficiency, bills parts, and makes invoicing a snap.