Advantages and disadvantages of using Cypress for automated testing

According to Global Market Insights, Automation testing size is valued at USD 20 billion in the year 2022 and is expected to progress over a fifteen percent compound annual growth rate between 2023 and 2032. Cloud-centric industrial automation software was worth approximately 13.6 billion U.S.D global in 2018. Automated software apps in the industry have been eminent for several decades yet are rising promptly, and cloud-centric software apps are predicted to grow at a CAGR of 9.4 % between 2018 & 2023.

Industrial automation software market Worldwide in 2018 and 2023, by type

In fact, software testing is progressively integrating automated testing tools across their companies, as free or open source tools offer extensive serviceability in contrast to commercial testing tools. Open-source testing tools like Cypress are up-and-coming automated web testing frameworks. With Cypress, one can easily generate tests for modern web apps, visually debug them, and automatically execute them in the CI (continuous integration) builds. This ever-growing solution for web automated testing is a solid complementary framework to the popular tool like Selenium, which has long been the de facto automated web framework.

What is Cypress?

It is a NodeJS based, front-end automated testing application shaped for the modern web. This incredible tool is built on the newest architecture and runs in a similar run-loop as the app being tested. As a result, Cypress offers faster, better, as well as highly reliable testing for anything that runs in any browser. Cypress functions on any front-end website or framework.

Cypress E2E testing is one of the key uses of the framework. It is also suited for writing integration and unit tests. In short, architectural differences and suitability to test advanced and modern web apps are the core rewards of the Cypress framework. Just like the Selenium framework, Cypress cloud testing allows you to run Cypress testing at scale on a series of diverse browsers, browser versions, and OSs online.

Cypress is a tool in the JS (Javascript) Testing Framework category of a technology stack. Cypress is a free tool with 2.8K GitHub forks& 42.9K GitHub stars. You can take a glance at the link to Cypress’s open-source repository on GitHub. As per a report by Slintel, Cypress framework has close to a 2.61 % share in the cross-browser QA market.

Cypress testing framework is highly speedy, reliable, and less flaky in contrast to tests executed using varied web automation testing frameworks. However, as it is rightly said, ‘No. don’t lie,’ & 3.5M+ weekly downloads for Cypress tests framework tells a lot about the fame of this free/ open-source automated test framework.

Who uses Cypress?

Cypress has emerged as a commonly used automation testing tool amongst JavaScript users. Increasingly, it is the most preferred tool for numerous testers. 488 companies apparently make use of Cypress in their tech stacks, which count Bitpanda, CircleCI, and Hepsiburada.

Salient Features of Cypress

Cypress is a modern E2E testing framework that provides various salient features, counting:

1. Automatic waiting: This tool automatically waits for your app to end rendering before implementing the next command. This eradicates the requirement for manual waits & timeouts, keeping your tests speedier and more reliable. You can also refer to Explicit Waits in Selenium blog to get extra information about the kinds of waits in Selenium. Due to this, Cypress testing is less flaky than their equal Selenium testing.
2. Real-time reloading: Cypress reloads your application automatically in the browser when you make alterations to your test or app code. This lets you rapidly iterate on your testing and fix glitches as they arise.
3. Full page screenshots: Full page screenshots are automatically generated for all event that is fired at the time of test implementation. In simple words, video recording of the test implementation is also possible in a tool like Cypress.
4. Time-travel debugging: This tool also allows you to pause your testing at any point plus debug it using Chrome DevTools. You could also step through every single command in your testing and see the state of your app at any point in time.
5. Timeouts and Retries: Cypress retries failed testing automatically and give configurable timeouts for extended-running jobs, guaranteeing that your test is resilient to network and server problems.
6. Cross-browser testing: It also supports cross-browser testing by executing tests in numerous browsers at the same time. This helps guarantee that your app functions as predictable on diverse platforms and browsers.
7. Open-source and community-driven: This tool is open-source/ free software and has a huge community that contributes to its support and development. This guarantees that the framework is continuously evolving and refining over time.
8. Spies, stubs, and mocks: It also provides powerful utilities for stubbing, spying, and mocking functions, requests, and objects. This lets you simulate diverse scenarios & test your app’s behavior under several conditions.

Overall, Cypress provides a modern and robust automated testing framework that can aid you to build and manage top-quality web apps.

But, does this mean that there are zero downsides to Cypress? The answer is No. As Cypress just supports JS (JavaScript), you have to learn coding in JavaScript if you are aiming to use Cypress for web test automation.

Everyone knows that web scraping in Se is simply doable. Additionally, you have the flexibility to use standard Selenium-supported languages such as Java, Python, C#, etc., to accomplish the task. In the weak zone, Cypress isn’t a preferred option for web crawling (or web scraping) and performance testing.

Why is Cypress better than other tools?

Cypress has several benefits that make it a famous choice for test automated, comprising:

1. Easy to use: Cypress has an easy as well as intuitive API that makes it simple for software developers for writing and maintaining tests.
2. Open-source & community-driven: This incredible tool is a free tool with an active and large community, providing software developers with a wealth of support plus resources.
3. Time-travel debugging: Cypress provides an exclusive feature that enables software developers to pause testing at any point and check the app’s state in real time, making debugging quite simpler.
4. Automatic waiting: Cypress automatically waits for the app to end rendering before executing commands, dropping the requirement for developers to add manual waits & enhancing test reliability.
5. Cross-browser testing: Cypress supports testing across varied browsers, making it simpler to guarantee that apps work constantly across diverse platforms.
6. Real-time reloading: This tool automatically reloads the app in the browser when code modifications are made, making it simpler for developers to iterate on testing & improve test competence.
7. Integration with DevOps tools: Cypress can be effortlessly integrated with famous DevOps tools, like CircleCI and Jenkins, to facilitate CI (continuous integration) & delivery processes.

In short, the exceptional features and ease of use make Cypress a strong contender amongst other automated testing tools.

Accelerated Parallel Test Execution

LambdaTest Cypress CLI keep it simple for the users to run Cypress parallel test on a series of browser and OS combo on the LambdaTest Grid. You also have the flexibility to perform Cypress testing on 40 plus varied versions of the web browsers on the LambdaTest cloud grid.

Advantages and disadvantages of using Cypress for automated testing

While Cypress proffers numerous advantages over other test frameworks, it also has some disadvantages. Here are some of the advantages & disadvantages of using Cypress for automated testing:

1. Simple to use: Cypress has a simple and intuitive App Programming Interface that makes it simple for software developers to write tests. The test framework comes with a customer-friendly interface that enables developers to relate to their web apps and test them without the necessity for extra tools.
2. Reliable and Speedy testing: It is built on top of Electron, which makes it highly reliable and faster than distinct testing frameworks. The test framework is well-designed to perform testing in real-time, which means that software developers can get immediate feedback on their testing.
3. Robust testing competencies: Cypress gives software developers a choice of testing abilities, and counting support for E2E testing, unit testing, and integration testing. The tool also has built-in support for popular test libraries like Chai and Mocha.
4. Debugging and error handling: Cypress has a range of built-in debugging tools that allow developers to quickly and easily identify and fix errors in their tests. The framework also provides detailed error messages and stack traces that make it easier for developers to diagnose issues.
5. Cross-browser & cross-platform testing: It supports cross-browser plus cross-platform testing, which means that software developers can test their web apps on multiple browsers and OSs. This feature guarantees that the app functions constantly across all varied devices and platforms.
6. CI (Continuous integration) and deployment: Cypress incorporates well with popular ci and deployment tools like CircleCI and Jenkins. This integration lets software developers automate their testing processes and guarantee that their app is perfectly tested and deployed in a consistent plus reliable manner.

Overall, Cypress is a powerful and easy-to-use testing framework that provides developers with a range of advanced testing capabilities. Its robust testing capabilities, fast and reliable testing, and cross-platform support make it an ideal choice for modern web development projects.

Cypress Architecture

While Cypress offers multiple benefits for test automation, there are also some potential disadvantages to consider:

1. Restricted mobile testing support: While Cypress can test mobile sites or apps using Chrome DevTools, it does not support native mobile application testing, which may be a drawback for some apps.
2. Limited browser support: Cypress is mainly designed to function only in Electron and Chrome browsers, so it might not be suitable for apps that necessitate tests on other browsers such as Firefox or Safari.
3. JavaScript required: Cypress is built using JS and necessitates knowledge of the language for writing tests, which may be a drawback for QA teams without JavaScript experience.
4. Limited community support: While Cypress has a rising community, it is still comparatively new compared to other test frameworks, so there may be lesser support and resources accessible in contrast to more established frameworks.
5. Cost: While Cypress is simple to use, a few traits like dashboard & parallel test necessitate a paid plan, which might not be suitable for some QA teams with budget restrictions.

The Cypress test runner and Cypress dashboard are the two major elements that will be installed with Cypress. Perform the below-mentioned stages for installing Cypress on the local machine:

1. As Cypress is built using NodeJS, you prime need to install NodeJS v12+ before continuing to install Cypress.
2. Once NodeJS is installed, you need to form a project folder under the suitable directory & initialize the folder with the npm init command.
3. Cypress is a sole module that bundles all the essential properties that you require to run the testing. Adding Cypress to node_modules Installing Cypress is simply a command away as it’s a sole module bundling all mandatory properties.

Cypress can be added to node_modules with yarn or npm by making use of either of the following commands:

1. Once Cypress packages are included in the project directory, you need to observe the Cypress folder added to your project with pre-defined tests for sample tests.

How to get started with Cypress testing using Lambdatest?

Integrating Cypress with LambdaTest allows you to do Cypress testing across 40+ browser versions on the cloud.

To get started with Cypress testing using Lambdatest, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a free account on the Lambdatest platform and login.
2. Select the Cypress option from the list of testing frameworks using the below command.

npm install -g lambdatest-cypress-cli

1. Select the operating system and browser combinations you want to test your application on.
2. Configure your Cypress test suite by providing the necessary information, such as the test files and commands to execute.
3. Start the Cypress test suite by clicking on the “Start Testing” button.
4. Once the tests are executed, you can view the results and analyze any issues that were found.
5. Use the Lambdatest platform to collaborate with your team and track the progress of your Cypress test suite.

Additionally, Lambdatest proffers numerous traits that can help streamline the Cypress testing procedure, such as video recording, debugging tools, and automated screenshots. By leveraging such features, you can fast-track your testing procedure and guarantee the quality of your app.

The Verdict:

Overall, Cypress is a great choice for test automation. It is reliable and simple to use and has an enriched feature set that makes it great for testing modern web apps. If you are looking for a test automation tool that’s built for the 21st century, then Cypress is the test tool for you. It is a great tool for automating browsers with various benefits. But, it is significant to be aware of the drawbacks before utilizing them in your own projects. It is a potent automation tool that can fasten your test process, but it has its problems.

The traits provided by the Cypress framework can be further boosted by executing tests at scale on a cloud-based Cypress Grid. This is wherein LambdaTest Cypress CLI comes into the limelight. It allows you to execute testing at an expedited pace on a set of popular platforms and browsers.

If you would like to add your own views, do leave your feedback in the comments section. Happy Testing!!