What is Webdriver.IO?

WebdriverIO is a progressive automation framework built to automate modern web and mobile applications. It simplifies the interaction with your app and provides a set of plugins that help you create a scaleable, robust and flakiness test suite.

It is designed to be:

  • Extendable - Adding helper functions, or more complicated sets and combinations of existing commands is simple and really useful
  • Compatible - WebdriverIO can be run on the WebDriver Protocol for true cross-browser testing as well as Chrome DevTools Protocol for Chromium based automation using Puppeteer.
  • Feature Rich - The huge variety of built-in and community plugins allows you to easily integrate and extend your setup to fulfill your requirements.

You can use WebdriverIO to automate:

  • 🌐   modern web applications written in React, Vue, Angular, Svelte or other frontend frameworks
  • 📱   hybrid or native mobile applications running in an emulator/simulator or on a real device
  • 💻   native desktop applications (e.g. written with Electron.js)

Based on Web Standards#

WebdriverIO leverages the power of the WebDriver protocol that is developed and supported by all browser vendors and guranteers a true cross-browser testing experience. While other automation tools require you to download modified browser that aren't used by actual users or emulate user behavior by injecting JavaScript, WebdriverIO relies on a common agreed standard for automation that is properly tested and ensures compatibility for decades to come.

During the development of this automation standard the web has changed a lot and many of the requirements that developers have today to test their web application can not be fullfiled using WebDriver anymore. While some of the core contributor of this project help support the next generation of the WebDriver protocol, WebdriverIO provides an alternative automation solution based on the Chrome DevTools protocol. This allows the user to seamlessly switch between conventional commands based on WebDriver and powerful browser interactions through Puppeteer.

Read more about the differences of these automation standards in the section on Automation Protocols.

True Open Source#

As oppose to many automation tools in the ecosystem WebdriverIO is one of the last truely open source projects that is run by an open governance and owned by a non-profit entity called OpenJS Foundation. This legaly binds the project to grow and be directed in the interest of all participants. The project team values openness and collaboration and is not driven by monetary interests.

This makes the project very independant in how it is being developed and where it is suppose to go. It allows us to provide a free 24/7 support in our community channel as we build a sustainable community that supports and learns from each other. Lastly it gives a lot of opportunities to the people that contribute and engage with the project due to its open governance.

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