Playwright vs Puppeteer:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Puppeteer had more branded searches than Playwright among browser automation tools worldwide. Puppeteer had about 135,000 branded searches, while Playwright had 49,100. Puppeteer made up 45.1% of all browser automation tool searches we track, and Playwright accounted for 16.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about browser automation tools, Playwright appeared in all five answers and Puppeteer in three. Playwright was mentioned before Puppeteer in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Puppeteer, about 3 searches for every 1 for Playwright
Who does AI mention more?
Playwright, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Playwright, named ahead of Puppeteer in 4 of 5 answers
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Top browser automation tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Playwright appeared in all five answers. Puppeteer was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Playwright was listed before Puppeteer in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Playwright1st
Selenium2nd
Cypress3rd- Puppeteer4th
Browser Use5th
Axiom.ai6th
WebdriverIO7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Playwright5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Selenium5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cypress5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Puppeteer3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Browser Use3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Axiom.ai2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- WebdriverIO1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about browser automation tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which browser automation tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best browser automation tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best browser automation tool for test web apps?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“browser automation tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ui testing framework”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Playwright or Puppeteer more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Playwright and Puppeteer by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven browser automation tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Puppeteer, Playwright. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Puppeteer | Browser Use | Playwright | Selenium | Axiom.ai | Cypress | WebdriverIO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 42% | 10.3% | 13% | 26.5% | 2.5% | 3.8% | 2.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 39.2% | 11.8% | 15.2% | 26% | 2.4% | 3.6% | 1.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 42.5% | 10.5% | 15.2% | 23.2% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 1.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 39% | 11.7% | 17.4% | 21.2% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 1.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 35% | 15.7% | 18% | 21.3% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 2.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.4% | 19.5% | 15.8% | 20.2% | 4.8% | 2.7% | 1.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.2% | 18.7% | 18.5% | 19.4% | 4.6% | 3% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 38.2% | 17.1% | 18.7% | 18.6% | 3.4% | 2.5% | 1.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.6% | 16.4% | 20.3% | 19.8% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.1% | 17.5% | 19.1% | 17% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 1.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.9% | 16.9% | 20.2% | 19.2% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.1% | 20.2% | 16.4% | 13.3% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
How has the Playwright and Puppeteer comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Puppeteer was ahead of Playwright in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Playwright’s share of searches among browser automation tools worldwide moved from 13% to 16.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 41.7K to 49.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Puppeteer’s share of searches among browser automation tools worldwide moved from 42% to 45.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 135K.
How did search popularity change for browser automation tools worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Browser Use overtook Playwright and Selenium to rank 2nd among browser automation tools worldwide, with 20.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Puppeteer gained share of searches among browser automation tools worldwide, from 37.9% to 45.1%.
In September 2026, Playwright lost share of searches among browser automation tools worldwide, from 20.2% to 16.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Playwright’s and Puppeteer’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Playwright
3 branded search terms
- playwright automation
- playwright python
- playwright test
Puppeteer
1 branded search term
- puppeteer
Other head-to-heads among browser automation tools
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