Playwright vs WebdriverIO:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Playwright had more branded searches than WebdriverIO among browser automation tools worldwide. Playwright was estimated to have 368K branded searches compared to WebdriverIO’s 3.6K, and held a 47.7% Share of Search versus WebdriverIO’s 0.47%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
Follow Playwright vs WebdriverIO and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Which is more popular in search, Playwright or WebdriverIO?
Compare the frameworks used to automate browsers. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Playwright, WebdriverIO. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Playwright | Cypress | Puppeteer | Selenium | WebdriverIO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 36.5% | 44.6% | 16.4% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.8% | 46.2% | 13.8% | 1.5% | 0.68% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.9% | 46.4% | 13.9% | 1.2% | 0.55% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.6% | 42.6% | 12.7% | 1.4% | 0.63% |
| Feb 2026 | 52.5% | 35.1% | 10.6% | 1.2% | 0.63% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.8% | 39.9% | 9.8% | 1.1% | 0.48% |
| Apr 2026 | 48.8% | 39.9% | 9.8% | 1.1% | 0.48% |
| May 2026 | 48.8% | 39.9% | 9.8% | 1.1% | 0.39% |
| Jun 2026 | 52.7% | 35.3% | 10.6% | 0.95% | 0.42% |
| Jul 2026 | 52.7% | 35.3% | 10.6% | 0.95% | 0.42% |
| Aug 2026 | 47.7% | 39% | 11.7% | 1.1% | 0.47% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Playwright and WebdriverIO comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Playwright was ahead of WebdriverIO in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Playwright’s estimated Share of Search among browser automation tools worldwide moved from 36.5% to 47.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 368K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, WebdriverIO’s estimated Share of Search among browser automation tools worldwide moved from 0.8% to 0.47%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 3.6K.
How did search popularity change for browser automation tools worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, Playwright lost estimated Share of Search among browser automation tools worldwide, from 52.7% to 47.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for WebdriverIO worldwide fell 45.5% over 11 measured months, from 6.6K to 3.6K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Playwright’s and WebdriverIO’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
1 branded search term
- playwright
WebdriverIO
1 branded search term
- webdriverio
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.