Understanding Browsers Supported by Playwright

Understanding Browsers Supported by Playwright

Playwright has rapidly become a favorite among automation testers and developers for its speed, reliability, and multi-browser support. One of Playwright’s standout features is its ability to automate across multiple modern browsers using a single codebase. But which browsers does it actually support?


In this guide, we’ll break down the browsers supported by Playwright and how this cross-browser capability benefits your testing strategy.


What is Playwright?

Playwright is an open-source test automation framework developed by Microsoft. It enables fast and reliable end-to-end testing for web applications by allowing scripts to control browsers in a consistent and powerful way.


Browsers Supported by Playwright

Playwright supports all major browsers used in the market today:


1. Chromium

Covers: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers


Engine: Blink (via Chromium)


Automation Support: Fully supported, including headless and headed modes


2. Firefox

Covers: Mozilla Firefox


Engine: Gecko


Automation Support: Supported with some experimental features still under development


3. WebKit

Covers: Apple Safari (via WebKit engine)


Engine: WebKit


Automation Support: Fully supported, even on non-Mac platforms (thanks to WebKit builds provided by Playwright)


Why Multi-Browser Support Matters

In real-world usage, users access websites from a variety of browsers and platforms. Playwright’s multi-browser support helps you:


Ensure consistent behavior across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari


Catch browser-specific issues early


Run tests in parallel across browsers, saving time


Cover mobile and desktop scenarios using device emulation


How Playwright Handles Browsers

Playwright automatically downloads the browser binaries required for testing during installation. It also offers:


Browser contexts – Isolated sessions to test in parallel


Device emulation – Simulate mobile browsers


Headless testing – Run tests faster without opening a UI


Cross-platform compatibility – Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux


Bonus: Playwright’s Test Runner

Playwright now comes with its own test runner (@playwright/test) that makes setting up cross-browser test suites easy with simple configuration:


bash

Copy

Edit

npx playwright test --project=chromium

npx playwright test --project=firefox

npx playwright test --project=webkit

You can define multiple projects in playwright.config.ts to run the same tests in different browsers automatically.


Conclusion

Playwright’s built-in support for Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit makes it a powerful tool for cross-browser testing. Whether you're building consumer-facing apps, B2B platforms, or mobile-responsive websites, Playwright helps you catch issues across all major browsers with ease.


One framework, three engines, complete coverage. That’s the Playwright advantage.

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