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testingautomated-testsdevexpresse2e-testingtestcafe

How does TestCafe, the open source tool, relate to DevExpress TestCafe, the $249.99 dollars per year application?

Do the two of them integrate somehow? The relation between the two is confusing and they have the same name. Can the $249.99 tool be used to run tests written using the open-source API?

Solution

  • TestCafe first appeared as a paid, standalone tool. It had several features besides the test runner: the Control Panel, a visual interface for creating, modifying and running your tests, and the Visual Test Recorder for recording tests by pointing and clicking through the test scenario in the browser.

    In 2015 we decided to release the TestCafe core as an open-source project. The last major paid version release (v15.1) was in summer 2015. After that, it switched to a maintenance-only mode. You can find the latest paid version at https://testcafe.devexpress.com.

    We released the open-source TestCafe in late 2016. It has the same name but contains lots of new functionality and improvements:

    • a new API and offers a new approach to writing tests;
    • no UI to manage and run tests. You can run tests from the CLI or node.js module;
    • it is more convenient to integrate into node.js development workflow;
    • es6 support, flexible selectors and smart assertions, authentication features, etc.

    You can learn more about the open-source version at https://devexpress.github.io/testcafe.

    We have not abandoned our aspirations to create a competitive proprietary product. We plan to release a new commercial version called TestCafe Studio, based on the revised open-source TestCafe.