ComposalTest frameworks and automation
Composal vs Playwright
Playwright gives engineers APIs and artifacts for maintaining code-owned browser checks. Composal offers hosted plain-English Scenarios alongside Discovery, exploratory Deep Scan and Findings that can pass to coding agents.
Two workflows, side by side
Composal
Composal sends AI browser agents to use your running web app and check the outcomes you care about. Define journeys as plain-English Scenarios, map existing flows with Discovery, or explore for bugs with Deep Scan. Runs keep recordings and reproduction steps so your team or coding agent can investigate a Finding.
Verify documentation →Playwright
Cross-browser web testing framework
Playwright is an open-source browser automation framework with a test runner, assertions, tracing and parallel execution. Its documentation covers Chromium, Firefox and WebKit, plus browser workflows for coding agents.
What each tool does
“With setup” means you supply code or configuration. “Not confirmed” means support for this workflow needs checking with the vendor.
| Workflow | Composal | Playwright |
|---|---|---|
| Run browser journeys | Yes Run saved browser Scenarios and return recordings and reproducible Findings. | Yes Runs browser journeys as authored tests; teams define and maintain the test flow. |
| Map application workflows | Yes Discovery maps key application areas and user journeys. | Not confirmed Check whether this product includes this workflow in your intended plan and setup. |
| Explore for unexpected issues | Yes Deep Scan explores the running application and reports reproducible issues. | Not confirmed Check whether this product includes this workflow in your intended plan and setup. |
| Describe checks in plain English | Yes Author Scenarios around the intended user outcome, then review the steps and expected results. | With setup Write executable tests, scripts, or structured keywords to define the steps and expected results. |
| Run or inspect from a terminal | Yes Use the CLI to start and inspect verification runs and their Findings. | With setup Run configured tests through the product’s supported developer tools or CI integration. |
Where each fits
Choose Playwright when your team wants direct control of a browser test suite, code and CI execution. Choose Composal when you want a hosted workflow to define expected journeys and explore a running web app.
Try this evaluation
Run the same authenticated checkout journey in both. Compare setup time, cross-browser needs, assertion clarity, failure traces and whether an engineer can reproduce a seeded permission defect from the resulting evidence.
- Coverage
- Which user outcomes must this release prove, and which specialist checks must stay in your existing stack?
- Setup
- Who prepares accounts, test data, permissions and access to the deployment being tested?
- Evidence
- Can the engineer reproduce a reported failure from the recording and steps, without asking the tester to investigate again?
- Ownership
- Who updates the checks when the product changes, and can the team review what a passing result actually proves?