Percy

Percy is a visual testing service for teams that want automated checks for interface changes across browsers and responsive layouts. It is strongest for teams that already run UI tests and need a shared review workflow; real mobile-browser coverage requires the higher-priced mobile plan.

Overview

Percy captures DOM snapshots and assets, renders them across browsers, and compares the results with earlier snapshots to flag visual changes. Configurable responsive widths let teams look for layout differences beyond a single viewport, while cross-browser capture helps when an interface must hold up across several browsers.

These comparisons are only as economical as the capture choices allow: each page or component rendering for one browser-and-width combination counts as a screenshot. Teams with many pages, browsers, or responsive widths should estimate that usage before settling on a plan.

Key features

Snapshot stabilization freezes animations and other dynamic elements, reducing false positives that can clutter review. Percy can also combine snapshots from tests running on separate processes or machines into one build, giving parallel runs a common review point.

Reviewers can compare snapshots, comment, update statuses, receive notifications, and use automatic diff matching. Integrations include GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Storybook, WebdriverIO, and Jenkins. Documented frameworks range from Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, and Puppeteer to Storybook, Gatsby, Appium, Tricentis Tosca, and Maestro. That breadth makes Percy relevant to varied testing setups, though teams should check that their particular stack fits.

Percy supports real-device testing and describes coverage for desktop and mobile browsers. Real mobile browsers are included in the Desktop & Mobile plan, not the Desktop plan, so teams needing that coverage should budget for the higher tier.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and includes 5,000 screenshots/month, unlimited users, and unlimited projects. It is a useful starting point for a small or lower-volume workflow, but the monthly screenshot cap can become restrictive as browser and responsive-width combinations accumulate.

Desktop costs $199 a month, billed annually, and includes 10,000 screenshots/month plus Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. It suits teams that need paid-plan capacity and those four desktop browsers, but it does not include real mobile browsers.

Desktop & Mobile costs $599 a month, billed annually, with 25,000 screenshots/month and real mobile browsers. The larger allowance and mobile coverage fit teams with broader capture needs; it is a substantial step up in price from Desktop. Both paid plans include a fixed screenshot allowance, with usage beyond it charged at the overage rate, so exceeding the quota adds cost rather than simply stopping capture.

Enterprise has custom pricing, custom screenshots, and requires contacting sales.

Platforms

Percy is listed for web, Android, and iOS. Its documented mobile coverage includes real devices and mobile browsers, while plan details place real mobile-browser access in Desktop & Mobile.

Who it's for

Percy is a good fit for development teams that want browser-based visual comparisons tied to collaborative review, especially those already using its listed integrations or frameworks. Teams with modest capture volumes can begin on Free; teams requiring mobile-browser coverage should consider Desktop & Mobile. It is a poorer fit for buyers who cannot predict screenshot usage or want to avoid overage charges on paid plans.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Stabilization and automatic diff matching can reduce review noise from dynamic content and help reviewers pair changes.
• Pro: Comments, statuses, notifications, and snapshot comparisons bring review into a defined workflow, with integrations for common development tools.
• Pro: Free includes unlimited users and projects, avoiding seat and project caps at that tier.
• Con: Screenshot counts scale with browser and responsive-width combinations, making broad coverage consume quota quickly.
• Con: Real mobile browsers require the $599 a month plan billed annually; the $199 a month Desktop plan is desktop-browser coverage only.
• Con: Paid-plan overages are charged, so teams whose usage varies need to monitor their allowance.

Alternatives

For an open-source option, Loki is free under the MIT license and requires Node 16+; it is worth considering if those terms suit your setup. Roborazzi is another free, Apache-2.0-licensed option available on Maven Central.

Diffy may suit teams whose needs fit its free plan of 500 screenshots per month, two environments, team management, and one month of data retention. Happo offers a free plan with 5,000 snapshots per month, Chrome, and visual and accessibility testing, with no credit card or time limit; consider it if those specific inclusions matter.

SmartUI has a free lifetime allowance of 2,000 screenshots and one month of build history, with limited user seats. Frontend Regression Validator is a free, Apache-2.0-licensed open-source option that can run locally or with Docker. Galen Framework is free under Apache License 2.0 and requires Java 1.8 or greater. Screenster offers a free plan with per-tester monthly terms, one concurrent test, and capped local or cloud runs.

Browse more options in Visual Regression Testing Software or GUI Testing Software.

Verdict

Choose Percy if your team wants cross-browser visual comparisons paired with a collaborative review workflow and can keep capture volume within a known allowance. Its stabilization and parallel-build grouping address real review friction, but teams needing real mobile browsers must take the much more expensive annual-billed tier, and paid overages make usage forecasting important.