Roborazzi

Roborazzi is a free, open-source screenshot testing library for Android and Compose projects. It is best for teams that want visual checks in JVM and Gradle workflows, particularly alongside Robolectric. Its Android capture and verification tools are broad; experimental support beyond Android and rendering variation between operating systems require care.

Overview

Roborazzi records screenshots, compares them against saved images, and can fail verification when they differ. That makes visual changes part of a test result, rather than a separate manual review step. Its Robolectric integration lets Android screenshot tests run as JVM tests without a device or emulator, and tests can also use Hilt.

Gradle tasks cover recording, comparison, and verification, while documented GitHub Actions workflows support storing and checking screenshots in CI. Roborazzi is available on Maven Central under Apache License 2.0. A key trade-off is rendering consistency: graphics libraries can produce different results across operating systems, and identical output across environments is not guaranteed. Teams should account for that when setting up screenshot baselines and CI.

Key features

• Capture across Android UI types: Roborazzi can capture Jetpack Compose nodes, Espresso views, Android Views, and Compose lambdas. That breadth suits Android projects with mixed UI stacks.
• Compose previews: It can generate screenshot tests from Jetpack Compose previews and supports Compose Multiplatform common previews, extending visual checks beyond conventional test screens.
• Desktop and iOS workflows: Compose Desktop and JVM preview screenshots are rendered using the host's Skia. Compose Multiplatform iOS support covers recording, comparison, verification, and reports, but is experimental. iOS capture requires an explicit file path and outputs PNG only, with no WebP encoding.
• CI and IDE support: GitHub Actions workflows are documented for screenshot storage and verification. An IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio plugin displays Roborazzi test screenshots in the IDE, which can help developers inspect changes in their usual environment.
• UI and accessibility checks: An optional machine-readable JSON UI-tree sidecar is documented for Android/Robolectric, Compose Desktop, and Compose iOS. A separate Roborazzi Accessibility Checks library integrates accessibility checks with screenshot testing.
• Animated captures: Roborazzi can capture GIFs and record animations as GIF or APNG. Video recording is experimental, and compare/verify mode does not record or verify video, so it is not a complete video-regression workflow.
• AI assertions: Experimental image assertions have Gemini and OpenAI modules; manual assertions can use local or other LLMs. The documentation advises passing API keys through environment variables rather than hard-coding them.

Pricing

Roborazzi has one free plan: free. It is available on Maven Central and is licensed under Apache License 2.0. There are no paid tiers or plan quotas stated, so teams can adopt the library without a subscription; they should still weigh its platform limitations and the work of maintaining screenshot baselines.

Platforms

Roborazzi is listed for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows, but its documented platform coverage is more specific: Android support, experimental Compose Desktop support, and experimental Compose Multiplatform iOS support. Desktop screenshots use the host's Skia, and rendering may vary across operating systems. The project has no direct support for running with Bazel, so teams whose builds depend on Bazel should look elsewhere or account for that gap.

Who it's for

Roborazzi is a strong fit for Android teams using Robolectric and Gradle who want screenshot comparisons to run as JVM tests without a device or emulator. It also suits Compose teams that want preview-based checks, CI verification, IDE access to test screenshots, or accessibility checks integrated with visual testing. It is a less natural choice for Bazel-based builds, teams requiring identical rendering across different operating systems, or anyone relying on stable cross-platform support beyond Android.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Robolectric integration runs Android screenshot tests as JVM tests without a device or emulator, which suits device-free test workflows.
• Pro: Capture covers Compose, Espresso, Android Views, and Compose lambdas, making it useful for projects with mixed Android UI components.
• Pro: Gradle recording and verification tasks, GitHub Actions workflows, and IDE screenshot display connect image checks to development and CI.
• Con: Rendering can differ by operating system, so a baseline may not produce identical results in every environment.
• Con: Desktop and iOS support are experimental; iOS also requires explicit file paths and PNG output only.
• Con: There is no direct Bazel support, and experimental video capture cannot be compared or verified in the normal workflow.

Alternatives

Visual Regression Testing Software is a broader category to explore when comparing screenshot-testing options.

• Loki is another free, open-source option, with Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows platforms listed. Consider it when those platform choices matter more than Roborazzi's specific Robolectric and Gradle workflow.
• Diffy may suit teams wanting a hosted-style freemium allowance: its free plan includes 500 screenshots per month, two environments, team management, and one month of data retention.
• Happo is worth considering for a free plan with 5,000 snapshots per month, Chrome, visual and accessibility testing, and no credit card or time limit; it also lists Android, API, iOS, and web platforms.
• Percy offers a free plan with 5,000 screenshots per month, unlimited users, and unlimited projects, making it an alternative for teams prioritizing those stated allowances.
• SmartUI has a free plan with 2,000 screenshots valid for a lifetime, one month of build history, and limited user seats; it may fit teams for whom that allowance and history period are suitable.
• Frontend Regression Validator is an Apache-2.0 open-source option that runs locally or with Docker, for teams seeking that deployment model.
• Galen Framework is a free Apache License 2.0 alternative requiring Java 1.8 or greater.
• Screenster has a free tier with one user and one concurrent test, alongside monthly local or cloud run limits; consider it if those stated limits fit.

Verdict

Choose Roborazzi if you want free screenshot verification integrated with Android's Robolectric and Gradle test workflow, especially for mixed Compose and View-based projects. The ability to run checks without a device or emulator is its clearest advantage. Look elsewhere if direct Bazel support or dependable cross-operating-system rendering is essential, or if experimental desktop and iOS coverage is not sufficient for your needs.