Side by side
Needle vs Vizzy
Both stand on visual regression testing software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Linux
Choose Needle if you are a developer building Python tests around visual baselines, rendered styles, or element positions. Look elsewhere if you need a platform beyond the listed Linux environment or want screenshots automatically deleted after successful tests.
Visit Needle Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb
Vizzy brings screenshot comparison and image approvals into a pull-request review flow. Account for its specified setup requirements and the documented issues with changing visual content and squash merges.
Visit VizzyThe facts
| Needle | Vizzy | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux | Linux, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Not published |
| Plans published | 1 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | github.com |
| On visual regression testing software | #17 of 26 | #21 of 26 |
Needle: what it does well
- Compares captured page areas with saved screenshot baselines.
- Checks calculated CSS values and HTML element positions.
- Works with Selenium and nose.
- Offers Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and other documented drivers.
- PerceptualDiff and ImageMagick can create failure diff PNGs.
What to know first
- Listed platform is Linux.
- Screenshot cleanup after successful tests is disabled by default.
- Latest listed release is version 0.5.0 from April 2, 2017.
Vizzy: what it does well
- Pixel-by-pixel screenshot comparison highlights differences in red.
- GitHub status links to diffs, test history, and approvals.
- Configurable plugins are described for Slack, Jira, Bamboo, and Jenkins.
- Docker-ready, with Kubernetes and Heroku deployment options.
- MIT-licensed and free.
What to know first
- Requires Ruby 2.3.7, Rails 5.1.6.2, ImageMagick 6, and PostgreSQL.
- Animations and changing dates can make visual diffs inconsistent.
- Squash merging can break pre-approvals tied to commit SHAs.
- Requires a build pipeline and screenshot-capturing client framework.