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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Choose pytest-html if you want a report you can customize, extend with test artifacts, and generate as a self-contained HTML file. Choose pytest-html-reporter if its built-in overview, trends, history, failure screenshots, and rerun support better match your reporting workflow. Neither is a universal winner: validate the exact Python, pytest, and—if relevant—xdist versions your project uses before adopting either.
What each plugin is designed to provide
pytest-html: a customizable report
The project describes pytest-html as “a plugin for pytest that generates a HTML report for test results.” Its user guide documents options for styling and shaping the report, adding test-related content, and controlling which result rows appear and how they are sorted. That makes it a natural fit when a team wants to adapt the report to its own review or artifact workflow.
Install it with pip install pytest-html, as shown in the official installation guide. The guide says Python ≥3.6 or PyPy3; the pytest plugin list lists pytest ≥7 for the plugin. These are statements from different project pages, not a complete compatibility matrix for every release.
pytest-html-reporter: built-in reporting features
The package description on PyPI lists an overview, trends, suite highlights, test-suite details, archives and history, screenshots on failure, and rerun support. It documents installation with pip3 install pytest-html-reporter. Its stated default output is report/pytest_html_reporter.html; use --html-report to set the report path or filename and --title to set its title. The package page also says these options can be placed in pytest.ini.
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PyPI lists Python ≥3.5 for this package. Treat that as package metadata, not proof that every current Python and pytest combination is supported.
Choose by the reporting job you need to do
| Need | Better fit from documented features | What to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in trends, suite highlights, history, or failure screenshots | pytest-html-reporter |
These are features listed on its PyPI page. Confirm they work with your dependency versions and desired workflow. |
| Custom styling or report content | pytest-html |
Its guide documents CSS, hooks, and extras for text, JSON, URLs, and images. |
| A report that is easier to share as one file | pytest-html |
--self-contained-html inlines CSS and assets, but images added as files or links may remain external. |
| Control over visible rows and ordering | pytest-html |
Its guide documents visibility filtering and sorting. In parallel runs, original execution-order sorting is best-effort. |
| A workflow centered on rerunning tests from the report | pytest-html-reporter |
Rerun support is listed as a feature; check that its behavior fits your CI and local workflow. |
Where pytest-html offers more control
The user guide describes several ways to adapt a report:
- Change presentation: supply custom CSS.
- Adjust report information: use hooks to change the title, environment, and summary.
- Add context to results: include custom result-table content and extras such as text, JSON, URLs, or images.
- Make results easier to scan: collapse rows, filter their visibility, and choose a sort order.
- Generate a portable report: use
--self-contained-htmlto inline CSS and assets.
A self-contained report is not a guarantee that every attachment travels inside the HTML. The guide warns that images added as files or links may remain external and may not display as expected in a standalone report. If recipients need to open the report offline or outside the build environment, check the specific attachments you add.
The guide also documents streaming report generation. For parallel execution with pytest-xdist, its original sort mode is best-effort and may not preserve execution order. Do not treat that ordering as a reliable record of which worker finished first.
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Check compatibility and maintenance evidence before adopting either
Declared Python requirements answer only part of the compatibility question. The sources do not establish a current side-by-side matrix covering both plugins across Python, pytest, and xdist versions. In particular, a minimum Python version does not prove support for a current pytest release.
There is also a difference in the release information cited by the projects. The pytest-html-reporter repository search result identifies v0.2.9, dated February 13, 2022, as its latest release. The pytest-html changelog records versions 4.1.0 and 4.1.1 in November 2023 and describes 4.0.0 as following more than two years of rewrites. Those dated entries are not proof of either project’s latest release today, and release age alone does not establish whether a package works or is unsafe.
Before committing to a plugin, inspect the package metadata and release history for the versions you plan to install, then validate the combination in a disposable environment or CI matrix. Include the project’s actual Python and pytest versions, plus xdist if parallel execution matters. Check that the report is created where expected and that the features you depend on—such as attachments, reruns, sorting, or history—work in your setup.
Quick Recap
Practical recommendation
- Start with
pytest-htmlif you value documented customization, supplemental result data, visibility and sorting controls, or a report designed for single-file sharing. - Consider
pytest-html-reporterif its listed overview, trends, history, screenshots, and rerun features map directly to your team’s reporting needs. - For either plugin, validate your exact dependency set rather than choosing from minimum-version declarations or release dates alone.
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