Playwright vs Selenium vs Cypress: How Architecture Shapes Modern Testing Tools

In modern software testing, the debate around testing frameworks is more than a matter of syntax or speed—it’s about architecture. Understanding how a tool is built from the ground up defines not just its capabilities, but also how it integrates into your ecosystem, scales with your needs, and meets the evolving demands of test automation. Among the many contenders, three dominate the conversation: Playwright, Selenium, and Cypress. Each comes with its own set of strengths, limitations, and architectural nuances. But what really separates them? The answer often lies in the details hidden beneath the user interface—the architecture itself.