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Visual regression testing tools compared

Six tools that catch visual changes, next to Screenery. Each one is good at something. This page says what, and where Screenery does a different job.

At a glance

Competitor facts and prices were checked in October 2026 on each vendor's own pages. Each tool's page links its sources.

Where Screenery fits

Most tools on this page answer one question: did this pull request change the UI? Screenery answers that one too, then keeps going. Every accepted screenshot gets a URL you can paste into a README, a docs page or a help centre:

https://cdn.screenery.dev/acme/dashboard/checkout/payment-form@latest.png

@latest moves when your default branch pushes. A pull request gets its own @pr-N channel. Every push is stored as a version whose URL never changes. Like a package registry, you get immutable versions and tags that move. See How @latest moves and Screenshot URLs.

What Screenery adds on top of that:

• A gate before publishing. Point the Action at a baseline and a visual regression fails the job before anything is pushed. See Visual testing.
• A pull-request comment showing what changed against @latest. See Pull-request comments.
• An MCP server, so an agent can compare @pr-N with @latest and see what was added, removed or changed. See Agents.
• No stored secret on GitHub Actions. The Action trades GitHub's OIDC token for a five-minute credential. Argos offers OIDC uploads too, so this is not unique.

And what it does not do, so you can rule it out:

• It does not render pages. It stores the files your tests wrote, so there is no browser grid.
• It has no Storybook integration. If you test stories, look at Chromatic or Argos first.
• It has no approve button that resets a baseline. A baseline is a folder you commit, or the version a push replaces.

How to choose

• You test Storybook components: Chromatic, made by the Storybook maintainers, or Argos.
• You need Safari, Firefox and real phones: Percy or Applitools.
• You want an open-source review app: Argos.
• You run Playwright and want the screenshots in your docs, current on every merge: Screenery. Start with Getting started.
• You already use Playwright's toHaveScreenshot: keep it as your gate. Screenery can publish the goldens it accepted. See Playwright.
• You are on BackstopJS or Lost Pixel: both need a new home. The BackstopJS and Lost Pixel pages are migration guides.

One page per tool

• Screenery vs Percy

  Percy re-renders your pages in four browsers. Screenery publishes the screenshots your tests took.

• Screenery vs Chromatic

  The Storybook platform, and when a Playwright team needs something else.

• Screenery vs Argos

  The closest match. Share links that expire, against URLs that follow your default branch.

• Screenery vs Applitools Eyes

  Visual AI and enterprise controls, against pixel diffs and published URLs.

• Moving from BackstopJS

  Turn backstop.json scenarios into one Playwright test, then publish.

• Moving from Lost Pixel

  Keep your shots running after the archive, then move them to Playwright.

Docs and help-centre screenshot tools

These tools keep screenshots in help articles current. They do not test for visual regressions.

• LaunchBrightly alternative

  LaunchBrightly replays recorded recipes against your app and syncs approved images into your help centre. Screenery publishes the screenshots your Playwright tests take in CI.

• Promptless alternative

  Promptless Capture signs in to your app with a test account and re-takes docs screenshots when the UI changes. Screenery publishes the ones your tests already take.

• Ferndesk alternative

  Ferndesk re-takes screenshots inside its own hosted help centre. Screenery's URLs work in any docs tool.