Comparison with Alternatives

Quick Overview

Feature	Pest Bridge	Pest Browser	Laravel Dusk	Cypress	Playwright
Primary Target	Laravel API + External SPA	Laravel-served apps	Laravel-served apps	Any frontend	Any frontend
Test Language	PHP	PHP	PHP	JavaScript	JS/TS/Python
Laravel Factories	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
External Frontend	✅ Native bridge()	⚠️ Manual URL	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Server Management

Feature	Pest Bridge	Pest Browser	Laravel Dusk	Cypress	Playwright
Laravel API Start	✅ Auto (in-process)	✅ Auto (in-process)	❌ Manual artisan serve	❌ Manual	❌ Manual
Frontend Start	✅ Auto serve()	❌ Manual	❌ N/A	❌ Manual	❌ Manual
API URL Injection	✅ Auto (Vite, Nuxt, Next, CRA)	❌ Manual config	❌ N/A	❌ Manual config	❌ Manual config
Multi-Frontend	✅ Named + child	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No

Browser Support

Feature	Pest Bridge	Pest Browser	Laravel Dusk	Cypress	Playwright
Chrome	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Firefox	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅
Safari/WebKit	✅	✅	❌	⚠️ Experimental	✅

HTTP Mocking Capabilities

Mock Type	Pest Bridge	Pest Browser	Laravel Dusk	Cypress	Playwright
Backend → External API	✅ Bridge::fake()	✅ Http::fake()	✅ Http::fake()	❌ No PHP access	❌ No PHP access
Browser → Any API	✅ mockBrowser()	❌ No	❌ No	✅ cy.intercept()	✅ page.route()

Why Both Matter

Backend mocking: Your Laravel code calls Stripe → mock the Stripe response Browser mocking: Your frontend JS calls a weather API → mock that response

Testing Features

Feature	Pest Bridge	Pest Browser	Laravel Dusk	Cypress	Playwright
Visual Regression	✅ Built-in	✅ Built-in	❌ No	⚠️ Plugin	✅ Built-in
Accessibility	✅ Built-in	✅ Built-in	❌ No	⚠️ Plugin	⚠️ Plugin

Debugging Experience

Feature	Pest Bridge	Pest Browser	Laravel Dusk	Cypress	Playwright
Pause & Inspect	✅ debug()	✅ debug()	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Screenshots	✅ Manual + on failure	✅ Manual + on failure	✅ Manual	✅ Auto	✅ Auto
Headed Mode	✅ --headed	✅ --headed	✅ Yes	✅ Default	✅ --headed
DOM Time-Travel	❌	❌	❌	✅ Click any step	❌
Test Recording	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅ Trace Viewer

Learning Curve

Tool	Difficulty	Best For
Pest Bridge	Low	Pest/Laravel developers
Pest Browser	Low	Pest/Laravel developers
Laravel Dusk	Low	Laravel developers
Cypress	Medium	JavaScript developers
Playwright	Medium	JavaScript/Python developers

Decision Guide

Choose Pest Bridge Plugin if you:

• Have a Laravel API with a separate frontend (Vue, React, Nuxt, Next.js)
• Want to write tests in PHP using familiar Pest syntax
• Need access to Laravel factories, seeders, and database
• Want automatic frontend server management with ->serve()
• Need to mock both backend AND browser HTTP calls

Choose Pest Browser (without Bridge) if:

• Your frontend is served by Laravel (Blade, Livewire, Inertia)
• You don't need external frontend URL management

Choose Cypress/Playwright directly if:

• You prefer writing tests in JavaScript
• Time-travel debugging is critical for your workflow
• You don't need Laravel database factories in tests