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4.5When to Use What
| Choose Playwright when... | Choose Selenium when... |
|---|---|
| Starting a new project | Maintaining an existing Selenium suite |
| Team uses TypeScript/Python/Java/C# | Team uses Ruby or other unsupported languages |
| Need fast, reliable E2E tests | Need IE11 or legacy browser support |
| Want built-in test infrastructure | Organization mandates Selenium |
| Need network mocking/interception | Multi-language polyglot requirement is critical |
The Honest Answer
For most teams starting today, Playwright is the right choice. It is faster, more reliable, and has better developer experience. But understanding Selenium's architecture — the WebDriver protocol, driver management, session lifecycle — remains valuable because these concepts carry over to Playwright and because you will encounter Selenium in existing projects.