When NOT to Use Playwright

No tool is perfect for everything. Knowing when NOT to use a tool is just as important as knowing when to use it. Here is the honest picture.

Playwright Is Not the Right Choice When

• You are testing a mobile native app (use Appium or Detox instead)
• You need to test desktop applications (use WinAppDriver or similar)
• Your team only knows Java and refuses to learn TypeScript (Playwright Java exists but the ecosystem is TypeScript-first)
• You are doing pure API testing with no UI (use Postman, RestAssured, or Playwright's API testing as a lightweight option)
• You need to test on real Safari -- Playwright uses WebKit, which is the same engine but not identical to Safari
• Your organization has strict vendor requirements that mandate a specific tool