Maestro cloud alternative: mobile testing solutions with Appetize and Playwright
With the recent news of Maestro Cloud’s sunsetting, many mobile testing teams are looking for a reliable, robust alternative to seamlessly continue their workflows. Maestro was popular because it was easy to use, open source, and made writing tests simple.
Unfortunately, mobile.dev (now rebranded as Robin) recently shared they will shut down Maestro Cloud, and shift their focus towards AI. However, despite the shutdown, teams still need a mobile testing solution that’s simple, powerful and reliable. Many companies are looking at different setups that use open source, but offload testing to the cloud.
Appetize and Playwright are an ideal replacement option — a fast, scalable, and easy-to-use alternative, with features designed to make mobile testing not just functional, but powerful.
Here’s a look at why Appetize AppRecorder for Playwright is a smart choice for replacing the soon-to-be shut down Maestro Cloud.
1. Wide device selection
Appetize offers a wide variety of iOS and Android devices for mobile testing, giving teams flexibility and extensive device coverage without the need to manage physical devices.
2. Supported platforms
AppRecorder is built to be platform-independent, supporting all major mobile app development frameworks (React Native, Flutter, KMP, Native, etc.), an easy match for Maestro Cloud’s cross-platform capabilities.
3. Consistent and reliable testing across local and remote environments
Appetize offers a unified cloud environment for both local and remote tests, ensuring consistent and reliable test results. This eliminates the need to manage local devices or troubleshoot CI/CD pipeline issues.
4. Quick test execution
Experience fast app launches (as fast as 4 seconds) and efficient test execution, with built-in support for concurrency.
5. Customizable testing using TypeScript or JavaScript
Some teams have found Maestro’s YAML-based syntax limiting. Appetize, paired with Playwright, enables complete customization with TypeScript or JavaScript. Writing tests in these languages not only gives you flexibility for complex test logic, but also supports the Page Object Model (POM) for highly scalable, maintainable test suites. As your app grows, so does your capacity to customize tests exactly to your liking.
6. Useful testing features out of the box
Appetize offers many useful features to cover real-world scenarios:
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Inspect network traffic: Write tests that validate network requests and responses
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Languages & locales: Test app behavior with different languages and locales
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Location mocking: Accurately simulate GPS locations for apps needing location data
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Deeplink/universal link testing: Ensure seamless navigation from links into your app
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Biometric flows: Test biometric authentication scenarios with fingerprint or face ID
See our full list of features for more details.
7. Inspector mode
For those who might miss Maestro Studio, Appetize’s Inspector mode offers an intuitive way to view, debug, and interact with your app in real time. The AppRecorder feature also allows you to record interactions and create new tests.
8. Unified web and mobile testing with Playwright
If your team is already using Playwright for web testing, a transition to Appetize will be even smoother. Appetize’s integration with Playwright lets you manage both web and mobile tests within a single test suite. This seamless integration is ideal for teams managing both web and mobile apps.
9. Affordable pricing
Appetize offers a range of pricing plans, including a Free Plan, and a Starter Plan with 3 concurrent devices and 500 minutes of testing included, with additional minutes at $0.06 per minute (at the time of writing). These flexible pricing models make it easy to scale usage to fit your team’s specific needs —without a significant upfront investment. For more details, visit our pricing page.
Ready to try Appetize testing with Playwright?
With Appetize and Playwright, you’ll have access to a robust replacement testing solution that aligns well with Maestro Cloud’s core functionalities, while also offering additional features that enhance the developer experience. From diverse device options to comprehensive testing capabilities, it’s a solution worth exploring — especially with affordable Starter Plan options that make it easy to get started.
Head to our Getting Started Guide to learn how to set up your first test with Appetize and Playwright.
