pywinauto vs Automator

Struggling to choose between pywinauto and Automator? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

pywinauto is a Development solution with tags like python, automation, testing, gui.

It boasts features such as Automate desktop GUI applications on Windows, Control applications by sending mouse and keyboard actions, Inspect UI elements and read their properties and states, Support for many common UI frameworks like MFC, WinForms, WPF, Qt, Identify UI elements via multiple attributes like name, type, value etc, Interact with common controls like buttons, comboboxes, treeview etc, Integration with other test frameworks like unittest, pytest etc and pros including Open source and free to use, Cross-platform support for Windows and Linux, Active development and support community, Supports Python 2.7 and 3.x, Integrates well with CI/CD pipelines, Good documentation and examples.

On the other hand, Automator is a Os & Utilities product tagged with workflow, automation, apple, macos.

Its standout features include Graphical workflow builder, Built-in actions for file management, data processing, app integration, Ability to record and convert user actions into automatable workflows, Supports variables, conditional logic, loops, Can be triggered manually or on events like file changes, Integrates with other Apple apps like Finder, Photos, Calendar, and it shines with pros like Simple visual interface, Powerful automation capabilities, No coding required, Free built-in macOS tool, Easy to get started.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

pywinauto

pywinauto

pywinauto is an open source Python library for automating desktop GUI applications on Windows. It allows you to control and interact with windows and controls programmatically, useful for GUI testing and automation.

Categories:
python automation testing gui

Pywinauto Features

  1. Automate desktop GUI applications on Windows
  2. Control applications by sending mouse and keyboard actions
  3. Inspect UI elements and read their properties and states
  4. Support for many common UI frameworks like MFC, WinForms, WPF, Qt
  5. Identify UI elements via multiple attributes like name, type, value etc
  6. Interact with common controls like buttons, comboboxes, treeview etc
  7. Integration with other test frameworks like unittest, pytest etc

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Open source and free to use

Cross-platform support for Windows and Linux

Active development and support community

Supports Python 2.7 and 3.x

Integrates well with CI/CD pipelines

Good documentation and examples

Cons

Only works on Windows desktop applications

Limited support for UWP and web applications

Steep learning curve

Brittle locators can break with UI changes

Does not support image-based testing


Automator

Automator

Automator is an automation tool developed by Apple that allows users to create automated workflows and tasks on macOS. It provides a visual interface to construct workflows by connecting actions together that perform tasks like file manipulation, data processing, and interacting with various apps.

Categories:
workflow automation apple macos

Automator Features

  1. Graphical workflow builder
  2. Built-in actions for file management, data processing, app integration
  3. Ability to record and convert user actions into automatable workflows
  4. Supports variables, conditional logic, loops
  5. Can be triggered manually or on events like file changes
  6. Integrates with other Apple apps like Finder, Photos, Calendar

Pricing

  • Free

Pros

Simple visual interface

Powerful automation capabilities

No coding required

Free built-in macOS tool

Easy to get started

Cons

Limited to macOS

Relies on AppleScript for some advanced features

Workflows not sharable/reusable easily

Limited debugging capabilities

Steep learning curve for advanced workflows