Percy
Percy is a visual testing tool for spotting changes in web pages and mobile applications.
What Percy is
Percy is a visual testing tool for spotting changes in web pages and mobile applications. It captures DOM snapshots and assets, renders them, then compares the result with earlier snapshots. Teams can check the same page across browsers and platforms, including desktop and mobile, and view differences at configurable responsive widths. Percy groups visual changes and freezes animations and other dynamic elements to reduce false positives. Snapshots from tests running on separate processes or machines can be grouped into one build. Its review tools include status updates, notifications, comments, baseline management, branch logic, and approval carryforwards. Percy integrates with GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Storybook, WebdriverIO, and Jenkins, and supports web apps, component libraries, end-to-end frameworks, static sites, custom SDK integrations, and native mobile apps. The CLI can capture and upload snapshots without an automation script. A free plan includes 5,000 screenshots per month, unlimited users, and unlimited projects. Paid plans have screenshot allocations and charge for usage beyond them.
Good
- Checks desktop, mobile, and native mobile applications
- Responsive checks use configurable widths
- Free plan includes 5,000 screenshots monthly
- CLI uploads snapshots without an automation script
Watch out
- Horizontal scrolling sites have documented limitations
- Scrollable divs have documented limitations
- Paid plans charge for screenshots beyond included allocations
Who it suits
Percy suits teams checking visual changes across web and mobile interfaces as part of automated testing. It can also fit teams that need review workflows and integrations with their development tools.
Verdict
Percy combines visual comparisons across browsers and responsive widths with tools for reviewing and approving changes. Check its documented scrolling limitations and screenshot allocations against your testing needs.
Plans and prices
From Percy's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 5,000 screenshots/month · unlimited users · unlimited projects · monthly |
| Desktop | $199 a month | 10,000 screenshots/month · billed annually |
| Essentials | $199 a month | 10,000 screenshots/month · extra screenshots $0.036 each · revision history up to one year · configurable visual-diff sensitivity · comments, notifications and commit updates · billed annually |
| Desktop & Mobile | $599 a month | 25,000 screenshots/month · billed annually |
| Enterprise | Priced on request | single sign-on · access control · dedicated customer success manager · dedicated solutions engineer · IP whitelisting · priority support |
The facts
Each one read from Percy's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- AI visual features
- Percy advertises Visual AI, Intelli-ignore, layout-shift detection, Visual Review Agent and root-cause analysis for DOM, CSS and layout changes.checked 15 Oct 2026
- CI/CD and source control
- Documented source-control integrations include GitHub, GitHub Enterprise Server, GitLab, GitLab Self-managed, Bitbucket Cloud, Bitbucket Server and Azure DevOps.checked 15 Oct 2026
- CLI package
- The @percy/cli package is distributed on npm, currently lists MIT licensing and provides the command-line upload tool.checked 15 Oct 2026
- CLI workflow
- Percy can capture and upload snapshots with the Percy CLI without an automation script.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Documentation depth
- The documentation includes setup guides, framework coverage, API references, error codes, workflow explanations, configuration, troubleshooting and support links.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Funding
- BrowserStack announced a $50 million Series A from Accel in 2018 and later reported a $200 million Series B at a $4 billion valuation in 2021.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Hosted service limitation
- Independent product research describes Percy as cloud-only and says it does not provide an on-premises rendering option.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Infrastructure workflow
- Percy captures the DOM in the test browser, sends it to its API, discovers assets and renders screenshots concurrently across browsers and widths.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Integration breadth
- The product page claims more than 50 integrations spanning CI/CD, source control, design, automation and collaboration tools.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Percy lists GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Storybook, WebdriverIO, and Jenkins integrations.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Known limitations
- Percy documentation lists support limitations for websites with horizontal scrolling and scrollable divs.checked 30 Sep 2026
- Limit: dynamic-content noise
- Independent product research identifies false positives from dynamic elements such as advertisements and timestamps as a recurring Percy problem.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: pricing at scale
- Independent reviews and commentary repeatedly describe screenshot-based pricing as expensive for smaller teams or high-volume usage.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: scope
- Review research notes that Percy detects visual regressions but does not replace functional or behavioral testing.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: support and unresolved issues
- A Capterra reviewer reports unresolved Percy issues and delays in BrowserStack support responses.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Mobile testing
- Percy supports visual testing for desktop browsers, real mobile browsers, and native mobile applications.checked 30 Sep 2026
- No-code capture
- Percy can run from its CLI without an automation script, including direct snapshot capture and image upload workflows.checked 15 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Browser rendering caveat
- By default Percy renders snapshots with JavaScript disabled because the SDK captures an already executed DOM; enabling JavaScript can cause redirects or state loss.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Cross-browser rendering
- Percy renders the same page in different browsers and platforms, including desktop and mobile, and highlights platform-specific visual differences.checked 30 Sep 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2015checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United Stateschecked 28 Sep 2026
- Maker founded and headquarters
- LinkedIn lists BrowserStack as founded in 2011 with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Maker legal name and status
- Crunchbase lists the legal name as BrowserStack Limited and describes the company as privately held and active.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Maker size
- LinkedIn places BrowserStack in the 1,001–5,000 employee category.checked 15 Oct 2026
The full review of Percy
Overview
Percy is a visual testing service for teams that need to catch interface changes across browsers, screen sizes, and mobile environments. It is best suited to developers and product teams with automated test workflows; its combination of rendered comparisons and approval tools makes visual review more structured, though scrolling constraints and screenshot quotas deserve attention.
Key features
Percy captures DOM snapshots and assets, renders them, and compares the results with earlier snapshots to flag visual changes. Cross-browser and platform rendering helps teams spot differences that a single desktop view could miss, while configurable responsive widths cover layout changes at different sizes. Grouping changes and filtering noise can make review more focused.
Automatic freezing of animations and other dynamic elements reduces inconsistent captures and false positives. Percy can also combine snapshots into one build when tests run on multiple processes or machines, making it a fit for parallel test pipelines. Its mobile support covers real mobile browsers and native applications, alongside desktop browsers. It supports automated test execution and real-device testing, but not live browser testing.
Reviewers get status updates, notifications, comments, baseline management, branch logic, and approval carryforwards. Integrations include GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Storybook, WebdriverIO, and Jenkins. SDK coverage spans web apps, component libraries, end-to-end frameworks, static sites, and custom integrations; the CLI can capture and upload snapshots without an automation script.
One practical caveat is that Percy documentation describes support limitations for websites with horizontal scrolling and scrollable divs. Teams whose interfaces depend heavily on those patterns should assess that constraint before committing. Paid plans also make screenshot volume a budgeting concern: each includes a fixed allocation, and excess screenshots incur overage charges.
Pricing
Percy has a free plan and a free trial. The Free plan includes 5,000 screenshots per month, unlimited users, and unlimited projects, making it a reasonable starting point for teams that can work within that monthly cap.
Desktop costs $199 a month (billed billed annually) and includes 10,000 screenshots per month. It suits teams focused on desktop visual coverage that need more than the free allocation. Desktop & Mobile costs $599 a month (billed billed annually) and includes 25,000 screenshots per month, for teams that need the larger quota and mobile coverage. Both paid plans charge an overage rate beyond their included screenshot units, so high-volume teams should account for usage, not just the subscription.
Enterprise has custom pricing and custom screenshots, which makes it the plan to consider when standard allocations do not fit. BrowserStack states that it is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant, including its data centers and platform, and that HTTPS is the default with TLS encrypting communications. BrowserStack support offers 24x7 help.
Platforms
Percy covers Android, iOS, web, and API workflows, with desktop, mobile, and tablet device coverage. Its visual testing is designed for browser and native mobile rendering, rather than live browser sessions.
Who it's for
Percy is a strong fit for engineering teams that already run automated tests and want visual comparisons, parallel build grouping, and a defined approval workflow across web and mobile. It is less suitable for teams that need live browser testing or rely on horizontal scrolling and scrollable divs without first checking whether Percy’s limitations affect their pages.
Pros and cons
- Pros: Cross-browser and responsive comparisons expose visual differences across platforms and widths, not just a single viewport.
- Pros: Snapshot stabilization and parallel build grouping suit automated pipelines and reduce inconsistent captures.
- Pros: Comments, baselines, branch logic, and approval carryforwards give teams a workflow for reviewing and accepting changes.
- Cons: Horizontal scrolling and scrollable divs have documented support limitations, which may matter for some interface designs.
- Cons: Screenshot allocations and overage charges make costs dependent on usage; the larger Desktop & Mobile plan costs $599 a month (billed billed annually).
- Cons: Percy does not provide live browser testing.
Alternatives
For a wider comparison of tools in this category, see Browser Testing Software.
Choose TestCafe if a free, open-source test runner under the MIT license is a better fit. CloudQA may suit teams looking for a free starting point with automated test creation, local execution, unlimited API tests, seven days of history, and Chrome. DiffiCat is another free option, with a desktop app that has no usage limits and a browser plan with comparison and page-discovery caps.
Browserling is worth considering for browser testing: its Starter plan is $9 a month (billed annually) and includes Windows 10, Chrome and Edge, screenshots, and up to 2k. Happo offers a free plan with 5,000 snapshots per month, Chrome, and visual and accessibility testing, with no credit card or time limit; it may be a closer fit when accessibility testing matters alongside visual review. Mobitru is an alternative platform created by EPAM and developed by an EPAM team. Screenster offers a free plan with one user and one concurrent test, with monthly run limits. Selenium is a free, open-source set of browser automation tools and libraries for teams seeking that broader automation approach.
Verdict
Percy is the right choice for teams that need visual regression coverage across browsers, responsive layouts, and mobile apps, especially when automated builds and approval workflows are central to their process. Its strongest case is the combination of rendering breadth and structured review; look elsewhere if live browser testing is essential, scrolling-heavy pages are central, or screenshot overages would make costs hard to predict.
