Roborazzi

Roborazzi is a free, open-source screenshot testing library for Android and Compose projects. It is best suited to teams that want visual checks in JVM and Gradle test workflows, especially alongside Robolectric. Its broad capture options are useful, but experimental platform support and rendering differences call for care.

Overview

Roborazzi records screenshots, compares them with saved images, and fails verification when an image differs from its baseline. That turns visual changes into test results that can be checked locally or in CI, rather than leaving reviewers to spot them by eye. Because it integrates with Robolectric, Android screenshot tests can run as JVM tests without a device or emulator; the project also supports Hilt in tests.

Gradle tasks handle recording, comparison, and verification, and the project documents GitHub Actions workflows for storing and checking screenshots. Roborazzi is available on Maven Central under the Apache License 2.0. One practical concern is consistency: graphics libraries may render differently across operating systems, and identical output across environments is not guaranteed. Teams should keep baseline creation and verification environments consistent where possible.

Key features

Capture works with Jetpack Compose nodes, Espresso views, Android Views, and Compose lambdas. That range makes Roborazzi a plausible fit for Android teams with mixed UI stacks, rather than only projects built entirely around Compose.

It can generate screenshot tests from Jetpack Compose previews and supports Compose Multiplatform common previews. Compose Desktop and JVM preview screenshot testing extend its reach beyond Android, though desktop support is experimental and screenshots use the host's Skia renderer. Compose Multiplatform iOS support is also experimental and covers recording, comparison, verification, and reports. On iOS, capture requires an explicit file path and output is PNG only.

An IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio plugin displays test screenshots in the IDE, while an optional UI tree dump creates a machine-readable JSON sidecar. The sidecar is documented for Android/Robolectric, Compose Desktop, and Compose iOS. A separate accessibility-checks library integrates accessibility checks with Roborazzi, giving teams a way to include those checks alongside visual work.

Animated UI can be captured as GIF or APNG, and Roborazzi can capture GIFs. Video recording is experimental; compare and verify mode does not record or verify video, so animation support should not be mistaken for a complete video regression workflow.

Experimental AI-powered image assertions have modules for Gemini and OpenAI. Manual assertions can also use local or other LLMs. These are optional extensions, not a reason to adopt the core screenshot workflow; when using API-based assertions, pass keys through environment variables rather than hard-coding them.

Pricing

Roborazzi is free: the Roborazzi plan costs nothing. It is available on Maven Central and licensed under Apache-2.0, so there is no paid tier or seat-based pricing to weigh. The tradeoff is operational rather than financial: teams need to account for platform maturity and rendering variation themselves.

Platforms

The project documents Android support, experimental Compose Desktop support, and experimental Compose Multiplatform iOS support. The broader platform tags include Linux, macOS, and Windows, but screenshot output can vary with the host operating system's graphics libraries. Roborazzi does not guarantee identical rendering across environments. It has no direct support for running with Bazel, which makes it a poor fit for teams that require a Bazel-native workflow.

Who it's for

Roborazzi is a strong candidate for Android teams already using Robolectric and Gradle that want screenshot capture across Compose and view-based UI, with verification in CI. Compose Multiplatform teams may also find value in its preview and experimental desktop or iOS workflows, provided they can work within those maturity limits. It is less suitable when identical cross-OS renders are essential, when iOS capture needs formats beyond PNG, or when Bazel is a requirement.

Pros and cons

• Broad Android capture: Compose nodes, Espresso, Android Views, and Compose lambdas cover several common UI approaches.
• Device-free Android tests: Robolectric integration lets screenshot tests run as JVM tests without an emulator or device.
• Useful workflow support: Gradle tasks, documented GitHub Actions workflows, and IDE screenshot display connect capture to development and CI.
• Platform caveats: Desktop and iOS support are experimental, while host rendering differences can complicate baseline consistency.
• Workflow exclusions: There is no direct Bazel support, and video cannot be compared or verified.

Alternatives

Compare visual regression testing software if you want to consider tools beyond Roborazzi's Android and Compose-oriented workflow.

• Loki is another free, MIT-licensed open-source option; consider it when its Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows platform coverage better matches your needs.
• Diffy may suit teams that prefer a hosted-style freemium plan: its free tier allows 500 screenshots per month, two environments, team management, and one month of data retention.
• Happo is worth considering for a stated free allowance of 5,000 snapshots per month with Chrome, visual and accessibility testing, and no credit card or time limit.
• Percy offers a free plan with 5,000 screenshots per month, unlimited users, and unlimited projects, which may fit teams seeking those stated quotas.
• SmartUI has a free allowance of 2,000 screenshots valid for a lifetime, one month of build history, and limited user seats; choose it if that allowance suits your expected volume.
• Frontend Regression Validator is another Apache-2.0 open-source option, with local or Docker runs and no paid plans stated.
• Galen Framework is a free Apache License 2.0 option for teams using Java 1.8 or greater.
• Lastest offers a self-hosted free plan with unlimited tests, replays, browsers, seats, and projects, plus bring-your-own AI and community support.

Verdict

Choose Roborazzi if you want a free way to bring screenshot recording and baseline verification into Android's Robolectric and Gradle workflows, with capture options spanning Compose and traditional views. Its strongest case is the device-free JVM test path; look elsewhere if your workflow depends on Bazel or requires predictable identical renders across operating systems.