Flows vs Selenium IDE: browser test recording compared
Selenium IDE is the open-source standard for browser test recording. Flows is the AI-enhanced alternative built for modern testing workflows. Both record browser interactions, but they diverge significantly in how they handle the realities of test maintenance.
Quick comparison
| Capability | Flows | Selenium IDE | |------------|-------|--------------| | Recording | Click-based with step builder | Click-based recording | | Selector strategy | AI-powered self-healing | Static selectors | | Test maintenance | Automatic selector repair | Manual fix required | | Data-driven testing | Built-in CSV/Excel support | Requires plugins or code | | BugBoard integration | Native result submission | No integration | | Debug window | Real-time execution monitoring | Console output | | MCP server | 27+ tools for AI agents | No MCP support | | Pricing | Proprietary (Chrome extension) | Free, open-source | | Export formats | JSON, Playwright, Cypress | Selenium scripts, various |
The selector problem
Here is why self-healing matters.
You record a test that clicks a button with selector \