Watir
Metrics as of , from the GitHub or GitLab API of each repository. Refreshed monthly.
What Watir is
Watir, short for Web Application Testing In Ruby, is an open source Ruby library for automating tests. It drives browsers through Selenium. Tests act as a user would, clicking links, filling out forms and checking text. A Watir::Browser object opens pages and gives access to their elements. Most element methods are generated from the HTML and SVG specifications. The repository runs CI workflows for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. Gems that extend Watir can run WatirSpec to confirm they do not break it.
Written from the project's README, read , and its documentation (see sources).
- Category
- Browser automation
- License
- MIT
- Language
- Ruby
- Changelog
- Releases on GitHub
Repository metrics
Status
inactiveNo commit in the 365 days before the fetch date. The repository is not archived.Computed from the last commit date and the archive flag on the fetch date. See the status rules.
Alternatives
Listed browser automation tools, same primary language first, then by GitHub stars. Each line gives one fact from the tool's documentation where it differs from Watir's, with its source.
Capybara: Languages for writing tests: Ruby (3.0.0 or later). source: README
Playwright: Languages for writing tests: TypeScript; Python, .NET and Java versions. source: README
Cypress: Languages for writing tests: JavaScript and TypeScript (.js, .jsx, .ts, .tsx spec files). source: Docs: Writing and Organizing Tests
Selenium: Languages for writing tests: Java, Python, C#, Ruby, JavaScript, Kotlin. source: Docs: The Selenium Browser Automation Project
React Testing Library: Languages for writing tests: TypeScript, with types for react and react-dom. source: Docs: React Testing Library Introduction
Playwright for Python: Languages for writing tests: Python (sync and async APIs); Playwright also available for Node.js, .NET and Java. source: README
Nightwatch.js: Languages for writing tests: JavaScript or TypeScript (Node.js). source: Docs: Install Nightwatch
Robot Framework: Languages for writing tests: Robot Framework plain text syntax; Python as the primary language for extending it. source: README
Questions
Is Watir open source?
Yes. Watir is released under MIT, an OSI-approved license, as reported by the GitHub API on 2026-09-22.
Is Watir maintained?
On 2026-09-22, the last commit to the default branch was on 2024-05-31, so the listed status is inactive. Rule: No commit in the 365 days before the fetch date. The repository is not archived.
How many GitHub stars does Watir have?
1,544 stars on 2026-09-22, from the GitHub API. The number is refreshed at each monthly update.
What language is Watir written in?
The repository's primary language, as reported by the GitHub API, is Ruby.
Sources
- GitHub REST API: repository, read
- GitHub REST API: commits, read
- GitHub REST API: tags, read
- GitHub REST API: contributors, read
- README, read
- Watir Project, read