Top 14 Alternatives to New Relic Synthetics for Scripted (JS) Testing

Introduction and Context

New Relic Synthetics emerged as a natural extension of application performance monitoring. As teams moved from reactive monitoring to proactive, “outside-in” validation, they needed a way to continuously test key user journeys and APIs from the cloud. New Relic provided that with browser-based scripted checks, API monitors, private locations, and tight integration with alerting and dashboards. Its JavaScript scripting model made it approachable for web teams, and its alignment with CI/CD practices helped it fit modern workflows.

Synthetics became popular because it solved three recurring needs:

• Always-on synthetic monitoring to catch regressions before users do

• Centralized dashboards and alerts, integrated with APM and infrastructure telemetry

• A familiar scripting story using JavaScript, rather than an entirely proprietary language

Over time, the landscape broadened. Developer-first test runners matured, low-code and AI-assisted tools reduced maintenance, and mobile and embedded experiences gained priority. Many teams still love the convenience of cloud-hosted synthetics, but others now want more control, lower cost at scale, deeper component-level testing, or better coverage for native apps. That’s where alternatives come in.

This guide covers 14 strong options, with a focus on scripted (JS) testing and adjacent capabilities. You’ll find developer-centric runners, low-code SaaS platforms, mobile-first tools, and enterprise-grade offerings—each compared directly with New Relic Synthetics.

Overview: Top Alternatives Covered

Here are the top 14 alternatives to New Relic Synthetics for scripted (JS) testing:

• Cypress Component Testing

• LoadRunner

• Mabl

• Playwright Component Testing

• Playwright Test

• Repeato

• Sahi Pro

• Serenity BDD

• Squish

• Storybook Test Runner

• Stryker

• TestCafe Studio

• Testim

• Waldo

Why Look for New Relic Synthetics Alternatives?

• Cost and scale: Per-check or per-location pricing can rise as you add journeys, regions, and environments.

• Developer control: Teams may want full control over runtime, dependencies, and test orchestration rather than a managed runner.

• Test flakiness: If scripts are not structured well, flakiness increases maintenance time; some alternatives offer advanced stability tools.

• Broader coverage: Native mobile, desktop, and embedded UIs are outside classic browser/API synthetics.

• Rich debugging: Deep traces, time-travel debugging, and local parity are often better with dev-first runners.

• Data residency and compliance: Certain industries prefer on-prem or private cloud control for test artifacts and logs.

• Custom reporting: Some teams want specialized reporting or living documentation beyond standard dashboards.

• Performance and protocols: When load/stress testing, protocol-level tools can be a better fit than browser checks.

Detailed Breakdown of Alternatives

Cypress Component Testing

What it is: A component-level test runner from Cypress that mounts framework components (React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, and more) in a real browser. Built by Cypress.io, it helps teams test UI logic in isolation with the same DX that made Cypress E2E popular.

Standout strengths:

• Real browser environment with fast feedback and time-travel debugging

• Tight dev ergonomics: auto-reload, interactive runner, and rich error messages

• Strong CI/CD integration and parallelization options

• Deterministic, component-first tests that reduce full E2E flakiness

• Works across front-end frameworks common in modern stacks

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Focus: Component-level reliability vs. always-on, region-based synthetic monitoring

• Control: Runs locally or in your CI with full control; Synthetics is managed in New Relic’s cloud

• Alerts: No built-in uptime alerting; you would wire it into CI status and notifications

• Best for: Teams shifting left to catch UI issues earlier and reduce brittle end-to-end scripts

LoadRunner

What it is: An enterprise-grade performance and load testing platform (Micro Focus/OpenText) used for web, APIs, and a broad array of protocols. It’s designed for high-scale, complex load scenarios with deep monitoring integration.

Standout strengths:

• Scalable, protocol-level load generation across many technologies

• Sophisticated analysis and integration with APM/monitoring tools

• Enterprise features for governance, test data management, and reporting

• Suited for stress, spike, and endurance testing at scale

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Different focus: Performance engineering vs. functional synthetic checks

• Broader protocol support but not a simple JS scripted browser monitor

• Complements Synthetics: Use Synthetics for functional uptime and LoadRunner for load

• Best for: Performance engineers, SRE, and DevOps teams verifying SLAs under realistic traffic

Mabl

What it is: A commercial, low-code and AI-assisted SaaS platform for web and API testing. Mabl emphasizes self-healing and collaboration, aiming to reduce maintenance and speed up authoring.

Standout strengths:

• Low-code recorder with AI-assisted maintenance and self-healing

• Cloud-first execution with cross-browser coverage and parallel runs

• Built-in API testing, data-driven flows, and visual change detection

• CI/CD integrations for continuous validation and release gating

• Collaboration-friendly reporting and analytics

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Similar cloud-first convenience with scheduling and dashboards

• Easier for non-developers to author and maintain tests; Synthetics is JavaScript-first

• More emphasis on self-healing and visual regression

• Best for: Teams who want a SaaS platform with low-code authoring and less script maintenance

Playwright Component Testing

What it is: A component-focused test runner from the Playwright team (Microsoft). It runs components in real browsers with the same engine-level capabilities Playwright is known for.

Standout strengths:

• Multi-browser coverage (Chromium, Firefox, WebKit) with consistent APIs

• Rich debugging: trace viewer, screenshots, videos, and step-by-step replays

• Powerful isolation, fixtures, and fine-grained control over test environments

• Robust network mocking and auto-waiting to minimize flaky tests

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Shift-left component focus vs. Synthetics’ cloud-based functional monitoring

• You manage infrastructure (local/CI) and scheduling

• Not an alerting/uptime tool; better suited for fast, reliable feedback during development

• Best for: Teams invested in Playwright that want stable, component-level coverage

Playwright Test

What it is: A first-class, open-source test runner for web automation and API testing. It’s widely adopted for cross-browser E2E with developer-friendly tooling and excellent debugging.

Standout strengths:

• Reliable E2E automation across Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit

• Extensive debugging: trace viewer, network inspector, screenshots, and videos

• Deterministic auto-waiting and powerful selectors to reduce flakiness

• Rich test runner features: fixtures, parallelism, retries, sharding, reporters

• Strong TypeScript/JavaScript support with a clean API

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Developer-first control vs. managed synthetic monitors

• No built-in global monitoring network or SLA alerts

• Often faster iteration and deeper traces than cloud-first synthetics

• Best for: Teams that want JS/TS scripted tests with full control over runtime and pipelines

Repeato

What it is: A codeless, computer-vision-based mobile UI testing tool for iOS and Android. Its visual approach makes it resilient to some UI changes and friendly to testers who prefer not to code.

Standout strengths:

• CV-based interactions that can survive UI structure changes

• Codeless authoring with CI/CD support

• Works across iOS and Android without heavy scripting

• Useful for visual assertions and quickly building mobile regression suites

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Expands coverage to native mobile apps, which Synthetics does not target

• Not JavaScript scripted; focus is no-code with visual resilience

• Complements web/browser monitoring by covering mobile journeys

• Best for: Teams prioritizing native mobile UI automation with minimal scripting

Sahi Pro

What it is: A commercial UI automation tool (web and desktop) built for enterprise apps, including those with complex or legacy controls. Known for robust record-and-playback and reliable element interaction.

Standout strengths:

• Strong support for enterprise web apps with tricky widgets

• Smart waits and resilient element handling reduce flakiness

• Recorder, scripting (JS/Java), and CI/CD integration

• Covers both web and some desktop scenarios for broader reach

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• More control on-prem with a focus on reducing flaky UI automation

• Broader application coverage (including desktop) vs. browser-only monitoring

• You manage environments and scheduling rather than relying on a hosted synthetic grid

• Best for: Enterprises with complex UIs and a preference for controlled, local execution

Serenity BDD

What it is: An open-source BDD and E2E framework with a strong reporting layer and the Screenplay pattern. Commonly used with Selenium/WebDriver and RestAssured for API testing.

Standout strengths:

• Living documentation and rich, executive-friendly reports

• Screenplay pattern promotes maintainable, modular tests

• Integrates with Selenium for web and RestAssured for APIs

• Good fit for teams practicing specification-by-example

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Emphasizes narrative reporting and maintainable design over cloud monitoring

• Requires you to manage execution, environments, and any alerting

• Ideal when traceability and documentation are top priorities

• Best for: Teams using BDD who need strong reports and clean test structure

Squish

What it is: A commercial GUI automation tool from the Squish/Qt ecosystem, strong in Qt, QML, desktop, embedded, and web automation. It supports multiple scripting languages, including JavaScript and Python.

Standout strengths:

• Deep object-level access for Qt/QML and embedded UIs

• Multi-language scripting with robust record-and-playback

• Reliable for desktop and device interfaces, not just browsers

• CI integrations suitable for embedded and regulated environments

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Covers desktop/embedded where Synthetics does not operate

• Not a hosted synthetic solution; you manage execution infrastructure

• Ideal for multi-platform products that include native or embedded UIs

• Best for: Teams with Qt/QML or embedded interfaces needing end-to-end automation

Storybook Test Runner

What it is: An open-source runner that tests Storybook stories using Playwright under the hood. It turns UI documentation (stories) into actionable regression tests.

Standout strengths:

• Reuses existing stories as tests, accelerating coverage

• Fast, isolated component checks that run well in CI

• Works with visual testing tools to catch UI diffs

• Encourages design-system-level stability

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Component-level and documentation-driven vs. cloud uptime monitoring

• Not a scheduler/alerting system; you’ll integrate with CI for feedback

• Great for catching UI regressions earlier, reducing E2E brittleness

• Best for: Front-end teams with mature Storybook adoption

Stryker

What it is: An open-source mutation testing framework for Node.js, .NET, and Scala. It measures test suite effectiveness by introducing small code changes (mutations) and seeing if tests fail.

Standout strengths:

• Quantifies test quality beyond code coverage

• Helps identify weak tests and missing assertions

• Multi-ecosystem support with active community

• Drives higher confidence in critical business logic

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Different purpose: test quality validation rather than functional monitoring

• Complements your JS test stack (e.g., Playwright/Cypress) by hardening tests

• Not a runner for browser journeys or uptime checks

• Best for: Teams serious about improving the quality and rigor of their test suites

TestCafe Studio

What it is: A commercial, codeless IDE variant of TestCafe (by DevExpress). It focuses on ease of setup and authoring without requiring WebDriver.

Standout strengths:

• No WebDriver dependency; simpler setup and stable execution

• Codeless recorder for quick authoring and onboarding

• Cross-browser support, headless runs, and parallel execution

• CI/CD integrations and enterprise-friendly IDE experience

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• On-prem or self-managed vs. hosted synthetic checks

• Easier authoring for non-developers, but you manage environments

• Not a global monitoring fabric; better for regression suites in CI

• Best for: Teams wanting codeless UI test creation with predictable setup

Testim

What it is: A SmartBear product offering AI-assisted, low-code end-to-end testing for web applications. It focuses on fast authoring, self-healing locators, and reusable components.

Standout strengths:

• AI-based locator stability and low-code authoring

• Cloud execution with parallel runs and analytics

• Componentized test assets that speed maintenance

• Integrations with CI/CD for continuous checks

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Similar SaaS convenience with added self-healing and maintainability

• Suited to non-developer testers while enabling JS extensions when needed

• Comparable scheduling/monitoring capabilities from a test automation lens

• Best for: Teams seeking AI-assisted maintenance and quick test creation in the cloud

Waldo

What it is: A no-code, cloud-based mobile testing platform for iOS and Android. It records flows, runs tests on device clouds, and integrates with CI/CD pipelines.

Standout strengths:

• No-code authoring for mobile UI flows

• Cloud device execution with parallel runs

• Visual-first feedback and easy collaboration

• CI/CD-friendly with build-triggered runs

How it compares to New Relic Synthetics:

• Extends monitoring to native mobile apps (outside Synthetics’ scope)

• No JavaScript scripting; focuses on speed of authoring and coverage

• Complements web synthetics by covering mobile customer journeys

• Best for: Product teams prioritizing native mobile quality without heavy coding

Things to Consider Before Choosing a New Relic Synthetics Alternative

• Project scope and coverage: Do you need browser, API, mobile, desktop, or embedded UI coverage? Synthetic uptime vs. regression testing?

• Language and skills: Will the team script in JS/TS, or do you need low-code/no-code options?

• Setup and maintenance: Prefer a managed SaaS grid or control over local/CI execution and private networks?

• Execution speed and stability: Auto-waiting, flake controls, and deterministic isolation can dramatically reduce maintenance.

• CI/CD integration: How easily can you trigger tests on builds, gate releases, and publish reports?

• Debugging tools: Traces, time-travel debugging, videos, and network inspectors improve mean-time-to-resolution.

• Reporting and stakeholders: Do you need living documentation, BDD-style narratives, or executive dashboards?

• Scalability and parallelism: Can the tool run hundreds or thousands of tests efficiently across environments?

• Security and compliance: Data residency, secrets management, and private location support may be mandatory.

• Cost model: Consider per-user, per-run, per-location, and data retention costs as your suite grows.

• Ecosystem fit: Align with your framework choices (React/Vue/Angular), API stacks, and existing monitoring tools.

Conclusion

New Relic Synthetics remains a reliable, widely used option for cloud-based synthetic monitoring—especially when you want scripted browser/API checks integrated with observability dashboards and alerts. Its strengths include a JavaScript-first approach, CI/CD friendliness, and a mature ecosystem for uptime and SLA tracking.

However, the testing landscape is broader now. If you want developer-first control, deeper debugging, and faster iteration, Playwright Test and Cypress Component Testing deliver strong scripted (JS/TS) experiences. If reduced maintenance and rapid authoring matter most, Mabl and Testim offer low-code, AI-assisted paths. For native mobile, Waldo and Repeato bring focus where synthetics traditionally does not. When your needs extend to desktop, embedded, or Qt/QML, Squish is a better fit. For BDD workflows and living documentation, Serenity BDD excels. And if performance engineering is your priority, LoadRunner’s enterprise load capabilities complement functional checks.

In practice, many teams combine approaches:

• Keep New Relic Synthetics for uptime monitoring of critical journeys and APIs.

• Use Playwright or Cypress for fast, reliable regression tests in CI.

• Add low-code SaaS (Mabl or Testim) to broaden authoring beyond developers.

• Bring in Waldo or Repeato for native mobile coverage.

• Use Stryker to harden test quality, and LoadRunner to validate performance at scale.

Choosing the right mix depends on your scope, skills, compliance requirements, and budget. Start by mapping your must-have coverage and feedback loops, then pick the tools that minimize maintenance while maximizing signal. That balance—reliable monitoring plus developer-friendly workflows—will keep quality high without slowing delivery.