Top 14 Alternatives to White for Windows Testing

Introduction

White is one of the earlier open-source frameworks built to automate Windows desktop applications. Originating in the .NET ecosystem, it wraps Microsoft’s UI Automation (UIA) APIs to interact with Win32, WinForms, WPF, and other Windows UI technologies. White gained traction because it allowed C# developers and QA engineers to write maintainable, code-first tests that worked reliably across common Windows UI frameworks. It integrates well with familiar test runners (like NUnit and MSTest) and CI/CD pipelines, and it offers a broad set of controls and patterns for end-to-end automation.

Its popularity grew thanks to:

• Familiarity for .NET teams

• Direct access to UIA for stable element interactions

• Good alignment with common enterprise Windows stacks

• Open-source licensing and strong community adoption in its early years

Over time, however, teams began to look at alternatives. Some want modern APIs with more active maintenance, while others want cross-platform coverage, visual automation for custom-rendered UIs, or low-code RPA solutions. In short, today’s ecosystems and testing needs are broader, and many teams need features and workflows that extend beyond White’s original design.

Overview: Top 14 Alternatives to White

Here are the top 14 alternatives for White:

• Airtest + Poco

• Airtest Project

• AutoHotkey

• AutoIt

• Automation Anywhere

• Blue Prism

• FlaUI

• PyAutoGUI

• pywinauto

• RPA Tools (UiPath)

• RobotJS

• SikuliX

• WinAppDriver

• Winium

Why Look for White Alternatives?

• Maintenance velocity and ecosystem: As an older UI automation library, White’s update cadence and community involvement may feel slower compared to newer frameworks.

• Coverage for modern app types: Newer UI frameworks, hybrid shells, and custom-rendered canvases may need different approaches, including WebDriver or computer-vision-based tools.

• Language and tech stack preferences: Teams outside of .NET may prefer Python, Java, or JavaScript solutions to align with their existing skill sets and pipelines.

• Ease of setup and authoring: Some teams want low-code/visual authoring, advanced recorders, or robust object repositories to reduce coding overhead.

• Flakiness and stability concerns: Any UI automation can be flaky if not well structured. Tools with enhanced synchronization, smarter selectors, or CV fallback can reduce flakiness in complex UIs.

• Cross-platform and mobility: Some projects require testing on macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS in addition to Windows; White focuses on Windows.

• Enterprise requirements: Larger organizations may need enterprise features like robust orchestrators, role-based access, audit trails, and integrated governance.

Detailed Breakdown of Alternatives

Airtest + Poco

Airtest + Poco is an open-source automation stack from NetEase designed for Windows, Android, and iOS. Airtest focuses on computer vision (CV)-based interactions and image recognition, while Poco provides a UI hierarchy abstraction for supported engines (such as Unity). Together, they allow automation of both standard apps and visually complex UIs, including games.

Key strengths:

• Cross-platform coverage across Windows, Android, and iOS.

• CV-based actions for custom-rendered or canvas-heavy interfaces.

• UI-tree access via Poco for structured, robust selectors.

• Python-based scripting, easy to integrate with modern CI/CD.

• Useful IDE and visual assertion tools to speed up authoring.

Compared to White:

• Airtest + Poco is more versatile for custom or game UIs where UIA is insufficient.

• Python-first instead of .NET-first, which can be advantageous for mixed-language teams.

• Stronger mobile and cross-platform story; White is focused on Windows desktop.

Airtest Project

The Airtest Project focuses on game UI automation for Android and Windows with computer-vision-based interactions. It is particularly effective for UIs where standard accessibility or UI frameworks don’t expose elements reliably.

Key strengths:

• Specialization in game automation and custom-rendered UI surfaces.

• Template matching and visual assertions make it resilient to non-standard controls.

• Python/CV tech stack works well in scripting-heavy test environments.

• Supports CI/CD and headless workflows with screenshots for debugging.

Compared to White:

• Airtest Project targets scenarios that often fall outside White’s UIA-based model (e.g., game engines).

• Better for non-standard or canvas-heavy UIs; White is better for traditional Windows controls.

• Python-based rather than .NET-centric.

AutoHotkey

AutoHotkey (AHK) is a popular, open-source Windows scripting language for automating keystrokes, mouse inputs, and simple UI interactions. While it’s not a testing framework per se, many teams use it to automate repetitive UI tasks and build lightweight test scripts.

Key strengths:

• Extremely fast to prototype and script quick UI workflows.

• Excellent for hotkeys, macro-style automation, and system-level tasks.

• Large community and rich set of user-contributed scripts.

• Easy to embed into pipelines or call from other tools.

Compared to White:

• AHK is more of a scripting approach than a structured test framework.

• Less emphasis on object models and accessibility; more OS-level control.

• Great for lightweight automation, whereas White offers a more formal, UIA-based approach.

AutoIt

AutoIt is a freeware automation scripting language for Windows. Similar to AutoHotkey, it’s widely used to automate installers, dialogs, and routine tasks, and it can be adaptable for UI tests.

Key strengths:

• Mature scripting environment tailor-made for Windows.

• Good support for interacting with common dialog boxes and system UIs.

• Fast to learn for small teams and quick tasks.

• Easy to integrate into batch processes or CI scripts.

Compared to White:

• AutoIt is script-first and great for quick wins but lacks White’s .NET integration and UIA-based semantics.

• It can automate many Windows workflows but may require careful structuring for maintainable tests.

• Strong for system-level tasks; White offers richer control models for standard Windows app UIs.

Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere is a commercial RPA platform that overlaps with test automation needs. It excels at orchestrating complex business processes across desktop apps, web apps, and back-end systems.

Key strengths:

• Low-code/visual authoring with recorders and enterprise-grade dashboards.

• Strong orchestrator, bot lifecycle management, and role-based governance.

• Integrations with enterprise systems and robust audit/compliance features.

• Scalable execution on digital workers across multiple machines.

Compared to White:

• A different paradigm: RPA for business workflows vs. code-first UI automation.

• Faster to onboard non-developers with visual tooling, but it comes at a licensing cost.

• Better fit for end-to-end business process automation; White is focused on developer-centric UI testing.

Blue Prism

Blue Prism is another leading RPA platform. It targets enterprise automation at scale with a visual process designer and strong governance.

Key strengths:

• Enterprise-grade scalability and governance features.

• Visual flow design with reusable components and libraries.

• Strong security, auditing, and compliance support.

• Integrations with a variety of enterprise systems and services.

Compared to White:

• Blue Prism is suited for large-scale RPA initiatives rather than pure testing.

• Easier for business users to contribute via visual models, but higher cost and infrastructure needs.

• For structured UI testing in .NET, White is closer to code-driven automation; Blue Prism excels in orchestrated processes.

FlaUI

FlaUI is an open-source .NET library that wraps Microsoft UI Automation (UIA2/UIA3), making it one of the closest modern successors to White. It’s actively maintained and offers a clean, modern API for Windows UI testing.

Key strengths:

• Modern .NET API and active community around UIA2/UIA3.

• Better element discovery and control pattern coverage compared to legacy wrappers.

• Smooth integration with NUnit/xUnit and CI pipelines.

• Familiar to C# developers, making migration from White straightforward.

Compared to White:

• Very similar in concept but with newer APIs and more active maintenance.

• Often seen as the natural evolution path for teams currently on White.

• Minimal paradigm shift for .NET teams; improved stability and features.

PyAutoGUI

PyAutoGUI is a cross-platform Python library for OS-level mouse and keyboard automation. It’s simple to use and effective for quick desktop automation on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Key strengths:

• Cross-platform support with one consistent Python API.

• Excellent for basic UI interactions, prototypes, and simple regression scenarios.

• Easy to learn and integrate with Python-based toolchains.

• Works even when no formal accessibility layer is available.

Compared to White:

• PyAutoGUI does not expose a UI object model; it operates at the OS event level.

• Great for scriptable, lightweight automation; White is better for UIA-driven, control-aware tests.

• More flexible across OSes but less precise for structured Windows element interactions.

pywinauto

pywinauto is an open-source Python library for automating Windows GUI applications. It supports accessibility layers like UIA and Win32, providing a Pythonic interface to Windows controls.

Key strengths:

• Python-based, with a clear, expressive API for Windows controls.

• Supports both UIA and Win32 backends for broad compatibility.

• Helpful tools for element inspection and debugging.

• Easy integration with pytest and Python CI/CD ecosystems.

Compared to White:

• Comparable scope but Python-first instead of .NET-first.

• Offers multiple backends and strong community support for Windows automation.

• A good choice for teams that prefer Python’s flexibility over C#.

RPA Tools (UiPath)

UiPath is a leading RPA suite that also provides test automation capabilities. Its visual design environment and enterprise-grade orchestrator make it suitable for both business automation and regression testing.

Key strengths:

• Visual workflows, recorders, and test-specific tooling (e.g., test cases and reports).

• Strong orchestrator for scheduling, scaling, and managing executions.

• Rich ecosystem and marketplace for reusable components.

• Solid support for Windows desktop automation along with web and API flows.

Compared to White:

• Low-code environment with enterprise features vs. code-centric .NET library.

• Faster for non-developers to build flows but involves licensing and platform overhead.

• More comprehensive for end-to-end process validation across multiple systems.

RobotJS

RobotJS is a Node.js library for automating the keyboard and mouse at the OS level on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It’s useful for simple desktop automation in JavaScript/TypeScript ecosystems.

Key strengths:

• JavaScript-friendly, aligning with web stacks and Electron teams.

• Cross-platform API for basic desktop interactions.

• Lightweight and quick to set up for simple tasks.

• Works without relying on accessibility APIs.

Compared to White:

• Lacks UI tree access; focuses on OS-level events and coordinates.

• Great for JavaScript shops and lightweight tasks; White is stronger for element-aware Windows automation.

• Good complement for mixed web/desktop teams that prefer a single language.

SikuliX

SikuliX is an open-source, computer-vision-based automation tool that uses screenshots to drive interactions. It’s written in Java and supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it a versatile option for visual automation.

Key strengths:

• Image-based recognition for custom or legacy UIs without accessibility.

• Cross-platform coverage and Java/Jython scripting.

• Visual test authoring aids and pattern matching for flexible selectors.

• Useful for CI/CD with screenshot evidence for failures.

Compared to White:

• Ideal when UIA cannot identify controls (e.g., OpenGL canvases, legacy apps).

• Less precise for dynamic layouts unless carefully managed.

• White offers control-pattern fidelity; SikuliX offers visual resilience.

WinAppDriver

WinAppDriver (Windows Application Driver) is an open-source driver that implements the WebDriver protocol for Windows 10/11 applications. Although its maintenance status has slowed, it remains popular and enables WebDriver-based automation of Windows apps.

Key strengths:

• WebDriver protocol compatibility for cross-language client support.

• Works with popular frameworks like Selenium clients and Appium.

• Good fit for teams standardizing on WebDriver across UI layers.

• Integrates naturally with existing Selenium test infrastructure.

Compared to White:

• WebDriver-based rather than direct .NET UIA wrappers, enabling wider language choices.

• Easier for teams to reuse Selenium patterns and tools.

• Maintenance cadence is lower than some alternatives; White has a more traditional .NET setup.

Winium

Winium is an open-source, Selenium-based tool for automating Windows desktop applications. While less active today, it provides a familiar WebDriver-like approach to desktop automation.

Key strengths:

• Selenium/WebDriver-style interaction model for desktop apps.

• Usable with standard Selenium clients and test runners.

• Good for teams already experienced with Selenium.

• Open-source and relatively straightforward to set up.

Compared to White:

• Brings WebDriver conventions to Windows apps; White is a .NET/UIA-focused library.

• Potentially lower maintenance activity than newer tools.

• Helpful for cross-language adoption when teams are fluent in Selenium.

Things to Consider Before Choosing a White Alternative

• Project scope and application type: Do you automate classic WinForms/WPF, or do you have custom-rendered UIs, Electron shells, or game engines? Tools with UIA might excel in standard apps, while CV-based tools are better for custom or canvas-heavy UIs.

• Language and team skills: Align with your team’s strengths. .NET teams may prefer FlaUI or sticking with White; Python teams may prefer pywinauto or Airtest; JavaScript teams might lean toward RobotJS for simple tasks.

• Ease of setup and authoring: Decide whether you want code-first control or low-code visual flows. RPA tools provide recorders and dashboards; code libraries provide flexibility and version-control-friendly test suites.

• Stability and selectors: Evaluate element discovery, synchronization, and selector strategies. UIA-based tools offer control patterns; CV-based tools require careful template management; OS-level tools need robust timing and coordinate strategies.

• Execution speed and scale: Consider how quickly tests need to run and how many parallel executions you require. RPA orchestrators help at scale; code libraries may be faster locally but require custom scaling.

• CI/CD integration: Ensure the tool integrates with your build pipeline, supports headless or virtualized runs, and provides artifacts (logs, screenshots, videos) for debugging.

• Debugging and tooling: Look for inspectors, recorders, screenshot diffs, and good stack traces. The availability of debuggers and element inspectors can significantly reduce flakiness.

• Community and support: Active communities, documentation, and vendor support can make or break long-term success.

• Licensing and total cost of ownership: Open-source tools reduce licensing costs but may require more engineering time. Commercial RPA suites cost more but provide enterprise features, support, and governance out of the box.

• Longevity and maintenance: Prefer tools with active development, steady releases, and clear roadmaps, especially if you plan a multi-year automation investment.

Conclusion

White remains a solid option for Windows desktop UI testing, particularly for teams working in .NET with classic Windows technologies. It is familiar, reasonably powerful, and well-aligned with standard CI/CD workflows. However, modern testing needs often extend beyond what White was originally built to handle.

• If you need a modern, .NET-friendly successor with active maintenance, FlaUI is a natural upgrade path.

• For cross-language WebDriver alignment, WinAppDriver or Winium can fit teams who already use Selenium patterns.

• For Python-centric teams, pywinauto and PyAutoGUI provide flexible, scriptable options for Windows and even cross-platform tasks.

• When dealing with custom-rendered or game UIs, Airtest + Poco, the Airtest Project, and SikuliX offer powerful CV-based approaches.

• If your organization prioritizes low-code authoring, governance, and enterprise orchestration, RPA platforms like UiPath, Automation Anywhere, and Blue Prism can double as robust UI regression tools.

• For quick, lightweight automation and system-level workflows, AutoHotkey and AutoIt remain surprisingly effective.

There is no single “best” alternative—only the best fit for your context. Consider your application stack, team skills, scale requirements, and long-term maintenance needs. With a clear understanding of your goals and constraints, the tools above can help you modernize your Windows testing strategy while building a foundation that scales with your product and your team.