Playwright vs Selenium: Which is Best for Scraping in 2026?

The Quick Verdict

1. Speed and Performance

Execution time depends on the browser, target page, network, test design, and automation code. Measure both tools against your own workload instead of assuming one is always faster.

For a useful comparison, test the same pages, browser versions, proxy configuration, concurrency, and retry policy in both tools, then record median latency and failures.

2. Proxy Integration (The Important Part)

If you are scraping at scale, you need to rotate proxies. Here is how both handle it.

from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

def run():
  with sync_playwright() as p:
    # Native Proxy Object
    browser = p.chromium.launch(
      proxy={
        "server": "<GATEWAY_HOST>:7777",
        "username": "user",
        "password": "pass"
      }
    )
    page = browser.new_page()
    page.goto("https://httpbin.org/ip")
    print(page.content())
    browser.close()

from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()

# Configure the proxy endpoint; authentication needs a separate supported method
proxy = "http://<GATEWAY_HOST>:7777"
options.add_argument(
    f'--proxy-server={proxy}'
)

driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
driver.get("https://httpbin.org/ip")
print(driver.page_source)
driver.quit()

*Proxy authentication setup varies by browser and driver. Test the configuration with your actual endpoint before relying on it in production.

3. Anti-Detect & Stealth

Websites can detect bots by checking browser fingerprints.

Browser automation can be identifiable through multiple signals, including browser state and request behavior. Neither tool should be described as inherently undetectable.

Playwright provides modern browser automation controls, and proxy routing can help distribute authorized requests when combined with our residential proxy guidance.

Comparison Table

Conclusion

If you are starting a new scraping project in 2026, evaluate both tools against your browser support, automation needs, proxy setup, and measured workload.

Neither browser library nor a residential proxy guarantees access to a target. Respect site rules, rate limits, and applicable permissions.