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JetBrains Aqua

Freemium

JetBrains IDE built specifically for test automation — bundled support for Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright.

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Pricing

Freemium

Type

Manual & Automation

Languages

Java, Kotlin, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python

// VERDICT

Reach for JetBrains Aqua when test automation is your main job and you want an IDE tailored to it - locator tools, web inspection and multi-language automation support. Skip it when a free editor (VS Code) suffices, you already use a general IDE, or you don't write automation.

Best for

JetBrains' IDE purpose-built for test automation - first-class support for Selenium/Playwright, web inspection, locator generation and multi-language (Java/Python/JS/TS) automation in one tool.

Avoid when

You want a free editor (VS Code), a general-purpose IDE you already use, or you don't write automation code.

CI/CD fit

Authoring IDE for automation (not a CI tool) · Selenium/Playwright support · locator tooling

Languages

Java · Kotlin · JavaScript · TypeScript · Python

Team fit

Dedicated SDETs/automation engineers · Selenium/Playwright teams · Multi-language automation

Setup

Easy

Maintenance

Low

Learning

Beginner

Licence

Freemium

// BEST FOR

  • An IDE purpose-built for test automation
  • First-class Selenium and Playwright support
  • Web inspection and locator generation
  • Multi-language automation (Java/Python/JS/TS)
  • Test runners and debugging tailored to automation
  • Productivity for dedicated automation engineers

// AVOID WHEN

  • A free editor (VS Code) is enough
  • You already use a general-purpose IDE happily
  • You don't write automation code
  • Budget rules out a paid JetBrains tool
  • Your automation is trivial
  • You prefer a single multi-purpose IDE

// QUICK START

Install JetBrains Aqua -> open/create an automation project -> use its built-in
Selenium/Playwright support, web inspector and locator tools to build tests.
(CI runs them separately.)

// ALTERNATIVES TO CONSIDER

ToolChoose it when
IntelliJ IDEAYour automation is JVM-centric and you want the flagship IDE.
VS CodeYou want a free, extensible editor for automation.
WebStormYour automation is JS/TS-focused.

// FEATURES

  • Bundled Selenium, Playwright, and Cypress integrations
  • Locator inspector for picking and validating selectors
  • Visual page-object model assistant
  • Built-in HTTP client and database tools
  • JetBrains AI Assistant integration for test authoring

// PROS

  • Only IDE designed end-to-end around QA automation workflows
  • Inherits the JetBrains refactoring and debugger engines
  • Locator inspector saves real authoring time
  • Multi-language support out of the box

// CONS

  • Younger product — fewer plugins than IDEA or PyCharm
  • Niche audience — overkill if your team uses one language only
  • Commercial licence required outside non-commercial use

// EXAMPLE QA WORKFLOW

  1. Install JetBrains Aqua

  2. Open/create an automation project

  3. Use built-in Selenium/Playwright support

  4. Generate locators with web inspection

  5. Run and debug tests in the IDE

  6. Run suites in CI separately