What it does
Chromatic is a hosted UI testing and review platform from the team behind Storybook. It captures visual snapshots and checks interactions and accessibility across the component states supplied by a project. Teams can use Storybook stories as test inputs, or connect supported Vitest, Playwright, and Cypress tests to visual regression checks. It returns browser snapshots and reviewable changes, not a replacement for the application's source or its test cases.
Give Chromatic the UI states to check
For a Storybook project, each story represents a component state or variation that Chromatic can build and test. The official quick start asks you to create a project and token, install the chromatic npm package, and run the CLI against the Storybook in your repository. The CLI uploads the build to Chromatic's cloud service; a CI job can repeat that step on pushes so the service can compare snapshots and report changed UI. The docs require Storybook 6.5 or later for this path.
Chromatic's documented checks cover visual differences, interactions such as click or hover, and accessibility scans using axe. If you do not use Storybook, the quick start lists integrations for Vitest, Playwright, and Cypress. In either case, you supply the actual UI, its states, and tests or interactions that describe what should be exercised. Review the resulting snapshots and findings before approving a change; this service detects regressions but cannot decide whether a design change is intended.
The pricing page lists a free plan and paid tiers with snapshot and browser allowances. The exact fit depends on the project's test volume, so compare the current usage limits rather than treating a plan allowance as an estimate for your repository.
Strengths
- Visual, interaction, and accessibility checks can run from Storybook stories or supported Vitest, Playwright, and Cypress workflows.
- The CLI and documented CI configuration connect project changes to browser snapshots and review workflows.
- The pricing page lists a free tier as well as paid plans.
Watch out for
- The documented Storybook workflow requires an account, a project token, and uploading the Storybook build to Chromatic's cloud service.
- Chromatic checks only the UI states and interactions that the project exposes through stories or supported tests.
Best for
- Frontend teams reviewing visual regressions on component libraries or Storybook-driven applications
- Teams that want browser-based UI checks attached to pull-request or CI changes
Sources
- Frontend UI Testing & Review Platform for Teams • Chromatic (Oct 25, 2026)
- Why Chromatic? • Chromatic docs (Oct 25, 2026)
- Quickstart • Chromatic docs (Oct 25, 2026)
- Pricing • Chromatic (Oct 25, 2026)