WinApp Driver vs Coded UI - Windows Test Automation Tools Comparison

Old fans of test tools may ask: is Coded UI dead, and is WinAppDriver the way to go now? Yes on both. Below you get a quick table that lays out how they stack up, side by side, so you can pick the right path for your next test job. This page also works as a plain WinAppDriver guide for folks new to Windows app test work, plus tips on C#, Java, and Python test code, and a coupon code for my course near the end.

Serial	Coded UI	WinAppDriver
1	Coded UI is a Closed source project	Windows Application Driver is a partially Open source project
2	Coded UI is Not hosted on GitHub	WinAppDriver has a repository on GitHub
3	Coded UI is very expensive, it has a hefty license fee, licensed product	[Appium based] WinAppDriver is free software, there's no licensing fee at all
4	Microsoft Coded UI does not follow an industry standard	WinAppDriver is based on WebDriver industry standard(https://www.w3.org/TR/webdriver/)
5	Coded UI is Based on Microsoft’s closed source technologies	WinAppDriver is Based on Appium, WebDriver, and Selenium industry standard open source technologies.
6	Limited to only Microsoft’s chosen programming languages	WinAppDriver Can be extended to support any programming language(C#, Python, Java, C++, you name it). Many APIs already available. If you learn it with one programming language, you can easily take the same ideas to another language.
7	Coded UI uses a proprietary protocol for communicating with the machines running automation. Remote machines are not supported.	Being based on Appium, WinAppDriver uses JSON wire protocol for communication between an instance of WinAppDriver and test automation scripts. You can also create a grid if need be.
8	Knowing CodedUI won’t land you many jobs in future	Knowing Appium based WinAppDriver makes you suitable for Selenium & Appium mobile automation job. You can switch over to mobile testing with little effort.
9	Supports older versions of Windows OS i.e. Windows 7	Does not support older versions of Windows(works on Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 and above)
10	Almost dead community, not much going on with Coded UI	The community of WinAppDriver is very active online on GitHub.
11	Deprecated, no further enhancements in Coded UI	WinAppDriver is actively in development, continuously improving. Microsoft is pouring resources into it.
12	Coded UI script (C#, VB.Net) runs on a machine directly	A script based on WinAppDriver can control multiple machines using driver instances without even going to the machines under control.
13	Coded UI leans on a point and click tool tied to Visual Studio, with a steep climb past basic steps.	WinAppDriver uses plain code from day one. Once you know it, the same idea moves to Java, Python, or C#.

What was Coded UI: Coded UI was a paid tool from Microsoft for UI test work. It let you record and play back clicks in Visual Studio. Microsoft killed it off in 2019, and it gets no new fixes or fresh code.

What is WinAppDriver: WinAppDriver is a free tool from Microsoft for Windows app test work. It sits on top of Appium, so it talks the same open, wide-used WebDriver tongue as web and phone tests. WinAppDriver is not open source on its own, but it taps into open tools all the way down.

Udemy Course: Playwright TypeScript Automation Testing

I run a full course on WinAppDriver test work with C# .Net. It goes from zero all the way to real, live test runs on real apps. Use code CBP2026AU to save on the price.

https://www.udemy.com/course/appium-winappdriver-automation-testing/?couponCode=CBP2026AU

Azure DevOps Build Pipelines: Run Windows UI Automation & CI

This course is a start guide for test work with real code. It also works as a WinAppDriver guide and a place to learn from. Coded UI is dead now, and WinAppDriver is the way to go from here.
You may think WinAppDriver only works on Windows 10, so you stay on Windows 7. That is wrong. Microsoft ended help for Windows 7 back in 2020.

FYI, you can see key gaps, Coded UI vs WinAppDriver, in the list above.

Also, one Coded UI test runs on one box only. But one WinAppDriver script can run tests on more than one box at once. This helps a lot for client-server test setups.

Appium WinAppDriver Console Window Showing JSON Commands

Note that my course works well as a top WinAppDriver guide. You can use it to learn Windows desk app test work, then take the same ideas to Java or Python too.

Few folks look at desk app test work these days. Most think the desk app is dead. But desk app setups still run the core of many big firms. One such case is ResWare Desktop.

How to test ResWare Desktop?

You can test ResWare with WinAppDriver. See the link below for my top WinAppDriver guide, plus a coupon code to save on it.

https://www.udemy.com/course/appium-winappdriver-automation-testing/?couponCode=CBP2026AU

Quick FAQ

Is Coded UI dead?
Yes. Coded UI is dead and gone. Microsoft killed it off back in 2019. WinAppDriver is what you should learn now.

Does WinAppDriver cost money?
No. It is free to use. There is no fee at all, unlike Coded UI, which had a big price tag.

Can I learn WinAppDriver with Java or Python, not just C#?
Yes. WinAppDriver is not tied to one code base. You can drive it from C#, Java, Python, or almost any code base you like.

Where do I learn WinAppDriver from zero?
Start with my course below. It walks you from zero up to real test runs, with a coupon code to save on the price: Windows Desktop Applications Test Automation in WinAppDriver (code CBP2026AU).