XCUITest vs Kobiton

Free

From $50 per month (indicative entry plan)

Free with Xcode, but requires macOS hardware for every CI runner — that is the real cost.

Priced by device minutes and concurrent sessions; the on-premise hybrid option is licensed separately.

Included with Xcode.

Free trial with limited device minutes.

Category standard

Apple · since 2015

Emerging

Kobiton · since 2016

• Fastest and most reliable option on iOS, with no third-party layer to break.
• Native accessibility-hierarchy access and built-in test recording.
• Guaranteed to keep working with each iOS release.

• Hybrid model lets you keep sensitive devices in-house while using one interface.
• Manual session recording converts into Appium scripts, shortening authoring.
• Cheaper than the top-tier enterprise clouds.

• iOS and macOS only, and Swift only.
• Requires macOS CI runners, which are expensive to rent or own.
• Element queries are less expressive than modern web locators.

• Smaller device catalogue than BrowserStack or Sauce Labs.
• Generated Appium scripts still need substantial cleanup.
• Mobile only.

iOS teams that ship native and want first-party reliability.

Mobile teams that want a device cloud but must keep some devices on premises.