Aqua, the first IDE for test automation, is now generally available. The IDE supports multiple languages and major testing frameworks like Selenium and Cypress. JetBrains introduces a new licensing model with Free Individual Non-Commercial and Paid Commercial plans. Additionally, Aqua is included in the All Products Pack. Since its launch, Aqua has received positive reviews from the testing community.
Aqua is the first IDE made just for test automation. It supports many popular programming languages used in test automation like Java, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Kotlin, and SQL. Aqua also works with major testing frameworks such as Selenium, Playwright, and Cypress.
Aqua simplifies challenging tasks with its smart code analysis and strong search and refactoring tools, enhancing productivity in quality engineering. The addition of the JetBrains AI Assistant makes the IDE more context-aware and helpful.
JetBrains introduces a new licensing model for Aqua with two plans: Free Individual Non-Commercial and Paid Commercial. The Free Individual Non-Commercial plan is for non-commercial use, while the Paid Commercial plan is for any commercial usage. The Commercial subscription applies universally, whether the user is self-employed or works for a company. According to the Subscription Agreement, any activity generating direct or indirect income is considered commercial usage.
This licensing model operates on an honor system, with users declaring their non-commercial usage. Future adjustments will be made based on adherence to this system. Non-commercial users must participate in anonymous usage statistics collection, as outlined in the Privacy Policy, similar to the Early Access Program (EAP).
Aqua is included in the All Products Pack which was also confirmed here.
Below the video announcement, a question appeared asking if it should not be integrated with respective IDEs. There was the following answer from another user:
For a QA team with less dev experience having an IDE explicitly for automated tests is optimal because the overwhelming flexibility of a full IDE can be a challenge. I've tried to teach a team with VS and Rider and it worked, but there was a lot of friction. Even less features editors like VS Code were easier for them to jump into.
Since the launch of Aqua, numerous positive reviews have been received from the testing community, emphasizing the benefits of having a dedicated IDE for test automation. For example, Predap Pandiyan, a lead automation test engineer at M2, wrote that this is one of the greatest milestones from JetBrains for the QA community.
JetBrains encourages developers to share their feedback and suggestions, among others, in an issue tracker.