Reflect vs. open source: Choosing the right test automation approach

Open-source frameworks are the default starting point for most automation teams, and for good reason: flexibility, developer control, and no license fee. But as automation programs scale, the cost resurfaces elsewhere. Environment setup, CI infrastructure, scripting effort, rework after every UI change, and a growing dependency on the handful of engineers who can actually keep the suite running. 

At that point, the problem shifts. It is no longer about automating tests. It is about building an automation strategy the whole team can create, maintain, and trust across modern web and mobile applications. 

In this session, we put open-source frameworks and Reflect side by side and examine the real tradeoffs behind cost, speed to coverage, scalability, and maintainability. 

Join us to learn: 

• Where total cost of ownership diverges from licensing cost 
• How long it takes a team to reach meaningful test coverage, and what slows it down 
• What a developer-only maintenance model costs as the suite grows 
• How each approach handles UI changes, flaky tests, and long-term suite growth 
• A practical checklist for evaluating automation tools for modern QA teams