Semaloop vs Maestro
Maestro is an open-source UI automation framework for mobile and web, built around readable YAML flows. Semaloop runs natural language tests on real iPhones and Android emulators against every build you ship.
What Maestro is
Maestro describes itself as a framework for mobile and web UI automation using YAML flows that are human-readable, and says it automatically handles flakiness and UI settling. It runs locally through a CLI and Maestro Studio, or on Maestro Cloud’s hosted devices.
Where they differ
| Semaloop | Maestro | |
|---|---|---|
| How a test is written | Natural language describing the outcome | YAML steps naming the elements to act on |
| Who decides the steps | The agent, fresh on each run | The author, when the flow is written |
| When the UI changes | The description usually still holds | The flow is edited where elements moved |
| Running on every build | Automatic from TestFlight, or an APK pushed from CI | CI integration is supported, including Maestro Cloud’s CI and PR/MR integrations; you set it up |
| Non-visual checks | Audio and on-screen state are both in scope | Flows assert on what the UI shows |
| Pricing | Published per execution, with a calculator | Local use is free and open source; Maestro Cloud is listed at $250 per device per month |
Choose Maestro if
- You want tests versioned in your repo, reviewed in pull requests, and runnable locally on a simulator or emulator.
- Your flows are stable and short, and YAML is a fair description of them.
- You want a free, open-source tool and are fine paying per device if you move to its hosted cloud.
Choose Semaloop if
- Your flows are long or stateful enough that enumerating each step is the expensive part.
- You want a run per build without maintaining the CI wiring for it.
- You need checks that go beyond what is on screen, such as what the app is playing.
Sources
What this page says about Maestro comes from its own pages below, last checked 26 October 2026. Tell us if anything is out of date.