Skip to content
Marriska Docs

Cloud vs local execution

Marriska runs Playwright two ways. By default, tests execute in the cloud — Marriska spins up the browser, runs the steps, streams events back. Optionally, you can run the same test on your own machine via marriska-agent, with the cloud only coordinating dispatch and storage.

Both produce identical test reports. What differs is where the browser actually clicks.

Cloud (default)

Section titled “Cloud (default)”

The Runner page’s default mode. You click Run in the web UI; Marriska’s worker fires up a Playwright instance on its own infrastructure and streams step events back to your browser in real time.

Pick cloud when:

  • The target site is publicly reachable.
  • You don’t need to watch a real browser window.
  • You want zero local setup — works the same on every machine.
  • You’re running on a schedule (cron-triggered runs always go cloud).

Limits:

  • Can’t reach localhost, a VPN-only subnet, or any private network.
  • You can’t see the browser; you see step screenshots after the fact.
  • Counts against your monthly cloud-runs quota (see plan tiers).

Local agent

Section titled “Local agent”

A persistent marriska-agent process you run on your own machine. The agent holds a WebSocket connection to Marriska, accepts test dispatches, runs them with Playwright locally, and reports results back. From the user’s perspective the test still ran “from Marriska” — the report appears in the same Reports page, with the same step screenshots, the same shareable URL.

Pick local when:

  • The target site lives behind a VPN, on localhost, or in a private network.
  • You want to watch the browser execute (--headed flag).
  • You want faster feedback while iterating on a flaky test.
  • You’re hitting cloud-run quota and have spare machine time.

Trade-offs:

  • One agent per machine, typically. The plan tier caps how many agents you can have registered at once (Starter 1, Pro 3, Team 5, Enterprise unlimited).
  • The agent must be running when you click Run. If it disconnects mid-test, the run is marked disconnected and the watchdog cleans it up after a grace period.
  • You’re paying for the machine’s compute (CPU, memory, Chromium install).

Choosing per run

Section titled “Choosing per run”

The Runner page has a Local / Cloud toggle on each test set. The default is whatever you used last; per-run overrides stick to that run only.

When a local agent isn’t connected, the Local option is greyed out with a tooltip pointing at the agent-setup guide.

See also

Section titled “See also”