Storybook vs Chromatic: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare Storybook and Chromatic on component development, visual testing, and collaboration. Discover how these tools complement each other or when to choose one.
Storybook
The industry standard for developing, documenting, and testing UI components in isolation. Storybook provides an interactive sandbox where developers can build and test components independently from the application. It supports React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, and more, with an extensive add-on ecosystem.
Chromatic
A cloud platform for visual regression testing and UI review, built by the Storybook team. Chromatic automatically captures screenshots of all Storybook stories on every commit, compares them with the previous version, and detects visual changes. It provides a collaboration workflow for design and code reviews.
Comparison table
| Feature | Storybook | Chromatic |
|---|---|---|
| Primary function | Component development, documentation, and interactive testing | Visual regression testing and review workflow in the cloud |
| Hosting | Run locally or self-host — open source | Cloud-hosted SaaS with free tier (5,000 snapshots/month) |
| Visual testing | Manual via the browser — add-ons for screenshots | Automated — pixel-level comparison on every commit |
| CI/CD integration | Local tests and Storybook builds in CI | Native CI integration with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket |
| Collaboration | Local or via deployed Storybook instance | Built-in review workflow with approvals and comments |
Verdict
Storybook and Chromatic are not direct competitors but complementary tools. Storybook is the foundation for component development and documentation — it is essential for any serious frontend project. Chromatic builds on this with automated visual regression testing and a review workflow. Most teams start with Storybook and add Chromatic when visual quality assurance becomes important. Chromatic without Storybook is not possible; Storybook without Chromatic is fine for smaller teams.
Our recommendation
At MG Software, we use Storybook as our standard tool for component development in all our React and Next.js projects. It helps us build reusable, well-documented components. We deploy Chromatic for projects with design systems and clients who prioritize visual quality assurance. The automated visual tests save us significant review time and prevent unwanted visual regressions. For most projects, we advise starting with Storybook and adding Chromatic as the team grows.
Frequently asked questions
Related articles
shadcn/ui vs Material UI: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare shadcn/ui and Material UI on customizability, design system, bundle size, and developer experience. Discover which component library best fits your React project.
Best Testing Frameworks in 2026 - Top 6 Compared
Compare the best testing frameworks of 2026. From unit tests to end-to-end testing — discover which framework suits your project.
React vs Angular: Which Framework Should You Choose?
Compare React and Angular on performance, learning curve, ecosystem, and scalability. Discover which frontend framework is the best fit for your project.
Vue vs React: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare Vue and React on performance, learning curve, ecosystem, and state management. Discover which frontend framework is the best fit for your project.