This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Raju Dandigam
Cypress continues to dominate the web testing ecosystem in 2025. Its plugin ecosystem has matured and now plays a vital role in enabling high-quality, scalable, and developer-friendly testing pipelines.
Here are 8 Cypress plugins that have stood out this year—based on adoption, developer feedback, and impact on modern testing workflows.
1. eslint-plugin-cypress: Enforcing Cypress Best Practices
Why It Matters
This plugin enforces Cypress-specific linting rules to catch anti-patterns like misuse of async/await, unnecessary waits, and missing assertions.
Installation
npm install --save-dev eslint-plugin-cypress
Setup
// eslint.config.js
import pluginCypress from 'eslint-plugin-cypress';
export default [pluginCypress.configs.recommended];
- Prevents flaky tests
- Works with ESLint v9+
- Cypress core team recommendation
2. cypress-real-events: Simulate True User Behavior
Why It Matters
Simulates native browser events like hover, tab, and realClick that synthetic events miss.
Installation
npm install --save-dev cypress-real-events
Usage
import 'cypress-real-events';
cy.get('button').realClick();
- Mimics real user actions
- Great for UIs involving hover, tab, modals
- Chromium-based support
3. @cypress/code-coverage: Know What You’re Testing
Why It Matters
Helps you visualize what code paths are actually covered by your tests.
Installation
npm install --save-dev @cypress/code-coverage
Setup
import codeCoverageTask from '@cypress/code-coverage/task';
export default defineConfig({
e2e: {
setupNodeEvents(on, config) {
codeCoverageTask(on, config);
return config;
}
}
});
- Works with component & E2E tests
- Istanbul support
- LCOV and HTML reports
4. @testing-library/cypress: User-Focused Testing
Why It Matters
Provides queries like getByRole, findByText aligned with user interaction patterns.
Installation
npm install --save-dev @testing-library/cypress
Setup
import '@testing-library/cypress/add-commands';
Example
cy.findByRole('button', { name: /submit/i }).click();
- Encourages accessible and maintainable tests
- Framework-agnostic
- Enhances readability
5. cypress-axe: Automated Accessibility Checks
Why It Matters
Brings automated WCAG audits into your CI pipeline.
Installation
npm install --save-dev cypress-axe axe-core
Usage
cy.injectAxe();
cy.checkA11y();
- Catches a11y issues early
- Supports custom axe rules
- Works with CI/CD
6. cypress-vite: Use Your Vite Config
Why It Matters
Improves alignment and performance for Vite-powered apps.
Installation
npm install -D cypress-vite
Setup
import { defineConfig } from 'cypress';
import { vitePreprocessor } from 'cypress-vite';
export default defineConfig({
e2e: {
setupNodeEvents(on, config) {
on('file:preprocessor', vitePreprocessor());
},
},
});
- Faster builds
- Aligns app and test config
- Native Vite support
7. cypress-mochawesome-reporter: Better Test Reports
Why It Matters
Creates rich HTML reports with screenshots and logs.
Installation
npm install -D cypress-mochawesome-reporter
Setup
reporter: 'cypress-mochawesome-reporter'
import 'cypress-mochawesome-reporter/register';
- Helpful for non-dev stakeholders
- Works with CI pipelines
- Generates HTML + JSON output
8. @cypress/grep: Advanced Filtering With Tags
Why It Matters
Lets you run or skip tests by tags, beyond what --spec allows.
Installation
npm install -D @cypress/grep
Usage
npx cypress run --env grepTags=@smoke
it('works correctly @smoke', () => {...});
- Enables modular test runs
- Useful for CI workflows
- Tag-based control
Final Thoughts
Cypress plugins continue to raise the bar for end-to-end and component testing. These 8 tools can help you:
- Improve test coverage
- Speed up local + CI runs
- Catch accessibility gaps
- Write maintainable tests your team loves
Which plugin do you rely on most? Let me know in the comments 
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Raju Dandigam