Chromatic vs Lost Pixel: where to go now Lost Pixel is sunset
On 22 April 2026 the Lost Pixel team announced they are joining Figma and sunsetting the product, and the GitHub repository was archived the same day. If you still run Lost Pixel, this page compares it honestly with Chromatic and points you at the alternatives that are still actively developed.
Lost Pixel is no longer a safe pick for new work. If you are on it today:
- Status → sunset announced and repository archived on 22 April 2026; no shutdown date or migration path published.
- Storybook-first, want a managed product → Chromatic (5,000 free snapshots/mo, paid from $179/mo).
- Closest like-for-like on price and scope → Argos (5,000 free screenshots/mo, Pro from $100/mo).
- No service at all → Playwright's built-in
toHaveScreenshot(), baselines in git.
What changed
Managed cloud vs an open-source tool that is winding down
Until April 2026 this was a straight convenience-versus-control call: Chromatic sells a finished, per-snapshot product, while Lost Pixel offered an open-source engine you could self-host plus a cheaper managed cloud. The sunset changes the question from "which is better" to "where do I move, and how soon".
Lost Pixel: sunset
The team joined Figma and the repository is archived, so no fixes or browser updates will ship. The hosted plans were still listed on 2 November 2026, with no published end date.
Chromatic: fully managed
Cloud-rendered snapshots, TurboSnap's changed-only diffing and a polished component UI Review: nothing to host, billed per snapshot, and it requires Storybook.
Baselines start over
Visual baselines do not transfer between tools. Whatever you move to, plan a short period of re-approving snapshots on the first runs.
Side by side
Chromatic vs Lost Pixel, side by side
| Chromatic | Lost Pixel | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | ✓ actively developed | ✗ sunset, repo archived 22 Apr 2026 |
| Open source | ✗ | core, archived |
| Free cloud tier | 5,000 snapshots/mo | 7,000 screenshots/mo (still listed) |
| Paid from | $179/mo (35k) | $100/mo (40k) (still listed) |
| Managed / TurboSnap | ✓ polished | lighter UI |
| Storybook support | ✓ required | ✓ + page/custom |
| Future updates | ✓ | ✗ none announced |
| Best for | Managed Storybook review | Existing users, while migrating |
Chromatic figures compiled July 2026 from its pricing page. Lost Pixel figures are what its pricing page still listed on 2 November 2026, after the sunset announcement; verify before paying for anything.
Primary sources: Chromatic pricing · Lost Pixel pricing · Lost Pixel sunset announcement · Lost Pixel repository (archived) · Argos pricing
A fair call
Where to move from Lost Pixel
Move to Chromatic if…
- Your visual tests already run on Storybook stories.
- You want a finished, fully managed product with nothing to host.
- TurboSnap and a polished UI Review workflow matter to you.
- Per-snapshot pricing from $179/mo fits your volume.
Move elsewhere if…
- You chose Lost Pixel for its price or its page and Playwright/Cypress modes: Argos is the closest match (see the full comparison).
- You want no hosted service at all: Playwright's built-in screenshot assertions.
- You need the broadest browser and framework coverage: Percy.
- False positives are your main pain and budget is not: Applitools.
Common questions
Chromatic vs Lost Pixel: common questions
Is Lost Pixel still maintained?
No. On 22 April 2026 the Lost Pixel team announced they are joining Figma and sunsetting the product, and the GitHub repository was archived (read-only) the same day. The announcement gives no shutdown date for the hosted service, no migration path and no statement about existing subscriptions. Its pricing page still listed paid plans on 2 November 2026, so confirm with the team before you rely on the hosted service for anything long-term.
Should I move from Lost Pixel to Chromatic?
If your team is Storybook-first and wants a managed product, yes: Chromatic gives you cloud rendering, TurboSnap and component-level UI Review, with 5,000 free snapshots a month (Chrome only) and paid plans from $179/month for 35,000. If you picked Lost Pixel for its price or because it was not tied to Storybook, Argos is the closer replacement: free up to 5,000 screenshots a month, Pro from $100/month for 35,000, and it takes screenshots from Storybook, Playwright or Cypress.
Can I keep running the open-source Lost Pixel engine?
The archived code is still public, so an existing setup does not stop working the day the repository is archived. But no further fixes, browser updates or dependency upgrades will ship, so treat it as a stopgap while you migrate. Visual baselines do not transfer between tools; expect to re-approve a fresh set of snapshots on the first run of whichever tool you move to.
Can I avoid running a visual testing service at all?
Yes. Playwright's built-in toHaveScreenshot() comparison runs as an ordinary test step inside your existing CI pipeline, with baselines committed to git, so there's no separate SaaS, no self-hosted service to maintain and no per-snapshot bill. The trade-off is that there's no cloud review UI; you own the approval workflow yourself.