| Criteria | Gherkin | Cucumber |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A Domain-Specific Language (DSL) | A test automation tool/framework |
| Purpose | To explain the business feature in plain text | To execute the behaviour specified in the feature files as automated tests |
| File Format | Uses .feature file format (contains test scenarios) |
Uses .java, .rb, .js files (step definition files) |
| Syntax | Feature, Given, When, Then, And/But, Scenario, Examples, etc. | Uses programming language syntax |
| Dependencies | None – Just uses plain text | Depends on the programming language and testing frameworks |
| Readability | Human-readable, understandable by non-technical people | Code-based, requires technical knowledge to understand step definitions |
| Who Writes It | Written collaboratively by BA, PO, developers, and QAs | Written by test automation engineers, SDETs, and developers |
| Execution | Cannot be executed alone | Executes Gherkin scenarios using step definition files |
| Learning Curve | Low – uses plain text with simple keywords | High – requires programming and test automation framework knowledge |
Created
January 16, 2026 11:58
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