QA GUARDIAN
From $3,500/mo
Leading Flow Model
QA Guardian vs. QA Wolf
This is the complete Guardian vs. QA Wolf breakdown — full pricing math, a feature-by-feature table, and real onboarding timelines, not just headline numbers. QA Wolf Coverage as a Service keeps its rate card sales-only; Guardian publishes $3,500/mo for 20 flows upfront (our full estimate of QA Wolf's pricing is in the table below). QA Wolf also sells a separate self-service AI Platform, which we call out as its own category — Guardian is managed only.
Full Guardian pricing published on our site with a calculator to compare costs.
Avg. 40% less expensive than QA WolfPricing published upfront — no sales call requiredStarting at $3,500/moFree itemized quote by email · No sales pitch · No commitment
Pricing Comparison
QA WolfGuardian56% Better1¢/credit · 15¢/min
engineers included
Per-test rate
flat rate
67% BetterPer-test rate
flat rate
20% Better($110 per flow of 5 tests)
45% Better47% BetterQA Wolf
QA Guardian56% Better1¢/credit · 15¢/min
engineers included
Per-test rate
flat rate
67% BetterPer-test rate
flat rate
20% Better($110 per flow of 5 tests)
45% Better47% BetterFree itemized quote · No sales pitch · One-click pure Playwright export — you own the code
Prefer email? Get an itemized quote without a call →
Pricing at Scale
QA Wolf's per-test rate stays flat until you negotiate — Guardian's per-flow rate automatically decreases with volume.
QA Wolf
Managed · Coverage as a Service
- 200 Tests (Entry)$40$8,000 / mo
- 500 Tests$40~$20,000 / mo
- 1,000 Tests$40~$40,000 / mo
- Per TestMonthly
Add-On Pricing (Disclosed in Sales Calls)
Environments and browsers billed per-test/mo, disclosed via sales call only — scales with your test count.
QA Guardian
Managed only · no self-serve tier
- 20 Flows (Entry)$175$3,500 / mo
- 100 Flows$110$11,000 / mo
- 200 Flows$108$21,500 / mo
- Per FlowMonthly
Environment & Browser Add-Ons
+$1,000/mo per environment, +$1,200/mo cross-browser — both flat, same price at any flow count.
How Does Guardian Offer Better Coverage at a Lower Price?
AI has made QA testing faster to deliver. We pass those gains directly to customers — reducing per-flow cost by ~50% since launch. Our AI + Human model delivers flake-free coverage at a price that makes sense.
Rapid Flow Architecture
We rapidly architect flows using advanced tooling, then senior engineers refine every edge case and business rule.
Engineer Improvement
Senior QA engineers improve every flow to ensure edge cases, business logic, and real-world reliability.
Savings Pass to You
AI efficiency cut our delivery cost in half. You get the same expert-verified quality at a lower price.
Pricing Since AI Became Mainstream
Both Guardian and QA Wolf use AI to build tests faster. The primary difference is who keeps the savings.
QA Wolf
Result: Despite AI making test creation 5× faster, prices rose ~33%. QA Wolf's AI gains became pure profit, not customer savings.
QA Guardian
Result: AI investment cut per-flow cost by 50%. You get the same expert quality at half the price.
The pattern is clear: QA Wolf uses AI to boost their profits. Guardian uses it to lower your costs. You are safe with QA Guardian.
Why Flows Are Better Than Multiple Tests
Flows capture an entire user journey from start to finish, not individual pieces of the journey. Fragmented tests ensure pieces work, but fail to prove all pieces work together. QA Wolf's per-test model leads to fragmentation, less coverage, and higher prices.
1 Guardian Flow ≈ 5-12 QA Wolf Tests
QA Wolf — Per-Test Billing
Guest Checkout (8 billable tests):
Guardian — Per-Flow Billing
Same Guest Checkout (1 Flow):
Same comprehensive coverage. One billing unit. 45–73% less cost per equivalent user journey at baseline rates.
Same Guest Checkout journey: QA Wolf bills 8 tests (~$320+) vs Guardian bills 1 flow ($110) — same coverage, dramatically different cost.
Managed pricing is still hidden: Coverage as a Service has no public rate card. The ~$40/test web baseline was confirmed in a sales conversation. Volume discounts and add-ons (often billed per-test/mo) require negotiation. Every managed cost figure on this page is that sales-led product — the fair comparison to Guardian.
Self-service is a separate product: QA Wolf also sells Platform AI (published 1¢/AI credit · 15¢/runner minute on (qawolf.com/pricing, checked August 19, 2026)) where you automate and maintain. Guardian does not offer a self-serve DIY tier — we are a managed service. Do not treat Platform usage bills as equivalent to either managed SLA.
See exactly how much you'd save by switching to flow-based pricing.
Calculate Your SavingsFeature-by-Feature Comparison
| Capability | QA Guardian | QA Wolf |
|---|---|---|
| Service category | Managed only | Managed + self-service Platform |
| Self-service / DIY product | Not offered — engineers included | Yes — Platform AI (1¢/credit · 15¢/min) |
| Managed pricing model | Per-Flow | Per-test under management |
| Managed pricing transparency | Published rates | Still hidden — sales call only |
| Economy of Scale | Cost decreases automatically | Negotiated |
| Coverage Architecture | Flows (Full User Journey) | Tests (Atomic Steps) |
| Onboarding Speed | Critical flows in <30 days | 80% coverage in ~4 months |
| Entry Cost | from $3,500/mo | ~$8,000/mo minimum |
| Additional Environment | $1,000/mo flat | Per-test/mo (scales with count) |
| HIPAA BAA | Available | Not available |
| Framework | Playwright | Playwright |
| Code ownership | One-click pure Playwright export — client owns every line | Standard Playwright (portable) |
| Vendor Lock In | None — you own the code | No proprietary lock-in |
| Flake Free Guarantee | Yes | Yes |
| Human Reviewed Failures | Yes | Yes |
| Video Recording per Run | Yes | Yes |
| CI/CD Integrations | GitHub, GitLab, CircleCI, Jenkins | GitHub, GitLab, CircleCI, Jenkins |
| Dedicated Slack Channel | Yes | Yes |
| SOC 2 Type II | Yes | Yes |
Still comparing line by line? Talk to an engineer about your specific flows.
Talk To UsOur Commitments to You
Every Guardian plan includes these guarantees — no asterisks, no fine print.
Zero Flake Guarantee
We fix any flaking flow at no charge, every time — or we credit your account.
30-Day Speed Commitment
Critical flows live in CI within 30 days — or we extend your onboarding at no extra cost.
Transparent Pricing Lock
Published rates, no surprise increases, no renegotiation. Your price is your price.
One-Click Pure Playwright Export
One-click export of pure Playwright TypeScript anytime. You own every line — run it in your CI or keep it forever. No lock-in, ever.
Ready to see these guarantees in your CI pipeline?
Book a DemoTime to Your First Coverage
When you sign a contract, how long until your team has working tests in CI? The gap between the two is significant.
QA Wolf
Kickoff + Product Tour
Environment setup, credentials, Slack channel, product walkthrough
Test Plan Reviews
Outline creation, two review meetings, scope approval
Test Creation
AI + engineers build your test suite incrementally
80% Coverage Reached
QA Wolf's stated onboarding milestone
QA Guardian
Critical flows live in <30 daysDiscovery Call
Define your critical flows in plain English. No environment setup required upfront.
AI Drafts Flows
Our LLMs generate Playwright boilerplate for every flow you defined.
Engineers Verify
Senior QA engineers harden each flow — edge cases, business logic, reliability.
Live in CI
All flows running on every PR. Ship with confidence.
Common Questions
Things people ask when evaluating QA Wolf vs. Guardian.
Our honest take
Evaluating Both? Here's the honest comparison.
QA Wolf is a well-built service. Guardian is purpose-built for web testing — the fastest, most cost-effective way to get critical user journeys covered in CI. If your primary need is native mobile automation, our scope is web-only.
15-minute call · No sales pitch · See exact pricing for your flows
QA Guardian: one-click export of pure Playwright TypeScript — you own every line. No proprietary runtime. No lock-in, ever.
QA Guardian
See your critical flows live in CI within 30 days.
Talk to the engineers who'll build your tests — no sales pitch.
Book a Demo