Introduction

In this post, we will go through the current challenges of Windows desktop automation, the limitations of existing tools, and a possible solution to improve speed and reliability. As an Automation Engineer, you might have already experienced issues with the current tools such as Appium Windows Driver or WinAppDriver—slow execution, flaky tests, inconsistent behavior across different environments. We faced the same problems, and that’s why we decided to build something better.

Challenges of Desktop Automation

Windows desktop automation comes with its own set of challenges. While initially it may seem straightforward, the longer the automation script is, the more issues arise during execution.

Slow Execution

One of the most common problems in Windows desktop automation is that tests take a long time to run. Even basic tests can feel slow, and as your test suite grows, it only gets worse. Running a single end-to-end scenario might take more than an hour, which makes it harder to get quick feedback during development. This can be a big issue for teams who want to test often and catch problems early. Long-running tests not only delay deployments but can also discourage teams from writing more comprehensive test coverage.

Flaky Tests

In some cases, like click failing to register, or WinAppDriver crashing or losing connection with Appium, causes test to fail inconsistently, and this could be very frustrating, especially for long test cases. Most of these issues can’t be fixed because of WinAppDriver’s closed-source nature, which is the core of Appium’s current desktop automation solution.

Inconsistent Behavior Across Environments

When running the tests on different machines and environments, varying in resolution and DPI, some elements may be out of view. Unlike web and some mobile solutions, there’s no straightforward way to scroll to an element. Teams are then forced to add hacky workarounds or custom logic to handle different screen configurations, increasing maintenance overhead and further slowing down development. Often, these issues require setting strict prerequisites for resolution and scaling settings across all environments, which is not always feasible or scalable solution.

Why Existing Tools Fall Short

The current, most popular tools for Windows desktop automation are still Appium and WinAppDriver. While there are other tools like FlaUI and PyWinAuto that offer similar functionality, they aren’t as widely used due to them requiring users to learn a completely different framework, and are also tied to a specific programming language. And since they’re very niche, they have limited community support compared to more widely used solutions like Appium.

WinAppDriver’s Lack of Updates

Microsoft’s WinAppDriver hasn’t received any updates since 2021 and remains closed-source, making it impossible for the community to contribute fixes or improvements. There is a GitHub repo, but it’s only there to host documentation, examples and tests.

Appium’s Limited Windows Support

Appium, while open-source and backed by strong community support, is limited in what it can do for Windows automation because it relies entirely on the unmaintained and closed-source WinAppDriver.

Performance and Reliability Issues

Even though tools like Appium and WinAppDriver are functional, they often suffer from sluggish performance and frequent reliability issues, especially during long or complex test runs.

Introducing NovaWindows Driver

Earlier this year at AppiumConf 2025, we had the opportunity to showcase the NovaWindows driver, a new open-source solution we developed to overcome the limitations of existing tools like WinAppDriver and Appium‘s current Windows driver. As we worked on desktop automation, we consistently encountered slow execution, unreliable test results, and poor support for complex UI elements. We initially created this solution last year to address these challenges for our own work, and later decided to make it open-source, believing it could benefit the broader community—and that the community’s contributions could further improve the solution itself.

The NovaWindows driver was built to address these challenges. It is a drop-in replacement for the existing Appium Windows drivers, meaning it works seamlessly within the Appium ecosystem with minimal changes required to existing test scripts. The core difference is that the underlying driver powering the Appium server has been replaced with a solution that requires less setup while providing fast and reliable performance for Windows desktop applications. It also adds extra features on top, such as smooth mouse moving for simulating more realistic user behavior.

With NovaWindows, teams can focus on writing tests and getting faster feedback, without dealing with the limitations of outdated or closed-source tools. We created this driver to simplify desktop automation and make it easier for the community to contribute to its development. Since it’s open-source, new features and improvements can be added more easily. As the driver is still in its early stages of development, we encourage the community to report any issues or suggest new features, so we can continue to improve and expand its functionality.

How to Get Started with NovaWindows Driver

If you’re transitioning from the Appium Windows Driver, the process is straightforward. Simply install the new driver using the following command in your terminal:

The only required change in your test capabilities is updating automationName from “Windows” to “NovaWindows”. That’s it—you’re good to go.

From there, you can explore the new commands the driver offers or fine-tune things like click delays, smooth mouse movements for more realistic interactions, and options like keeping the app open after the session ends.

If you’re migrating from WinAppDriver directly, you’ll likely need to transition to Appium first. Most of the changes are straightforward—such as adopting Appium’s capabilities format and command structure—and we’ll go into more detail on this in the full article.

If you’re just getting started with desktop automation, the Bellatrix Test Automation Framework offers built-in support for NovaWindows and its new capabilities, making it easy to get up and running with a robust foundation for your tests.

Summary

The NovaWindows Driver is an open-source solution designed to address the limitations of existing Windows desktop automation tools like WinAppDriver and Appium’s Windows driver. It offers faster and more reliable performance, smooth mouse movements, and is a drop-in replacement for the Appium Windows driver, requiring minimal changes to existing test scripts. The driver is still in its early stages of development and community contributions are encouraged.