jest vs vitest
Side-by-side comparison of jest and vitest
Download Trends
Verdict
Jest has established itself as a versatile and widely adopted testing framework, ideal for a variety of JavaScript applications, particularly those developed using React and other frameworks. With its large community, extensive documentation, and ease of use, Jest is especially suited for teams looking for a mature solution that offers robust features like snapshot testing.
Vitest, on the other hand, is designed for projects that prioritize fast performance and integration with Vite, making it a better fit for modern front-end applications that utilize Vite's build system. If your team is experienced with Vite and focuses on rapidly iterating test cases, Vitest could provide significant performance benefits and an intuitive development experience.
While transitioning from Jest to Vitest may involve some learning curve due to differing APIs, teams leveraging Vite's advantages might find it worthwhile. However, Jest's established ecosystem and community support might reduce risk for larger teams or more traditional projects looking for stability.
Detailed Comparison
| Criteria | jest | vitest |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT license ensures flexibility in usage | Also MIT licensed, allowing for similar flexibility |
| Features | ✓Comprehensive features including snapshot testing | Focused features leveraging Vite's capabilities |
| Bundle Size | ✓Compact at 6.3 kB | Larger at 1.5 MB |
| Ease of Use | ✓Well-documented with ample resources for beginners | Requires understanding of Vite; slightly steeper learning curve |
| Open Issues | ✓Fewer open issues suggest good maintenance | More open issues could indicate complexity or emerging needs |
| Compatibility | ✓Broad compatibility with numerous frameworks | Best for projects specifically using Vite |
| Learning Curve | ✓Gentle learning curve enabling rapid onboarding | More challenging for teams unfamiliar with Vite |
| Community Support | ✓Large community with extensive contributions and resources | Smaller community but growing rapidly |
| Download Popularity | ✓Dominates with 38.0M weekly downloads, indicating strong usage | Solid but lower with 30.7M weekly downloads |
| Maintained Activity | ✓Regular updates and active issue resolution | Frequent updates but with a higher number of open issues |
| Overall Performance | ✓Widely optimized for various scenarios and integrates well across the ecosystem | Highly optimized for Vite but may lead to compatibility considerations |
| Integration Flexibility | ✓Easily integrates with various JavaScript libraries | Primarily integrates with Vite optimizing for that ecosystem |