mocha vs vitest

Side-by-side comparison of mocha and vitest

mocha v11.7.5 MIT
Weekly Downloads
12.1M
Stars
22.9K
Gzip Size
95.1 kB
License
MIT
Last Updated
1d ago
Open Issues
226
Forks
3.1K
Unpacked Size
2.3 MB
Dependencies
19
vitest v4.0.18 MIT
Weekly Downloads
30.6M
Stars
15.9K
Gzip Size
License
MIT
Last Updated
9h ago
Open Issues
350
Forks
1.6K
Unpacked Size
1.5 MB
Dependencies

Download Trends

Download trends for mocha and vitest025.8M51.6M77.3M103.1MFeb 25May 25Aug 25Nov 25Feb 26
mocha
vitest

Verdict

Mocha is a well-established testing framework known for its simplicity and flexibility, catering to a broad range of developers in the JavaScript ecosystem. It is particularly favored for its extensive documentation and rich plugin ecosystem, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced teams.

Vitest, on the other hand, is designed for modern projects utilizing Vite, promoting faster development cycles with its next-generation features. It tends to attract developers who are building applications with contemporary toolchains in mind and need a testing solution that integrates seamlessly into their workflow.

When choosing between the two, consider that smaller projects or teams familiar with established practices might opt for Mocha due to its maturity and community support. In contrast, if your project leverages Vite or requires rapid feedback loops during development, Vitest could be the more effective option. However, migrating to Vitest might involve a learning curve if your team is accustomed to Mocha's conventions.

Detailed Comparison

Criteria mocha vitest
Topics Covers a wide range of testing paradigms including BDD and TDD. Focused on testing within the vite ecosystem.
License MIT, allowing permissive use and modification. MIT, similarly permissive.
Version Version 11.7.5, relatively mature. Latest at 4.0.18 with modern features.
Categories Established category for testing frameworks. Also falls within testing but aimed at newer workflows.
Description Focuses on simplicity and flexibility in testing. Next generation framework optimized for Vite projects.
Open Issues 225 open issues, suggesting ongoing development challenges. 352 open issues, indicating a higher number of unresolved concerns.
GitHub Forks 3.1K forks suggest robust development and experimentation. 1.6K forks indicate less experimentation.
GitHub Stars 22.9K stars indicating strong community support. 15.9K stars, reflecting a growing but smaller community.
Last Updated Last updated on 2026-02-06, indicating active maintenance. Updated on 2026-02-07, more recent version release.
Unpacked Size 2.3 MB, larger than vitest. 1.5 MB, indicating a more lightweight solution.
Weekly Downloads 12.0 million, indicating solid usage but lower than vitest. 30.7 million, showcasing increasing adoption.
Bundle Size (gzip) 95.1 kB, comparatively larger. Compact at under 100 kB, which may improve load time.

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