AVA alternatives: 8 open-source unit testing and test runners tools
Metrics as of , from the GitHub or GitLab API of each repository. Refreshed monthly.
About AVA
AVA is a listed unit testing and test runners tool: Test runner for Node.js with concurrent test execution, per-file isolation, and a TAP reporter.
Order: Listed tools in the same category, with tools in the same primary language (GitHub API) first, then by GitHub stars. Each line gives one fact from the tool's own documentation where it differs from what AVA's documentation states, with its source.
8 alternatives to AVA
Mocha: Languages for writing tests: JavaScript; TypeScript through Node.js type stripping or a loader such as tsx. source: Docs: TypeScript
Jasmine: Languages for writing tests: JavaScript. source: README
Chai: Languages for writing tests: JavaScript (Node.js and browsers). source: README
tape: Languages for writing tests: JavaScript (Node.js and browsers). source: README
Jest: Languages for writing tests: JavaScript; TypeScript via Babel or ts-jest. source: README
GoogleTest: Languages for writing tests: C++ (the 1.18.x branch requires C++17). source: README
Testify: Languages for writing tests: Go. source: README
Catch2: Languages for writing tests: C++. source: README
Repository metrics
| Jest | 45,4631 | 2026-09-181v30.5.2 | 2026-09-181 | MIT | TypeScript | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoogleTest | 39,5721 | 2026-08-101v1.18.0 | 2026-09-171 | BSD-3-Clause | C++ | active |
| Testify | 26,2111 | 2026-08-191v1.12.1 | 2026-09-021 | MIT | Go | active |
| Mocha | 22,8971 | 2026-09-171v12.0.2 | 2026-09-191 | MIT | JavaScript | active |
| Catch2 | 21,4891 | 2026-08-251v3.16.0 | 2026-09-141 | BSL-1.0 | C++ | active |
| AVA | 20,8281 | 2026-05-171v8.0.1 | 2026-05-171 | MIT | JavaScript | slow |
| Jasmine | 15,8161 | 2026-08-151v7.0.1 | 2026-08-201 | MIT | JavaScript | active |
| Chai | 8,2691 | 2025-12-221v6.2.2 | 2026-09-211 | MIT | JavaScript | active |
| tape | 5,7971 | 2026-06-181v5.10.2 | 2026-09-181 | MIT | JavaScript | active |
1 Fetched from the GitHub or GitLab API on . Hover a value for its own date.