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Pester

Repository: pester/PesterHomepage

Metrics as of , from the GitHub or GitLab API of each repository. Refreshed monthly.

What Pester is

Pester is a test and mock framework for PowerShell. It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS, and supports Windows PowerShell 5.1 as well as PowerShell 7.4 and later. Tests live in .Tests.ps1 files built from Describe, Context and It blocks. They run with Invoke-Pester or from Visual Studio Code. Assertions use the Should command. Built-in mocking replaces commands with stub implementations and verifies calls with Should -Invoke. Pester measures code coverage and exports it in JaCoCo format. Results can also be written as NUnit XML. The README lists integrations with Visual Studio, TFS, AppVeyor, TeamCity and Jenkins. Releases are code-signed and distributed mainly through the PowerShell Gallery.

Written from the project's README, read , and its documentation (see sources).

Category
Unit testing and test runners
License
Apache-2.0
Language
PowerShell
Changelog
Releases on GitHub

Repository metrics

Repository metrics
Stars3,3451
Forks4771
Open issues and PRs661
Contributors1691
Commits in the last 90 days1691
Last commit2026-09-091
Last release6.2.0, 2026-09-091
Fetched

1 Fetched from the GitHub or GitLab API on . Hover a value for its own date.

Status

activeLast commit within 90 days of the fetch date.

Computed from the last commit date and the archive flag on the fetch date. See the status rules.

Alternatives

Listed unit testing and test runners tools, same primary language first, then by GitHub stars. Each line gives one fact from the tool's documentation where it differs from Pester's, with its source.

How to install

Install-Module -Name Pester -Force
From README, read .

Questions

Is Pester open source?

Yes. Pester is released under Apache-2.0, an OSI-approved license, as reported by the GitHub API on 2026-09-22.

Is Pester maintained?

On 2026-09-22, the last commit to the default branch was on 2026-09-09, so the listed status is active. Rule: Last commit within 90 days of the fetch date.

How many GitHub stars does Pester have?

3,345 stars on 2026-09-22, from the GitHub API. The number is refreshed at each monthly update.

What language is Pester written in?

The repository's primary language, as reported by the GitHub API, is PowerShell.

How do I install Pester?

The README gives this command: Install-Module -Name Pester -Force

Sources

  1. GitHub REST API: repository, read
  2. GitHub REST API: commits, read
  3. GitHub REST API: latest release, read
  4. GitHub REST API: contributors, read
  5. LICENSE file, read
  6. README, read