jest vs sinon vs proxyquire vs rewire vs testdouble vs chai-spies
JavaScript Testing Libraries Comparison
1 Year
jestsinonproxyquirerewiretestdoublechai-spiesSimilar Packages:
What's JavaScript Testing Libraries?

JavaScript testing libraries are tools that facilitate the process of writing and executing tests for JavaScript code. They provide various functionalities such as mocking, spying, and assertions to ensure that the code behaves as expected. These libraries help developers maintain code quality, catch bugs early, and ensure that changes do not break existing functionality. Each library has its own strengths and use cases, making them suitable for different testing scenarios in web development.

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jest28,613,47144,6745.01 kB3402 years agoMIT
sinon6,957,7329,7172.08 MB4214 days agoBSD-3-Clause
proxyquire810,0602,746-106 years agoMIT
rewire421,5053,078120 kB522 years agoMIT
testdouble154,9381,424465 kB34a year agoMIT
chai-spies94,25513287.1 kB13a year agoMIT
Feature Comparison: jest vs sinon vs proxyquire vs rewire vs testdouble vs chai-spies

Spying and Mocking

  • jest:

    Jest includes built-in mocking capabilities, allowing you to easily create mock functions and modules. You can automatically mock dependencies and track calls, making it an all-in-one solution for testing.

  • sinon:

    Sinon excels in creating spies, mocks, and stubs, providing a comprehensive API for tracking function calls and controlling behavior. It is highly configurable and works well with any testing framework.

  • proxyquire:

    Proxyquire allows you to override dependencies in your tests, enabling you to replace modules with mocks. This is particularly useful for isolating the module under test and controlling its environment.

  • rewire:

    Rewire enables you to access and modify private variables and functions within a module, allowing for more granular control during testing. This is useful for testing internal logic without exposing it publicly.

  • testdouble:

    Testdouble offers a minimalistic approach to creating test doubles, focusing on simplicity and readability. It allows you to create mocks and stubs with a clean and intuitive API.

  • chai-spies:

    Chai Spies provides a straightforward way to create spies for functions, allowing you to track calls, arguments, and return values without modifying the original function. It is lightweight and integrates seamlessly with Chai assertions.

Integration with Testing Frameworks

  • jest:

    Jest is a standalone testing framework that includes everything you need to write and run tests, making it easy to set up and use without additional configuration.

  • sinon:

    Sinon is framework-agnostic and can be used with any testing library, making it a versatile choice for adding spying and mocking capabilities to your tests.

  • proxyquire:

    Proxyquire can be used alongside any testing framework, such as Mocha or Jasmine, allowing you to integrate it into your existing test setup without issues.

  • rewire:

    Rewire can be used with any testing framework, providing flexibility in how you structure your tests while allowing for private variable access.

  • testdouble:

    Testdouble is also framework-agnostic and can be integrated into any testing setup, providing a clean API for creating test doubles.

  • chai-spies:

    Chai Spies is designed to work with the Chai assertion library, making it easy to integrate into existing test suites that use Mocha or other frameworks that support Chai.

Ease of Use

  • jest:

    Jest is known for its user-friendly experience, with a simple setup process and clear documentation. Its built-in features reduce the need for additional configuration.

  • sinon:

    Sinon has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive features, but once mastered, it provides powerful capabilities for testing.

  • proxyquire:

    Proxyquire has a simple API for overriding dependencies, but may require some understanding of module loading in Node.js, which could be a slight hurdle for beginners.

  • rewire:

    Rewire is easy to use for those familiar with JavaScript modules, but accessing private variables may require additional understanding of the module's structure.

  • testdouble:

    Testdouble is designed to be minimal and intuitive, making it easy to create test doubles without unnecessary complexity.

  • chai-spies:

    Chai Spies is easy to use and requires minimal setup. Its API is straightforward, making it accessible for developers who are new to testing.

Community and Support

  • jest:

    Jest has a large and active community, with extensive documentation, tutorials, and resources available for developers. It is widely adopted in the React ecosystem.

  • sinon:

    Sinon has a strong community and is well-documented, making it easy to find support and resources for testing needs.

  • proxyquire:

    Proxyquire has a smaller community compared to Jest, but it is well-documented and has enough resources to assist users in its implementation.

  • rewire:

    Rewire has a decent community, but its documentation is less comprehensive than some of the larger libraries. Users may need to rely on community forums for support.

  • testdouble:

    Testdouble has a smaller community, but it is gaining traction due to its simplicity and clean API. Documentation is available, but may not be as extensive as larger libraries.

  • chai-spies:

    Chai Spies has a supportive community and is widely used alongside Chai, which has extensive documentation and resources available.

Performance

  • jest:

    Jest is optimized for performance, with features like parallel test execution and intelligent test running that only runs tests affected by changes, improving overall speed.

  • sinon:

    Sinon is designed for performance, but extensive use of spies and mocks can lead to increased memory usage if not managed properly.

  • proxyquire:

    Proxyquire can introduce some performance overhead due to the module overriding process, but it is generally efficient for most use cases.

  • rewire:

    Rewire is efficient but may add some overhead when accessing private variables, especially in complex modules.

  • testdouble:

    Testdouble is lightweight and focuses on performance, ensuring that creating test doubles does not significantly impact test execution time.

  • chai-spies:

    Chai Spies is lightweight and does not introduce significant overhead, making it suitable for performance-sensitive tests.

How to Choose: jest vs sinon vs proxyquire vs rewire vs testdouble vs chai-spies
  • jest:

    Choose Jest if you want a comprehensive testing framework that includes built-in mocking, spying, and assertion capabilities. Jest is particularly well-suited for React applications and offers a user-friendly experience with features like snapshot testing and parallel test execution.

  • sinon:

    Choose Sinon if you require a powerful library for creating spies, mocks, and stubs. It provides extensive capabilities for tracking function calls and controlling behavior, making it suitable for complex testing scenarios.

  • proxyquire:

    Choose Proxyquire if you need to override module dependencies in your tests without modifying the original code. It allows you to replace dependencies with mocks or stubs, making it ideal for testing modules in isolation.

  • rewire:

    Choose Rewire if you want to modify the behavior of modules during testing without changing the actual source code. It allows you to access and modify private variables and functions, making it useful for testing internal logic.

  • testdouble:

    Choose Testdouble if you prefer a minimalistic approach to mocking and stubbing with a focus on simplicity and readability. It provides a clean API for creating test doubles and is designed to work seamlessly with other testing frameworks.

  • chai-spies:

    Choose Chai Spies if you need a simple and lightweight solution for spying on function calls and tracking their behavior without the overhead of a full testing framework. It integrates well with other assertion libraries like Chai.

README for jest

Jest

🃏 Delightful JavaScript Testing

  • 👩🏻‍💻 Developer Ready: Complete and ready to set-up JavaScript testing solution. Works out of the box for any React project.

  • 🏃🏽 Instant Feedback: Failed tests run first. Fast interactive mode can switch between running all tests or only test files related to changed files.

  • 📸 Snapshot Testing: Jest can capture snapshots of React trees or other serializable values to simplify UI testing.

Read More: https://jestjs.io/