Testing in Node: A Comparison of the Top 9 Libraries

Node.js has historically relied on third-party testing libraries. However, with the introduction of Node.js v18, the landscape underwent a significant shift. Node.js shipped with an experimental built-in test runner, which received stabilization status in Node.js 20. This move aimed to minimize reliance on third-party dependencies.

You might be curious about how the built-in library compares to other third-party alternatives and whether it should be exclusively employed for all purposes. This article will assess nine testing libraries to assist you in selecting the most suitable test runner for your upcoming project.

1. Node.js test runner

When Node.js was released in 2009, it did not include a built-in test runner. Consequently, third-party test runners like Jest, Ava, and Mocha were introduced to address this need. In recent years, many languages such as Rust and Go have built-in test runners, and new runtimes like Deno and Bun also come with a test runner. This left Node.js behind.

With the release of Node.js 18 in early 2022, it shipped with a built-in test runner via the node:test module. The Node.js test runner has various useful features, including mocking, coverage, test reports, and test filtering. It also ships with the built-in assert module.

Getting started is as simple as creating a test file in the tests directory:

import test from "node:test";
import assert from "node:assert/strict";

test("calculateTotal", () => {
  const cartItems = [{ price: 20 }, { price: 30 }];

  let totalPrice = 0;

  cartItems.forEach((item) => {
    totalPrice += item.price;
  });

  assert.equal(totalPrice, 50);
});

Now you can run the tests like so:

node --test tests/*.js

You will receive output that looks similar to this, confirming that the tests pass:

✔ calculateTotal (0.748834ms)
ℹ tests 1
ℹ suites 0
ℹ pass 1
ℹ fail 0
ℹ cancelled 0
ℹ skipped 0
ℹ todo 0
ℹ duration_ms 65.683375

If you modify the test to fail, you will get a more descriptive failure output:

To develop efficiently, you can run the Node.js test runner with watch mode by adding the --watch option:

node --watch --test tests/*.js

✔ calculateTotal (0.663041ms)

As you make changes and save, the Node.js test runner automatically reruns the tests.

Optionally, if you prefer the describe and it syntax, you can write your code sample like this:

import { describe, it } from 'node:test'
import assert from 'node:assert/strict'

describe('calculateTotal', () => {
  it('should calculate the total price correctly', () => {
    ...
    assert.equal(totalPrice, 50);
  });
});

To generate reports, you can use TAP, which is the default:

node --test --test-reporter tap

You can also skip certain tests you prefer not executing using the skip method.

it.skip("skip this test", () => {
  assert.equal(2, 5);
});

The Node.js test runner also includes hooks, such as beforeEach, afterEach, before, and after, allowing specific actions to be performed before and after each test or the entire test suite:

describe("tests", async () => {
  before(() => console.log("about to run some test"));
  it("is a subtest", () => {
    assert.ok("some relevant assertion here");
  });
});

So far, the earlier code samples have used node:assert/strict, which offers a basic set of assertion methods. You also have the option to integrate third-party libraries like Chai. Chai provides a richer set of assertion methods and styles, enhancing the flexibility and expressiveness of your tests.

import { assert } from "chai";

Another key advantage of the Node.js test runner is its built-in mocking capability. This feature allows you to simulate the behavior of complex code pieces or external modules within your tests. Here's an example of mocking building upon an example similar to the one we saw earlier:

import { mock, it } from "node:test";
import assert from "assert/strict";

it("calculates total in shopping cart", () => {
  const shoppingCart = {
    items: [{ price: 20 }, { price: 30 }, { price: 15 }],
    calculateTotal() {
      return this.items.reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price, 0);
    },
  };

  // Original behavior: Ensure the original total calculation is correct
  assert.equal(shoppingCart.calculateTotal(), 65);

  // Mocking: Replace the "calculateTotal" method with a mock that returns 100
  mock.method(shoppingCart, "calculateTotal", () => 100);

  // Assert: Confirm the modified total calculation with the mock
  assert.equal(shoppingCart.calculateTotal(), 100);

  // Verification: Check if the "calculateTotal" method was called once
  assert.equal(shoppingCart.calculateTotal.mock.calls.length, 1);

  // Restoration: Restore the original behavior of the "calculateTotal" method
  shoppingCart.calculateTotal.mock.restore();

  // Assert: Verify that the original total calculation is restored
  assert.equal(shoppingCart.calculateTotal(), 65);
});

Pros

• No dependencies because it comes bundled with Node.js.
• Offers first-class support for ES modules
• Has built-in features like mocking and coverage.
• Flexible and can work with third-party libraries.

Cons

• The Node.js test runner is missing functionalities like snapshot testing, which can be crucial for specific testing scenarios.
• It cannot mock clocks and timers, a feature similar to Jest's jest.useFakeTimers(), which helps test time-dependent code.
• Currently, it does not offer the option to exclude specific files or directories from the coverage report. This feature can be important for focusing coverage metrics on relevant code areas.

2. Vitest

If the default test runner falls short of your expectations, consider using Vitest, a third-party testing framework for Node.js. It achieves its remarkable performance through the use of Worker threads. The framework has essential features, including snapshot creation, mocking, and coverage analysis.

To facilitate your workflow, Vitest automatically activates watch mode and provides a user-friendly interface for test visualization and interaction within the browser. Should your requirements extend beyond its built-in features, Vitest offers an API plugin that allows the creation of custom extensions.

To add Vitest to your project, run the following command:

npm install -D vitest

Working with Vitest alongside Node.js is relatively straightforward, as demonstrated in the subsequent example:

import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";

describe("sample test", () => {
  it("returns true", () => {
    expect(Math.sqrt(4)).toBe(2);
  });
});

You can now run the tests with Vitest:

npx vitest

When you run this command, you can expect an output similar to the one below, which confirms that the test passes:

 ✓ maths.test.js (1)
   ✓ sample test (1)
     ✓ Should return the square root of a positive number

 Test Files  1 passed (1)
      Tests  1 passed (1)
   Start at  08:42:40
   Duration  124ms (transform 12ms, setup 0ms, collect 5ms, tests 1ms, environment 0ms, prepare 40ms)


 PASS  Waiting for file changes...
       press h to show help, press q to quit

The final part of the output, "Waiting for file changes," signifies that Vitest is in watch mode. This means it will automatically re-run tests when it detects any file changes in the test files.

When you need to run tests only on files that have been changed (this includes both staged and unstaged changes), Vitest provides a handy --changed option:

npx vitest --changed

Additionally, if you want to test changes that were committed most recently, you can use HEAD~1 to specify the last commit:

npx vitest --changed HEAD~1

Vitest also allows for greater versatility by enabling you to specify a particular commit hash or branch name for testing.

Vitest offers effortless integration with TypeScript right from the start. For projects using TypeScript, the setup involves just two steps: installing Vitest and creating a .ts extension test file:

// maths.test.ts
import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";

describe("sample test", () => {
  it("returns true", () => {
    expect(Math.sqrt(4)).toBe(2);
  });
});

There's no need for a separate TypeScript compilation step. To run your tests, use the npx vitest command. You'll receive an output akin to what you've seen in previous runs.

A notable feature worth exploring in Vitest is in-source testing, which allows you to run tests directly within your source code right next to the implementation. This approach is similar to the module tests you would find in Rust.

Consider the following example:

// Implementation of a utility function to reverse a string
export function reverseString(input: string): string {
  return input.split("").reverse().join("");
}

// In-source test suites using a vitest
if (import.meta.vitest) {
  const { test, assert } = import.meta.vitest;

  // Test case for the reverseString function
  test("reverseString", () => {
    assert.equal(reverseString("hello"), "olleh");
  });
}

In the provided code example, a reverseString() function is implemented to reverse a string. Right alongside the implementation are in-source tests included to verify the functionality of the reverseString function

To enable this feature, you must set up a vite.config.ts configuration file in your project's root directory. Then add the includeSource option to target files within the src directory:

/// <reference types="vitest" />
import { defineConfig } from 'vite'

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    includeSource: ['src/**/*.{js,ts}'], 
  },
})

Upon running tests, you'll observe that the tests pass even though they are not in a separate file:

 ✓ src/stringManipulation.ts (1)
   ✓ reverseString

 Test Files  1 passed (1)
      Tests  1 passed (1)
...

It's noteworthy that Vitest offers APIs compatible with Jest and its ecosystem libraries, making it a potential drop-in replacement for Jest in many projects.

To illustrate compatibility, consider the Vitest example code provided earlier. For it to work with Jest, you only need to remove the first line:

import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";

describe("sample test", () => {
  it("returns true", () => {
    expect(Math.sqrt(4)).toBe(2);
  });
});

Vitest's documentation provides an in-depth migration guide for larger or more complex projects considering the switch. This guide details the differences between the two frameworks. It offers practical advice for a smooth transition, ensuring you can effectively move from Jest to Vitest without significantly disrupting your testing workflow.

Vitest also comes equipped with built-in code coverage support, offering the option to use either the v8 engine's native capabilities or the Istanbul library:

• v8: This provides native code coverage available in the Node.js v8 engine.
• Istanbul: A popular library that facilitates detailed code coverage analysis.

To run Vitest with the native v8 code coverage feature enabled, you can use this command:

npx vitest --coverage

Additionally, if you prefer a more interactive testing experience with a user interface, you can install the vitest-ui package:

npm i -D @vitest/ui

After installation, you can run your tests with the --ui flag:

npx vitest --ui

Upon execution, this command will automatically open your default browser and redirect to http://localhost:51204/__vitest__/#/:

Pros

• Comprehensive TypeScript support straight out of the box.
• Native ES module compatibility.
• Features Jest-expect-compatible APIs, facilitating easy learning and serving as a drop-in replacement for Jest.
• Can be used effectively with popular front-end frameworks, including React, Vue, and Svelte.

Cons

• Has a few GitHub issues impacting performance and a potential memory leak associated with the use of threads: true.
• Available resources for Vitest are notably skewed towards front-end development, which may limit comprehensive guidance and support for non-front-end use cases.

3. Jest

Jest stands out as one of the most widely adopted testing frameworks for Node.js. It is one of the oldest and among the most influential frameworks, pivotal in shaping testing patterns within the JavaScript ecosystem.

Jest is zero-configuration, providing a familiar API (it and expect) to ensure a quick and seamless start. Additionally, it is feature-rich, offering built-in support for mocking, snapshots, and coverage. To optimize performance, Jest runs tests in parallel within their processes.

Installing Jest can be done as follows:

npm i -D jest

A typical Jest example resembles the following:

describe("sample test", () => {
  it("returns true", () => {
    expect(Math.sqrt(4)).toBe(2);
  });
});

You can then execute the tests:

npx jest

The output should look similar to the following:

> 02_jest_demo@1.0.0 test
> jest

 PASS  ./maths.test.js
  sample test
    ✓ returns true (1 ms)

Test Suites: 1 passed, 1 total
Tests:       1 passed, 1 total
Snapshots:   0 total
Time:        0.203 s

You can also run Jest in watch mode to enable automatic reloading when changes are made to your test files:

npx jest --watch

Keep in mind that your project directory must be a Git repository for the --watch option to function.

To obtain coverage for your test suite, use the --coverage option:

npx jest --coverage

Pros

• Demonstrates good performance.
• Supports automocking.
• Compatible with projects such as React, Angular, VueJS, NodeJS, and others using Babel.
• Boasts an active and large community with extensive documentation.

Cons

• Lacks out-of-the-box TypeScript support, requiring the addition of the ts-jest package.
• Not ESM first, and its support is experimental, requiring configuration to enable it.
• Development has seen a slowdown in recent years.

4. Mocha

Mocha is a high-performance, feature-rich testing framework for Node.js. It offers an array of features, including async support, coverage reporting, parallel test execution, and the identification of slow tests to help optimize performance.

If your project also has a front end, Mocha can be embedded in your HTML to test JavaScript code directly in the browser.

You typically need to install Mocha and Chai, an expectation library, to get started. However, you have the flexibility to choose any library that suits your preferences:

npm install -D mocha chai

Writing tests with Mocha can be accomplished as demonstrated below:

import { expect } from "chai";

describe("sample test", () => {
  it("returns true", () => {
    expect(Math.sqrt(4)).to.equal(2);
  });
});

Ensure that your test files are located in the test directory.

Now, run the tests:

npx mocha

You should observe the tests passing, as shown in the following output:

> 03_mocha_demo@1.0.0 test
> mocha

  sample test
    ✔ returns true

  1 passing (1ms)

For mocking, you'll need a third-party library like sinon. Here's an example that mocks console.log:

import sinon from "sinon";

it("logs Hello", () => {
  const log = sinon.spy(console, "log");
  app();
  if (!log.calledOnceWith("Hello")) {
    throw new Error("Log was not called");
  }
});

Pros

• Lightweight with minimal dependencies.
• Native ESM support.
• Support for asynchronous testing.
• Modular and flexible, allowing the use of libraries of your choice for assertions, mocking, snapshots, etc.

Cons

• The watch mode currently does not support ES Module tests.
• Lacks assertion libraries, often requiring reliance on third-party libraries like Chai.
• Does not have built-in support for mocking; you'll need Sinon for mocking.
• Configuration can be challenging due to diverse dependencies and requirements.

5. Japa

Japa is a backend-only test runner explicitly designed for Node.js. It prioritizes speed, lightweightness, and a concise API. To enhance its speed, Japa avoids using transpilers to process the source code you write.

To illustrate its lightweight nature, the documentation claims that Japa is nine times smaller than Vitest and eliminates much bloatware found in other test runners that support browser testing.

Despite its compact framework, Japa supports asynchronous tests, snapshots, coverage reporting, test organization, and filtering. Additionally, it can be integrated with Playwright and offers a VS Code extension that allows you to run Japa tests directly from your code editor.

To swiftly install and set up Japa, use the following command:

npm init japa app-name

This command will prompt you to choose the assertion library you want to use and if you wish to include TypeScript support.

In the following example, Japa uses Jest expect assertion to test the addition of two numbers:

import { test } from "@japa/runner";

test.group("Maths.add", () => {
  test("add two numbers", ({ expect }) => {
    // Test logic goes here
    expect(1 + 1).toBe(2);
  });
});

Run the test:

npm test

> node bin/test.js


Maths.add (tests/maths.spec.js)
  ✔ add two numbers (1.04ms)

 PASSED

Tests  1 passed (1)
 Time  3ms

To obtain coverage in Japa, you can choose between c8 and nyc. The following commands install and set up nyc:

npm i -D nyc

You can then generate coverage as follows:

npx nyc node bin/test.js

For creating snapshots in Japa, you can use the japa/snapshot plugin, which you can install with the following command:

npm i -D @japa/snapshot

The initial Japa setup script creates a configuration file, bin/test.js, where you can register plugins:

import { configure, processCLIArgs, run } from '@japa/runner'
import { expect } from '@japa/expect'
import { snapshot } from '@japa/snapshot'


processCLIArgs(process.argv.splice(2))
configure({
  files: ['tests/**/*.spec.js'],
  plugins: [expect(), snapshot()],
})

run()

The following is another example that creates a snapshot:

import { test } from '@japa/runner'

test('match snapshot', async ({ assert, expect }) => {
  expect('1').toMatchSnapshot()
})

Upon running, it will create a new snapshot in the tests/__snapshots__ with the following:

exports['match snapshot 1'] = `"1"`

To use Japa with TypeScript, along with another assertion library like Chai, all you have to do is rerun npm init japa with TypeScript, and it will generate a similar example:

import { test } from '@japa/runner'

test.group('Maths.add', () => {
  test('add two numbers', ({ assert }) => {
    // Test logic goes here
    assert.equal(1 + 1, 2)
  })
})

The TypeScript file uses the Chai assert instead of Jest expect. Running the tests yield the same result.

Another noteworthy feature provided by Japa is the use of Datasets, allowing you to execute a specific test multiple times with different data on each iteration, as illustrated in the following example:

test('validate email', ({ assert }, email) => {
  assert.isTrue(validateEmail(email))
})
.with([
  'some+user@gmail.com',
  'some.user@gmail.com',
  'email@123.123.123.123'
])

In this instance, the with method accepts an array of values (email addresses) and passes each element to the test callback as a second argument during execution.

Additionally, Japa provides the ability to tag your tests, allowing you to filter tests across multiple test suites and files. In the example below, a test is tagged with @payment_gateway:

test('remove payment method', () => {
  // Test logic for removing a payment method
})
.tags(['@payment_gateway']);

You can then run tests with the @payment_gateway tag using the following command:

npm test -- --tags="@payment_gateway"

Japa also includes a browser client built on top of the Playwright library. This client can automatically manage browsers and browser contexts, toggle headless mode, provide built-in assertions, and allow decorators to extend browser, context, or page objects.

Here's a basic example:

import { test } from '@japa/runner'

test('has docs for browser client', async ({ visit }) => {
  const page = await visit('https://japa.dev/docs')
  await page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Browser client' }).click()

  /**
   * Assertions
   */
  await page.assertPath('/docs/plugins/browser-client')
  await page.assertTextContains('body', 'Browser client')
})

To run this test in the command line, you can use:

npm test browser

For a practical guide on using this feature, refer to the documentation page.

Pros

• ES modules first-class support.
• Easy to configure for TypeScript.
• Simple to install and set up with the npm create-japa script.
• Flexible, allowing you to choose an assertion library like Chai.js assert or Jest expect.
• Works with other runtimes like Bun.

Cons

• Only works with ES modules, so it may not be suitable for projects using CommonJS.
• Relatively new and less well-known, lacking as many resources as older and more popular test runners.

6. Node-Tap

Node-Tap is a Node.js testing framework that follows the Test-Anything protocol (TAP). It has essential features like snapshots, fixtures, and mocking, a thorough code coverage analysis, and a command-line interface (CLI).

A key aspect of Node-Tap is its focus on test isolation. It achieves this by running each test in a separate process, which helps avoid confusion and interference between tests. The framework's core functionality includes essential features like error handling, while more advanced capabilities, such as mocking, snapshots, and fixtures, are provided through plugins.

This modular approach is beneficial as it allows flexibility to include or exclude plugins based on your requirements, keeping the framework streamlined. Node-Tap conveniently comes with some default plugins, so there's no immediate need for extra installations.

To begin using Node-Tap in your project, you can install it with the command:

npm install --save-dev tap

Upon installation, it will set up the package.json for you. To ensure the best compatibility, make sure to enable ES modules.

You can get started with Node-Tap using this simple example:

import t from "tap";

t.test("calculateTotal", (t) => {
  const cartItems = [{ price: 20 }, { price: 30 }];

  let totalPrice = 0;

  cartItems.forEach((item) => {
    totalPrice += item.price;
  });

  t.equal(totalPrice, 50);
  t.end();
});

Run the tests:

npm test

When you run it, the output will be similar to the following:

The most unique thing about the output is that coverage is turned on by default.

Another unique feature is the REPL, which allows you to run tests, manage plugins, or watch for changes.

In your terminal, enter the following command to start the REPL:

npx tap repl

In the REPL, you can run the tests:

TAP> tap run

 PASS  test/test.js 1 OK 973ms

...

# No coverage generated
# { total: 1, pass: 1 }
# time=1044.653ms

code: 1
signal: null

You can list all plugins available for Node-Tap:

TAP> plugin list

@tapjs/after
@tapjs/after-each
...

@tapjs/worker
code: 0

In the REPL, you can add plugins:

TAP> plugin add <plugin_name>

Remove plugins:

TAP> plugin rm <plugin_name>

Pros:

• Natively supports TypeScript.
• First class ESM support.
• Offers enhanced flexibility with easily manageable plugins.
• Provides a REPL for interactive testing and configuration.
• Compatible with Node.js's Built-in Test Runner.
• Comprehensive documentation for user guidance.

Cons:

• As a newer framework, its community is smaller than those of more established frameworks.
• Performance can diminish with large test suites.
• Does not support test grouping in the style of Vitest or Jest

7. AVA

AVA is another lightweight test runner for Node.js that is steadily gaining popularity. It runs incredibly fast and has a concise API for simplifying testing. AVA offers exciting features such as snapshot testing, observable and async support, TAP reporter, and the ability to run tests concurrently.

One of the core principles of this tool is to ensure test isolation by executing each test file in a separate worker thread. Further emphasizing isolation, it does not rely on implicit globals and is incapable of running in a global scope.

You can set up AVA in your project like this:

npm init ava

You can start using AVA in your code like this:

import test from "ava";

test("returns true", (t) => {
  t.is(Math.sqrt(4), 2);
});

Now, run the tests with npx like this:

npx ava

And the test will pass like this:

> 05_ava_demo@1.0.0 test
> ava


  ✔ returns true
  ─

  1 test passed

You will see that the test will pass.

To make your testing experience seamless, you can enable the --watch mode:

npx ava --watch

AVA natively supports Observables and can consume an Observable returned from a test to ensure completion before ending the test. Here's an example:

test('handles observables', t => {
    t.plan(3);
    return Observable.of(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
        .filter(n => {
            // Only even numbers
            return n % 2 === 0;
        })
        .map(() => t.pass());
});

This code snippet configures the test to expect exactly three assertions (t.plan(3)). The Observable emits a sequence of numbers from which only even numbers are filtered. A t.pass() assertion is called for each of these even numbers, resulting in three passes. This approach effectively demonstrates how AVA can manage asynchronous test operations by leveraging Observables, ensuring the test completes only after all emissions are processed.

Pros

• First-class support for ESM.
• Concise test syntax.
• You can debug your tests with Chrome DevTools, VSCode, and WebStorm.
• You can write client-side JavaScript tests.

Cons

• Lacks built-in mocking and coverage support.
• Has no support for grouping tests with a describe block or anything similar and has an open issue on GitHub that has not been resolved for seven years.

8. Uvu

Uvu is a testing library built for both Node.js and the browser. It is designed to be fast and lightweight, providing just enough functionality for your basic needs. As you need more advanced features like mocking or want to use a different assertion library, you can opt for third-party libraries.

Installing Uvu is as simple as this:

npm i -D uvu

The following example demonstrates how you can get started with Uvu:

import { test } from "uvu";
import * as assert from "uvu/assert";

test("sample test", () => {
  assert.is(Math.sqrt(4), 2);
});

test.run();

Following that, you run the tests like this:

npx uvu tests

> 04_uvu_demo@1.0.0 test
> uvu tests

maths.js
•   (1 / 1)

  Total:     1
  Passed:    1
  Skipped:   0
  Duration:  0.57ms

If you prefer a different assertion library, you can use one like Chai:

import { test } from "uvu";
import { expect } from "chai";

test("sample test", () => {
  expect(Math.sqrt(4)).to.equal(2);
});

test.run();

Make sure to install Chai:

npm i -D chai

This setup will produce the same result when run:

If you want to measure code coverage, Uvu doesn't have built-in capabilities, but you can use c8:

npm i -D c8

You can then run the following command to get coverage:

npx c8 --include=src npm test

Pros

• Lightweight with fewer dependencies.
• Fast performance and showcases its speed with benchmarks in the documentation.
• Native ESM support.
• Flexible, allowing you to switch the assertion library or use a mocking library like Sinon for mocking.

Cons

• Uvu executes tests in a single thread, which means tests are not isolated from each other.

• Being relatively new (only 4 years old), Uvu doesn't yet have a large community, which can impact the availability of resources and support.

• The documentation for Uvu is not as comprehensive, posing challenges in fully understanding and utilizing its capabilities.

• Unlike some other frameworks, Uvu doesn't offer built-in support for mocking

• Uvu lacks a built-in watch mode feature, which is helpful for automatically rerunning tests upon code changes.

9. Jasmine

Jasmine stands as one of the most seasoned and widely embraced behavior-driven development testing frameworks designed for Node.js. It seamlessly integrates with Node.js and web browsers, offering excellent features such as synchronous and asynchronous support, spying, mocking, and the capability to run tests in parallel.

To incorporate Jasmine into your project, add it as a dependency using the following command:

npm i -D jasmine

Initialize Jasmine in your project with the command:

npx jasmine init

Start using Jasmine by creating a maths.spec.js file in the spec directory:

describe("sample test", () => {
  it("returns true", () => {
    expect(Math.sqrt(4)).toBe(2);
  });
});

Upon execution, you'll receive output similar to the following:

> 08_jasmine_demo@1.0.0 test
> jasmine

Randomized with seed 23484
Started
.


1 spec, 0 failures
Finished in 0.002 seconds
Randomized with seed 23484 (jasmine --random=true --seed=23484)

Pros

• Jasmine does not rely on the (DOM)

• Utilizes the familiar describe and it syntax, enhancing readability and ease of use.

• Comes with built-in support for mocking, spying, and report creation, providing a rich set of tools.

• Allows integration with other assertion libraries, expanding its built-in assertion capabilities.

Cons

• Handling asynchronous testing in Jasmine can be challenging.
• Faces difficulties when comparing binary data, such as Uint8Array, as noted in this issue.
• Jasmine lacks built-in support for watch mode, which can be a drawback for continuous development workflows.
• Many resources related to Jasmine are dated compared to other Node.js frameworks.
• Debugging Jasmine's tests can be challenging due to the vague output provided.

Final thoughts

The introduction of the native test runner marks a significant shift in the Node.js ecosystem. The need for many third-party libraries diminishes as the project matures and incorporates more features.

Nevertheless, libraries such as Vitest display a particularly optimistic outlook due to their unique features and the frequent addition of new functionalities. Another advantage is their optimization to function smoothly on both the backend and front end.

Thanks for reading, and happy logging

Article by

Stanley Ulili

Stanley Ulili is a technical educator at Better Stack based in Malawi. He specializes in backend development and has freelanced for platforms like DigitalOcean, LogRocket, and AppSignal. Stanley is passionate about making complex topics accessible to developers.

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