Difference between Mocha and AVA

Mocha and AVA are both popular JavaScript testing frameworks. In this article, we will discuss the difference between Mocha and AVA. Before discussing their differences, we must know about Mocha and AVA.

What is the Mocha?

Mocha is a popular JavaScript testing framework for Node.js that is well-known for its ease of use, versatility, and widespread popularity among developers. It is particularly regarded for its capacity to execute tests in serial, ensuring reliable and precise test results reporting. Mocha excels at asynchronous testing, making it suitable for testing applications that require asynchronous processes, such as network requests or database interactions.

The flexibility of Mocha also includes its ability to be integrated with various testing tools and frameworks. It is frequently used together with Webdriver.io, wd, Cypress, and Selenium WebDriver for end-to-end testing of web applications. Because of this, Mocha is a flexible choice for a variety of testing scenarios, ranging from complex full-stack tests to unit tests.

What is the AVA?

Modern JavaScript test runner AVA is made for Node.js and is distinguished by its clear API and thorough error reporting. Node.js uses asynchronous behavior to manage numerous processes concurrently, in contrast with traditional JavaScript environments that are single-threaded. Test execution can be significantly speed up by using AVA's ability to execute tests in parallel and take advantage of this concurrency.

The ease of writing and maintaining tests in AVA is attributed to its simple test syntax. Its emphasis on concurrent execution, which makes it possible to handle massive test suites effectively and takes advantage of Node.js's non-blocking feature to produce test results more quickly. This combination of a streamlined API and advanced concurrency features makes AVA a powerful tool for modern JavaScript testing.

Key difference between Mocha and AVA:

There are several differences between Mocha and AVA. Some main differences between Mocha and AVA are as follows:

Features	Mocha	AVA
Purpose	General-purpose testing framework for JavaScript and Node.js.	It focuses on running tests concurrently for better performance.
Design Philosophy	Flexible and modular, allowing integration with different mocking tools and assertion libraries.	Opinionated and minimalist, with a focus on performance and simplicity.
Concurrency	By default, tests are executed sequentially. However, they can be executed in parallel by handling concurrency manually or by utilizing additional tools like mocha-parallel tests.	It is faster for large test suites due to built-in concurrency, which has test files running in parallel by default.
Syntax and API	It has flexible syntax that supports different methods such as TDD (Test-Driven Development) and BDD (Behavior-Driven Development). It is used for organizing tests in the following ways: before, after, beforeEach, and afterEach.	The syntax is consistent and simplified. Async/await and other ES6 features are important parts of AVA, which defines tests using test(). It avoids global variables, making it more predictable.
Setup and Configuration	It requires configuration, particularly in cases where it's integrated with other tools, such as Sinon for mocking and Chai for assertions. The command line or config file can be used for configuration.	It is easy to set up and requires minimal configuration. Built-in assertions are included with AVA, and an ava.config.js or package.json file is usually used for configurations.
Assertion Library	There is no built-in assertion library; users can select their preferred one, with Chai being the most common choice. This increases flexibility but requires additional setup.	It includes a lightweight assertion library that addresses the majority of common cases. This reduces the requirement for additional dependencies.
Mocking and Stubbing	There is no built-in support for mocking or stubbing. Users must use third-party libraries such as Sinon or proxyquire.	Mocking/stubbing is not built-in, although external libraries can be used if necessary. AVA's philosophy encourages focusing on functional tests, which reduces the need for heavy mocking.
Ecosystem and Community	Its ecosystem is mature and widely used with an extensive ecosystem of plugins and tools. Mocha's flexibility makes it a top choice for many developers, and its community is active.	Smaller but growing community. AVA's focus on current JavaScript and simplicity attracts to developers who desire a streamlined testing experience.
Test Reporting	Supports a variety of reporters out of the box, with the option to create custom reporters. Mocha's ecosystem provides a wide range of reporting options, including basic text outputs and detailed HTML reports.	By default, it provides a simple and clear test report. AVA's output is intended to be simple and useful, and additional reports can be added via plugins as necessary.
Performance	It is efficient for sequential tests, but may require additional configuration for optimal performance in large test suites.	High performance due to concurrent test execution, making it suitable for large projects with many tests. AVA's design prioritizes speed.