Arquillian vs Testcontainers: What are the differences?

Introduction

Arquillian and Testcontainers are both testing frameworks used for integration testing in Java applications. While they serve a similar purpose, there are key differences between Arquillian and Testcontainers that should be considered when choosing a testing framework.

Key Differences between Arquillian and Testcontainers

1. Setup Complexity: Arquillian requires some additional setup to integrate with the application under test. It relies on an external container such as a Java EE server or a CDI container to run the tests. On the other hand, Testcontainers simplifies the setup process by providing lightweight, disposable containers that can run alongside the tests without the need for an external container.

2. Isolation Level: Arquillian focuses on providing a high level of isolation during integration testing. It achieves this by deploying the application under test in a separate container, ensuring that the tests do not interfere with each other. Testcontainers, on the other hand, provides a lower level of isolation as it runs the tests within the same container as the application under test.

3. Supported Containers: Arquillian has a wide range of supported containers, including Java EE servers, CDI containers, and more. It allows developers to choose from different container options based on their specific requirements. In contrast, Testcontainers primarily focuses on providing container support for Docker. It is specifically designed for running tests in Docker containers.

4. Test Environment Independence: Arquillian allows for testing in multiple environments, including local machines, continuous integration servers, and remote servers. It provides flexibility in choosing the test execution environment. Conversely, Testcontainers is primarily designed for local machine testing, as it relies on the presence of Docker to create and manage test containers.

5. Resource Limitations: Arquillian can be resource-intensive due to the requirement of running an external container alongside the tests. It may consume more memory and processing power, especially when dealing with larger Java EE servers. In contrast, Testcontainers provides a lightweight and efficient testing environment by using Docker containers, which typically have lower resource requirements.

6. Community and Documentation: Arquillian has been around for a longer time and has a larger community and more extensive documentation resources. It has a well-established ecosystem with multiple plugins and extensions. Testcontainers, being a newer framework, has a smaller community and fewer resources available. However, it is gaining popularity and has an active development community.

In summary, Arquillian and Testcontainers differ in terms of setup complexity, isolation level, supported containers, test environment independence, resource limitations, and community/documentation. Choosing the right framework depends on the specific needs of the project, such as the desired level of isolation, the container options available, testing environment requirements, and available resources.